Which hull brands to avoid

[drewm3i]

A four year old mercedes can be crap but a 20 year old jetta can be wonderful.

get over brand and get to know the boat.

Yes, but a Jetta will never be a nice Mercedes

 

[04fxdwgi25]

a 20 year old (sometimes more) well cared for and maintained boat is better than a 5 year old neglected boat. Hands down...

 

[tpenfield]

Well, having owned a Mercedes, and now a BMW, I'm really looking forward to buying a Lincoln.

The truth is that economy boats are just that. Many (if not most) of the economy boat brands have raised the bar in the past 20 years to stay in business.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Yes, but a Jetta will never be a nice Mercedes

The Mercedes is just a pile of high priced expensive bits that fail at a higher rate than the Jetta. My Jetta was bulletproof, with the original clutch lasting 240,000 miles, the leather I interior was flawless except that one hole from a tool in my back pocket. Where my neighbors Mercedes sees the service department at least 4 times a year for something failing

 

[drewm3i]

The Mercedes is just a pile of high priced expensive bits that fail at a higher rate than the Jetta. My Jetta was bulletproof, with the original clutch lasting 240,000 miles, the leather I interior was flawless except that one hole from a tool in my back pocket. Where my neighbors Mercedes sees the service department at least 4 times a year for something failing

The point wasn't to compare a Mercedes and a Jetta. It was a metaphor. I have no dog in that fight and would probably never buy one no matter how much money I had.

For boat's it is often very different. Better boats have better materials, wiring, design, build quality, vinyl, layout, etc., all making for a safer and more reliable experience.

 

[Laneman25]

A lot of variables, are you going new?

No, looking for 95 to 05 18-19 foot inboard/outboard 6-8 cyinder

 

[Laneman25]

Shopping for a bowrider boat, 17-19 feet for lake use. Any brands besides Bayliner to avoid? I like Sea Ray and Four Winns, don't know much about other brands. Just want decent hull and interior quality

I should add used, from $5K to $7K price range, which in my area is around 1995 to 2002 years.

 

[airshot]

Based on my 60 plus years as a boat owner, and having worked for marinas for a number of years....in the under 25' length, I would not own anything but an aluminum hull. Far less maintenence, longer hull life, far better down the road resale value, less costly up front, less hp to get performance, easier on fuel. Glass boats are heavy, use more fuel, require much more upkeep, harder to work on, lower resale value. Your boat, your choice, but for my dollar, aluminum all the way.
Many glass boats over 20 yrs old will have hidden rot in there structure, gell coat issues, and will be heavy from soggy flotation. Even if you bought a project boat, an aluminum hull is easier to work on and will cost less to rebuild.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Consider every fiberglass boat under $10k as a project.

Consider anything older than 15 years as a project

Look post 2002 on SeaRay/Bayliner for the updated hulls.

With your target age and price. Brand does not matter only condition matters. Avoid anything with OMC

 

[jimmbo]

The point wasn't to compare a Mercedes and a Jetta.

One is a Berlin Buick, the other a Kraut Cadillac

 

[drewm3i]

Based on my 60 plus years as a boat owner, and having worked for marinas for a number of years....in the under 25' length, I would not own anything but an aluminum hull. Far less maintenence, longer hull life, far better down the road resale value, less costly up front, less hp to get performance, easier on fuel. Glass boats are heavy, use more fuel, require much more upkeep, harder to work on, lower resale value. Your boat, your choice, but for my dollar, aluminum all the way.
Many glass boats over 20 yrs old will have hidden rot in there structure, gell coat issues, and will be heavy from soggy flotation. Even if you bought a project boat, an aluminum hull is easier to work on and will cost less to rebuild.

Yeah, I'd never buy an aluminum boat over a 12' jon boat, with the exception of maybe a Marinette or a large motor yacht. They are fugly, ride loud, ding easily, corrode, and leak at the rivets. The welded structure stress cracks over time as well, especially if you use it any sea. They also often use flotation foam which waterlogs just like a fiberglass boat. They also often have carpeted wood decks, which are just abysmal for a boat that is bound to get wet at all.

