Late discovery on my Bayliner

[12Footer]

My nephew has had his Bayliner Cobra over here for the past month for repairs. He only paid 600 bucks for the entire rig. At that price, it didn't matter that there was obvious deck rot,as the motor and trailer were worth it. Ok, so we started rippiin and tearin. What we found was disheartening. Every piece we checked was bad. After going deeply into this repair, and still nowhere near water-ready, I decided to re-inspect my own Bliner's woodwerk....I just learned they didn't glass all the way up the bulkheads.<br />I also found the entire underside of the deck was never glassed-in!!<br />Both these boats are 11 years old,so some rot is to be expected. But this is absurd!!<br />I promise, I'll never say anything good about a bayliner again. And all this time, I thought these guys were just jealous about thier Grady Whites and their Boston Whalers!<br />I thought, well sure, they are better boats, but cost twice as much new...NOW, I see why.

 

[JB]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Sorry 'bout that, 12Footer. <br /><br />Maybe a Whaler next time?<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />jb

 

[sony2001]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

12Footer The underside of my deck on a 13 year old Bayliner has been carpeted. Did you have that situation? Generally everywhere inside the Cuddy has Bayliner carpet.

 

[Firewood]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Let me tell you, I just brought home an old Formula. I'm told its a 1965, I think maybe its a 1970. Anyway I spent the past two days scrubbin it down to see what may be damaged. It was left un cover for quite some time and was always in saltwater. Believe it or not the boat is **** near o.k. Its 24' and has less rot than my 19' which was redone 8 years ago.LOL Basically the door going into the cabin is rotten at the hinge screws, and two cosmetic panels that covered the gas tanks in the freeboard are shot. The floor and everything else are SOLID.Even 30 years ago the quality shows today. I have no problem sinking some money into this baby, It will hopefully be here another 30 years.

 

[ODDD1]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

12footer, I get asked every day if Bayliners are any good......now not wanting to insult an individuals intelligence or economic lot in life...I tell everybody the same thing..<br />They are a great boat for what you pay for them, but there is a reason why other boats cost ALOT more....

 

[kev_79]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

I definately agree with ODDD1, you get what you pay for, you always do. Sure, we all want a Boston Whaler with a new 70 hp stroker, what a rig. The fact of the matter is, I can't even afford that engine, much less the whole rig. An old bayliner is cheap to get, so in stead of sitting on the shore, saving money, wishing you were on the water, you can be on the water, and in a few months, you can teach yourself how to rebuild a Force!!

 

[Navigator]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

12 Footer,<br /><br />That's the exact Reason I sold my Bayliner rig several years ago. I started probing around and found that the amount of work to repair the rot was more than my enjoyment level of the boat. What got me the most upset was when I found shoddy glasswork on the stringers below the floor. Water had made it in and rotted the wood inside the stringers.<br />I reinforced it with aluminum then reglassed the entire thing, but that was the last straw.<br /><br />I dont like to bad mouth any company, but since you brought the "quality" subject up ....<br /><br />Nav

 

[JB]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

I really feel bad for the folks who buy B'liners because they are so pretty and Forces because they are also cheap. <br /><br />I really think they would all be much happier with an aluminum semi-Vee or jon boat and a quality engine. When I look back on my big family, low income, gotta-have-a-boat-anyway years I am so glad that I was fishing oriented and bought tough, basic jonboats to carry the engines I had bought in a basket at yard sales. If Force powered Bayliners had been around at that time I might have given up boats and boating forever and become a biker.<br /><br />12 Footer's 12 footer is the way to go if you don't have the resources for a quality big boat and engine.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[krosemond]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Hey JB,<br /><br />I here you on the big family got no money!! <br /><br />When my kids were younger, I had much more money to spend on the Topaz. Now I am dad and stepdad to 6, 4 of which are teenagers. I am faced with 2 years away of 2 kids starting college and and then 2 years after that one starting each year for 4 consecutive years. Thank god #6 has "got game" so he can get that full ride like his dad, cause I will will surely be out of bux!!<br /><br />So I will have to nurse that '79 sea horse as long as I can, cause I can't imagine life without a boat, even a little one.<br /><br />P.S. Installing the new steering cable this weekend in time for the fall kingfish run.

