Advice about boat purchase

[58 Sea Fury]

I have been looking for a boat for a couple of months. I need one that holds 11+ passengers, though I doubt I'll have that many at any one time. I have found two boats.

A 1998 Crownline 202 with a 5.7 Mercruiser, new upholstery, and a nice trailer
A 1999 Larson 206 SEI with a 5.0 Mercruiser, everything looks immaculate, also a nice trailer

They both have full covers and the Larson has the bimini top

Both are roughly $10,000 give or take.

What do you know about the floors in either boat, I was told they are both solid. The Larson was run in saltwater one time, not sure what effects that would have.

Both winterized and unable to hear them run. What are my options with that? Both over 4 hours away.

Thoughts??

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

:welcome: aboard, you will likely need a bigger boat for 11+ people. on a 20' boat it would be crowded with half as many.

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

:welcome: aboard, you will likely need a bigger boat for 11+ people. on a 20' boat it would be crowded with half as many.

Thank you. I do recognize that but we have four small children who might bring a friend. At most we will have 8 in it. The Larson has a capacity of 11 and the Crownline 12. I know we would never fit that many in it but it is apparently legal.

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

I like the Larson but as an owner, I might just be bias. I used to have a Bayliner 2655, that felt crowded with 6 people, seems like everyone likes to occupy the same space, either down in the cabin or out on the deck

 

[southkogs]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

Welcome aboard. I stack 5 of us, plus two dogs in a 17' on most days. We're a little tight, but manageable.

Generally, I'll hear folks take the Crown over the Larson but I think both are good brands. IMHO in a 14 year old boat, it's all about condition. There's a differentiator between the two of them somewhere … got links to the ads?

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

1999 20' Larson 206sei Merc 5.0L

Used 1998 Crownline 202 Br, Rockville, In - 47872 - BoatTrader.com

Hopefully I inserted the links correctly.

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

both nice looking boats, I still like the Larson, the top will come in handy when the sun beats down

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

Any idea what the difference in MPH and Fuel efficiency would be between the 5.0 and 5.7? Do you know where I could find out about the floors? I heard Crownline didn't treat their floors before a certain year, I thought 1997. What suggestions for hearing the boat run since they are winterized? I apologize for all the questions but this is my first real boat purchase. Thanks again.

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

Any idea what the difference in MPH and Fuel efficiency would be between the 5.0 and 5.7? Do you know where I could find out about the floors? I heard Crownline didn't treat their floors before a certain year, I thought 1997. What suggestions for hearing the boat run since they are winterized? I apologize for all the questions but this is my first real boat purchase. Thanks again.

ask all the questions you want, I will answer what I can and others will know what I don't . boaters measure fuel usage by GPH that's gallons per hour:facepalm: and I don't imagine there would be a big difference between the two, boats like lots of gas

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

GPH...Duh...I should have known that with hour meters and all. I appreciate all advice. Do the prices seem reasonable for the boats?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

I'm biased, too, but I like the Larson. If you look seriously at it , be sure to check the ladder mount holes... Those holes were the sites of water intrusion and transom rot on my '97 sei. That boat will have engineered non-wood stringers, but it probably has a wooden transom core.

I think the Larsons of this model ride nice... They seem pretty heavy and they handle chop well. The price would be Ok in my area (downstate from you) if the boat is in good shape throughout.

Hope that helps...

Jim

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

Thank you so much. So the floor in the Larson is supported by engineered stringers but the transom is wood under fiberglass? I was wondering about the ride of both. I have been in Crownlines but not Larsons. Thank you again! Will the 5.0 move it along pretty well? Any rough guess how quickly?

 

[tazrig]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

All things being equal I would lean towards the Crownline as it has has the 5.7 over the 5.0 and the helm is further back in the cockpit which should give you a smoother ride. How ever I did notice one potentially big problem on the Crownline. It is called double decking. That is when the floor goes rots and rather than repair it correctly you simply lay down a piece of new flooring over the older soft flooring to hide the problem. If you look at the pics that show the entryway into the bow you will see a raised up portion of carpet that looks like this. The only way to tell for sure is to physically inspect the boat. Here is a pic from another boat with the problem area circled so you'll know what to look for.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

Thank you. I do recognize that but we have four small children who might bring a friend. At most we will have 8 in it. The Larson has a capacity of 11 and the Crownline 12. I know we would never fit that many in it but it is apparently legal.

Are you certain of those capacity figures? Current Crownline 21 SS has a capacity of 10. Current Larson LX 205 has a capacity of 8.

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

I will have to double check on the capacity. I'll check on the double decking too. Wow! I appreciate the advice. Anything else I should look for? My biggest worry is not being able to test run them. Are aftermarket warranties worth it for peace of mind?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

My thoughts on purchase advice . . .

anything closer than 4 hours away?

you will probably want to have a marine surveyor check the boat out for you. The age of the boats are in the range where moisture and structural rot issues can be showing up. A good marine surveyor can shed light on the stringers, floor, and transom to see if there are any issues.

Even though they are fiberglass boats, a fair amount of the structure is probably wood, based on the vintage of the boats.

the bigger engine is better, won't use much more gas, if any more.

20 feet is pretty small of a boat for 8 - 11 people, particularly if they get bigger as they get older. You might want to consider something in the 22-24 foot range.

use BUCvalue or NADA to benchmark the asking prices and value of the boats.

you will probably want to have a sea trial as part of the survey, so maybe in a couple of months, depending on where you are located, etc.
i would not spend $10k on a boat unless I knew the engine was fine under load, etc and there was no freeze damage, compression was good, etc.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

If one boat has MPI and the other does not I would go with the MPI. Also you will want a top so take the price of adding one on to the boat that does not have one in to consideration.

If there is any rot or replaced decking on one of the boats that is an instant disqualification in my book. They can say that they fixed it but you don't know what the extend of the damage was and how it was fixed.

As for running it I agree with tpenfield, no run no buy. For 10K you must be able to see it run. When I bought my boat last Feb the dealer hooked it up to the hose and started it no questions asked. Offer to pay for the winterization if the deal falls through, but qualify what the metrics are for the deal before you do so.

As for running in salt, no biggie if it was just a few times.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

Thank you so much. So the floor in the Larson is supported by engineered stringers but the transom is wood under fiberglass? I was wondering about the ride of both. I have been in Crownlines but not Larsons. Thank you again! Will the 5.0 move it along pretty well? Any rough guess how quickly?

My '97 sei was the first year (I think) that they went with engineered stringers (and the wood core transom), so I would be surprised if they switched to a non-wood transom core just two model years later on a similar boat.

I can't speak to the motor -- mine was repowered with 350 Magnum, and it really flies -- I can hit 60 mph (GPS measured) on smooth water. I don't know what a 5.0L would do on a larger boat. If it were me, I'd want to bigger engine, but I don't know if it would be a deal-breaker. I'd probably want to see what it could do on the water, as others have wisely suggested.

Jim

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

What are the benefits of MPI? How much does a winterization typically run? As we get closer to boating season isn't there a chance the prices could jump significantly? Thank you.

 

[58 Sea Fury]

Re: Advice about boat purchase

The mechanic for the Larson started it up for me and is offering a one month warranty from when I first run it in the water. Thoughts??