1st time boat buyer

[sportsnut87]

I am looking at a 1997 Sea Ray 175. Excellent condition, 1 owner(friend of family) older couple, 75 total hours on boat. Looks show room new, not a scratch, tare, nothing. It comes with many extras, 2 props, case oil, life jackets, trailer, ropes, tubes, NO SKI's, 2 covers, top, depth finder, all the gauges, bumbers, pedistal seat, 2 oil filters, battery chargers, pretty much ready to put in water

I have 4 kids, 12, 10, 6, 4. We want to use this boat to tube and maybe teach the kids how to ski,

My question is, at $8900.00 is this boat a good buy, and a good boat to learn with.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Seems a little high for an eleven year old boat, but if you know the owner well, that's a plus. Five people on a 17.5' boat is too many IMO. The kids are young so it's not as much about weight as number of bodies. Many of these SR 175s came with a 3.0 Mercruiser which I think you will find underpowered for your usage. If it has the optional 4.3 engine, that would be a big plus. If it were me, I would hold off and look for 19' with a 4.3 Mercruiser or Volvo/Penta.

 

[tmh]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Well, that's a very small boat for four kids (wife?). Mine are about the same ages as yours and one thing for sure is kids LOVE to bring friends along boating! Also, where do you plan to boat - rough water or heavy boat traffic will be plenty rough in a little boat like that - your KIDS may love the rough ride though, mine would. On the flip side, it's an inexpensive way to see if boating is for your family or not!

I don't think that's any great deal for a 11 year old boat, but it's a very unusually "unused" boat. Would I pay that much if it was truely in GREAT shape? maybe. A new, cheap model that size can be had for about $12k, but then you add things like tubes, certain covers, etc..... Point is, as long as you are certain there are no issues with what you CAN'T see (water-soaked foam under deck, beginning rot in deck, any engine or outdrive issues, etc.) then maybe consider it.

75 hrs. is crazy low for that age boat, about 7 hrs. per year average! Has it been used at least some each season? Was it stored indoors year round? Professionally winterized and maintained?

Is this an I/O with a 4-cyl engine?

 

[Marcq]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Is it an inboard or outboard ? How many HP ?

Marc..

 

[sportsnut87]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

inboard, 135 horse. It has been used ever season, stored in a heated building, trailered and washed everytime. These folks never wore their shoes in the boat they still have shoe boxes onboard with a change of shoes still in the boxes(to bad their not my size) winterized and gotten ready every year by a local dealer. WE would use it mostly on smaller lakes and once in a while on the mississippi River, but not often,

To give you an idea of this persons cleanliness, he bought a 1954 ford galazy new when he got married, still has the car origanal with 42,000 miles in mint condition.


Thanks for all the feed back

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

That price is definitely high... I'm surprised you can still call them friends if they're willing to profit that much from you. Shame on them...

I am selling my 2002 Searay BR176 which is the same boat only newer today for $8400. It was garage kept since day 1, maintained, babied, 160 hours etc. NADA called it $9000-11000 depending on condition, Boat US called it $9900, I called it take it now before I trade it off because I want a new boat and got $8400 from a cash buyer.

I could have realistically gotten more for it, but I'm posting this in your thread to let you know that true deals are out there you just have to go looking for them.

I sold him a great boat at a smoking price, so I could get one that I will actually use.

By the way, it's a great boat that did everything I asked it to except for fish and pull my fat *** out of the water on a slalom ski. If you can get it for a fair price you'll love it even if it is a bit underpowered in my opinion...

 

[tmh]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Well, Ovrrdrive, you sold too low, IMO which of course you are enitled to do to move on to your new boat faster! But many aren't that desperate or have more patience....so I don't think this is a fair comparison. That's the price from a "I want to move on" seller maybe. However, I see your point and yes the $8,900 is high. Folks sometimes think they deserve a LOT for their extra care in keeping the boat so nice, and maybe they do. However the market doesn't reward them that much, normally. THAT'S why you want the babied boat but for only maybe $1,000 over other similar age and style boats. That's $1k well spent!

I doubt they're trying to screw you, they figure it's "like new" and want to sell it as such. They can't change the fact that's its 10 years old though......

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

My uncle has a '95 Searay 175 with the 3.0 Merc. He's used it HARD. Almost exclusively for skiing. I would guess it has many hundreds of hours on it. First work required was some steering issues last year. It's been a great boat. I still think that price is a bit high but it's a good boat.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

i don't go much for Nada pricing, but this is what they say.

Base Price
$6,220 $7,060
TOTAL PRICE $6,220 $7,060

 

[sportsnut87]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

fyi, I went to Nada and put in all the extras and the price is 8600. Then I went and got the boat, took it to a dealer and they would try and sell it for 9900.00. I offered 7900 and waiting for an answer.

Thanks again for the info folks

 

[cbavier]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Seems a little high for an eleven year old boat, but if you know the owner well, that's a plus. Five people on a 17.5' boat is too many IMO. The kids are young so it's not as much about weight as number of bodies. Many of these SR 175s came with a 3.0 Mercruiser which I think you will find underpowered for your usage. If it has the optional 4.3 engine, that would be a big plus. If it were me, I would hold off and look for 19' with a 4.3 Mercruiser or Volvo/Penta.

