Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

[-twitch-]

I have never owner a boat before and about all I know is they cost a lot to maintain but it looks like to much fun to pass up.

PLEASE HELP ME...

Looking for something that can be used for

- rivers and lakes
- can tow a tube and wake board
- reliability (which from what I understand is not possible. I am mechanically inclined and can work on almost anything)
- Open bow to sit as many people as possible
- Some kind of shade cover (this is a must at the request of the women)
- Price range of $8,000 - $12,000 (located in Socal)
- I dont know what size motor I want, basically I want enough power but keep it as small as possible to get the best gas milage possible.


Any help is appreciated

Here are a couple I found on craigslist...

2005 Maxum 1800 MX Like New Condition

PERFECT FAMILY BOAT

2003 crown line 180 bow rider

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

You have answered your own question.
You want an 18 foot bow-rider with a Bimini.
A Bimini can be added to any boat for a few hundred dollars.

The standard engine will be in the 3L to 4L range. 120-220 hp.
The bigger engine will accelerate faster (0-20mph) but only go 20% faster, NOT twice as fast. ~40 vs. ~50mph.
Both will do what you want and get about the same gas mileage at the same speed.
You will spend most of your time between 20 and 30mph.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

Either of the boats with the 4.3L engine.

 

[carribbean soul]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

you want to find a place to rent a boat until you figure out what you need

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

I think that you are on the right track with the boats you listed so far. More power is better with water sports. Don't worry about fuel economy, there is no such thing with boats. Volvo-Penta and Mercruiser are both fine engines. They use GM engines as there base and then do their marine 'thing' to them. So, not much difference there.

Be mindful of the people and weight capacity of the boats that you consider to make sure that an 18 footer will suffice for your intended crew/crowd. There will be a placard inside the cockpit somewhere that indicates what the capacities are, etc. More often it ends up being the weigh as a limiting factor. Skinny people get to sit in the bow.

You should have the seller take you for a ride in the boat that you are interested in. You could also get the boat "surveyed" (which is a fancy word for inspected) by a certified marine surveyor. The cost would be about $500 or so.

Check the pricing on NADA.com see the boat section, etc. You can also sign up for BUCvalue.com for a monthly fee.

If you are mechanically inclined, the boat will test your skills pretty well. My advice would be to get the maintenance manual for the engine that you end up getting. Much of the electrical systems on boats is based off the engine, so the manual can suffice for both mechanical and electrical.

Go enroll yourself and the "Admiral" in a boating safety course, because boating is dangerous.

Post updates and pics, 'cuz we like to help others spend their money.

 

[-twitch-]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

So a V8 compared to a V6 wont make a huge difference?

Is there anything I should look out for that I would not want?


What about these boats?

Any preferred or not preferred brands?




2001 Calabria open bow wakeboard boat

20ft Open Bow Bluewater Boat

2001 Mariah 182 Bowrider

 

[-twitch-]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

Whats the deal with a deck boat

99 Mariah Jubilee deckboat

This thing looks cool. I like that it has lots of room on the deck.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

Your choice is between a 4 and a 6 cylinder. A V8 would have an 18 footer in the air!
It will be the difference between real fast and scary fast! Too fast for a newbie, but no one says you need to open it all the way up.
If you don't know what the 6 cylinder can do and you are new at this, you will not be disappointed the the 4 cyl.

The deck boat is a bow-rider without the windshield.
Kind of like a Fast Pontoon boat place on a hull.
The one you pictured is a V-Hull and will take light chop OK!
Some are Cathedral/Tri hulls and are wider in the bow but a harder ride in any water with a bounce.

Where do you intend to operate the boat. Lake, River, Bay, Pacific?
What Lake? What River?

Based on your listings I assume you are in California near LA.
Update your Location at the top of this page and we can be more specific in our advice. (My Profile> Location)

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

As long as you are serious, don't forget that the boat is only half of the picture.
Assuming you are going to trailer it home;

What do you have to tow it with?
Most SUVs are not going to pull the 5000lbs of that 21ft deck boat!

Where are you going to keep it.
Many communities will NOT allow it in the driveway overnight.
Many require it to be behind the setback line of the house.
Others require it to be out of sight from the street.

All things to think about before you buy a snowmobile in Los Angeles! :facepalm:

 

[-twitch-]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

Your choice is between a 4 and a 6 cylinder. A V8 would have an 18 footer in the air!
It will be the difference between real fast and scary fast! Too fast for a newbie, but no one says you need to open it all the way up.
If you don't know what the 6 cylinder can do and you are new at this, you will not be disappointed the the 4 cyl.

The deck boat is a bow-rider without the windshield.
Kind of like a Fast Pontoon boat place on a hull.
The one you pictured is a V-Hull and will take light chop OK!
Some are Cathedral/Tri hulls and are wider in the bow but a harder ride in any water with a bounce.

Where do you intend to operate the boat. Lake, River, Bay, Pacific?
What Lake? What River?

Based on your listings I assume you are in California near LA.
Update your Location at the top of this page and we can be more specific in our advice. (My Profile> Location)

As long as you are serious, don't forget that the boat is only half of the picture.
Assuming you are going to trailer it home;

What do you have to tow it with?
Most SUVs are not going to pull the 5000lbs of that 21ft deck boat!

Where are you going to keep it.
Many communities will NOT allow it in the driveway overnight.
Many require it to be behind the setback line of the house.
Others require it to be out of sight from the street.

All things to think about before you buy a snowmobile in Los Angeles! :facepalm:

I like the idea of having the power if I need it. Like you mentioned it does not have to be full throttle always.

