Looking for a cruiser

[Polar_Light]

Hello guys,
Recently got an crazy idea to buy a boat for my family. The most important thing that I managed to convinced my wife that we both really need that thing . In the beginning was looking for 22" but after while decided to look rather in 26"-27" range.
I needed boat not for crazy sporty going (I am over 40 years old) just for spending weekends (staying overnight) on some gorgeous lakes here in Canada. So, boat should have enough comfort allowing us to stay 2-3 days onboard, and could be easily towed by GMC Sierra 1500 (towing capacity 9600lb).
Firstly, I was looking for Bayliner Sierra, or Bayliner HardTop 2452, but couple of days ago saw Sea Ray 270 Sundancer, loved that shape.
I have a budget around 16k, which cruiser would you guys recommend?
The most important is realiability, fuel consumption and comfort onboard. I would rather spent little more money instead of having headache later to repair that thing. I am looking at varierty engines that Sundancer has, dual MercCruiser 4.3, dual 5.0. Single 7.6, etc.....
What is the most important thing to pay attention when buying such a boat?
My question might sound stupid, but I've never had any boat in my life. Mechanically I am o.k and think will be able to fix many things by myself.
Thanks in advance for any replay.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Hi, and welcome to iboats. Where to start?

First, expand your profile to include your location, and provide some background concerning the waters in which you'll be boating, how many passengers you'll carry, and their ages. That'll help with recommendations concerning the boat itself.

Next, education... you need some. US Power Squadrons, CG Auxiliary, local law enbforcement all offer boater safety classes. Please take one. A boat is NOT 'a car in the water.' What you don't know yet can kill or injure you, a loved one or another boater. We read about it every day.

26-27' is a big starter boat. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but 2 friends of mine whose first boats were a 26' Maxum express and a 29' Bayliner express, respectively, did a couple thou worth of damage to their boats within the first month of use. You're talking about moving 3-4 tons of mass with no brakes. Striking a dock or another boat at 5 mph can have serious consequences.

$16K is NOT a great budget for a boat of that size. I bought mine in 2010 for $15k, with full knowledge (courtesy of the professional survey I had performed) that I would be putting another $5-6K into it during the first 2 years of ownership. The boat you find at that price will be 15+ years old, and the manufacturer's reputation will have little to do with anything anymore. It's all about current condition- a boat from a top manufacturer can be absolute garbage, while a 'cheap' boat can be in great shape. Don't purchase anything without having it inspected by a professional surveyor, marine mechanic or similar. Most serious problems (like rotted transoms and stringers) are well hidden by nice, shiny fiberglass. As a newbie you'll never spot them on your own.

For most of us, cruisers are expensive to keep. Granted, I live in one of the more expensive areas of the country, but annual ownership (storage, maintenance, fuel) costs me roughly $400/mo., NOT including repairs and replacement of worn-out equipment. A cruiser has all the systems of a house- electrical, plumbing, sewage, HVAC... maintenance and repairs are expensive and neverending.

Don't know where you'll be keeping yours, but summer dockage and winter storage are major expenses for me. Fuel cost is substantial- I use roughly 16 gph at a 25 mph cruise speed. Overall, I get the equivalent of about 1.7 mpg, which is not bad for a twin engine, 27' express.

Anyway, provide some more info- you'll get plenty of advice here. We LOVE to help spend other people's money!

 

[Polar_Light]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Thanks for the quick replay, Jolin.
I did my profile, I live in Canada, Calgary. My wife and I both going to boating in nearby lakes. We have some friends around so would be nice to gather from time to time. Lakes where we going to boat aren't too big - most of them no longer 10-20 miles. However, most of them have a lounch boating places, so boating 3-4 tonn boat shouldn't be an issue. We all love fishing, so that is a main reason why we decided to go boating. From time to time we are planning to visit some larger lakes in BC, Kelovna etc. So, having twin engines would be a always plus, because we wouldn't be stranded in case of falure one of them. We little over 40, not too young and not too old, yet .

>>>> Fuel cost is substantial- I use roughly 16 gph at a 25 mph.

