How long did you search for your perfect boat?

[briguy2817]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

It took me a whole whopping 20 minutes to find and purchase my dream boat. I was brousing through e-bay, looking at the boats when this Bayliner caught my eye. I bid on it and twenty minutes later I was the new owner. Went up to Wisconson a few weeks later and picked her up. Haven't regreted it once.

I got lucky, for once in my life.

Brian

 

[kkr26]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

I looked for three years and in the end the deal made up my mind. Dont rush it but get a variety of boat models that would suit your needs and then look for a great deal on one of those models. Beware of super good deals (sometimes you get what you pay for).

 

[ziggy]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

wow, lots of different scenarios here.. interesting

it took me about a month or two to find what i got. i'd been happily jetskiing for 9 years, in year 8 & 9 i thought i might like a boat better. then i inherited my Dad's boat. got about a year out of it before it got some issues. decided to sell the ski for speedboat repair funds. sold the ski easy, went after the boat and found it was gonna be a full restore if i wanted to use that boat.

i started browsing ads here on the iboats. nothing particular in mind except for aprox. price range. i'd gone by the ad that had my boat in it quite a few times when my gf saw it and said what about that one. i said, it's lime green, yikes. it'll blind us. anyways, i read the ad to find it had a engine i was somewhat familiar with. drive too. Then, while researching my boat, i read it was an all fiberglass boat, no stringers or wood transom. That was a + since that?s partly what deadlined my Dad?s boat. So I called them up. It was a consignment boat at a dealer in rapid city, sd. 550 miles from me. So we talked and the dealer swore it was dandy. Gave me the owners name, he said it was dandy too. Came down to going to look and see or give up. I decided to go look and see. Every intention of coming home boatless for the liars telling me how dandy the boat was. Well, it was dandy. Even had a operational sliding hardtop. How cool was that? took her home and it?s been downhill ever since. I now wonder if I ever get another boat what it will be. I can?t imagine not having a sliding hardtop boat now that I got one..

 

[treeman]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

well i looked for a year before i found mine.of course i did not have the money to buy one.i was looking to trade my harley for one.i know some of you will thank that was dumb.but i grew up sking and playing on a boat.i have 2 sons and 4 grandsons.i wanted them to have the fun i had so i traded for a 1986-2150br.in real nice shape.my kids had a blast on her this summer and i am so glad i traded for it .i know i lost my hinny on the trade but it was worth it to me just to see my kids enjoy it.i now have the 2150,a 1710,both bayliners. and we have a 1968 larson tri-hull with a 110hp model 1100. that thing runs great.and a 14 foot flat bottom fishin boat and a 16 foot canoe.


note my 2150 is 21 foot long last summer we had 12 people on board 8 adults and my 4 grandsons we ski and tube with no problems.and yes we was checked out by the man and he said we where fine with that sixe boat and occupants aboard.good luck on your search.

 

[jkust]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

I preshopped for a season so then I knew that boats hit the market in the spring, then a summer lul and then they came back on as the season ended. The season is very short here in Minnesota. I realized the 4 cylinders sat and the v6's got snapped up quickly, v8 was more rare and MPI was nonexistant even new at the dealers. I figured I would keep it for a long time, buy a few years old, and thought since it is used why not get an upper-end model that otherwise would have been more than I would spend new since it is depreciated. That narrowed it down to a handful of brands available here. Then I waited for one to show up on the market, mostly craigslist. I first looked at new mid-level models and saw why they were only mid-level as a comparison point then I saw some two year old more expensive models that looked 100 years old and some higher hour two year old ones where the owners wouldn't negotiate. Finally I found one just past the break in hours that was taken care of like I would take care of it with records and bought it. I bumped my budget up a little here. He didn't want to negotiate but I had cash and no excuses so he finally did after waiting for one of those types of buyers to admit he could not get the money. Apparently there are lots of want to be buyers with lots of money excuses. There is always a little give and take though. A couple of things I learned: Boats are much cheaper and more available in the southern and coastal states than here. The land of 10,000 lakes only seems to have a suprisingly limited number of boats for sale at any given time. A dealer here won't match a southern dealer's price And; My family could not care less had I bought a high-end or low-level boat.

 

[Beeched]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

After growing up around boats of different types and sizes in the late 50's and 60's I figured I wanted a boat. Any boat was fine as long as it would float, troll, and go fast at times. Found a boat for $500.00 and bought it. After all it was a boat. Lot of headaches there and no desire to fix her up. That was about 30 years ago now.

Kids all grown, some extra money around, started looking for "a" boat again. Found one that was running and was an old aluminum. 1953 Lonestar with a 40 HP Johnson. Dual cockpits good shape though. It wasn't for me. Then a 1959 Crestliner aluminum with 50 horse Johnson. Better for fishing just not enough power.

