Cheap Boat 1st time

[spoofcard]

Hello this is my first time and I need a little help looking to buy a good cheap boat for crusing and I need it to be easy to drive. No Jon Boats Can somebody tell me what is a boat that is cheap that I should look in to buying for my first boat.

1-Just for crusing around in
2-Fresh water boat
3-would like to be small
4-Power boat
5-15-18ft
6-Gos at a alright speed what hp should i get
I also am on a very tight budget and I am trying to show my family a good time. Please help me if you can thanks
If anybody have any other helpfull hints I should know please feel free to tell me thanks.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Cheap Boat 1st time

....well first you need to know your budget.
Then you have to measure you and youre families interest in wanting to get out there. If it requires a constant 'sell job' to them...be wary of spending too much up front.....cause you ain't gonna' be gettin' out there as much as you would like.
Now...back to the direct question:
The older (70's) Glastrons are reasonable boats for use and price. Another good choice is an older Sea-ray...but they are a little more money.
The outboards are easier to find and usually a little less money.
If you envision taking more than 2 (3,4, etc) people out in the boat I would shoot for a 16-18' boat. It will be a little more stable. As far as a motor...well I would get a minimum 50hp....maybe up to 85hp. This will get you up and out and will allow you to take a skier or tuber. This should top out in the 35mph-ish range...which is good enough.
A boat like this in reasonable shape would probably go for something in the range (starting at) of $1500 up to $3500. If you have more budget....then don't get a bigger boat....get a newer one with similar specifications.
Good luck

 

[salty87]

Re: Cheap Boat 1st time

you can't really say some brands last better than others, it really depends on the level of care the previous owners gave it. cheap is going to depend on your mechanical skills, the cheap ones usually need some help.

will you perform maintenance or do you need a boat that is turn-key ready?

have you driven a boat before? prefer outboard, i/o, or inboard?

how big is your family? what's your budget?

the more boats you look at, the more information you'll have to decide if that's a type you want. craigslist, classifieds, boattraderonline, boat lots, etc.

 

[licketdsplit756]

Re: Cheap Boat 1st time

i call it doing my homework. go riding around look in back yards open garages. look for a boat that has moved in awhile. been sitting. alot of times these are good boats that the owner has just lost interest in boating. for some people it just a faze they go thru. but find out its not fun for them so there stuck with that boat..i bought a ranger 335v bass boat 3 weeks ago. with a 115hp johnson on it...unbelievable he ask what i was willing to pay i got it for 700 dollars. ranger trailer and all. engine needed astarter 80 dollars. runs great and im fishing.. pays to ask dont be shy to knock on doors it will pay off in the end. good luck to you.if i see another ill contact you. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND MOUTH SHUT.

 

[1riptide]

Re: Cheap Boat 1st time

you are looking for a runabout or a ski type boat open bow. for a motor nothing less than a 75 hp for an outboard. a 4cyl i/o (inboard out board) or up.
when looking at it you want be sure that everything looks good like the floor (that it dosnt have rotton wood)engine fairly clean looking). see if they will take you to lake and run it around. if they wont go somewhare else something could be wrong with it and not want you to know about it. not only that it will give you some kinda idea how to operate it and trailer it. just hooking it to the garden hose isnt really good enough. you can tell a lot more about it in the water, and see that everything works. check prop see if it is even on the blades no chunks out of it. you can look on craigslist.com and find cheap boat in your area.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Cheap Boat 1st time

If you are mechanically inclined and are bold enough to fix this thing yourself, then what you want can be done. If you will require all fixing work to be done by somebody else, then, depending on your budget, this may be a non-starter..

In my area there are plenty of boats that you can get from $1500 - $3000 that would be perfectly functional but may need some tweaking to repairs to be reliable. If I were to hire that out, forget it, I'd be out..

Checkout craigslist in your area..

 

[rndn]

Re: Cheap Boat 1st time

Just be patient. I spent 6 months and got the deal of a lifetime.