Newbie begining first boat search.

[thumpar]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

The 3.0l may be able to do it with only a driver in the boat but it will not be ideal. 4.3l is a start. I got mine with 5.7l EFI and Bravo drive for just a few hundred over your price range.

 

[Stimulated!]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

I am another fan of the Crownlines. Another thing to consider on a boat is the beam not just the length. Ours is 8'6" and is feels much bigger than most boats our size because it is so wide. It also gives you a rating for more people. The USCG rating we have is 12 people. Most in this size are 8-9.

I would agree with this. Our Crownline 180BR feels much more spacious than friends boats of the same length. It also has more storage. I hate loose stuff in the boat, and the Crownline provides an incredible number of storage areas to stow lifejackets, ropes, anchors etc etc. And yes, our boat is rated for 8 people. I have never seen another 20ft boat rated for more than 7.

 

[airshot]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

I would recommend that with any boat you find to get a professional marine survey on that boat before purchase. The few hundred it will cost could save you thousands. I have seen many first time buyers get a deal for 4000 only to find it is going to cost another 3000 to fix the hidden damage they did not see. The surveyor will find that for you and give you a thorough report of the boat and motors condition and what it will need if anything. Just start reading the many threads in this forum on those with little or no experience on their first boat buying experiences. Those who have chosen to not have a thorough inspection are the ones that have the phrase" the happiest day was the day I bought my first boat, the second happiest day is the day I sold my boat" Boats are expensive to buy, own and maintain
and the less maintaince you do on them the more they will cost. I enjoy seeing newcomers in the boating world but I need to caution them to proceed carefully and thoroughly or it can cost you a fortune. Remember, the price you pay for the boat will be the least amount that the boat will cost you. Welcome to the forum and the beast of luck in your search.

Airshot

 

[southkogs]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

Question, In my searches there are alot of the 3.0 4 cylinder boats. Are these things even big enough to pull a skier well? Should we just avoid it and opt for a 4.3 minimum?

... on two skis, it'll probably be fine enough. Slalom ... you want more "ooompf." If skiing is the plan, I'd go for more power.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

More power ... And outboards put the motor outside the boat and give you more space inside, as a general rule. Robalo has some nice configurations of dual consoles with a head that might be a nice compromise with your wife. So many options to chose from.

i used to ski, but age and shoulder surgery brought that to a stop. Kids love it, though. I love to fish. The closest thing my family could agree on was a dual console that I found used for my price. At the time it had an 8-9k value and I was able to ask, and get it for the low 5's. So keep your eyes open, and don't be afraid to ask if they would consider selling it in your price range. You might find someone who just wants out of the payments!

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

I just want to add that in the price range you are looking at it will be difficult to find the boat you really want. Probably won't be a ski-tug like a Nautique and such. I agree that you'll want to go V8 power. You'll see boats powered with the OMC Cobra set up. Best to stay away from that as they've been out of business for a long time and parts are getting difficult to find and expensive. There is a great checklist for a boat buyer here. Boats rot from the bottom up, so a sound deck could be hiding problems below. Do you have a friend who knows boats? A test ride is a must have and not negotiable. As said earlier be careful...there's a lot of junk out there.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

Having grew up on boats, and operating everythign from a 6' inflatable to a 40' cruiser, I can offer my opinion

Wife wants a cuddy, probably for changing the baby, as well as the port-a-pot
you want to ski.

you can ski behind a cuddy, however its not as fun or functional as a bow rider is for water sports, cruising, and pulling up on the occational beach.

If I was in your shoes, I would get a 20-21' bow rider with the small bathroom compartment in front of the passenger console. There generally is a storage locker in front of the drivers console.

that way, you get the ability to ski, ability to cruise, a place for the wife to use the facilities. on a lake, probably as close to a swiss-army-knife that you can get.

regarding fuel, if it doesnt have oars or sails, it will cost you in fuel.

I agree completely with Scott. There's one more thing I'd like to mention. With an inboard ski boat you have to be careful of shallow water, or rocks hitting the prop, shaft, or skeg. Plus, when going into reverse, they are hard to control because the back end usually pulls in the direction of the prop rotation, instead of responding well to the wheel. This can get real annoying especially if you hafta do a lot of maneuvering, and the inboards this size, don't have a lot of space inside. I recommend a Crownline, or Robalo, bowrider with a enclosed head if possible, and a Merc. 4.3, 5.0, or 5.7 motor, depending on the size? 18-19' a 4.3, or 5.0, - 20-22' a 5.7. a big name outboard motor is fine as well, they might get you on plane quicker because they are lighter, but they may use a bit more fuel?

 

[saumon]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

a big name outboard motor is fine as well, they might get you on plane quicker because they are lighter, but they may use a bit more fuel?

