Decision points on 04-07 21ft bowrider

[Rclement6]

I have narrowed my search down to a few different boats. For my price range I'm looking at 21-22 ft bowriders between 2004-2007. Most seem to be crownlines and sea rays. I really want a 350 mag with bravo 3. The problem with those is that they are always in the process of being sold by the time I see them online and call. I have already missed out on 3 perfect boats from being sold already. With my goal being 350mag with bravo 3, if you guys had to settle...would you pick a 5.0 MPI with bravo 3 over a 350 mag with alpha outdrive?

 

[cr2k]

Re: Decision points on 04-07 21ft bowrider

If you are gonna slip your boat year round a bravo is the way to go for ease of impeller replacment. But other then that don't see advantage of one over the other.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Decision points on 04-07 21ft bowrider

Whats your budget?
Whats your boating experience?


Obviously you have good taste in boats but if this is your first boat it would make a difference in the advice I give you.

 

[buellwinkle]

Re: Decision points on 04-07 21ft bowrider

Buying used in spring is tough. Best time is fall when people are done for the summer through early winter. When we shopped in January, all boats we called on where still available. For that new of a boat, you best bet may be boat brokers and dealers. Most you see on eBay, Craigslist are older or people want too much and the ads on boattrader or boat.com are mosty dealers who rarely update their ads after the sell a boat. They milk it because they paid for the add and hope the get more calls to sell people something else. Can't blame them, but won't buy from them because of it, so it's a double-edged sword.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Decision points on 04-07 21ft bowrider

I have narrowed my search down to a few different boats. For my price range I'm looking at 21-22 ft bowriders between 2004-2007. Most seem to be crownlines and sea rays. I really want a 350 mag with bravo 3. The problem with those is that they are always in the process of being sold by the time I see them online and call. I have already missed out on 3 perfect boats from being sold already. With my goal being 350mag with bravo 3, if you guys had to settle...would you pick a 5.0 MPI with bravo 3 over a 350 mag with alpha outdrive?

I'd go with the 350 mag with the alpha. Alpha's are cheaper to fix than a bravo 3 if they break and an alpha is more than enough drive for that size boat. My last set of alpha's lasted me 22 years without so much as a seal replacement. If you really want the bravo 3 because of the counter rotation, and don't get me wrong, in a single engine application that is a nice thing to have then keep looking there are plenty of them out there. You just need to be willing to move fast on one when you find it. Best of luck!