That is a o.k, because we are not planning a huge trips- most lakes where we will be boating are too small. We are considering boat as a sort of floating RV, rather then speedy toy. Dual engines are good from reliability point of view. I usually enjoy fixing small engines used to have several snowmobiles always was fixing them, kinda relaxing after spending many-many hours doing programming, something I am doing for a living.

 

[moosekoot]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

I live in the Shuswap and have done lots of boating in B.C. lakes. I dont think you will get a very good boat on your budget unless you get it in the states. Also hauling it around wont be easy unless you get a bigger truck. Not many lakes around Calgary to use a 26ft boat. We have a 21ft Four Winns and will use a tent for the weekends. I am in my 50s

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Yes, good advice and things to think about so far. Check the price guides that are available on the Internet - NADA and BUCvalue are two that I have used, but I'm not sure about their coverage in Canada.

Your budget will get you into some older boats of that size range. I bought a 16 year old 33 foot boat this past Fall, and you should expect to do some things in the first few years. My budget for fixing and preventative maintenance is around $5k . . . Even though the boat is in pretty good shape . . . So plan accordingly.

Knowing the boat's full history will be a benefit as well as finding a good marine surveyor. As stated, you will want to do both vessel and mechanical inspections by a certified inspector and one that has good references. I Googled a few of the potential inspectors to see what folks on Internet forums (like us) had to say about various them. . . And then there is the gut feeling when you have your initial contact with them.

structural rot -hull blisters - engine and drive system problems will be tops on your list of potential issues. Some may be show stoppers and others not. You can click the web page links in my signature to see my experience in 'shopping' for boats, etc. it might give you some good insight to boat ownership.

Best of luck in your travels and keep us posted.

 

[Polar_Light]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

I live in the Shuswap and have done lots of boating in B.C. lakes. I dont think you will get a very good boat on your budget unless you get it in the states. Also hauling it around wont be easy unless you get a bigger truck. Not many lakes around Calgary to use a 26ft boat. We have a 21ft Four Winns and will use a tent for the weekends. I am in my 50s

Oh yes, I didn't mention that I am planning to go to US to bring a boat from there. I was looking at some boats here in Calgary and in Toronto and they are mostly garbage. Money do not worth much in Canada, agree with that.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Single most important thing to remember is to have a certified marine surveyor go over what ever you decide to buy BEFORE you buy it. They can be worth their weight in gold in helping you avoid serious money pits. Good luck!

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Welcome to the forum PL. I boat on 3 connected inland lakes that encompass approximately 250 sq.km. It would be rare to see a cruiser of that size. That's a lot of boat for a 10-20 mile lake. A few friends have or have had boats as you described. Their major complaints are the cost of fuel and difficulty in towing. My neighbor needed to upgrade his vehicle to an F250 diesel. Have you considered a 24' or 26' pontoon equipped with a full camper enclosure and a 4 stroke motor in the 150 hp range. It would be towable for you, affordable to operate and would be in your budget.

 

[ken51k]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

I have the same size truck as yours and I tow a 24 ft cruiser with a single engine. Anything over a 24 footer your really going to need a bigger truck. You have a lot of things to think about for total weight, boat, trailer, gas and water in the boat plus all the other things you keep on the boat or take with you. The weight adds up fast.

 

[hottoddie]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

I have the same size truck as yours and I tow a 24 ft cruiser with a single engine. Anything over a 24 footer your really going to need a bigger truck. You have a lot of things to think about for total weight, boat, trailer, gas and water in the boat plus all the other things you keep on the boat or take with you. The weight adds up fast.

With Sierra 1500 (I own one) you should limit your size to 25' with single V8 IO. The Sea Ray 240 Sundancer is big for a 24 ft boat or many other mass produced boats out there. The survey and sea trial are absolute musts.

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Take a look at the 95 - 98 250 sundancers, i am right at 7,600 lbs and pull it with a avalanche with a 5.3. You should be able to find one close to your budget. We stay on ours about 10 weekends a summer and love it. (Wife and two kids) yea i would like a bigger boat but then i need anothe truck and it snowballs from there. Dancers have a great cockpit layout.

LK

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

My "first" boat was a 29'er and I agree they can be a handful, but nothing you can't overcome.

