Need help on what type of boat to buy

[shelsea]

Hi every one! i'm new to this forum and hoping to find help regarding boats. I wanna buy a boat for my family, I have 3 kids (5 years, 4 years old, and 2 1/2 year old) So we are a usualy always 5 and maybe 1 more that goes on boat rides. Our rides are on the Gatineau river (in canada). I was looking at the type i.e. vanguard Bowrider, bayliner... I like the type with the open front deck, middle widshield that opens in the middle and prefer an outboard vs the inboard. I have no clue on what type or size of motor I should look for so that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to ride

I was told that Bowrider stood for bottom rider because they are so heavy and hard to get out of the water, is that true?

What type of boat would you suggest I look for? i'm looking for a used as my budget is small ($3000 to $5000)

I'm looking forward to your expert advices

Thanks

 

[hog88]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

With the kids being as young as they are and your budget I would be leaning towards a 21' plus pontoon with at least a 50 hp. That would be a good steady starter boat for a young family, plenty of room, easy to manuver and safe.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

I like the type with the open front deck, middle widshield that opens in the middle and prefer an outboard vs the inboard.

sounds like any 'ol bowrider will fit ya, except for the ob part. many br's in the 19-20' range are i/o's.
ie. here's glastron's line up. note they got 2 with o/b's. 16' and 18'. + the gt160 closed bow which isn't what your looking for. the rest of the line up is i/o's.
anyways. the o/b is gonna limit your selection of bowrider style boat.

I have no clue on what type or size of motor I should look for so that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to ride

get the biggest one ya can get. within the max hp rating of whatever boat. no one ever wants less hp on there boat, most do want more... your gonna have a load with 5-6 people ea. outing too. that'll make ya want more hp too. more weight in a smaller boat, affects the boat handling more so. ie. my boat cap. is 6. i like 2, 3 is ok, 4 i'll take, 5-6 people and i start to get unhappy because my boat don't perform. it has to much weight in it imho. even though its rated for up to 6.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

17' center console with built-in bow seating, 90hp outboard. perfect family boat especially for children that age, and they will grow into it, so that when they are teens, they keep that one and you upgrade. Look at Scout for a good example.

Stick with outboards.

A 21' for 3-5000 will be old and unreliable, and you will need 150, not 50, to make it function well (unless you go with aluminum; then you can step down some).

There are millions of threads here about how to shop for first boats and used boats, discussing the trade-off of low price and reliability, the expenses that follow your purchase, and typical problem areas in old boats. Look around here. But one strategy I recommend is to "window shop" the new boats, at boat shows, dealers or on line, and walk around the marinas, to pick your size and style. After you have decided, then start looking at used boats. Not the other way around.

 

[shelsea]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

17' center console with built-in bow seating, 90hp outboard. perfect family boat especially for children that age, and they will grow into it, so that when they are teens, they keep that one and you upgrade. Look at Scout for a good example.

Stick with outboards.

A 21' for 3-5000 will be old and unreliable, and you will need 150, not 50, to make it function well (unless you go with aluminum; then you can step down some).

There are millions of threads here about how to shop for first boats and used boats, discussing the trade-off of low price and reliability, the expenses that follow your purchase, and typical problem areas in old boats. Look around here. But one strategy I recommend is to "window shop" the new boats, at boat shows, dealers or on line, and walk around the marinas, to pick your size and style. After you have decided, then start looking at used boats. Not the other way around.

Thanks or your advice Greatly appreciate it. are there any type of boat more reliable than others?

 

[shelsea]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

A 21' for 3-5000 .

What does that mean? sorry really new to boats

 

[shelsea]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

sounds like any 'ol bowrider will fit ya, except for the ob part. many br's in the 19-20' range are i/o's.
ie. here's glastron's line up. note they got 2 with o/b's. 16' and 18'. + the gt160 closed bow which isn't what your looking for. the rest of the line up is i/o's.
anyways. the o/b is gonna limit your selection of bowrider style boat. get the biggest one ya can get. within the max hp rating of whatever boat. no one ever wants less hp on there boat, most do want more... your gonna have a load with 5-6 people ea. outing too. that'll make ya want more hp too. more weight in a smaller boat, affects the boat handling more so. ie. my boat cap. is 6. i like 2, 3 is ok, 4 i'll take, 5-6 people and i start to get unhappy because my boat don't perform. it has to much weight in it imho. even though its rated for up to 6.

Thanks for your advice, you make a good point with the size of the motor and the load... I will definatly look into it!

