bayliner or citation?

[woppy balboa]

Hello all, I'll be purchasing my first boat shortly and I'm sure I will be on here a lot.
My question is I have narrowed my purchase to a '96 bayliner bowrider with i/o or I'm guessing an '89 citation cuddy with a 5yr. old rebuilt i/o. Both 19-20 ft. Both in running condition. I can't find much info on the citation but have discovered that both are about the same hull construction. I know at some point in the near future either will become a project.
Does anyone have some opinions on which seems like a better bet? Any info will be greatly appreciated.

 

[spikeitaudi]

Re: bayliner or citation?

That depends on where you boat and what you plan on using it for. Bow Rider vs Cuddy are 2 different types of boat for different uses. If you plan on sleeping on the boat Cuddy all the way.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: bayliner or citation?

What motors are in each? Especially with the '89....there are definitely some powerplants you want to avoid.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: bayliner or citation?

The bayliner has a 4 cyl. 135 hp. the citation has a v8 I believe 5.7 (chevy 350) that was rebuilt in '05
I live in south Louisiana. Plan was to use it in the lake mostly. Day cruising, maybe pull a tube here and there. Probably no skiing. Not planning on any over night trips but I know the cuddy could come in handy in a summer rain shower. Thanks for the input.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: bayliner or citation?

What brand is the 5.7? If it's an OMC and you may not want it. They are no longer made or fully supported with parts/service. If the Bayliner is indeed 19'+ it could be a little underpowered with the 4 banger. I guess you have to ask yourself, do you want a bowrider or a cuddy?

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: bayliner or citation?

I have been asking myself that, and of course I want both. I like the style of both and fixed up either would be nice. If they were both down the street I would lean more to the cuddy, but that one is about 200 miles away. A bit of a hike to be disappointed when reality doesn't match the pics. I'm not sure what drive the cuddy has, I've inquired. I know from reading on here to stay away from the omc drive. As, for the under power of the Bayliner, this was considered but I don't plan on winning any races. How about the boats themselves? Should I be very concerned that the Citation has been out of production for so long?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: bayliner or citation?

I have been asking myself that, and of course I want both. I like the style of both and fixed up either would be nice. If they were both down the street I would lean more to the cuddy, but that one is about 200 miles away. A bit of a hike to be disappointed when reality doesn't match the pics. I'm not sure what drive the cuddy has, I've inquired. I know from reading on here to stay away from the omc drive. As, for the under power of the Bayliner, this was considered but I don't plan on winning any races. How about the boats themselves? Should I be very concerned that the Citation has been out of production for so long?

The Bayliner won't be underpowered unless your passengers are all 200lb'ers. The 19ft bayliner 195 has plenty of power to haul my family while I'm slalom skiing behind it. Top speed will be just above 40 MPH.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: bayliner or citation?

Thanks. Any other suggestions. I guess I'll be driving 200 miles tomorrow morning to hopefully pick up my new baby. I'll check on here one last time before I head out incase somebody has something overwhelming. I wish some Citation owners would respond. Thanks again

 

[ezmobee]

Re: bayliner or citation?

In an '89 boat brand means nothing. It's all about how it was maintained. It's either rotted out and/or has an obsolete powerplant....or it isn't!

 

[tawood]

Re: bayliner or citation?

14 year old boat vs 21 year old boat...and you haven't seen 1 (or possibley both???). Could be a world of difference between the two once you've seen them. I've seen 3 year old boats that look like 20 year old boats, and vise versa.
Tim

 

[Purecarnagge]

Re: bayliner or citation?

personally, i'd be worried about obtaining parts for repairs. Just an opinion. Bayliners have parts available... I can't fix anything so for me that would be important.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: bayliner or citation?

Thanks for all the info. Unfortunatly it looks like I'm back on the hunt for a boat. Turns out the Bayliner owner doesn't have the title and I can't get the Citation owner to return my call. I guess it's a blessing in disguise. I've been on my dad's fishing boat all my life and now I have the fever bad. I've been searching for months now with no luck.

 

[180shabah]

Re: bayliner or citation?

I've been searching for months now with no luck.

Don't know your location or budget - but good boats are out there, just keep looking you will find one.

 

[lkbum]

Re: bayliner or citation?

I owned a mid 80's Citation Bowrider, 17' with a 140hp mercruiser. I bought the boat new, got a "great deal", about $5k less than the searay I was looking at. Boat looked great but construction was sub par at best. The factory replaced the hull (yes, replaced the hull) after the first season. Blistered so bad the gel was coming off in chunks. To their credit, they took everything from my boat (the interior and all mechanical components) and installed them in a new hull. Took them 4 months though. After the second season, the interior was showing wear pretty badly. I sold the boat and bought a used searay. The difference was night and day. I kept the searay for almost 10 years. THe searay was a 207 Monaco SXL. The Monaco model was their high end bowrider and XL indicated it had the full sun deck.