Bought “cheap” to learn now loving it!

[inthesticksnow]

This is our first boat: Bayliner 18’ 185, 3.0/Alpha, no extras other than bow cover and pilot cover. <br /><br />I’ve got 13.5 hours on ‘er thus far.<br /><br />Born in ’51… I am mechanically inclined… cars, Harleys, etc.<br /><br />Here was my thinking, and I am SO glad right now.<br /><br />Boats are Greek to me. There was no way I was going to buy a used boat, primarily due to the fact that I did not want to get screwed first time out… bad motor/drive/hull. There are so many things to consider and KNOW about buying a boat… good gosh!<br /><br />So we went for a new boat… nothing overly expensive, nothing over the top. Just something that was going to have a warrantee and something reliable and something nice. Most importantly, something to learn on!<br /><br />I am one smart dude! We have an awesome boat. We love it!<br /><br />I am pouring over the manuals, reading this forum voraciously, boating my *** off, and learning, learning, learning. I am adding Smart Tabs tomorrow (yes I understand what they do) adding an hour’s meter (tomorrow as well) and now know how to “cruise”.<br /><br />This boat will stay perfect so long as we own it. The whole learning curve will happen on this boat… and when I am “done”, I will in a few years have enough experience and knowledge to buy a USED boat because I will be able enough to know and see what it is I am buying!<br /><br />I did not want to learn the hard way… I’m too old and don’t deserve it.<br /><br />Now granted, my ego was never kicked up. The wife and I wanted something decent, and I explained the above considerations to her and she was more than fine with that. I was not going to shell-out $$$ on something “unknown”, especially for the first time. So we are cool as ever right now.<br /><br />But the future looks SO good! When I know boats like I know cars and/or bikes… yikes! There are going to be some SWEET boats on down the road.<br /><br />Are you with me on this????

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Tell us how you really feel about your new boating experience inthesticksnow! <br /><br />Seriously, sounds like you made a well thought out decision. Many badmouth bayliners here but if you can keep the water out from under the floor you'll do alright.

 

[inthesticksnow]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Originally posted by Boomyal:<br /> Tell us how you really feel about your new boating experience inthesticksnow! <br /><br />Seriously, sounds like you made a well thought out decision. Many badmouth bayliners here but if you can keep the water out from under the floor you'll do alright.

Boom,<br /><br />Well I’m new here and I’m new to the whole experience, and I’m sure I’ll keep the water out from where it doesn’t belong! <smile><br /><br />I heard Bayliner had some negative things some years ago, mainly hull issues back when I don’t know. But I have a lifetime on the hull in 2005.<br /><br />Also, I talked to people here on the river at the launch last year fall, and this year spring. I was watching and then talking to those who came out. Lots of people with lots of different boats. Lots of nice boats, many extremely nicer than mine. Nothing negative over here with Bayliner, though. Young, old, single, family, inboard/outboard, extremely large, large, my size, small… smaller. Everyone, great people.<br /><br />My first conversation while on the water for the first time, was with a couple who had come up from Alabama awaiting to enter the closest lock to us. (We are on the Il River some 70 miles west of Lake Michigan). This guy had come up the Mississippi (or the Ohio) in a huge cruiser. We were very impressed… I have a very close friend whose dream has been to cruise DOWN the same way this guy came up.<br /><br />Many more conversations with many others since then, either on the river water or while beached along the bank. Super people, super boats, neither thus far with an attitude. Apparently all with the same interest.<br /><br />Then again, we moved out of the northern suburban Chicago area last year, in my case for the first time, to a rather “small” South Western town along the Il river… which is why we are boating right now. There was attitude back there. Boats, cars, houses, wives, girlfriends, Vodka… you name it.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

great job on the purchase and thought that went into it. congrats and happy boating-<br /><br />this is a great post for new boaters. should be put in the faq section for others to read.

 

[jlinder]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Take a look at the local power squadron and courses they have. They are free and a great idea for new boaters.<br /><br />You could try any of the local boat stores for contact information.

 

[Twidget]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Congratulations on the new boat and hobby. There is nothing like it.

 

[inthesticksnow]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Thanks everyone!<br /><br />New Hobby… Over the years I built all of my bikes pretty much from scratch, if you consider the boxes of parts were brought home in 2 or 3 trips sometimes. And all that was between eternity and me were the front axle and forks, which I of course assembled and/or modified… something to think about while tooling down the road over 100 mpg atop concrete!<br /><br />But I’m still alive, though I’ve had close calls.<br /><br />Maybe this boat purchase was the biker in me speaking out. When I first started riding (1960’s) I learned in the dirt, with dirt bikes. That’s where you should make your mistakes… in the “SOFT” dirt. Here’s where you learn respect for the machine which can otherwise kill you on the street. Here you do the burnouts, the cookies, the jumps, the wheelies, the hill climbing… all of which inevitably will bite you, but not kill you during the learning period, but which you need to know in order to survive the biking experience. Then, with a wholehearted respect, do you enter “the street”.<br /><br />With many years of biking behind me, back and forth from coast to coast, with all that I have learned always present, as I drive down the interstate highway today in my four-wheeler and see the two-wheelers cramped and disrespected, I cringe! I’m now thinking, “boating”. I’m thinking that boating with an entry level (though reliable) boat is a very soft sort of dirt. “Hitting the street”, IMO, in this context, will be upgrading to something more powerful perhaps, or, over-all “nicer”… but only after the learning curve! But right now we are absolutely loving this boat to no-end. <br /><br />There will ALWAYS be another boat, which you will pass, or which will pass you, that is “better” than what you and your family and friends are floating on at the moment.

