Yet another one seriously considering a change
Yet another one seriously considering a change
I recently sold my 96 Regal Valenti 176SE. This was our first boat and was wonderful as long as there was only a moderate chop and winds were less than 15 mph. We would often avoid going out if the seas were 3 - 5 feet with winds at 15 mph. It was a great lake boat but we often went out in the Gulf of Mexico, island hopping. Fuel consumption was outstanding!!! However, we sold it to purchase a home and really miss it. We've been looking at different boats and considered purchasing another Regal. One day, wasting time, I went to my local Yamaha dealership, looking at motorcycles. They sell boats too!!! It was the first time I saw the AR230 HO. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. We wanted something bigger than our 17' 6" to brave rougher days. We hate basing our weekend activities on the 11pm and 7am weather reports. Anyone familiar with Florida knows that in the summer time, the weather can change in a matter of 15 min. Being in the lightening capitol of the world, the last place I want to be stuck, during a storm, is on an empty island or fighting a loosing battle against the rough seas. Boat just wasn't big enough.
In a nut shell...Looked at the new Regal 2520. It's an $80,000.00 boat. A used Destiny 2120 is around $35,000.00. Only considering those because they were the smallest boats we could find with a head. Florida tides cause deeper waters to become very shallow. The sand bars will break a prop., yet another concern. Best case scenario...it throws everyone into the bow and the driver, me, into the windshield. We have 2 little girls and I was always worried about their safety if they were anywhere near the prop. We only tube right now but I would like to teach my daughters to learn to ski or wakeboard. My only concern with the Yamaha is the maintenance. My boat ran me $800.00 for the yearly tune up. Other than that, the Mercruzer was a fantastic motor. Can anyone give me an idea of the cost of maintenance and what is "common troubles", if any, for the Yamaha engines? Yamaha salesman states the 10 hour tune up is minimal but couldn't quote me a price. Other than that he states it's a basic oil change once a year and much like a car, that cost is minimal as well. Again he couldn't qote me a price. Also, this may sound stupid since I live on the Florida coast and they sell them here, are the Yamaha engines designed to take salt water abuse or are they going to be destroyed in 2 years? Before you ask, I did and will continue to flush my boat after every use. Saltwater or fresh, doesn't matter. The engine was ran no less than 15 min. Considering that I continue to do this, will the engines hold up? I was told by the Regal salesman that these boats are designed for lakes and can't take the saltwater abuse. He also stated that these boats don't hold their value at all. However, the Yamaha salesman states that the Yamaha engines can take the abuse of salt water as long as I flush the engines once pulled out of the saltwater. (He states there is no need to flush them after fresh water use). I tend not to believe a salesman. I'm never sure what their concerns are...Person or Paycheck. For those of you who already own one, I don't need to sell the boat to you. I'm just excited about everything it offers. However, I've read many great reviews and want to know, honestly, what the down sides are. I will only be using the boat for family fun, island hopping, and very limited water sports, however, mostly in saltwater. Thank you to everyone who spent the time reading this, and for giving their honest opinion.