Look around Boat is to small, costs too much money and way underpowered for the kind of load you expect to haul and what you want to do. Kids grow and so do their friends in number and size. Look around there will be some good buys out there this year especially as the recession moves further along. A 4.3 V-6 200 hp in a 19 ft is the minimum I think. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Chip73]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

I am looking at a 1997 Sea Ray 175. Excellent condition, 1 owner(friend of family) older couple, 75 total hours on boat. Looks show room new, not a scratch, tare, nothing. It comes with many extras, 2 props, case oil, life jackets, trailer, ropes, tubes, NO SKI's, 2 covers, top, depth finder, all the gauges, bumbers, pedistal seat, 2 oil filters, battery chargers, pretty much ready to put in water

I have 4 kids, 12, 10, 6, 4. We want to use this boat to tube and maybe teach the kids how to ski,

My question is, at $8900.00 is this boat a good buy, and a good boat to learn with.

I cant speak for price but I haul 5 kids and wife in my 175 with a merc 3.0/135 and have zero issues with performance. Pulling ski's tube's whatever. I plane no problems and can cruise at 35 no problems. You will get allot of people saying the 135HP is too little but most have never owned one or used one. From experience my merc 3.0 is awesome, as well as a gas sipper. I spent about 4 - 5 hours yesterday pulling my kids on the tube and burned 1/4 tank of gas, $20 for 5 hours of fun can not be beat. Spacing may be an issue depending on your seating. I have two back too backs, allowing 6 behind the windshield. Based on your description it sounds like a solid boat. Getting all the extras is an added bonus. You could offer less and see where you come out at. A 175 is a great boat to learn on, at least is is for me. You will hear bigger, better more engine allot but at the current cost of gas this boat may just be up your alley and not break the bank. Any boat is better than no boat.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Well, Ovrrdrive, you sold too low, IMO which of course you are enitled to do to move on to your new boat faster! But many aren't that desperate or have more patience....so I don't think this is a fair comparison. That's the price from a "I want to move on" seller maybe. However, I see your point and yes the $8,900 is high. Folks sometimes think they deserve a LOT for their extra care in keeping the boat so nice, and maybe they do. However the market doesn't reward them that much, normally. THAT'S why you want the babied boat but for only maybe $1,000 over other similar age and style boats. That's $1k well spent!

There's no doubt in my mind that I could have pretty easily gotten a few thousand more for the boat than I did but in order to do that I would have had to advertise and wait. And possibly wait, wait, and wait.

Worth is a very subjective term to me. If I knew i could have gotten a better offer in 2 weeks, that surely would have been worth $1000 to me. However, as the old saying goes "the happiest 2 days in a boat owners life..." You know the rest. It's highly possibly that in today's economy that I would have had to sit on the boat a year or more to do it, and that just isn't worth it to me for an extra grand or so at this point in time.

We've loved the boat but have always wanted to fish and have more power so the boat hasn't gotten very much use in the last few years. We didn't take it out once last year at all. I am ready for a new boat (Seapro 1900CC with a 150 Optimax) now and was prepared to trade it in at the dealer where I was told I'd probably get payoff ($7900) and nothing else. By doing a quick flip I sold it to someone local for $500 more. My impatience helped me decide what the boat was worth to me...

Like I said, I know I dropped it for way less than it was worth. I just posted this to let the buyer know there were more people like me out there and good deals abound to the patient person that has cash money.

Btw, I put the check in the mail last night and gave the boat to its new owner. I'm headed to the dealer tonight after work.

 

[tmh]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Yep, you're a happy owner of a new boat!!!!! Nothing wrong with that. I totally agree that one man's "value" is another man's "sit with a boat I no longer want in my yard with a for sale sign on it"! It's all a matter of what you can put up with for how much.

 

[boatradioman]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

for how do you described the boat is a good buy, but it is not a good skiing learning boat. The boat has props and are dangerous to get hit by especially when you have kids doing it. The don't recmomend getting this boat for skiing. I recomened you getting a Yamaha AR-230 or any other Yamaha jet boat, because they are made for skiing and don't have props.

 

[OhWellcraft]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

I wouldn't let the fact that it has a prop scare you away from buying it. I agree a prop can be dangerous but only as dangerous as you drive it. With proper driving techniques and an attentive skipper you shouldn't have ANY issues. If it's your first boat I would strongly reccomend a boaters safety course of two. For your and other boaters safety. In my opinion an inexperienced boater behind the wheel of a fast jet boat can be just as dangerous as any other boat.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

I grew up skiing behind a propeller driven boat and never once did I feel like it was unsafe or that I was in danger. I have also taught both kids in my house to ski behind my BR176 and never did we have any close calls or any worries at all. The common denominator I guess is that Dad grew up around boats and knew what he was doing as did I. If you're a cautious and conscientious operator you won't have any problems either.

I've never even heard of someone warn like that. I think it's pretty silly actually. I bet you think guns inherently kill people too don't you?

 

[Chip73]

Re: 1st time boat buyer

for how do you described the boat is a good buy, but it is not a good skiing learning boat. The boat has props and are dangerous to get hit by especially when you have kids doing it. The don't recmomend getting this boat for skiing. I recomened you getting a Yamaha AR-230 or any other Yamaha jet boat, because they are made for skiing and don't have props.

I think your Yamaha's are a bit out of his price range, he is only spending $8900 As for the prop, it is all about the operator. I pull my kids behind ours no problem. The main thing is when ever anyone or anything is near the back, the motor is off, period. Once all is clear I announce the motor is coming on and start it. Nothing is 100%, accidents happen but if you tip toe through life you will miss most of it. You hear about this causing injury or that causing injury but yet cars kill more each year than anything but yet I don't see people walking to work.