Mmmm, not sure about that (fuel usage), but I think it's already been beaten to hell, so there's no point to argue. I prefer outboard for the space inside they save and ease of maintenance but, on that type of boat, there's probably 10 I/O for 1 OB in the used market, so don't let this restraint your choice.

Here's a few in your area and price range with some potential:
2001 Glastron GX185 for $65002001 Glastron GX185
2000 Maxum 1900SR for $80002000 Maxum 1900/SR
1988 Cobalt 202 for $82501988 Cobalt Codurre 202-ONLY 450 HOURS!-GREAT CONDITION-NEW SONY SOUND

Even if it's older and priced higher, I may be tempted to go with the Cobalt (top-notch quality, 20ft. vs 18-19ft. and bigger engine)...

 

[thumpar]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

Cobalts are great boats but the price is a little high on that one. I paid a couple hundred more than that for my Crownline and got newer, captain chairs, EFI, bigger stereo and bravo drive. If the Cobalt was about 2k less it would be a great fit.

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

The simple answer is here.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-topic...help-buying-boat-buyers-checklist-635170.html

 

[saumon]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

Cobalts are great boats but the price is a little high on that one. I paid a couple hundred more than that for my Crownline and got newer, captain chairs, EFI, bigger stereo and bravo drive. If the Cobalt was about 2k less it would be a great fit.

Yep, but the owner say it's negotiable. Sometimes, showing up with $7000 cash in hands can do wonder and make you stand amongst others CL tire-kickers, and that boat seems really well maintained, with all the paperwork records.

 

[augualoged]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

actually my wife and i have been eye balling the maxium pretty damn hard. I will say I am very mechanically inclined and have been around boats alot and have done 911 work on a few. Im handy and capable and feel comfortable looking at boats. I plan on running a compression test on what ever i look at for sure. The only thing im not completely sure on it things to look for on the lower unit aside from a skeg thats not all torn up. The lower unit is really the thing that has me nervous. I doubt that maxium will be around when we will be ready to actually buy which wont be until after may 16th. the colbalt is a nice boat but for an 88 im not sure im comfortable spending that kind of money but that also depends on the boat. I mean i like it but i dont 8 grand like it.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

I decided to give it a fresh look and gel coated it all white. That might need some more explanation. Gel can cover a ton of sins.

 

[dcarver]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

With the lower unit in an inboard/outboard you need to be concerned with the exhaust and u-joint bellows, the gimble bearing, and if there's water in the lower unit oil. Now here are some tips from my personal experience that I will pass along to a fellow south Texan who's in the same price range I was.
Got our boat for what I thought was a great price $4300 1994 manta ray 19' bow rider 4.3 mercruiser. I love the look of the inboard/outboard but little did I know of their potential issues.
First mistake was after the test drive I didn't pay much attention to the amount of water coming out of the drain plug. After purchasing and taking it back to our local lake I noticed we were sitting awfully low in the rear. I open the engine compartment and bam, water up to the engine. Luckily the bilge worked great. Got it trailered and I kid you not, water poured out for almost 7 min. After going over the boat with a fine tooth come and eliminating any potential holes I came to this forum and found out it was possible the bellows. Sure enough after removing the lower unit and seeing the bellows were torn to shreds I found my answer.
Also when driving I had a bad vibration while turning. Turns out the gimble bearing was rusted because of the u-joint bellow.
So to repair this cost roughly $800 parts and labor. Good news is no more water.
Now I would have saved $600 by doing this myself but I had just torn my Achilles tendon so that wasn't gonna happen. There are plenty of YouTube videos to show you how to do this and with the right tools it'll be fairly easy.
So when you check any inboard/outboard out: 1. Ask when the bellows and gimble bearing have been serviced. 2. Double check them at the very least by putting the rear of the boat in the water and see if water comes in. 3. There is screw on the bottom of the lower unit. This is where you drain the lower unit oil. Let some come out and look to see if its milky which is bad. Not much will come out because there is a vent hole higher up so you won't make too much of a mess.
Seriously in the price ranger you're looking at this will get you about a 15yr old boat. Things will be worn out by then especially if put away wet.
Also jump on those floors lol

 

[zealer]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

If you want a summary: 20-21' would be great to start with.
If you have time, I spewed out a whole bunch below.
----
OP, you only have 1 the kid?

Here's my experience.

Experience #1) 3.0L Mercruiser IO is 'ok' for skiing. Not a powerhouse, but it can do it. My family would ski with 4 of us in the boat (a Bayliner 185). Took a second or two to build up steam, but she went. Requires some additional driver skill, however, to prevent from sinking skiier or going too fast. If you just like being pulled on skiis, a few cuts here and there, it'll work. Overall space was OK. It had decent room & storage. We were young. 2-4 kids + dad. Closed water, small chop boat.

