Another newbie to powerboats... looking for brand advice and recommendations

[42K8]

I will be purchasing my first boat soon and am hoping that a few people might be willing to offer up some general advice about what to look for when buying a used boat and which brands are more preferable and even where to look for a used boat. I have read through some of the forums and have found a vast amount of useful information.

General info about what I am looking for:
-powerboat to use for wakeboarding, waterskiing and tubing
-most likely in the 16-20 foot range
-mostly used in freshwater (though possibly salt water on occasion... if this combination will be too hard on the motor, then I would only use it in freshwater)
-I am looking to spend somewhere in the $10000-$15000 range for a relatively recent model year boat.

-I am leaning towards an inboard, but if someone is able to provide advice on this topic, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Also, if anyone happens to know of the best places in Maryland to go boating (for wakeboarding, etc.), please let me know.

Thank you in advance for any help you offer!
Katie

 

[flashback]

Re: Another newbie to powerboats... looking for brand advice and recommendations

Hi katie, don't know much about boating areas in Maryland, Im in Tennessee and never been that far north.. gettin back to your question tho, askin folks what there favorite boat is, is like askin 1000 folks what there favorite car is.. that being said, if your buying used, I think condition will be more important than model or make.. you may want to hire a surveyor to check out any boat you are interested in.. also if you are planning to trailer the boat, keep towing weight in mind. generally a heavier boat is better for wakeboarding but your chevy s-10 may not pull it..wish I could help ya more but it would be good to have someone knowlegeable in the boating industry to shop around with you.. some boats can look ok but been poorly maintained.good luck with you search and welcome to our forum...

 

[studlymandingo]

Welcome aboard iboats!!!

Welcome aboard iboats!!!

Hi Katie,

First off, I would recommend you look more in the 18'-20' range simply because when you are wakeboarding you are going to have at least 3 people on the boat (driver, spotter, boarder) plus your gear and anything smaller than an 18'er can get REALLY small fast.

The care that the previous owner gave the boat is more important than the age of the boat; I've seen plenty of 20+ year old boats that are in much better condition than some 5 year olds. Talk to the seller, someone who is passionate about their boat, and almost has a tear in their eye when mentioning selling it is likely to have really cared for it. If you're buying an I/O, look carefully around the engine in the bilge, if it's all oily and messy, then the engine is probably well worn and neglected.

Things to look for are soft spots in the floor, a weak transom (take a rubber mallet with you and tap around the transom listening for a dull thud), and wet foam ( look in all hatches holes and compartments). Grab the outboard or outdrive in the case of an I/O and try to move it up and down, there should be very little flex in the transom, if it gives, move on to another boat as this indicates transom rot and a big project to repair an unsafe condition.

The majority of wake-boats are I/O or inboards basically due to the stern-heavy characteristics of that type of boat; you can however, sucessfully wakeboard behind an outboard boat, I've done it quite a few times myself. The problem with this type of boat is that it is easier for a negligent owner to neglect; these boats need oil changes and the tight engine compartment makes it more difficult to perform the oil change, so I've seen many older I/Os that have suffered from "I'm gonna just change it next week and go ahead this weekend and take her out", and the oil just somehow never gets changed. This is one of the reasons that I have gone outboard and not looked back.

What ever type of drive you choose, a compression check will give a good indication of engine condition; it would be handy if you had a friend with a compression gauge come along on your shopping excursions. Never take a dealer's word on a compression test; I've heard many stories of the dealer saying the compression was fine, only for the new owner to later discover 80lbs across the board, or a dead cylinder.

Once you narrow down your selection, take some time to do a gut-check to see which boats feel right to you. Insist on a sea-trial on any boat you are considering writing a check for, if the seller refuses, move on; there is probably a reason he doesn't want you to take it on the water.

Hope some of this has been useful to you, keep us posted with your progress, and when you find the boat that is right for you post some pictures here for us to see!!!​

 

[42K8]

Re: Another newbie to powerboats... looking for brand advice and recommendations

Thank you for the information that has been provided to me. It is a great starting point for me while narrowing down my search.

I spent the majority of the weekend looking around and thus far have found a couple boats that I am considering. (I will still continue to look, but this is what I have come up with so far.) One is a Maxum 1800 SR3 (4.3) and another is the 18 foot Sea Ray (3.0 Engine). Both are 05 models, appear to be in great condition (which I was able to confirm, in part, in part by using the advice provided).

I realize that Sea Rays are typically known to be better boats than the Maxum and if it wasn't for the fact that the Sea Ray has a much smaller engine, I might have eliminated the Maxum altogether. So, I am now wondering if someone can shed some light on these two boat options or provide some general advice on pros and cons of the different motor choices (4.3 vs 3.0 Merc). I am much more knowledgeable when buying items like motorcycles and can list the pros and cons of various manufacturers/engine sizes/types of bikes, so any 'unbiased' advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!
Katie

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Another newbie to powerboats... looking for brand advice and recommendations

for an i/o 4.3 to me would be minimum. it is a GM V6 engine whether it has a Mercruiser or Volvo outdrive, i prefer Volvo outdrive. but the boats you mentioned are made by Brunswick, who owns mercury/mercruiser and only come with mercruiser outdrives. they have about 28 brands of boats.

 

[salty87]

Re: Another newbie to powerboats... looking for brand advice and recommendations

i'd suggest you look at as many boats as you can. go around to dealerships and see what's on the showroom floor, doesn't matter that you're not buying new. check out their used boats, learn the market. 05's are basically new (compared to the 20 year old boats lots here run, myself included) so you might end up with a transferrable warranty in which case brand does matter as well as the dealer you chose.

if you're looking to use for watersports mainly, don't forget to bring your ski or board for test rides.

smaller engines have a bad habit of leaving people wanting more power, esp for watersports.

 

[JJwithaSearay]

Re: Another newbie to powerboats... looking for brand advice and recommendations

I have a SeaRay 165 with the same 3.0L Mercruiser. I have had this boat for 5 years and it's been great but the engine is a bit underpowered. On an 18 footer I would definitely want the bigger 4.3L