My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

[64osby]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I think I'm out on old glass boats. I'll stick to Toons. I will always look at older glass boats with those videos in mind. That totally did a 180 with me.

Several people near the beginning of this thread, including me, recommended looking at aluminum boats with an outboard. Every boat your looking at is a fiberglass boat with an I/O. I have owned FG boats and also looked at fixing one up.

I now own this. Take a look http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=509269
This is a 38 year old boat in great condition. It has no stringers to rot. Yes the transom and floor can rot but they are easy to fix. This is my family boat, ski, tube, cruise, fish, grill, rated for 9 people, I can take it on a small pond or out on Lake Michigan.

The exact same style boat is available near you. http://auburn.craigslist.org/boa/3025951632.html Or look for a Super Sport model or like style boat.

There are more options than FG and Toons.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

One other thing - sort of depends on where you are. I would expand your search to Chattanooga, Birmingham (Logan Martin), Cullman (Smith Lake), Winchester TN (Tims Ford), Athens AL (Joe Wheeler), Nashville and some other nearby areas with large numbers of boats. You can find a much larger number of boats within about 2 hours of Huntsville.

 

[nphilbro]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

This is a really fun read!

I know that one of the things that helped me the most was deciding, in order, what the primary purposes were going to be and eliminate any boat that would not not work really well for the most important uses. For example, mine were Saltwater fishing, trailerable for freshwater lake fishing, skiing/tubing, room for the kids and their friends (great point from previous poster). I never found one hooked to the truck that fit exactly but garnered ideas from 100's of configurations I saw in person and online to build a modular interior that is nearly ideal.

Fair or not, my impression of inboard/outboards is they are temperamental, expensive to work on, and waste precious interior space and am therefore an outboard only kind of guy. But for each person like me there is one with the opposing view.

I too am a big fan of aluminum boats and looked at quite a few of them but even the older ones hold their value quite well but the right ones for me were just way out of my price range. Those starcraft are in a class of their own.

I think what surprises most new boaters is the investment of time and money necessary, regardless of boat age, just to make sure each trip out is successful. Beyond the obvious motor flush, battery check, hull wash, be sure to look at what items will require cleaning and maintenance. Never underestimate the ability of a family to turn that limousine clean interior into a horse-trailer in just a single day! I'm always amazed how pulling into the driveway at the end of the day, exhausted from sun, fun, and driving how I'm the only one going up and down the ladder with a garbage bag and soap and water getting it back to the way it was before we left. The interior materials will have a lot to do with how long each nightly restoration takes.

Also, do ever anticipate having to launch or load it by yourself with a handful of joyriding onlookers unable to lend a hand (as in my case when I take my kids)? If so, boat and trailer combo will be very important so that it pulls easily to the bow stop and lines up on center.

As others have stated, you'll get more boat for the money and more potential for problems with fiberglass And some are certainly built better than others. There's a very good reason that it's cheaper to buy a motor with a Bayliner on it than just the motor. Again, just my opinion and while I've never met one, I'm sure there are some dedicated BL owners out there too.

Good luck and have fun buying and boating!

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

Instructive thread indeed. I am going to be looking to upsize to an older model pocket-cruiser type boat, and like everyone shopping for a big boat with a low price point, I fear getting in over my head with the large mistake of a secretly rotting superstructure. The question that pops into mind is: surely a professional survey will discover these issues?

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I think I'm out on old glass boats. I'll stick to Toons. I will always look at older glass boats with those videos in mind. That totally did a 180 with me.

I think this is a bad move. Don't be scared away from all of them just because of a few bad examples. There is much good about 'old glass boats.' If it makes you feel better, you can find nightmares in all types of boats. Is this going to make you change your mind and decide not to have any boat at all?

You just have to be diligent in your search and take your time. The search can be a fun part of the process.

 

[aerobat]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

when your budget is raised now i would stick with the boat size ( 18-20ft) and look just for newer boats so you can (hopefully) stay away from problems like gimbal bearings , leaking transoms etc.

i see you prefer I/O and not outboards so stick to this type of propulsion. when you are not a speed freak look also for a 3.0 since you may with this engine buy a boat in better condition for the same price

a 3.0 will easily tube your kids and give fun on the water for the whole family .

when looking at a boat closely and willing to buy take your family and show them the boat. the last thing you want is to trailer the new toy home and the first you hear from your kids is " this thing is ugly " .

have many fun with your family on the water !