 

[kev_79]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

So you feel sorry for the little guy who has the b'liner. I don't know why, at least we can have a boat. Bump the price up about 10K and we will never own a boat. Have you considered if they didn't make bayliners. Their would be a lot less boaters. I see 15 bayliners to every 1 BW. I know many more happy bayliner owners that I know people who own a cobalt or equivalant. Take out a family of 4, or a group of you best buds out on a jon boat for a day on the lake, that doesn't sound fun to me. It's like marijuana which is the gateway drug, the bayliner is the gateway boat. You can afford it, and though you may experience trouble, as with any boat, it will addict you to try bigger and badder boats.

 

[JB]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Don't take it so personal, Kev. The guy I feel for is drifting around out there with a dead engine, a hysterical wife and four crying little ones, or he is watching his icepick bury itself to the hilt in his transom. OR. . . his boat lives in the drive because he can't afford big bux to fix it and hasn't a clue where to start.<br /><br />I may not have looked like some big shot, or been able to pretend to be prosperous, and friends who didn't want to fish stayed home, but my four loved our big 6'x16'commercial jonboat (olive drab) whether we just cruised around or parked and filled the boat with bluegills and crappies.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[kev_79]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Understand, I am not taking it personal nor am I mad about anything that is said about them. I do appreciate all that is told about good and bad, but you said that you feel sorry for people who own bayliners. People buy bayliners for the same reason they buy a double wide trailer, or finance a house for 30 years rather than 15. A mobile home will only depreciate, so you will always lose money. If you finance a house for 15 vs. 30, depending on how much the house it, you can save literally tens of thousands of dollars. Neither of these makes sense, but the common denominator is that we lose money at a slower rate, rather than all up front, which we could never come up with. The idea of the jon boat is ok, but for lounging around, I have yet to see one have the egronomics of a b'liner. I think it is more important to stress maintenance, keep it covered, out of the weather if possible. I've seen it written, "I would get rid of the force and get a new 4 stoke." But we can only dream. It just seems that everytime the b word, or the F word comes up, someone finds a new nice way to tell us we have just invested in a piece of ****. We come here simply for help, and all of us who have one, when finances permit, will have a fat BW in our boat house on the lake behind our house.<br />I will shut up now, also don't take this personally either please. I have benifited from your help and others, and I much appreciate it.<br /><br />Kev

 

[12Footer]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Well put, Kev. You get what you pay for. There are no shortcuts to the water. We all live within our means

 

[JB]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Hi, guys. I am still not comfortable. <br /><br />I did not say I feel sorry for anyone. I did not say I feel sorry for any "little" guy (I HATE that term). I did not say I feel sorry for Bayliner owners.<br /><br />I said I feel for (sympathize with) the people who buy Bayliners and Forces unaware of what they are getting and ignorant of what it will take from them to get good service.<br /><br />You guys know what you are getting and choose to maximize your fun per buck that way. That's a whole different case.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[JeffM]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

I know what you're saying J.B., you helped me out with the Tao of Bayliners a short time ago and now that I understand them better I'm much happier. I was ecstatic at the price in which I got mine, and was quite let down when I had to put a bunch of money into it. When I look at what I have (a pretty sweet lookin 18' bowrider) for what I paid all in (including the subsequent repairs) I'm still pretty darn happy with it. I'll have it for another year or so and then upgrade, but without the Bayliner I'm not sure I would have got in to boating at all.

 

[kev_79]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Sorry JB, didn't mean to put words into your mouth ( I really hate that), I just took it that way at first glance.<br /><br />Kev

 

[JB]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

Peace, guys. <br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[bayman]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

In my opinion, if you own any boat there are some simple steps you can take to prevent rot and other water related problems.<br /><br />- Find the places where rot might occur and glass them in better.<br /><br />- You may notice that much of the deck hardware was not installed properly. For these cases there are some good 3M products you can use to remount them properly.<br /><br />- Seal windows up better. <br /><br />Read this article and do as it says and you will be able to enjoy your boat for a lot longer!<br /> http://www.yachtsurvey.com/DeckLeaks.htm <br /><br />Others have mentioned that site on here. I must say that they do have some good, informative reading...there is probably more here though...especially for engines!!!<br /><br />-bayman

 

[12Footer]

Re: Late discovery on my Bayliner

You are so right,Bayman. Take a sad song and make it better <br />Ya live and learn. And the day I stop learning, I must be done living.<br />I have few regrets. I bought mine,knowing who owned it before.<br />All boats will have thier weak points,even the touted Whalers (very heavy compared to same size Lonestars). But I would rather crack a keel on a Whaler a mile from land than I would the Bliner.