Re: New-to-me express cruiser choices
Hai, Of all the boats you mentioned you wanted to know about all things being equal what brands were better than others. The sea ray and the maxum are the 2 best made of the 4. Wellcraft went bankrupt in 2010 and was bought out by an investment group so who knows what type of support they will or will be able to offer down the road should you need it. (plus those cracks in the fiberglass on the bow send up a huge red flag to me. (think structural) Four wins is an O.K. boat but it is an entry level price point boat like the Bayliner. Maybe one step up. Also don't worry about who makes what. Brunswick Marine is the parent group of Searay, Bayliner and many others. They also make Million dollar boats and own Mercury Marine. (Mercruiser) Bottom line I would rule out Wellcraft for sure and Four winns unless it is the exception to the rule. Decide on one of the other two and have a surveyor check it out top to bottom. Thats about the best you can do with the decision making process. Keep in mind that any boat of that vintage is going to need regular maintenance and updates and upgrades going forward. There is no free ride in this sport... Best of luck! let us know how it turns out and keep the questions coming. The more you know the better decision you can make.
As already noted by others there are some things that aren't quite "true" here.
Maxum was discontinued. It was a step up from Bayliner, and step "below" Sea Ray. Brunswick is/was the parent company of all 3.
Four Winns is owned by the same company as Wellcraft and is typically viewed as direct competition to Sea Ray on terms of quality and ammenities.
Wellcraft has had a couple of owners over the past several years, so has Four Winns. That should really not be an issue. Both brands still exist and both used the major suppliers that most all of the boats of the era used.
All the brands mentioned are good quality brands. All of them are worthy of consideration.
