New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

[Lakeguy469]

Hey everyone, glad I found this forum. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my situation so that I can get the best advice possible. I am a 24 yr old school teacher who will get to enjoy summers off on the lake. I currently live in a house on a lake (rent + utilities = 650ish/month) so if I do get a boat it will be used often. I make in the low 30k's (teacher salarys are terrible) but have about 10k in liquid assets. My SUV is completely paid off, have no student loans, and have no credit card debt. I would like to get a boat for water sports (wake, ski, tube), cruising, and some freshwater fishing. I would really like to enjoy this summer and maybe the next on the water with friends as I plan on attending medical school starting in either the summer of 2014 or 2015. So depending on furthering my education I would probably only keep the boat a year or two. Therefore I don't really want to spend all summer constantly fixing up a boat.

First off I'd like to know how much boat I can afford, or if I can afford it at all? I have read a lot about cash vs finance and I'm still not sure what to do.

Next, what kind of boat is right for me? I've looked at CC, DC, and bowriders. I'd like something in the 18-21 ft range. Right now I'm leaning towards the Bowrider due to its watersport ability and its comfort while just cruising the open lake waters. It's also able to handle the little bit of fishing I may do. I've looked into crownlines, bay liner, and stingrays. What are your opinions on these? What other brands should I look at?

I/O vs. outboards...
Most of the bowriders I've looked at have I/O on them. I think I want the 4.3L if I go that route. Volvo vs mercruiser? Leaning towards Volvo due to cone making shifting smoother.

Basically I want to be able to have a good/memorable summer before going back to school for 4 years where I won't have the time to enjoy the opportunities I have right now, but at the same time I don't want to mess up financially.

Thanks iboat

 

[southkogs]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Welcome aboard Lakeguy -

You've asked a somewhat loaded set of questions, but you've actually identified a good starting point: whatcha' wanna' do on a boat!

How much boat you can afford is a question that probably only you can answer. Personally, I could manage to finance much more boat than I run right now but I prefer to keep things on the cheap and stay in the "shallow end" financially. As a first-time boater, I would suggest that you start easy, buy used and get a feel for boat ownership before you dive in all the way and spend a bunch of money on a boat. Depending on where you live, you should be able to find a reasonable "lake-ready" boat in the $5k range. Probably won't be too fancy, but it'll last for quite a while if you're careful about buyin'. I actually have bought all of my boats cheaper than that ... but I'm willing to do a little wrench turnin' and scrubbin' on them.

Buying used and new are two totally different approaches. Brand doesn't matter much when buying used boats - you wanna' look at condition.

I think you're correct about looking for an 18-21 foot bow rider. Outboard or I/O might not matter too much (though I think outboards are a little more forgiving for beginners) and if you're keeping it in the water all summer it may be well to consider aluminum - but my family has kept fiberglass boats at the dock all summer for years with relatively few problems. So, again - not necessarily an issue one way or the other.

Why don'tcha' settle the "I think I wanna' spend THIS MUCH" question first

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Since you know you are going to sell it after a while, get something that will hold up--and that is NOT a i/o bowrider with built-in cushions and carpet (ie sofaboat). Get an outboard, and get hard seating with removeable cushions and little fixed upholstery. Also get something with a self-bailing deck so you (and your buyer) doesn't have to worry about stringer rot. Look at 19' center consoles with built-in bow seating. Go for a boat that works on a single axle trailer and you will save $$ there.

 

[JoLin]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

I would really like to enjoy this summer and maybe the next on the water with friends as I plan on attending medical school starting in either the summer of 2014 or 2015. So depending on furthering my education I would probably only keep the boat a year or two.

Welcome, Lakeguy!

Don't know where you live, but for a year or two of ownership... is there any possibility of renting one? It won't be cheap, but it'll be a lot cheaper than short-term ownership. Cost of a used boat in the first couple of years tends to be pretty high. You have taxes and fees to pay, and there WILL be repairs to make. By the time you get it all straightened out you'll be trying to sell. That can be tough to do quickly.

My .02

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Where you live is going to have a huge impact on what works best in your situation.

I would say that buying a CC or DC with an outboard would probably be a good option. They hold their value well so you won't lose a ton when you sell in a couple years.

Take 50-75% of your liquid assets and start shopping. Buy the boat in the best condition with the best records and then go enjoy the boat. Get a friend or hire a mechanic to look over any potential boats for you.

 

[brnschoneck]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

hiya welcome aboard !!! The only advice i have for u is definatley get a outboard easily maintained , if you get a used u cant beat the old two stroke mercs !!! They have a very good reputation I love mine.....evinrudes arent to bad either from what i know ...

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Have you looked into a boat club? It's an excellent way to get boat usage without all the other headaches.

 

[Lakeguy469]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

I am in south Carolina in Santee on lake Marion. There is a boaters club but they are very pontoon heavy.

So the idea of a Bowrider is out? I found a stingray 195 with the Volvo 4.3 penta 190 hp engine with only 49 hours on it and thought that it may be a very reliable boat. Or a 18 ft crownline with a 4.3 mercruiser with 200 hrs on it. Both were in the 10-12k range.