 

[gewf631]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Originally posted by inthesticksnow:<br />Then again, we moved out of the northern suburban Chicago area last year, ...<br /> There was attitude back there. Boats, cars, houses, wives, girlfriends, Vodka… you name it.

Hey, I resemble that remark! I'm in Mundelein, so those really pricey suburbs are all around-us, and I know what you mean.<br /><br />Back on topic, you've made a well-informed choice. Like most anything else, if you take care of something, and don't push the design-limits, it'll last you a good long while. More important than anything else - if you're happy, that's all that's important. ENJOY!

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Inthesticks,<br />Most of us, m<br />e included, buy a real dog at first just to save money and test the water. Often, we end up pouring money into it while learning - adding loads of 'necessary' extra's - and then selling it at a loss before upgrading.<br /><br />I reckon the way you've gone about it is great. Oh how I wish I could have my time over! I'd study this forum before moving a muscle.

 

[murphini]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Best thing about being new is you didn't know the probably uncalled for bad rep Bayliners have (had) and you started with a great experience. You appreciate what you have-and since you're a harley and a tinkering car guy, you'll be well versed when you decide to step up to a 20-24' V8 runabout. My guess is you'll want something with a captain's call exhaust, and you'll probably but itused from the guy who now wants a 24-28' beast or a go fast, or is changing to a Pontoon since his kids are all grown and out of the house.<br /><br />Good decision starting out. Welcome to a fun world.

 

[inthesticksnow]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Ed F,<br /><br />Yes, you were right down the road from me in Deerfield! Are you boating on the Chain?<br /><br />Still,<br /><br />You are describing my first bike, 1950’s – something, Triumph Cub (200 CCs). But I was like what… 15, 16, years old? I had the energy and the drive then, to fix just about every working, movable part. Gawd what a pain, but it was a learning experience to be sure… but that was 40 years ago.<br /><br />Murph,<br /><br />I had heard about the Bayliner bad-rap, but also heard that the bad rap was a past rap, and that they now have lifetime warrantees on their hulls. When I realized that the same drive-train (Mercruiser/Alpha) goes into Maxum and Sea Ray, even Four Wins, I figured what the hell. In all honesty, though, I was really not certain. I just might have been lucky… <smile>

 

[prockvoan]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Enjoy the water ,happy boating,there is not a greater bunch of people that do it,then again,there are a few that give it a bad deal like any other sport.<br />Now that you are hooked,learn what "boat" stands for,Break Out Another Thousand!For me,I love it,thats why I have 3 of them!

 

[Scali]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

the good thing about your boat/motor is the mercury IO is a good unit.<br />Im got a taste of OMC's cobra a decade ago, learned an expensive lesson there , enjoy & dont forget to winterize her & maintain the crap out of the engine & lower unit, keep the gimble bearing & U joints greased, bellows in working order, zincs replaced when needed & gear lube changed & inspected as per mercs instructions & waterpump & impeller changed every couple years.<br />You should really get a taste of 2 stroke outboards though, theres something satisfing about working on them , I like them better then the 11 harleys I've owned over the last 25 years..!

 

[inthesticksnow]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

Scali,<br /><br />Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I will do as you say, but I need to learn about these things more or less one at a time, and again, I will as the season progresses.<br /><br />We went out today… I had about 13 hours – forty minutes, on the new boat/engine, and for the first time did a WOT with three people in the boat and, (the third person one heavy dude), I got EXACTLY 4800 rpms and 46 mph. Perfect! The Merc 3.0 WOT stats are 4400 – 4800 rpms. I have a 21p aluminum prop. I did this three more times for approximately 2- 3 minutes at a time. We were out for 4 plus engine-hours, so I am calling this broken in and changing the engine oil/filter tomorrow (just short of 20 hours). We did a lot of cruising at 3000 – 3500 rpms more or less all day. My feeling is we used about half a tank of gas (14 gallons). I will know tomorrow, though, as I will fill up again and note before we go out again for the log… this time just the wife and I.<br /><br />This little four-banger hums and purrs, and our boat weighs only 2100 pounds (without people in it). <smile> I guess that’s what you get with an entry-level Bayliner… and I have no complaints.<br /><br />I did install Smart-Tabs this morning to this boat, so all of the above comments regarding speed relate to that installation. I am going to post my interpretation of these tabs to the “Smart-Tabs” thread tomorrow… if you are interested… because after pulling the boat out today I made a few adjustments which I hope will improve performance – but I can’t comment on that until I do another trial run Sunday.<br /><br />You see? I am learning!

 

[Scali]

Re: Bought “cheap” to learn… now loving it!

4400- 4800 & your @ 4800 is good I think.<br />I believe it's recommended in the middle of this range maybe towards the high end but I believe your OK there.<br />You just dont want to over rev her & I bet your not @ WOT most of the day , this is more an issue with 4 strokes of course as the 2 stroke outboards have no valves ect....<br />Those 4 cylinder engines are fun I had one but the outdrive was a POS.<br />Enjoy it