Your price range, I honestly think can find you a decent boat. I spent far less than $16,000 for my 29'er, including 2 years of fuel, slip fees (my slip fees would make most sick with how cheap they are), maintenance etc... I sold her in very nice shape, with a lot of new parts for half of your budget.

I think a 27'er would be a stretch for a 1500 series truck. If the layout of a 24-25'er works, it will be cheaper to run, easier to tow.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

It looks like for your stated budget you can get some of the 'high-end' brands in the late 1980 model years . . . and in the more 'mid-to-low end' brands you can get something in the mid 1990's model years. So, you are generally going to be looking at 17-23 year old boats. So, most will probably have some issues. It will be a matter of finding something that is manageable.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

If you've decided to buy a boat, that is a crazy idea. Talk your friend into buying a boat.

As has been posted, budget is tight but doable for a starter boat. Your truck will limit size/weight.

Have you thought about renting for a few weekends? That's a good way to see if you have "the sickness" as well as letting you fine tune what you think you want in a boat. If you fish you may not like the layout of a pocket cruiser.

 

[Polar_Light]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Take a look at the 95 - 98 250 sundancers, i am right at 7,600 lbs and pull it with a avalanche with a 5.3. You should be able to find one close to your budget. We stay on ours about 10 weekends a summer and love it. (Wife and two kids) yea i would like a bigger boat but then i need anothe truck and it snowballs from there. Dancers have a great cockpit layout.

LK

Oh, yes you are reading my thoughts. I am looking at these 2 different options.
The first option is 24-25 foot Sundancer, it fells into my 16k budget and I may find boat from 1995-1997.
The second option is 26-27 Sundancer, that would be boat from 1988, as a matter of fact I found only one from 1990.
1988 27 foot Sundancers have a very outdated looking panels etc.
Does anyone been comparing let's say 25 and 27 Sandancer? How big the difference is? I mean how comparable "roomy" inside compartments of these two boats are?
I guess 25 Sundancer also more narrow, so the room inside would considerably smaller. Am I right? I agree, that would be a snowball buying another track. I can't afford it, because most of my money will be pouring into that new toy. However, I am expecting to spend couple of thousands just making it clean and more reliable.
What do you guys think about having two engines aboard? I have noticed that many relatively old Sundancers prior to 1990 have two engines, but the most modern boats have a single engine. Is that a question about fuel economy or bigger block engines generally more reliable and last longer?

 

[Polar_Light]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

If you've decided to buy a boat, that is a crazy idea. Talk your friend into buying a boat.

As has been posted, budget is tight but doable for a starter boat. Your truck will limit size/weight.

Have you thought about renting for a few weekends? That's a good way to see if you have "the sickness" as well as letting you fine tune what you think you want in a boat. If you fish you may not like the layout of a pocket cruiser.

Sickness is not a big issue for me, I used to work as a fishermen on different trawlers when was 20. I am getting used to it quickly.

 

[Polar_Light]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

It looks like for your stated budget you can get some of the 'high-end' brands in the late 1980 model years . . . and in the more 'mid-to-low end' brands you can get something in the mid 1990's model years. So, you are generally going to be looking at 17-23 year old boats. So, most will probably have some issues. It will be a matter of finding something that is manageable.

That's exactly I am working on. I need to claim onboard of these two vessels, to get feeling. I would rather buy smaller with less troubles.

 

[acarter92]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Sickness is not a big issue for me, I used to work as a fishermen on different trawlers when was 20. I am getting used to it quickly.

IMHO, I think he ment a different type of "sickness".

Austin

 

[Polar_Light]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

Single most important thing to remember is to have a certified marine surveyor go over what ever you decide to buy BEFORE you buy it. They can be worth their weight in gold in helping you avoid serious money pits. Good luck!

I will be looking for one quite soon, I agree with you on that.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Looking for a cruiser

IMHO, I think he ment a different type of "sickness".

Austin

The sickness I'm referring to compels a man to throw thousands of dollars at a hole in the water. In return you get all the cleaning a guy could want, and an almost unlimited opportunity to empty your wallet every weekend.

Forrest Gump bought a boat. 'Nuff said.