 

[Restless22]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I think I'm out on old glass boats. I'll stick to Toons. I will always look at older glass boats with those videos in mind. That totally did a 180 with me.

I think this is a bad move. Don't be scared away from all of them just because of a few bad examples. There is much good about 'old glass boats.' If it makes you feel better, you can find nightmares in all types of boats. Is this going to make you change your mind and decide not to have any boat at all?

You just have to be diligent in your search and take your time. The search can be a fun part of the process.

Well, to be honest, I sorta got down yesterday, but I think it was in a good way. If I decide to look on the $10k side, I need to look at how it impacts my budget. I never knew that getting into boating was so daunting. Granted, I am very thankful for the wise words that everyone has given, and the patience shown.

One thing I can say, is the boating community is very friendly and helpful to everyone.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I wasn't trying to be negative, get you down or talk you out of boating. To the contrary, I just wanted you to see it was silly to eliminate an entire type of boat. FWIW - I paid substantially less than 10k for my boat and it has been great. Believe me, cash flow has been critical for a long time given my chosen industry. I can't in good conscience tell you to go by a boat regardless of cost or affect on your family finances (that would make me like our governmental leaders - yuck). I will tell you that if you and your family really love it, find a way to do it that fits into your constraints. Like I said - it is a long term search. If you want, PM me and maybe I can help.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

Here are just a few I found in local craigslist. I know nothing about them, haven't seen them, but these are the ones I would likely start with if I was in your shoes...

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/bod/3046222972.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/3061409279.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/3046249547.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/3043727382.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/3008113041.html

 

[Restless22]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

The guy with the Chaparral keeps dropping the price. Can anyone help me out with that?

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

As much as I love Chaparral (and they are a quality boat) and I have one, I am little nervous over this one for a couple of reasons.
*owner seems maybe too anxious.
*too old. I would try to find a boat less than 10 years old.
*those old boats were a lot of weight for what I guess is a V6 Mercruiser
*I don't like seeing the Doel Fin (or equal) attached to the outdrive. It tells me the PO was trying to coax better performance out of the boat, either as a result of not having enough power or something not being right. IMHO if the boat was operating properly they wouldnt need the foil. If these things really were the be all and end all of getting a boat on plane, etc., wouldn't all the manufacturers build them into their drives?
*no hours listed - is there a meter? How many?
*not much info in ad
*original engine / drive?
*where is it kept? If someone keeps there boat in a covered structure it is much better than outside in the elements (even with a good cover) and indicates their commitment to taking care of their boat, both mechanically and cosmetically.
*no real swim platform. These are great for kids. I know you can add one, even relatively inexpensively, but they are integrated into the hulls of most newer boats (since early 90's)

My advice...unless it looks perfect, mechanically checks out perfectly and lake tests perfectly... is to stay away.

Figure out exactly what you want and look for it. As I said, you will have to look at many and take your time.

 

[Restless22]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

As much as I love Chaparral (and they are a quality boat) and I have one, I am little nervous over this one for a couple of reasons.
*owner seems maybe too anxious.
*too old. I would try to find a boat less than 10 years old.
*those old boats were a lot of weight for what I guess is a V6 Mercruiser
*I don't like seeing the Doel Fin (or equal) attached to the outdrive. It tells me the PO was trying to coax better performance out of the boat, either as a result of not having enough power or something not being right. IMHO if the boat was operating properly they wouldnt need the foil. If these things really were the be all and end all of getting a boat on plane, etc., wouldn't all the manufacturers build them into their drives?
*no hours listed - is there a meter? How many?
*not much info in ad
*original engine / drive?
*where is it kept? If someone keeps there boat in a covered structure it is much better than outside in the elements (even with a good cover) and indicates their commitment to taking care of their boat, both mechanically and cosmetically.
*no real swim platform. These are great for kids. I know you can add one, even relatively inexpensively, but they are integrated into the hulls of most newer boats (since early 90's)

My advice...unless it looks perfect, mechanically checks out perfectly and lake tests perfectly... is to stay away.