I will be using at some local lakes. I would like to be able to go out to havasu and Colorado river (Parker)

I live in Valley center, it's near Escondido. I have lots of land to store it. And to answer the tow question it will go behind my Nissan Titan or my RV. My offroad truck and trailer weight about the same amount.

I have the money and want to get it ASAP so it's dialed in for summer, but I am willing to wait till I find the right boat for the right price

So would I be better with that deck boat or one of the others

 

[KD4UPL]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

You want a bow rider or a deck boat. 18' minimum, up to maybe 21' or so. Get at least a 4.3 V6 if not a V8. If you're concerned about gas mileage your in the wrong hobby. Boats use fuel.
If you don't know already, boats are rated by how many passengers they can haul. This is a legal rating, going over can and will get you fined. Decide how many people you want on board and buy acordingly.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

The main difference between a bow rider and deck boat is how deep the V is (called dead rise). A bow rider will have a much deeper V and so will take waves and chop better. The Deck boat is flatter, so the boat can be wider and have more side to side stability in the water. This way the wider bow has much more room for people, and often they have a swim platform on the front of the boat as well (they aren't as "pointy"). They can both have windshields, and are both equally adept at pulling tubes and wakeboards.

The choice is really about the ride and how you want to use the boat. If your lake gets choppy and you plan on a lot of cruising, the bow rider will give you a better ride. If the lake is relatively calm and you plan on using the boat as for more recreation, the deck boat will give you more room. I particularly like have the option of boarding from the front as well, we use the boat often as a floating dock for swimming.

Good luck.

 

[-twitch-]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

You want a bow rider or a deck boat. 18' minimum, up to maybe 21' or so. Get at least a 4.3 V6 if not a V8. If you're concerned about gas mileage your in the wrong hobby. Boats use fuel.
If you don't know already, boats are rated by how many passengers they can haul. This is a legal rating, going over can and will get you fined. Decide how many people you want on board and buy acordingly.

So what do you think about this one. I really like it

99 Mariah Jubilee deckboat

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

It looks like you are OK for towing anything into the 20 foot range.
Havasu/Rodgers is a long haul and hilly, 300 miles/5 hours.
Extra towing capacity will be good.

Other than the Ocean, boating opportunities in the LA area look slim.
Perris Reservoir near Moreno Valley looks like an after work possibility.
Castaic lake and Pyramid Lake North of Santa Clarita are a little farther.

A deck boat should be fine in these inland waters.
After you get some experience, The pacific on a calm day could be in your future.

 

[MarkSee]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

A deck boat should be fine in these inland waters.
After you get some experience, The pacific on a calm day could be in your future.

He lives in Escondido which is San Diego area and he is literally less than an hour away from a boaters paradise of Mission Bay where they have free launching, protected waters and areas where you can be a speed demon with no issues from the wind or chop of the wild Pacific even with smaller bowriders and deckboats.

Even closer to him is Oceanside harbor which does not offer the protection benefits of Mission Bay but less than a 30 minute drive door-to-ramp.

His only obstacle is wanting to use the Pacific Ocean and not be a "fresh water only" boater which a lot folks around here are.

Mark

 

[Levinz11]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

That Crownline is purdy.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

If I were in your shoes.....Ok never mind

Here is what I would advise you, and why, this is your first boat, so knock a few thousand off your price and find a nicely used boat that you are not worried about banging off the dock, but a nice enough boat that you can recover your investment from when you have gained a couple years experience and get twofootitis and upgrade, I would not get a deck boat for a first boat even in lakes they ride pretty rough and can make your life miserable, I agree with your size range as most beginner boats are 18' or less keep that in mind when you are shopping, picking up another persons first boat isn't a bad thing, they took the depreciation hit but they may have bounced it around a little bit.

 

[-twitch-]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

If I were in your shoes.....Ok never mind

Here is what I would advise you, and why, this is your first boat, so knock a few thousand off your price and find a nicely used boat that you are not worried about banging off the dock, but a nice enough boat that you can recover your investment from when you have gained a couple years experience and get twofootitis and upgrade, I would not get a deck boat for a first boat even in lakes they ride pretty rough and can make your life miserable, I agree with your size range as most beginner boats are 18' or less keep that in mind when you are shopping, picking up another persons first boat isn't a bad thing, they took the depreciation hit but they may have bounced it around a little bit.

Thank you for the advice. I have been looking at it more and more and have kind of been leaning away from it.

So I think I am looking for a 18ft boat with a good size V6 or a V8. I am trying to keep it above year 2000. And keep it in the $8K-$10K price range.

So whats the difference in something like this

2001 Calabria open bow wakeboard boat

And something like this

2003 crown line 180 bow rider

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

ok I would not place a big priority on getting a v8 in an 18' boat, lets just say in my opinion it will be "fun" to drive fast, the difference in the two boats you just recently posted is that the Crownline is an all around boat, well made and very nice looking(I'm partial though) where as the Calabria is a boat made for water sports, nothing wrong with it but these types of boats will have a flatter hull so that they give a minimal wake, the by product of this hull type is your going to hate choppy water, you don't find many ski boats on the ocean. Each boat has its pro's and con's but in your situation with these two boats I would certainly steer you towards the Crownline rather then the Calabria, as others have said I would shoot for a 4.3l motor as well, once you get into the 20' range I would certainly suggest a v8 motor.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Someone please tell me what I want!?!?!

The "Wake-board Boat" is a true inboard and a specialty Ski boat.
The engine is smack in the middle of the cockpit and there will not be room for a lot of passengers.
It will not be great for much else than serious water-sports on really FLAT water.
Docking will be a challenge as maneuvering in reverse is a challenge due to the lack of directed thrust you get form an OB or I/O.

More bow-riders are made in the 18 foot range than any other type for a good reason.