Boat purchase - please help

[nightvision]

Hi all,<br />I'm down to the final stretch to purchase either a bayliner 175 ($13,000.00) and a sea ray 180 sport ($16,500.00). The price is out the door. Between these two boat which would you purchase. I would appreciate some pro and con. The bayliner dealership is 60 miles away and the searay people are in town. Never own a boat before. I have to purchase now to take grandpa fishing. Grandpa just move in town and his health is failing so I want to make sure we can spend some quality time fishing before something happens. Thanks.

 

[mulv80]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Without knowing what power options the two boats have I would say Sea Ray hands down. The Sea Ray is a better made boat and will have a much higher resale value down the road if you wish to get something larger. Having the dealer in town is a plus. Its nice to be able to drop your boat off at the dealer and be close enough to stop in once in a while to make sure they are working on it or to just check up on the boat.

 

[tommays]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

well searay has a perceived better quality but no real facts as to why and they have build some bad boats in the past<br /><br /><br />bayliner suffers in perceived image because because it built some low quality boats a long time ago<br /><br /><br />i think it would be hard to prove which is the better boat NOW<br /><br /><br />the fact that one dealer is local would be inportant to me<br /><br />tommays

 

[KCook]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Neither are great for fishing. Many fishing boats in this price range are aluminum instead of fiberglass. If it must be glas, also take a look at Seaswirl. Not as fancy as Sea Ray (more like Bayliner) but they are made in Oregon so a dealer in your area may be able to make a good price. And Seaswirl has many fishing types. Here are some more threads that may help -<br /><br /> sea ray 176 vs bayliner 175 <br /><br /> Fiberglass fishing versus aluminum fishing <br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Good advice Kelly<br />Nightvision, may we have more info on engines/outdrives and some options, please?

 

[ANDREW SMITH]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

NightVision, both boats are powered by a Merc 3.0 with a Alpha one leg. There are no optional engines. Both boats have the exact same lower hull ( don't tell the searay owners that or they might hurl ). The Maxum 1800MX shares the same engine and hull as well. But these are sport boats and not real suitable for fishing. The searay has a higher trim level than the bayliner. Good luck.

 

[BRG25]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Not that this matters, but both boats are made by Brunswick.

 

[eli_lilly]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

RR,<br /><br />What would make one boat better suited to fishing than another? (I am a novice boater).<br /><br />-E

 

[KCook]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

In general terms, fish boat designs are geared toward room, stability (drifting), utility, and pack in numerous fishing features (trolling motor, etc). Where pleasure boats (typical bowrider) focus on comfort, luxury, speed, and style. Of course fish-n-ski models try to cover both bases.<br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[magster65]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

That's a tough call. I don't think the Searay is going to be a far superior boat. They're probably quite alike and I'm sure most of the extra money is for the name tag. However, for the resale value alone I'd choose the Searay. Both are nice boats, so you can't go too wrong here

 

[Eric K.]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

I have an 18' 99 SeaRay fish and ski. It has an outboard 115 Mercury, transom livewell, dual batteries, bow rail, and no carpet. I bought this boat used 2 years ago and really like it for fishing. I fish on the St. Johns and also on the ICW here in Florida. It's a great boat for the family outing as well. If you want to fish alot and your not worried about pleasing the family then try out a center console or two. I think the key for my particular boats success is the outboard motor and the fact that it rides really well for an 18 foot boat.

 

[BOBPELL]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

If for no other reason Searay because the dealer is real close. Imagine a warranty problem and having to haul it 60 miles EACH WAY. At resale time you will get a much bette reutrn on the Searay also.

 

[Frugal Floater]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Before you buy, take a look at Glastron MX 175. They have a sweet 100% composite Volvo I/O boat that is perfect for cruising, fishing, etc...You have to check this boat out. My buddy has one and although it is not as decorative as their competition, it is a much better design for the same money. Key advantages:<br /><br />No wood<br />Volvo<br />Simple easy cleanup design<br />No carpet<br />rear bench seat<br />thicker hull<br />awsome warranty

 

[Frugal Floater]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

If you start heading towards a fishing boat that has seating for the kids, I would check out the 18' SeaPro...I own one and after one season, I could not be more happy. This boat with a roller trailer is about $16,000 out the door with 90 HP Yamaha outboard. Pulls skiers with ease and will last much longer than comparable bow rider. Brunswick bought this company last year, but I don't think they had enough time to shave away quality to achieve a lower price.

 

[stlouis_g]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Sea Pro-<br />Do you think the Volvo is a better engine then the Merc? What are the advantages?<br /><br />It seems to me that Merc had the better (more informative) web site, but that does not mean volvo doesn't have the same features.<br /><br />Greg

 

[johndoe]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Would anyone say that Glastron is a well built boat? compared to what?

 

[KCook]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

Merc and Volvo have more in common than differences. Here is another thread on this -<br /><br /> Mercruiser, Volvo and OMC I/O or Inboard Engine Problems » MerCruiser or Volvo Penta <br /><br />Kelly

 

[mkuehnl]

Re: Boat purchase - please help

I have owned 3 searays and have been very happy with all of them. <br /><br />Glastron is a company that seems to have lost its way a few years ago but recently has regained its focus.