Looking to buy a boat

[Tony2Co]

Hello<br /><br />I have found a 95 Larson, 19 1/2 bowrider. Has a 5.7 Volvo Penta. Has about 275 hours on it.<br /><br />I have a PWC, but have not had a boat before. Are Larson boats a good brand? Not so good? Great? Also, anything to watch out for? This about is about 10 years old. <br /><br />Any info would be helpful.<br /><br />Thanks, Tony

 

[QC]

Re: Looking to buy a boat

Welcome to iboats Tony!!!<br /><br />IMHO one of the least important things about a boat is the brand. There are exceptions, but as long as the transom and hull are in good shape, not waterlogged etc. then all the other stuff is just hardware that can be played with, adjusted, tightened, replaced, polished or otherwise fixed.<br /><br />What's more important is the layout and how that fits with your needs, the hull itself as far as deadrise, size, even looks. Again, these things need to meet your needs.<br /><br />And then of course the engine and drive combination. All of the engine and drive stuff can be fixed too, but you need to really understand what type of expenses you are getting into the day you bring it home. Even a non-running and banged up drive combo can be a good deal if the price is right and you have a solid and legitimate plan to get her in the water safely and reliably. My .02

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Looking to buy a boat

Ditto QC's post. Well put.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Looking to buy a boat

Larson make great boats, but QC's comments are paramount. Even a great brand can be a total POS if the owner didn't take care of it. <br /><br />A 5.7 in a 19 ft bowrider! That's a lot of GUSTO in that boat!!!

 

[Tony2Co]

Re: Looking to buy a boat

Thanks for the info. Other than gas, insurance, storage... what other cost, gotchas are there to worry about? <br /><br />What engines are better ones? Worse ones? Do the lower units need rebuilt often? What does that involve? Something someone can do easily? Or is it like rebuilding a transmission in a vehicle?<br /><br />Thanks

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Looking to buy a boat

A 5.7 is a Chevy engine so fixing it requires basic engine knowledge and using marine parts where required. Outdrives are generally beyond the capability of the do-it-yourselfer because of the special tools required. You might get away with changing a water pump impeller and doing the annual lub changes but beyond that you better have more than a little mechanical ability and a good selection of tools. A factory service manual is essential for the DYI.

 

[dancerscap]

Re: Looking to buy a boat

Not enough room to list all the expenses, BOAT stands for Break Out Another Thousand. Just when you think your through you go BOATING,Break Out Another Thousand In New Gear. There's never a break even point, and there's never a point where the joy justfies the expense. It just has to be a labor of love (or insanity). In my house the answer you get depends entirely on who you ask.