First Time Boat Shopper

[mccollum74]

I am in the market for our first family boat. I grew up boating/skiing in the Houston Area with my best friends family which had multiple boats. We were on the water at least once a week and spent countless days on the water at Lake Livingston as teenagers in the late 80's to early 90's. We have been boating on Sam Rayburn with family a bunch this summer and we are going to be looking for a 16'-18' Open Bow with either the 3.0 or 4.3 inboard. I hope to be pulling it with our 2005 Toyota Sienna Minivan with a 3500lb towing capacity. We have 3 kids that enjoy the tube, kneeboard and waterski's. As with most families our budget is pretty limited and we are going to be looking in the $4000-$6000 range. Any words of wisdom would be great, we are thinking of waiting a little until the summer season is over so the boat prices drop a little.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: First Time Boat Shopper

You might want to look on the internet to see what your local market holds in your price range. In Boattraders.com, you can filter for available boats in your retail market, by types, by price and by motors. Another good place to look is Craigslist.com for Houston and surrounding towns. Of course, there are plenty of boats on Ebaymotors.com.

I/O power units are probably 600-800 lbs. more than a comparable outboard. Any FWD/AWD minivan is marginal when it comes to pulling trailers, as the vans themselves are a pretty heavy load. Suspensions and engines are just not up to taking on another 4000 lbs.

Options:
1. Purchase an outboard powered boat.
2. Put the boat in a marina--preferably dry dock storage.
3. Store the boat a mile or two away from the lake, and just tow it a short distance to the ramp.

Your price range will get you an older I/O, and they have a tendency to have bellows leaks and expensive maintenance problems. (I own both I/O and an outboard pontoon and speak from experience.) You can purchase an outboard powered boat for less money, and it will have just so much less upkeep. It's also much easier to trailer.

 

[95Bayliner]

Re: First Time Boat Shopper

I recently purchased a 95 Bayliner with an O/B motor which I tow with a Nissan Murano. The Nissan Murano has the same towing capacity as your minivan. The boat is a 18ft open bow used for similar activities that your family enjoys. I believe my boat and trailer weigh close to 2000 - 2500 lbs and even though the towing capacity is 3500lbs, keep in mind this is max. I can definitely tell the strain it puts on our SUV, I assume it may be the same for the minivan. You might experience more as boats with inboards typically weigh more than boats with outboards.

We ended up storing the boat at a 24hr self storage center near the lake for about $35 bucks a month in hopes to minimize wear and tear on our vehicle.

Buying a boat is like purchasing a car in respect that you should do your homework and never rush into it or you may end up with something that costs alot more in repairs than anticipated.

You'll want to ensure you test drive the boat before you purchase if buying used. Meaning don't let the seller have you rely on their word and cranking the engine while connected to the hose, get the boat in a body of water and perform various maneuvers as you would if it were your boat. Make sure you kill the engine and monitor how easily it starts back up. If the owner doesn't agree to let you test drive, it may be a blessing in disguise and an indicator to walk away.

I did a search on google for "buying a used boat checklist" since I am new to boating. Very useful information including what to check for on the engine. I'd compile a list, print it out, and take it with you on your visits. You may also want to bring along a friend who is knowledgable of boats to consult with on your findings.

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First Time Boat Shopper

go for an outboard and a relatively lightweight hull for the size, with lots of room for the children to spread around. Look at Scout, Palm Beach, Key West, Carolina Skiff (start by window shopping the new boats on line and at dealers to pick your size and design, then go look for the used one). Look at the Mako's at bass pro for design but don't buy one there; I hear the new ones are low end now but in the 80's they were good. You are an "active family" boater so you need something with open bow seating, and an open area in the rear for staging the tubing. No carpet, no sofas. Scout 17 would be a perfect fit.
Outboard gives you more room in the boat, and are more reliable and easy to fix since you are buying used.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First Time Boat Shopper

In that price range you're going to be looking at boats 10-15+ years old. Your biggest concern in an older fiberglass boat is going to be rot in the wooden components of the hull. Deck/stringers/transom. Soft transoms can lead to leakage and engine alignment problems and ANY soft spots in the deck are usually indicative of more rot below in the stringers. So check very carefully. If a boat looks like it's spent a good portion of it's life outside uncovered, good chance it's got issues. Your second biggest concern is obsolete powerplants. For I/O's stick with Mercruiser or Volvo. OMC has been out of business for over a decade and parts are getting scarce.

Personally (and I'm way biased) I feel it's tough to go wrong with an aluminum hull with an outboard motor. Least chance of acquiring a "money pit" (and they're lighter too!)

As mentioned, a fiberglass 18' with an I/O is going to be really pushing the limits of your tow vehicle.

 

[Handyman1]

Re: First Time Boat Shopper

go in to a transmission shop and they can install an extra cooling rad on your transmission $ 150-300 it is better then a rebuild $2000