Re: Weekender boats
Many 4 sleepers can be poor performers. Try several before you buy.<br /><br />Some are tippy, some tend to go down the water at a tilt when you get all aboard (try them with your usual crew on board each time). Some have too small an engine for most water sports, others need to work the engine too hard and at too high an rpm to just stay on plane.<br /><br />Note, some and can be under-equipped / optioned to really weekend aboard.<br /><br />How do you shower, sleep, and cook?, Do you fit in the beds, dinette, head?, How do you get hot water? Can you leave a light on and the refer working for more than 6 hours without draining down the battery such that the main engine will not re-start? If everyone brings a jacket, where do they stow? How do you make coffee in the morning? You need to list what you want to do and then assure yourself that the boat you are looking at is properly equipped to do those functions. <br /><br />Some designs have a hard to access mid-cabin. Often this is over-looked as the buyer says its for the kids and kids can get into anything. Well, a parent usually makes up the bed and kids that can scramble out of reach in the far corner of a tight space can be an issue.<br /><br />Maxum and Bayliner are owned by the same parent company, Brunswick (they also make bowling balls). The boats are made in different plants and the Maxum is the more expensive brand as compared to a Bayliner. But add alot of options on a Bayliner and its more money than a stripped Maxum.<br /><br />Brunswick uses pricing and equipment along the lines of General Motors. The lower prices and equipment levels tend to be on the Bayliner, so call that a chevy, step up to a Maxum and think Pontiac, a Sea Ray may be aligned to a Buick, Sealine boats from Brunswick may be the Caddy, and Hatteras may be the limited production Cadillac models.<br /><br />Within the Brunswick family; Bayliner, Maxum, and Sea Ray brands offer models of the type you are interested in. Other companies also make models that should fit your needs as well.<br /><br />Hope this helps.