Most of the cc and dc I have looked at are in the 15-25k range which is above my budget. I'm not worried about trashing the upholstery and carpet as I'm very responsible and am not going to be taking out a bunch of drunks when I cruise.

My ideal boat would be a sea hunt 210 ultra CC but the girl friend wants something more comfortable and I agree since I won't be doing much fishing. However after med school, I will be fishing a lot and the 21-23' CC shouldn't be a problem haha.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Avoid carpet and excessive upholstering. It isn't you or your friends that will trash it. It is the sun, rain, mold, and critters.

For a first boat in a southern climate, something like 1993 Sea Swirl 192 is just about perfect.

 

[Lakeguy469]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Avoid carpet and excessive upholstering. It isn't you or your friends that will trash it. It is the sun, rain, mold, and critters.

For a first boat in a southern climate, something like 1993 Sea Swirl 192 is just about perfect.

Not a bad looking boat. The only thing that scares me is "boat starts and runs, just may need a tune up". If you were selling a boat wouldn't you go ahead and take care of any issues?

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Hard to say if there is really any issue or not. Could just be some old gas in it and it needs to be run to get it all cleaned out. Could need the carbs rebuilt or just synched. At that price and age, it is a moderate gamble even if it was just serviced. Use it as a negotiating point and plan to spend $300-500 to have someone go over it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Yeah that is a red flag. However, on a motor like that, if it's got good compression, getting it running great shouldn't be a huge deal. Nice thing about a boat like that is if you take care of it, it will probably be worth exactly what you paid for it when you go to sell it.

 

[cr2k]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Year of boat (unless very old) and hours mean little. It is ALL about condition and maintenance. Don't buy a pig in a poke. Run it and have someone check it over, worth the money spent. Also be sure to take a safe boater course. Just remember the only person who will lie to you more than a fisherman, about the one that got away, is someone trying to sell you their boat.

 

[jestor68]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

2006 Bayliner 19 ft deck boat. There you go. It's on ebay now for 13K. It has the 4.3 L Mercruiser. Located in Ten.

Go on Boat Test. com to see a full test of the boat.

 

[Lakeguy469]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

So by the responses I have gotten so far you guys are swaying me away from boats like 2004 Crownline and 2007 Stingray 195

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Both of those boats have carpet glued to the sole/deck/floor. Not what you want. That carpet gets wet and stays wet for days. Then the boat start to rot from the inside out.

You want a boat with a finished fiberglass cockpit liner with at most "snap in" carpet that you can pull out and store until you are ready to sell the boat.

ALSO, I would suggest that you don't want to spend all of your cash on the initial purchase. Leave plenty of reserve to pay for some unexpected things that will likely come up no matter which boat you buy.

 

[Natty Light]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

I think your price range is right where it should be. Speaking as someone who is just now on their second season boating I was very thankful that I did not pull the trigger on some of the 4000 dollar junk I looked at. I ended up purchasing an $11,000 dollar 2002 Triton fish n ski. My learning curve was steep last season and I made many mistakes that made me feel thankful I wasn't riding around in some beater boat. I also don't make as much money as the typical boat owner so I financed it out 10 years so the payment was around 130 dollars a month. Easy payment for us normal guys to make. If you go that route just make sure there is no penalty for paying off the loan early. That way you're basically renting a boat for a couple of years, sell it when you go to school, and then pay off your goofy long term loan.

 

[southkogs]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

So by the responses I have gotten so far you guys are swaying me away from boats like 2004 Crownline and 2007 Stingray 195

Nothing particularly wrong with either of those two boats if you 1.) like the style and 2.) want to spend the money. Both are worth a look, will likely do just fine for what you want to do (except fishin' - but you can work around that for a while) and (while I prefer no carpet myself) lots of people have carpet in their boats and do fine.

I like the style and price of the Sea Swirl personally, but these two boats will be more comfortable - most likely my wife would lean toward either of the two you've posted. Girls

 

[Lakeguy469]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

Yea the girlfriend is pushing for some comfort and said she will throw in some bones on the deal too. It's got to be something we both like for the next summer or two, otherwise it will be my bones only. I like that seaswirl as well, but not knowing ANYTHING about boat engines has me leery. What would be the things to test on that engine before I bought it, and would be the total cost for example problems?

 

[southkogs]

Re: New to forum, eager to get into boating, need guidance!

...but not knowing ANYTHING about boat engines has me leery. What would be the things to test on that engine before I bought it, and would be the total cost for example problems?

Outboard vs. I/O is a debate that'll rage on for days. IMHO - either / or is fine. I like some things about outboards for control especially, and truly I think they are easier for a beginner to learn with. BUT ... gazillions of people buy I/Os and do just fine with them. In newer boats, Mercruiser and Volvos are both fine (folks will have preferences, but ultimately either works). That Johnson on the Sea Swirl however is as stout a motor you can get hold of. They're not difficult to get working right if the basics are okay (see EZ's post #12).

Get any of them on the water - muffs in the driveway doesn't tell you enough. You want to see the boat function at idle, go through the gears, ease her up on plane, drop the hammer and see how fast she comes outta' the hole ... drive it a little hard, but don't break it. No strange noises or performance.

Best - see if you can pay a marine mechanic to go over the boat with ya'.