Newbie needing advice

[garybenidorm]

Hi Guys,
I'm thinking of buying a speeboat - bayliner 18ft bowrider fitted with a Force 125hp outboard motor. Both engine and boat are believed to be 1989 in year. It's got an Alloy Prop with a few chinks in it.

My query is - what can I expect from this combination, speedwise? i.e. would it be powerful enough for 5 passengers + 1 skier? And for tubing? etc.
Also does anyone have an idea of the amount of fuel this would use per hour?

Many thanks to anyone for taking time to help.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Newbie needing advice

Welcome,
You should get the prop fixed.Let us know the prop size usually near the base of the blades or under the prop nut.Make some test runs and get us the max rpm and speed.
Without knowing the prop size my guess is sking with 5 passengers may be a struggle.
The motor will use about 12.5 gallons per hour at wot(wide open throttle)
While the Force motor is a decent motor but they have been out of business since about 99.
Some parts can be a pain to find and buy.Some of the older Bayliners have a poor reputation.
Check it over carefully. They are however still in business and have a good customer service reputation.

 

[cannonfodder]

Re: Newbie needing advice

Run!!!! Don't walk away. That Force is a piece of scrap. There is a reason why they went out of business.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Newbie needing advice

Before you buy, pay attention! Look up various posts on Bayliner boats. They are an entry level boat and while there is nothing especially wrong with them, some do tend to have soft floors and bad stringers. If the engine runs well, it will probably serve you well, and if the hull and stringers are sound, you will probably be happy with it. There is a tendency for people to denigrate the Force/bayliner combination, but there are a lot of them out there. Just be aware that you are buying an entry level boat that will probably decrease in value more than other brands---SO DON"T OVERPAY! And don't let the excitement make you buy it. You don't need to buy that one; there will always be another boat coming along.

Now, for the rest of your questions. With just you driving that boat will top out at somewhere between 35 and 42 MPH. It will have plenty of power for tubing and wakeboarding but with 5 people it will be a little dicey for waterskiing--with a heavy skier or slalom ski. With 3 people including the driver it should be OK.

Fuel: Force engines, indeed all outboards are thirsty. Common wisdom says that you can expect to use about 12 1/2 gallons per hour at full throttle.

 

[garybenidorm]

Re: Newbie needing advice

Many thanks guys, I appreciate your advice, and will probably wait to find a slightly more recommended craft.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Newbie needing advice

If you want a boat around 18' that can comfortably carry 5 and is good for skiing, get an outboard, and a center console with bow seating. a "fish and ski" is a dual console that would also be good.
BTW "speedboat" usually means a boat primarily made for speed, not passengers. Ithink you mean "motor boat." And when people talk abot top speeds they usually don't mean loaded with passengers or pulling a ski. Finally, few boaters focus on performance at WOT becuase few boaters run WOT all the time--andless will, with gas prices where they are.