I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

[danny9696]

Hi all I have another one of those opinion questions! I had a hydra sport runabout and I loved it (should have kept it) my wife tells me we need a bow rider so here it is I need a used bowrider cant aford new I want to stay around 5k what is the best bang for my buck. We use the boat to play on, has to fit a family of seven and pull a three man tube/ knee board/ wake board/ and my lazy bum out of the water. I have looked at bayliner, fourwinns, and glastron and all have advantages and diss advantages but there are so many I need someone else to give me INPUT PLEASE!

Thank you

Danny

 

[danny9696]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

OH I forgot, looking for a good strong hull and reliable floor, I hate soft floors! I can redo an interior or rebuild an engine, even fix a floor, but I cant fix a bad or week hull.

Thanks again

Danny

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

do you want outboard, or inboard/outboard, that limits the boats choices as some are not offered as outboards. for a family of 7, i highly recommend you look into Deckboats, they have the performance of a bow rider, but more spacious, Hurricane comes to mind. but there are many out there. i have a 23 Chris Craft 230 Deckboat, seats 13, 5.7 volvo drive. preforms like a ski boat, with 8 on board.

Buying a boat

1st you need to decide what you want to use it for, fishing, cruising, or water sports.

2nd how many people adults, children you want on board of the average outing.

3rd outboard, inboard-outboard, or inboard power plant.

4th Budget, what you want to pay, and what you are willing to pay, when you find
Exactly what you want.

You can hire a marine surveyor, to inspect the boat, or you can do it yourself.

You are mainly looking for soft spots in the deck, transom, cracks, all signs of a rotten, under frame. You walk all over the deck, that a mallot, or hammer with wooden handle, using handle, tap all over the transom, a shape rap is good solid base, a thud, is questionable base.

The motor should be clean, no spots where the paint is discolored, or pealing from heat, having run hot. (This part for outboard motors Compression should be atleast 100psi, and within 10% of each other,)
Spark on all cylinders, good pee stream, check lower unit for water in oil.

The overall condition of the boat will tell you a lot, as to how it has been maintained.
boat motor combo, A 30 year old may be in better condition, than a 3 year old.

 

[tmh]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

OK, it's such an open question, but you did give lots of good info on use, etc.

First off, for $5k used I'd stop think about which brand to look at. You're in the 21-23' range with 7 and don't forget the kids' friends! LOTS of great bowriders or deckboats in that size range. Unfortunately, the "sport deckboats" that are more of wide-bow bowriders have become popular more recently so most won't be anywhere near that price range.

Soft deck = ruined boat. Yes, it can be fixed but in today's buyer's market why settle for a HUGE fix job which has ne end to it? Solid floor and stringers are item #1. Well, just behind size and space, because if it's not a good fit don't look at the floors, etc. just move on.

So, here's some ideas to narrow down your choices. 21-23'; open bow; 5.7L I/O Engine (Mercruiser or Volvo/Penta) (or an outboard, but most family bowriders are I/O these days). Let's see...... you want one that was babied by the owner!!!!! Pay $1-2k more than budget for this as it will save more than that later. Maintanence records a big plus. I'm guessing about 1990 for that size, engine, good condition and that's if you get a good deal - which are out there all over right now.

Brands: Well, certainly some brands hold up better over time. However, you're looking at 15-20 year old boats so you can SEE how well they held up! Yes, Bayliners that age often have rotted out stringers .... but so do many Wellcraft, glastron, 4Winns, etc. It's far more important how they were kept. Cobalt, Bryant, Chap, 4Winns, SeaRay, Glastron, Larson, Stingray, bayliner - that's a very partial list in somewhat order top quality to lower quality. but again, it's not that important after 20 years!

Engine: More than half the cost of a 20 year old boat is for the engine! You need a 5.7L V8 for that crew of yours and your uses. I'd say 4bbl carb, but others here know a lot more about this. Get it checked by a qualitfied mechanic of YOUR choosing. You pay for it, whatever. It should be in great condition, settle for no less. There are lots of 20 year old engines out there that still run great and have years left on them.

Oh, last thing ..... I wouldn't buy an older boat that was ever run in anything but fresh water, especially an I/O engine.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

Danny,

I assume you read my reply to your post down in the Four Winns section.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=289095

As far as other brands are concerned I think you need to decide I/O vs OB first and then go from there. Only certain brands offered OB in the open bow class in the year range you are going to be looking at with your budget. If you want an OB that will probably limit your choice of brands significantly. I/Os are deffinately more popular in open bow boats and with the size of your family it may be really nice to have a big V8 to do the activities you want to do.

 

[danny9696]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

you all are great! I have made up my mind I will look for an I/O V8, and I would like to try to stay 1987 or above. NOW a little history about me so you can help me narrow down my options. My family of 7 ranges in years from age 2 to 11. I have a long history as a GM auto mechanic. and if this was an auto mobile I would recommend pre computer years or 1996 or newer due to computer systems used. I am very dedicated, in fact my hydasport had a 200hp black max and before I ever took it to the lake I read the repair manual cover to cover. I found that I loved working on the big OB two strokes. but talk about noise! that?s the reason for the I/O choice. second I looked at deck boats and they are nice but I love the sporty look! last of all I will be running my boat in two very different elevations, I live at 7000' and travel to 2000' so I need to be versatile, my O/B required me to change jets every time, fixed jet setup. so I hope this helps I sure do value all your advice.

Thank you
Danny

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

Here are few considerations:

The only FourWinns that would fit your criteria and have a desireable drive would be a 1987. Otherwise it would need to be newer than 1996 and it would be difficult to find one in good condition that was $5k or less.

Other brands to consider that you would have a good chance to find a boat that fits your needs would be:

Sea Ray
Wellcraft
ChrisCraft (although they were an OMC company for awhile also)
Larson
Glastron
Starcraft

These are companies that built decent boats in the late 80s through mid 90s. There are many others also. This is just a list of some of the most popular brands.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: I need a new open bow boat/ what brand!

stay with a mercruiser or volvo drive system, run from the OMC drive systems.