Looking for your opinion on a bowrider

[H20Rat]

Go re-read post #8! Condition, condition, condition. I would much rather take an immaculately maintained 5 or even 10 year old bayliner compared to a top of the line neglected boat that has sat outside without a cover and the plug in for the last couple of years. (more than long enough to destroy a boat.) Brand means very little, and approaching boat shopping like you would car shopping is wrong.

 

[jkust]

I've had several used boat and all were a money pit and I lost money on all of them, my fault no doubt. I purchased a brand new boat with zero hours on the clock. When we did the water test at the dealer the boat would not start due to a defective carb. The next year the water pump broke on the block. The year after that an ignition wire went bad...

Boats are expensive play toys. Like all vehicles with motors and moving parts they do break and with out proper maintenance will fall apart no matter who made it. But, we still love them.... to much my wife tell me... from the dock as I cruise down the bay waving at her....

Boats are a money pit at some point for sure but it is rare to make money on them without some special circumstance or at least have the expectation of making money. I never hit that point with any of my boats so far knock on wood. I/O's at least to me are venerable and robust with just the annual basic maintenance when in fresh water, they will last a really long time requiring very little effort. Bowriders with outboards are not popping up quite yet around me as outboards become in vogue again because most are moving from their bowrider to a pontoon and not to another bowrider. Bowriders are quickly dying out here for the folks that live on the lakes at least.

 

[SDSeville]

Agree with Scott here. For that kind of money, I would be avoiding low end boats like glastron and bayliner.
Cobalts seem decent...not sure if you see many campion models in your area. Solid Canadian build and you might find a "Chase" 400 or 500 series model with a big Yam on the back within budget.

Isn't the Glastron made with no wood? Wouldn't that put them above the lowest tier of boats. Coming from someone who started here on the restoration forum, "no wood" carries a lot of weight for me, especially if it is used.

 

[QBhoy]

Think most boats are no wood these days.
This post is an arguement that could go on for years and has been discussed many times.
All points are valid and it's hard to comment on a boat that others can't see.
I also suppose that each boat has its place.
Over here in the uk...bayliners and similar did and do really well because of their low price and modern looks. They are fine for certain applications like inland. Lakes and lochs. Not sure I'd go to sea in one, although many do. Added to this. It depends on the environment they are used in. Bayliners and similar don't tend to stand the test of time in harsh weather and salt water. That said, if they are treated right, hey can.
My boat yard is full of 18-20ft boats of all makers. It is easy to see the difference in quality and even gel coat on the hull. All the early 2000's and 1990's maxums, bayliners, glastrons and similar haven't faired well and look weathered with their gel coats faded.
The one campion, cobalt, chap and rinkers (to a lesser extent) have faires better.
The maxums in particular are terrible for fading...I can't imagine how bad they would be in a sunny climate and near the salt.
Each boat has its place, no doubt...and the main thing is to get out on the water...should it be a zodiac rubber dinghy or a Princess or sunseeker flybrigde.
My main point is that for 20k....I wouldn't be buying a glastron or similar. You could get a cracker of a higher quality boat for that.
If I stayed over there, I'd be after a Baja islander or a campion Chase. I also wouldn't be going for an outboard. Small block V8 MPI all the way !

 

[jkust]

Isn't the Glastron made with no wood? Wouldn't that put them above the lowest tier of boats. Coming from someone who started here on the restoration forum, "no wood" carries a lot of weight for me, especially if it is used.

There was a period when the Brunswicks went to the VEC 'no wood' technology but they had their own set of issues then Glastron moved back to traditional manufacturing with wood as I understand around 2011 in a different factory. VEC was touted as good but was a way to save a buck with the manufacturing process. Unfortunately, wood rots but has other good qualities. There is still some wood in some of these newer boats above the waterline but not in the floors or stringers for example.

 

[444]

For your needs, any of them will do the job. You should be worrying about condition more than brand or options. Boats that are kept in a garage keep nice forever. Boats left in the water all summer or sitting out in the front yard don't. Covers trap in a lot of moisture and so many guys don't even cover them and let them fill up with rain water and snow year-round..

My boat is a Glastron CVX-20 that rolled off the assembly line in 1978. Still running the original non-rebuilt Mercury 175hp outboard. If it's not in the water it's in my garage.

 

[jkust]

For your needs, any of them will do the job. You should be worrying about condition more than brand or options. Boats that are kept in a garage keep nice forever. Boats left in the water all summer or sitting out in the front yard don't. Covers trap in a lot of moisture and so many guys don't even cover them and let them fill up with rain water and snow year-round..

My boat is a Glastron CVX-20 that rolled off the assembly line in 1978. Still running the original non-rebuilt Mercury 175hp outboard. If it's not in the water it's in my garage.

You can do both of course...eliminate boats that don't meet your condition expectations that happen to be in the brands you want. The thing is, some 'brands' of boats are just a better mousetrap for certain activities or needs and so you just narrow your focus. There's just huge differences between some boats of the same size.