Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

[webhead49]

It has been pointed out to me that I shouldn't limit my search to Sea Ray, and admittedly those are the only boats that I know at all well. So I would really appreciate hearing what else I should consider when looking at a used Bow Rider here in the Madison, WI area.

Here is what is important to us:

-We are looking to spend in the neighborhood of 10k
-Looking for 98 or newer. As new as we can get away with within our budget (2000-2004?)
-Would prefer something 20-22, but could be talked into something 18 or 19 if it is roomy
-We plan on taking our family (4) most weekends, but might bring along another family (young kids right now) so need to seat 8.
-We would prefer a roomy seating arrangement vs cramped.

How do we best stretch our budget to get the most boat for our money!

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

i believe that four winns also makes a 22-23 foot "hurricane" or "horizon" bowrider type. the larger bow riders are quite rare by me unless its a newer wake board boat but those are 45k new doubt your going to fit your budget on a good used one. i do agree if your looking to carry 8 poeple/ mainly kids then you do want roomy and a 20-23 foot open bow is instore a lot of those 18-19 footers are great for 4-6 poeple but thats probably max so going bigger is a better idea.

 

[kobe]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Chaparral makes some nice bow riders, as do most builders. I own a 22' Ebbtide and it has a ton of room. There are many builders out there who are in the mid to high quality range - personal preference will ultimately prevail. You will know the boat for you the minute you see it. Note... A sea trial is a must... Good luck

 

[webhead49]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Well, what's my best deal if I want an early 2000's bow rider that is high quality?

I'd love a fiberglass deck with snap in carpet as opposed to a wood deck.

I think this would be a great place to discuss any early 2000's bow riders that you all think are awesome. I'd love to know what is worth looking at and why!

 

[Knightrider2]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

I am very happy and proud of my 2002 Chaparral SSE. I just purchased it from a friend so I got a better than good deal because I knew how he took care of it and it only had 180 hours on the 4.3L Volvo/Penta motor. I still took it to a shop to have it inspected because he had it stored for a year.

Mine is a 20 footer and it says it will hold ten people and I am sure it will do that but you better be seated because you will be running into each other. It is the perfect size for what you are describing though.

The Chaparral is a quality boat and you will be able to tell that when you look at other brands comparable.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

We just got a 20' Monterey 214FS and love it. Ours is a 08, and compared to the Sea Ray 205 Sport at the same price point it is far superior. It is a better ride, better layout, and just all around better boat. I too thought that a Sea Ray was one to look at, but once I took it out on the water I decided against it.

We looked at Chaparral, Tahoe, and Bayliner as well. The Chaparral was a very nice boat, but when comparing all the options on our boat, we got a much newer boat for much less. We looked at Tahoe because we had a 01 Q7 that was a good boat to us. They are a much differant boat than the Chap or Monterey. It served us well for 5 years, but was not anywhere near as nice as the others. Bayliner was cheap and so was Tahoe. We could have gotten a new one for what our 2 year old Monterey cost, but there is a reason for that. THey are good entry level boats, but definately are not top of the line.

 

[zagger]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Cobalt, Chaparral, Monterey, Regal are all great boats, finding one in your budget might be a challenge. Best advice would be not to limit yourself to any particular brand but instead be willing to look at them all, including Sea Ray and find the best deal in your budget. Thing to remember in a 11 year old boat it is more important to find one that has been well taken care of rather than a mistreated Cobalt or Regal or etc.

 

[webhead49]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Alright,

What do you think about these options. Prices look fair?

2004 - Monterey Boats - 208 SI Montura BR - $14,000 (Could I get it for less?)
1999 - Sea Ray 190 Signature - 160hrs - Perfect condition, well maintained - $12,000 (9-10 seems to be what I've seen these selling for, yeah?)

I've got a good local guy who wrenches on Mercury gear, but no Monterey dealer closer than an hour away. Would anybody have any concerns buying a boat with no local dealer shop to get parts from?

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Alright,

What do you think about these options. Prices look fair?

2004 - Monterey Boats - 208 SI Montura BR - $14,000 (Could I get it for less?)
1999 - Sea Ray 190 Signature - 160hrs - Perfect condition, well maintained - $12,000 (9-10 seems to be what I've seen these selling for, yeah?)

I've got a good local guy who wrenches on Mercury gear, but no Monterey dealer closer than an hour away. Would anybody have any concerns buying a boat with no local dealer shop to get parts from?

We bought ours from a dealer that used to sell them, but no longer does. The nearest dealer to us is 2 hours away, but they build them right in Gainesville, so worse comes to worse, I guess I could just go pick up the parts if I needed to.

Most stuff on boats is universal. Kleats, lights, speakers, guages, windshields etc etc are all pretty much the same, and you can contact that dealer and get parts shipped to you if there was something specific. Mercruiser stuff is all the same from boat to boat too. So I dont think you would have any issues.

After a boat test in that Sea Ray, I was very dissapointed. You really need to go on a test ride before making a decision.

You can always get a better price, and if you think its too much, walk away. I walked away from about 8 boats before I settled on mine.

 

[zagger]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

I agree ^^^^ Mercruiser is Mercruiser and VP is VP no matter what brand of boat. Rest can easily be had on line and any mechanic will work on any boat. Only time local dealer is important is for a newer boat under warranty. I would definitely look at the Monterey, for 2K extra you are looking at 5 years fresher vinyl, hoses etc. Make sure to water test everything you are looking at and if the seller does not want to do that just walk away. It is not about the economy/buyers market as it is about protecting your hard earned money. As for good price, that depends largely on your location.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

You can't get model specific parts for ANY boat after a couple years so a close by brand dealer is not necessary. However, you probably won't want to buy a Volvo powered boat if there aren't any willing Volvo wrenches around.

 

[John_S]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Roominess for that size crowd, also means you need the power to handle that load. Stay away from any 3.0L size engine in that boat size. A 4.3L or 5.0L in 19-20'. A 21'-22' would be nice if you can find a 5.7L, but 5.0L MPI, would probably be fine. A 6.2L even better.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Help me decide what boats to consider for a used 19-22' bow rider.

Most of what others said above is true. Engine size should be at least 5.0. Merc and VP are very close - sort of a Ford vs Chevy loyalty. I am a VP fanatic, but I am not going to fight over it with the exception of saying it is not hard to find a VP mechanic and you will not need one as often as the Merc owners do There are many quality brands. The best advice I can give you is to look as many as you can and not buy until you are sure you have found the right one for you and your family. It is a 'buyer's market' now!