Figure out exactly what you want and look for it. As I said, you will have to look at many and take your time.

Thanks! I needed that!

What do you think of these?

93 Searay Runabout: http://bham.craigslist.org/bod/3061638862.html

97 Maxum LX 2100: http://bham.craigslist.org/bod/3033425027.html

94 Dynasty: http://bham.craigslist.org/bod/3049779330.html

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

First a general note - I prefer to buy from an individual than a dealer/broker. I think you get a better sense of how the boat was cared for. Also I am especially leery when I see "liquidator" in the name of the business. They usually operate on a quantity not quality premise.

AS for the Sea Ray. He has two of them - makes me wonder if they were part of a rental fleet. If so - run, dont walk away. You know the old saying for rental cars, 'Drive it like you stole it'. It is even worse for boats because at least with cars there are rules of the road. With fleet boats, most of the operators dont have a clue what they are doing to abuse a boat. Additionally, I think you will be happier with a bigger engine. The 3.0 is not bad or anything, just not a lot of get up and go. A smaller engine works harder for the same level of performance which takes it's toll on longevity and economy. You can never have too much power...

The Maxum - newer, nice boat with good engine with nice trailer but obviously much harder on the budget. Another dealer. ONe of my best friends is in Guntersville and is a boater. I can speak to him about the reputation of the dealer. If you are going to spend this much, likely worthwhile to have somebody look at it. Check book values. Hours?

Dynasty - never been a fan but dont really know much about them.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I think that if you're diligent you'll find a boat that is 10 years old or less and should give you another 10 years without any major issues. You still have to be diligent to get a good deal, but a good deal with 10k should land you a real nice boat. Buying in the offseason would help as well. Right now we're gearing up for the highest prices of the year.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/3043727382.html


It's a little older than you are looking for, but this boat looks pretty nice for the price tag. If you can talk him down $1000 and the boat checks out after thorough investigation I'd say this is right up your wheel house. If the boat was stored in that garage regularly, I'd DEFINITELY be interested. The difference between and indoor stored boat and an outdoor boat is substantial.

It's likely still got some rot in places, but the likelyhood that it's completely destroyed goes significantly down. That rot **** mostly comes from rain water intrusion.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

with your raised budget, do not be afraid to drive a few hours to find a perfect boat. I used searchtempest.com (searches all craigslist sites) to find my SeaRay. it was 350 miles away, however got a good deal on it at the time.

your going in the right direction in safety courses and asking advice.

Having been from a multi-generational boating family, and owning everything from a 10' pram to my current boat. My recommendation is also a 17-19' bow rider if there are going to be any watersports. if your just doing the cruising and swimming thing, then an 18' pontoon.

that being stated here are some pointers.

if it was garage kept, there is a better chance of proper maintenance.
if the interior is new - why? if a boat sits out in the elements and the interior goes to hell, most people will throw a few $ at new vinyl to sell, however there usually is rot somewhere
the 4.3 liter is a great motor, I would not want anything smaller.
have it inspected by an un-biased 3rd party or a surveyor


if there are rental boats in your area. I do recommend renting a few different types of boats. that will help you and your family find the type of boat that fits your boating pleasures.

Happy hunting

 

[jkust]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I agree with the above. The family will gravitate toward the sun pad and the built in swim platform on an I/O. Ive got an outboard Bowrider and an I/O bowrider and familywise for just lounging, the I/O wins hands down. Literally the family never leaves the sun pad unless they go to the bow.

