Buying a new boat

[Xelaw]

It's come to the point where I'm spending more time working on my boat than using it. I now know I enjoy boating enough that it would be worth spending up to $20,000 on a boat. I don't want to deal with constant mechanical problems, so I think I should either get a new boat or one not more than 2 years old. I want a bowrider, around 18', and I'm fine with a small engine. I've heard I/O's are a pain to work on so I'm leaning toward getting another outboard. I request a couple of things from you guys:

- How does the buying process at a dealer work? How negotiable are new boat prices? Used boat prices?

- What brands should I avoid? I've heard from several people to stay away from Bayliner (my current boat is a bayliner) but not much else. What engine brands should I avoid?

-Any other general suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: Buying a new boat

Bayliner has a bad rap because its a lower end boat and the owners tend to not take care of them. Newer ones are fine if that's what fits your style and budget. If you are looking to do less maintainence then get something with a warrenty. That's about all I can help with.

 

[strokeoluck]

Re: Buying a new boat

For $20k I suspect you'll get a pretty nice new or used 18' bowrider. I'm not a serious boater - you can see what we own down below in my signature. My family and I use our boat 6-10 times during the summer on local lakes.

I'll just share my personal purchase story with you. When we started looking for boats a couple years ago we wanted something reliable, a bowrider about 18' or 19' long (easily trailerable & could be stored in our garage) and decent looking. Based upon what I learned on iboats, online and talking with many local boat owners (not hard to find them in MN) I settled on a used Bayliner. I know there are "better" boats out there, but for something that I'm only going to use less than a dozen times each year I decided to go for what I considered decent value. The selling points on our particular Bayliner:

- It was only effectively two years old when we purchased it
- Previous owner kept it in great shape
- Previous owner installed a nice Lowrance GPS/Fishfinder
- It had the 4.3L MerCruiser engine, which I learned was a very reliable and powerful engine (proven to be true so far)
- Looks fine
- Seating for our family and can hold up to two families
- Plenty of storage

I tend to be frugal, so this Bayliner in good condition had me sold and it's turned out to be a good boat for us. I have no problem spending good money on appreciating assets, or on items we use frequently (we own a Honda Pilot and an Acura TL - both of which we paid a bit of a premium for relative to similar class vehicles) but on a boat - which will depreciate quickly - that we only use a handful of times each year I just couldn't bring myself to pay for a name, perhaps a little extra trim around the gauges, etc. Yes, I get a little jealous when I see a beautiful bowrider pull up next to us, with a great paint job, fancy seats, wood steering wheel, etc. But then I remind myself the guy probably paid 3x the $9k we paid for our entire set up.

As for how to deal with dealers - no idea there; I don't know that I'd ever buy from a dealer given how many good used boats are available for sale around us...land of 10,000 lakes.

My .02 worth. This is not meant to be a "Bayliner rocks!" post...just my experience and opinion. Good luck with your research and your decision.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Buying a new boat

There are a few things you need to consider when buying a new/used boat. It's a lot like buying a car.

1) What you buy is determined by it's projected use, price, condition, resale value etc. Put each boat into a category as you would a car (i.e. center console fishing boat=pick-up truck. Built for a specific purpose, can be used for other reasons. Not as many amenities, great resale value) You get the idea.

2) Are you buying from a dealer or the general public? prices may be a bit higher from a dealer, but you can get financing if you can't bite the bullet to pay cash. They will usually accept trades as well, which might help you get rid of your old boat, too.

3) I have always found outboard motors more reliable than I/O's, but that a personal opinion. I know how to work on inboard motors, where I usually trust my O/B to a friend, who is a certified marine mechanic. There is usually more interior room in a boat that is equipped with an O/B.

4) Resale value is important, unless you plan to keep the boat for 10-15 years. You mentioned Baylier as an entry level boat. That was true in the 70's and 80', but not so much any more. All boats are built to NMMA specifications, but it's how far over them that they went which determines the better boat. The higher dollar boats have a great fit & finish, but even the cheaper boats are still good.

5) Construction is an important issue. Which boats still use wood stringers (most) and what is the hull warranty? Is it transferrable. Don't buy a boat from a dealer that won't honor the manufacturers hull warranty. Get a warranty on the drivetrain as well if you buy an I/O. Get hour meter reading for the O/B. Even if it doesn't have a gauge, the tech can put the scanner and the ECU will give all points (hours, trouble codes, highest tach reading, etc).

6) This is the biggest point of all - buy what you like and what you and your family will use. You may like the 70 MPH wakeboard boat, but does your wife and kids wakeboard? You may like the offshore CC, but does your family fish? Look at the walk-around cuddy cabins. Gives a small area of rest and possibly a porta-potty, but also allows room on the bow.

7) Go as big and as powerful as you can afford to go. You might think 30 MPH is fine (and most of the time, it will be), but when chased by a lightning storm or other bad weather, I'll take the 45 MPH boat any day. This will also add to resale.

8) Preowned boats tend to have the bugs worked out of them and also come with a few amenities (outriggers, stereo, GPS/fishfinder, trim tabs, skis, etc.). Make your deal like you would at a car lot.

Sorry for the wall of text, but just trying to cover bases.

Best of luck. Let us know what you bought.

 

[Xelaw]

Re: Buying a new boat

Thanks for the input. Right after posting that I went to a boat dealer. They had a new 18' Bayliner for 15k out the door. Seems like Bayliners are cheap because they don't have a lot of features, not because they're crap. My current boat (1990 Bayliner) doesn't have any bells and whistles and I really don't mind. I think I'll stick with a basic boat. I'll just be happy to get a boat that I spend less time working on and more time using.

 

[sasto]

Re: Buying a new boat

Bossman spent 2 mil on a new boat. She breakes. Unlike your car she will need constant maintenance and repairs. The more you learn about your new boat the more work you will put into her keeping her away from the "boatyard blues".

 

[sasto]

Re: Buying a new boat

8) Preowned boats tend to have the bugs worked out of them and also come with a few amenities (outriggers, stereo, GPS/fishfinder, trim tabs, skis, etc.). Make your deal like you would at a car lot..

There is alot to be said about that.....all good advice but like this one.