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

You may want to concider a pontoon, you cant beat them for a family with children especial young kids. it has more than enough room for ever one and fences all around. And you should be more than able to find one in your price range and toons are much easer to inspect and dont have the hidden problems other styles of boats have.

 

[shelsea]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

Aaah I just understood the 3-500 you where talking about the price right... ok thanks

 

[cribber]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

Check out the used boat prices on Iboats Used Boats site above. Plug in bowrider, 19-23 foot and your price range and see what ya get. I have a Glastron GT-185 and more than 4 people aboard and it gets cramped. Plus if you go the I/O route and plan to hang on to your boat get the 4.3L V6. Plenty of oomph for water sports and will not break the bank at fill up time. Boats always come with friends so plan accordingly and get the best bang for your buck.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

Welcome aboard shelsea: What do y'all think you'll be doing mostly when you go out on the boat? Fishing, swimming, cruising, water sports, etc? That probably makes a big difference in what we suggest to you.

This recent thread is a good one to read through to get some ideas and watch one purchase process.

I did a quick look at listings in Montreal, and pickin's look a little slim. You're budget is fine for a first boat, but you may have to look a little further away for something.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

Don't get hung up on brands. It really doesn't matter with used boats. Doesn't matter if is was high end, doesn't matter if the company no longer even exists. All that matters is it's current condition. Just make sure you don't get something with an obsolete powerplant. You want either a Mercruiser or Volvo with GM based engines for I/O's and pretty much anything but Chrysler/Force for outboards.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

You may want to concider a pontoon, you cant beat them for a family with children especial young kids. it has more than enough room for ever one and fences all around. And you should be more than able to find one in your price range and toons are much easer to inspect and dont have the hidden problems other styles of boats have.

+1. You haven't really detailed how you plan to use it, but a party barge would definitely be worth considering. What kind of activities do you envision on the water?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

"are there any type of boat more reliable than others? "

Yes, but your budget puts you at the low end of the market, so condition is the first consideration.

But when you say "boat more reliable" that can include the motor (which is primarily what you are buying). Some are terrible, some are obsolete, some had bad years or models to avoid. Old mercuries are great when they run but cantankerous and hard to work on--I'd recommend them to the hobby boater but not the family boater. Yamaha's have a great reputation, as do most old OMC's. But rather than make a list (or start a Ford v Toyota debate) better for you to submit a prospect.

As for boats: brand doesn't matter too much (except you can always count on a Boston Whaler). If by "reliable" you mean better design, absolutely. That depends on how and where you'll use it--what works on a quiet lake (pontoon) won't work in coastal waters. If by "reliable" you mean mechanically, that's all in the motor/drive, above.

If you mean less likely to have problems from age, yes. Rot is a major threat to older fiberglass boats with bilges--the typical lake bow-rider. Not so much with aluminum--less wood. Not so much with self-bailing fiberglass decks--less water accumulation. Practically none with a sealed deck--no water accumulation unless there are holes. Which is why I do not recommend the types of boats that can't handle the weather.

because you have a very limited budget, you want the most room in the smallest boat. As someone said, ignore the rating plate as a guide to what is comfortable. This is why I recommend the boat like a Scout, with an OB, over a "sofa boat" with an inboard--all that built-in seating and padding and stylish dash boards and windshields means fewer people on board having fun. Look for an open design so your family can move around. they don't want to just sit and look.

 

[shelsea]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

"are there any type of boat more reliable than others? "

Yes, but your budget puts you at the low end of the market, so condition is the first consideration.

But when you say "boat more reliable" that can include the motor (which is primarily what you are buying). Some are terrible, some are obsolete, some had bad years or models to avoid. Old mercuries are great when they run but cantankerous and hard to work on--I'd recommend them to the hobby boater but not the family boater. Yamaha's have a great reputation, as do most old OMC's. But rather than make a list (or start a Ford v Toyota debate) better for you to submit a prospect.

As for boats: brand doesn't matter too much (except you can always count on a Boston Whaler). If by "reliable" you mean better design, absolutely. That depends on how and where you'll use it--what works on a quiet lake (pontoon) won't work in coastal waters. If by "reliable" you mean mechanically, that's all in the motor/drive, above.