I'll also mention the way I'd do things is to buy something a lot newer and just spend the money. When I bought my sig boat now about 4 years back with 40 hours on it, I was happy to spend the 20k on it lightly used. 10 extra grand in the bank is was doing anything for me anyway. Have had no issues except of course the annual winterizations and a premature 200 hour service done at 100 hours but in the fall so no time off the lake. Given our 3 month boating season, I don't want to deal with problems I just want to go boating when my schedule allows at the drop of a hat. Here's what I figured out when shopping that lead me to my boat. Boat technology and especially design move very slow. Not like some cars that get a full redesign every few years. By that I mean that my particular boat was produced for the better part of a decade with the hull being patented in 2001 and started getting produced in 2002. Chaparral would change maybe one or two small things each year so the 2003 that I have is the same as the 2008 and 2009. They modified just a few interior bits over all those years. My point is that if you can locate a brand x boat in the early 2000's that changed very little and was maintained well, you won't spend the 20k I did but likely 13 or 14 k. The other thing I noticed after the most daunting vehicle search I've ever undertaken was that the higher end brands were almost always maintained better by their owners. I'm talking at that point up to 6 or 7 year old boats not older ones that have had multiple owners. It was a common theme I found with each boat I looked at, 6 or 7 year old inexpensive brand was beat with dock rash and the same age upper end brand wasn't. Not saying you need to buy any particular brand but I condone for a guy with little boating experience, get something a bit newer not older and to figure out the lay of the land for the models that are out there. For example one of the nicer late 90's, very early 2000's boats that I saw that was ahead of its time was the Monterey. It took years for the competition to catch up to what they were doing in 1999. I've notice however that in the last year plus, presumably due to the economy, there have been a lot of really nice used boats of all eschelons for sale. There is also a lot more MPI out there on smaller boats.
There are a few small things that are dead giveaways as to whether a small bowrider boat (in the really late 90's and early 2000's) is a well constructed/nicer brand or not. I can tell you without even looking based on the dry weight of an 18 footer, gas tank size of an 18 footer and the presense of snap-out carpet. The closer to 3000lbs an 18 footer is dry off the trailer and the closer the gas tank is to 35 gallons on an 18 footer and I can instantly tell generally a cheaper 18 foot bowrider from a not cheap bowrider. The newest boats have mostly caught up and include snap out carpet, and larger gas tanks but dry weight still holds some weight in the equation as even the newest Chaparrals have really cut corners in this economy but on the flip side Bayliners, the whipping boy of the industry, now have hefty dry weights, large gas tanks and snap out carpet.

 

[Restless22]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

I'm testing out the Chaparral tomorrow morning. I'm taking my family too. At $3000, I have plenty of wiggle room for any troubles. The seller sent lots if detailed pics and I had him check the deck while I was on the phone.

I like the size, the 4.3 Merc I/O, the price, and the seller. The trailer is in good shape too.

I think it's better that I start small and cheap, and feel my way towards an upgrade later.

I need all of you to wish me luck!!!

 

[laserbrn]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

Not to put this the wrong way, but does anybody else feel like he's ignored 4 pages of advice?

 

[smoothy003]

Re: My Family Wants a Boat, And So Do I

In looking at all of the posts on this thread, I will have to say that my $0.02 is that I was able to get a 1989 SeaSwirl Spyder 178 Sport for $3200, and have had nothing but awesome times with the boat.

My experience was to buy a boat (grew up salmon fishing out of Seward Alaska almost every weekend) to determine if the wife and kids would even enjoy a day on the water now that I live near Portland Oregon and 5 minutes from the river. If they didn't, I would sell the boat and buy a 16' alum. fishing boat for me.

Mine has the (insert gasps here) 5.8L OMC Cobra w/ matching Cobra outdrive, and to be honest, given that even though this company is now out of business, due to the saturation of the market with OMC's, you will be able to find a good mechanic who known OMC's, and there are enough replacement parts on the market to make sure that you can fix anything that may happen to break. The engine is 23 years old, however if you take care of it, like any engine, it will last you.

I love laughing at the 90's and early 2000 vintage boats that I am blowing by on the river in my 1989 w/ an OMC engine.

Don't be afraid of other's advise. I too looked at iBoats, read almost every forum post in deciding what type of boat to buy, and could not be happier with my purchase. The 17' easily handles me, my wife, twin 5 year old's and two adult labs just fine (okay, maybe a little cramped), is easy to trailer, learn to launch, retrieve and dock (things you probably haven't even considered yet).

I am also going the route of buying something cheap now, make sure the family is on the boat bandwagon, then upgrading when I get the money (and more importantly, wife's permission). If your kids lose interest, you are not out $10k for a boat that you won't use and have only spent $3k, which you can easily get back if and when you sell it.

Get what you want. It's your boat and money.