Always watched Ebay and Craigslist for something that caught my eye. Finally 4 years age I saw a 1970's Center Console, Tri Hull on Ebay. Added my bid to the list of bids. Didn't get that one! The winning bid wanted the trailer and maybe the motor. Sent emails and offered to buy the hull. No answer to emails. Then last spring I saw another one, a 1976 Charger Center Console, Tri Hull on Ebay. 3 years of looking and another one pops up. This time I got the bid and traveled about 300 miles to claim my prize. Talking to the guy I got it from, he had bought it off of Ebay 3 years previous so he could get the trailer. I got the one that had caught my eye.

There is a whole other story on the restoration of it. Don't want to ramble on in one post. Still looking for some information and history on this boat.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

Took me a year. I bought an older trihull with a 35 hp Johnson hanging off the back. I bought it in a hurry, because my father, who was 83 at the time, was coming to Minnesota, where I had moved, and I wanted to take him fishing.

We went fishing. Didn't catch anything, but that was fine. I used that boat that season, and got tired of horsing it on and off the trailer. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was what was available when I needed it. I learned about fixing up an old Big Twin, and I did like that outboard a lot.

What I wanted was a boat I could fish from on the smaller lakes around my area (there are dozens of them). I wanted something that was easy to launch and retrieve. I didn't need speed.

So, I sold the trihull after a guy paid me way too much for the beautiful old Johnson RDS-20, and went looking again.

I found an old 60s Sea King 12' aluminum boat, on a trailer, for $300. I stripped the paint off it, put in a couple of seats and went through several crappy outboards. Then I got a 1992 6hp Johnson from my dad, who had no use for it. I added some other things to that little boat to suit my fishing style. Now, it's the perfect boat for me. I take another person out it in sometimes, usually a kid, but mostly, I fish solo, during the week, when the weather's nice.

It's the perfect boat for what I do. I've even found that I can take it out on the Mighty Mississippi in the summer, when the water's lower, so I do that, too, now.

Don't want anything else.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

I started researching in August '07 and ordered new boat at boat show in Jan '08. Learned early on we wanted a 17 to 18 foot tinny since they have high freeboard to keep 2 golden retrievers at bay, and would fit in our garage. I learned that aluminum boats with full consoles/windshields were definitely more expensive than glass, but they had more deck space, were easier to tow, and had really good resale history (value and ease of sale), at least here in this neck of the woods. Toured factories for Lund, Crestliner and Alumacraft.

Regarding CAT's comment above about taking his father out, that is my one big regret.

Every time I take the boat out I think to myself how Dad would have really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, he was almost totally blind due to macular degeneration, and he had heart issues. I didn't really think of buying a boat anyway until someone mentioned I should do something for myself after looking after Dad for so long. He died not quite two years ago.

"Reader's Digest" version: love the boat; miss Dad.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

Yeah, after all those times my Dad used to take me out fishing when I was just a kid, it was a must to take him out when he visited. He's still around, at 85, and still active, but he says he and my mom aren't going to take any more long trips. He enjoyed that day very much, and even got a little teary-eyed about going fishing once again with his son. Good day.

My wife and I moved out here to help care for her father and now we keep an eye on her mother, since her dad died. My parents, both 85 have two of their other offspring living in the same town with them, so they're in good hands. We go back there twice a year for a week or so.

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

2 months, I do alot of watersports/fish the flats/bass fish/camping/cruise/and like to go fast. After my first experience with a boat I became familiar with rot. My second boat had to have as little wood as possible. The boat I bought has wood in the deck and that is it and everything else is gelcoated fiberglass. I narrowed it down to a fish/ski style boat.. I boughta 1988 18' Winner fish/ski with a merc 175.. It drafts shallow for fishing/runs 60+/has enough room for 4/pulls me right out of the water on a wakeboard. to top it off i got it for $1700 down from $3000 because the engine wouldnt run right that day. Haggled, took it home, cleaned the carbs and she runs like new.. I go to boat shows and lust after new boats but then think about how much I like my boat and how much i paid and I go home happy.

 

[oregonboatnewb]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

6 months, and 3 purchased boats, before i kept the 4th, and sold the rest lol

 

[cube21]

Re: How long did you search for your perfect boat?

I began this thread. So I have an update for everyone! Its GREAT news.

We just signed for and put a deposit on a 2004 Caravelle 207 Bowrider.
I love love love it. Well have to see how it holds up over this season. But as of now I can confidently say its the "near" the perfect boat (for us). A little more than what we initially wanted to pay, but well worth the extra dough.

I wont know until further into this summer if it is in fact perfect, but as of now I would say it is, so my search lasted around 8 months. Me and my father together put AT LEAST 225 hours into our search over the course of that time. But right now it seems worth it.

good luck everyone else!
-CUBE-