If you mean less likely to have problems from age, yes. Rot is a major threat to older fiberglass boats with bilges--the typical lake bow-rider. Not so much with aluminum--less wood. Not so much with self-bailing fiberglass decks--less water accumulation. Practically none with a sealed deck--no water accumulation unless there are holes. Which is why I do not recommend the types of boats that can't handle the weather.

because you have a very limited budget, you want the most room in the smallest boat. As someone said, ignore the rating plate as a guide to what is comfortable. This is why I recommend the boat like a Scout, with an OB, over a "sofa boat" with an inboard--all that built-in seating and padding and stylish dash boards and windshields means fewer people on board having fun. Look for an open design so your family can move around. they don't want to just sit and look.

First of all, thanks for all your great replies!
To Answer what I'm going to use the boat for: pleasure riding mostly on rough waters (river) some fishing and tubing. Therefor a multi use boat

I hear you when you say that the middle windshield takes up room but its a must as it cuts out some of the wind and my kids will be able to shield themselfs if they are cold or have too much wind in their faces, especially for my 2 year old.

 

[evolution1985]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

when I take out my nieces and my daughter when I have access, they LOVE LOVE LOVE sitting in the bow on my bowrider. (with an adult)
when it gets to cold for them they come back under the bimini and shut the windscreen. If it gets REALLY cold we chuck the bow cover on and there is almost no wind behind the windscreen. I've said it on another thread where people have asked what type of boat to buy but IMHO a bowrider with an outboard is the best choice. HEAPS of room and allot cheaper to run, I honestly found it easier to get the feel for boating by myself too. Any boat you get for your first boat is unlikely to last longer than a couple or so years untill you either upgrade or dismiss boating. with 3 young children I wouldn't not look at 17-18ft, its a great size boat to start with and easy to control, my bayliner capri 1700LS with a 120hp on the back was more than enough, Myself my ex partner, daughter and cousin and her two children used to go out a whole heap. yeah I mean if you turned up the tunes and started dancing it got a little cramped but for tubing, cruising and skiing it was great. My cousin used to fish But I never tried, (the fish would win :facepalm: )

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

If the river water is truly "rough" (as in pretty turbulent in places), I would probably lean with Home Cookin' toward a center console boat with a good outboard.

If it's like the rivers we have down here for running on, a bowrider will do you just fine. I'd suggest no smaller than 16' (family of five will be a little cramped in a 16, but we used one for years), and I'd steer away from anything bigger than a 21' for a first boat. You may want one later, but when you start getting that big the game changes noticeably.

Lean toward outboards (I think they're easier for a new boater to learn with), but people start out with I/O's all the time - so don't worry about it too much. Stay away from OMC stern drives, unless you really know what you are doing (they don't make 'em anymore, so you become your own mechanic - and part hunter).

If your water is truly "rough," probably lean toward V hulls and steer away from tri-hulls. A tri will bump all over on choppy water. I've had no problem with mine on our rivers down here, and swells are fine too.

If you could find a dual console Lund or Starcraft Aluminum hull, about 18' with a 100HP (or so) outboard it might just fit the bill for you.

Good luck!

 

[hostage]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

I agree with Evo, go with an deep-v open bow w/ a i/o (~4.3L). I like them as they are the most versitile imho. You get a lot of bang for your buck. A pontoon boat is very limited, it might be a floating living room, though it's not the same when it comes to tubing. A center console is more for fishing, though you can fish from any boat. What is your definition of "rough water", mine currently is anything with swells larger than 3ft? I can only picture an ore powered zodiac going in "rough water" in a river.

There are a lot of other questions you need to be asking yourself, are you going to tow the boat, is your vehicle big enough? Are your kids like fish when it comes to water? You made the right choice coming here first and asking questions, instead of coming here to ask how to fix this boat you just bought.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

First of all, thanks for all your great replies!
To Answer what I'm going to use the boat for: pleasure riding mostly on rough waters (river) some fishing and tubing.

Define 'rough'... For what most people define rough water as, you would never want to be behind a boat tubing... A typical non-coastal river environment is never rough. It might get a little bumpy, but you don't have enough area for wind and storms to kick up a good swell.

 

[shelsea]

Re: Need help on what type of boat to buy

This is a great forum! Lots of feedback and info!!! The river isn't that rough its more choppy, on windy days it can be a little more. Bumpy but no swells bigger than 3 feet. There is a spot where we need to go up or down a water fall, but we only go when the water is high not to hit the rocks and all.
We won't be hauling the boat anywhere except to put in the water and out, so no issues there. I'm definentely leaning towards a 17'. To 19' bwrider with an outboard. IKve found one on the internet its a17 vanguard bowrIder but the motor is a 70 HP is that too small?