The future of boats should be all wood-free composite.

 

[airshot]

Poster was looking at 17-19 ft boats I believe, only owned a couple of glass boats in my 60 plus years of boat ownership, never again !! Aluminum all the way !! Compare prices on 25-30 yr old glass vs aluminum hulls and see whitch ones hold their value !! In fact just go back 15-20 yrs and aluminum still holds better value ! Replacing a plywood deck is much easier than stringers and transoms and you dont need all the epa safety gear to work on aluminum. I have owned more than two dozen different aluminum boats, only a couple leaked, but all the glass boats took on far more water. My current 1992 Sylvan does not leak a drop and the plywood decks are still solid as new, and the boat gets regular use on lake erie. Local marina does far more hull work ( serious work) on glass boats than they do on aluminum hulls. They can be plain and simple, that part is correct, but I will take practical and economical anyday....but to each his own. In America we can own whatever we want....

 

[jimmbo]

One thing that is great about Aluminium Hulls is that they bounce and dent when hitting Rocks that would Shred Fiberglass Hulls

 

[drewm3i]

One thing that is great about Aluminium Hulls is that they bounce and dent when hitting Rocks that would Shred Fiberglass Hulls

And fiberglass can be repaired good as new. Aluminum cannot. That is also true.

 

[redneck joe]

Why yall worried about repairing so much? Cant drive a boat?

 

[airshot]

One thing that is great about Aluminium Hulls is that they bounce and dent when hitting Rocks that would Shred Fiberglass Hulls

Many years back we hit a submerged object at high speed in our 18' aluminum boat. Caved in or up rhe bottom a couple feet. Boat was badly skewed but we got rack to the ramp. Minor injuries from being bounced around but boat never leaked a drop. Insurance adjuster tokd us that had we had a glass boat, it would have shattered and we all would have went swimming !! Due to high replacement costs from totaled glass boats, the insurance is much higher on glass than an aluminum hull. Even after that insurance claim, my yearly cost of full coverage insurance on another aluminum boat was about one third the cost of a similiar glass boat. That accident was a key decision for me to never own another glass boat. According to the insurance adjuster, the only time glass boats are repaired is for munor scrapes and dings, anything structural at all is cause for a total loss.

 

[dingbat]

According to the insurance adjuster, the only time glass boats are repaired is for munor scrapes and dings, anything structural at all is cause for a total loss.

Watercraft are typically totaled when damage exceeds 70-75% of its value.

Buddies boat broke loose from his dock in a storm. Swung around and beat the bracket and transom to death against the dock.

A wee bit more than minor scratches and dings. Insurance paid $18k to repair the damage after his $500 deductible.

Both of there are a bit past minor scratches and dings as well

https://www.a1fiberglassrepairs.com/repair/seafox-27-hull-cap-fiberglass-repair-miami.php

https://www.a1fiberglassrepairs.com/repair/century-20-hull-gunnel-fiberglass-repair-miami.php

 

[airshot]

If you have had any glass work done recently, it doesn't take much of a scratch or ding to be in the thousands of dollars !! From the insurance companies I have spoke with, unless the boat is fairly new ( within 5-10 yrs) most are totaled if a glass boat has any serious damage. But, your correct that if the repair cost is over 70% they total it out, same for autos. At todays labor and parts cost, that doesn't take much !!

 

[jimmbo]

I just had a Caddy written off for minor Damage, but the Headlamp Assemblies(Halogen) were over $1000 each. Latest Caddy has LED Headlights and they are even more Pricey

 

[jimmbo]

And fiberglass can be repaired good as new. Aluminum cannot. That is also true.

Properly done repairs(and most aren't) can happen on Glass Boats. Alumimium Boats, are easier to repair. They repair the Aluminium Skins on Airplanes all the time