Experience #2) I had a Bayliner 175 last year (my own boat, first one), also with a 3.0L. Again, the 3.0L worked good enough for me to ski, wakeboard, tube with 4 people in boat. Mind you, I don't drop a ski. I can ski, and ski 'good enough', but I am certainly not a pro or doing any tricks. A 175 is small. 5 people was cramped because there wasn't a lot of storage space. I still had fun though. Gave me good experience from A-Z (maintenance, towing, launching, operating). More than a mild chop was annoying. For reference, I was 21 last summer, going out with my friends. Average weight would probably be 150.

Based on those 2 experiences, the following is my conclusion.
The 3.0L will work for skiing/wakeboarding. But, the question is, does 'will it work' cut it for you. It won't be 100% effortless. It won't rip at 100mph. Will it pull a skier with a full boat? Yes it will. Could you drop a ski? I don't know. I never tried.

Size matters. Yes, that's right. When I was younger, the 185 my dad had was fine. We fit, we were comfortable, we had fun. My 175, was too small. Also fun, but too small. This year I am looking to get a bow rider between 20-23 ft. The additional space will be great, but I am much more interested in the additional beam and draft. Tons of fresh water where I live. But, the wind can whip up a good chop. Would I take a 3.0L in a 20-23 ft boat? I would. My type of boating is I go out, I cruise, I drop anchor, I swim, lounge, play cards etc. Water sports are the minority of my time spent out on my boat (but I do enjoy them). I don't think any 20-23 footers come with a 3.0L. At this size they will at least be a 4.3 V6. Some 195's come with 3.0's, though.

With your budget, I think you could find a good 20-21' boat. Definitely something from 18-19ft will turn up. IMO, the prices this year are absurd. Don't know why, but everything is seriously overpriced. At least out here on the east coast. Maybe it is just me being too cheap, but I definitely have no intent of spending 7-9k on a 2001 Bayliner 185 (I've seen 4 different ones advertised on CL). If you're patient, the right deal will come up. This would be my other best piece of advice. Be patient. If the deal isn't there, well, the deal isn't there. I'm trying to buy a truck right now. I've seen a whole bunch - they all sucked. But every time I catch myself thinking 'well if I do this this and that, it would be OK...', simply because the prospect of a new purchase is exciting. I don't really want to do this this and that, but it would be quick gratification (reward now vs later).

 

[carey965]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

i guess i will throw in my 2 cents on this seeing is that this time last year i was looking to buy my 1st boat

1st thing keep your options open, i was looking for a 100+hp outboard bowrider or closed bow ski boat, i ended up with a I/O 19ft 98 tahoe bowrider with a 4.3, i was looking for something that i could ski behind and cruise in but didnt have inboard ski boat money wanted to spend about 5-10 grand as well, i can slalom behind it and even pull 2 people with the right prop

2nd thing is keep an eye on the classifieds like craigslist (kijiji for us north of the border) but also look at the local dealers when i was looking the best deal i could find online was a 88ish outboard ski boat when i went to look at it it was crap even had a patch in the side of the hull the size of my head and they guy wouldent go below 4500 bucks thought it was such a great deal, needless to say i walked away,

then 1 day me and a buddy were out looking at boats we went by a higher end dealer and i found the boat i ended up buying for 5000 (looked on nada and in the condition it was in said it was worth over 6), now it wasnt perfect but it was a trade in and the dealer did a full report on it, no rot engine ran great the previous owner had recently did the shift and driveshaft bellows (not the exhaust for some reason, but wasnt concerned cause it wont sink with that)
needed things like a new blower and a good cleaning even talked to the owner of the dealership and she gave me a full money back return if for whatever reason it wasnt what i wanted which made me feel good about buying it. so dont be afraid to go over the salesmans head because alot of the time they are just trying to make a sale where the owner will keep you happy so you come back, i ended up spending another 500 in there on the odds and ends it needed like a new prop, blower, and whatever else

3rd dont look at specific brands, now i know tahoe does not have a great name but when your buying in the age your looking at like everyone else says its better to buy a lower end better cared for boat then a higher end beat to hell boat
and for the wife that wanted a head i just went and bought a camping toilet that i throw under the backseat just incase

also if you want to take a look at my boat here is a thread with a few pics
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-topic...pics/took-boat-out-other-day-sort-642606.html

 

[theoldwizard1]

Re: Newbie begining first boat search.

Most boats rot from the inside out. On fiberglass boats a lot of serious damage can be done under the floor before there is any sign of an issue.

Also, rot is most frequently caused by pooling rain water/snow melt. Proper off season storage is the only thing that will guarantee a long life. The simplest and best storage is inside or at least in a 3 sided car port. Keeping the sun off helps also.