Potential first boat 1998 stingray - Any issues with it?

[Ghurty]

So I stopped by a marina that is right near my new office today. I asked them what they have for sale. I am looking for a small (cheaper) boat, that I can take my family (two adults, 3 small kids) on for small trips in the bay and along the coastline. I believe that this year unless I really get into it, I would use it a maximum of once a week.

He showed me a 1998 Stingray 200 cs.
It looked in good condition. There were a few little rips on some of the vinyl but he will get me a quote to fix it.
It has a single 4.3 v6 MerCruiser engine.
The meter by the dash says 1300 hours about.


He gave me a quote for $6900 + tax for the boat.

A few questions:
1) Is that a decent price? I know it may not be a great deal, but is the price OK?
2) Is there anything with this model or engine that I should be very careful about?
3) If at the end of the year, I see that I either am no longer intersted in it or want to upgrade to something bigger, how much of a drop would the value be?

Thank you

 

[alldodge]

Looked at nada and thats standard retail, but that is the average. The low retail is about 1K lower

Having 1300 hours, thats 59 hours a year, and is high for most boats of its age, so it has been used. Being at a marina it may even have been abused (rental) but does figure on the hours. My guess is you could find the same boat with less hours (not that the hours are bad) but would have less wear.

Might just low ball and if they don't take it go look some more.

In any case no test ride then don't buy

 

[Ghurty]

Thank you.
He was willing to take me out on the water today, I just had not budgeted the time for it.
I will attempt to lowball and see how much we will budge on it. The marina does repairs, if I get him to warranty the boat for engine issues, would that be worth it then?

Thank you

 

[southkogs]

Your local Craigslist and Facebook marketplace ads will give you an idea if it's in the zone. Without seeing the boat, the price sounds high for my area. You may also want to do some looking to see if that's a good coastal boat - assuming you mean "ocean" coastal. That water might get a bit sporty for a Stingray 20'.

Realize that Stingray is an entry level boat. While that ain't bad, it does mean that it's not built for long life. Condition is the key - so make sure you read the "before you buy a boat" sticky in this forum. You need to see the boat in is condition, not in it's potential.

Answer to question 3 is kinda' the same as above: Look at your local Craigslist ads and that'll give you an idea. In my area if you bought it (and it was worth) $7k this year, and sold it the same time next year - all things being equal it would be worth roughly the same amount. Dealer will usually get a little higher price.

 

[alldodge]

One thing I left out, the price above included a trailer, with no trailer I would deduct another 1K

 

[Ghurty]

Thank you.
Here are some quick pictures that I had taken when I was there today. It looks like to my untrained eye, that besides the broken/ripped area in the back right of the boat, it is in pretty good condition. I will be searching on craigslist to find similar boats to see what they are going for.

 

[Ghurty]

So I searched the craiglsit listings in my area for boats cheaper than $8k. Besides jet skis, canoes, etc... What was coming up was
1986 Seay 290 $3675 (needs TLC)
1996 23' Welcraft $6700
1989 28ft Sea RayCC $5200 (claims great condition)
1993 Bayliner 2655 $7500
1999 Bayliner 1950 Capri $5995 (sold in as is condition)
1995 Searay $5500
2005 Sea Ray 185 Sport $9950
1997 Stingray $4500 including trailer (but its out of the water)

So based on that the 1998 one is about on target for what they are going in this area. In theory, I would probably go with a better one in the future, but I want to see first if I am actually going to be going on the water often.

Thank you

 

[alldodge]

Oh I would drop the price further because its a salt water boat. You could find a fresh water boat and go out further for it. Salt boats wear things out much faster. As example, a fresh boat exhaust manifolds will last the life time, but salt ony about 7 years

 

[JimS123]

My son had that very same model, but a few years newer. It was an OK boat. W hen he sold it he got a good trade-in price. But of course his was garage kept and in pristine condition.

When he bought it he had a girlfriend and wanted the cuddy cabin for over nights. After marriage and a baby, he found that the cuddy was a drawback and eventually traded for a bigger bowrider.

Cuddies are harder to dock and the cockpits are somewhat cramped. Nevertheless, we all have our wants and needs and we all are different.

 

[pprzerac]

Just lurking for information. I'm in the process of searching for a first boat just like you, mostly to see if I like it and something to learn on before upgrading to something nice in the future. Sorry I can't comment on your initial question. I did just want to mention JimS123's point on the cuddy cabin, I didn't realize it would be harder to dock, I thought I wanted something with the cuddy, but now I am reconsidering this. Thanks

 

[Starcraft5834]

Had a 20 ft cuddy for 5 years.. extra storage room was nice... deep V best for chop.. didnt have a hard time docking it anywhere... down side.. cuddy takes up room, open bow better in that regard... needed more room,, got a 20ft toon with bigger motor to tube and ski... can accomodate many, still plenty of punch to have fun with

 

[emoney]

If that boat has sat in that slip most of its life, I definitely wouldn't even consider buying it, let alone the price, until I paid someone to inspect it, top to bottom, front-to-back. You admitted you're new at this, and that's ok, we all were at some point. Having said that, there are major problems that can hide under the surface. You're definitely not getting a "steal" on the price, even if it's in great condition underneath, so no need to rush this process. Pay a certified marine mechanic it inspect it for you out of the water. Best $$ you'll spend on any boat you purchase. The Marina will understand, and if they don't, then you know automatically you made the correct choice. Have that person also inspect the trailer and let him/her know that you can get that trailer for $1k, basically. They'll be able to tell you if that's also worth it.

The worst place to buy a boat is on the water, lol. The sun, the waves, the great smells of the saltwater can cloud your thinking, quickly. Ask all your friends, find the one that's owned several boats, for a recommendation on who to pay for the inspection. Once they're done, they'll also be able to advise you if this is a fair price or not. Where are you, btw? Post your location and maybe someone who's a member here will have a recommendation on a person to do said inspection. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[CaptainSteveo]

Thank you.
Here are some quick pictures that I had taken when I was there today. It looks like to my untrained eye, that besides the broken/ripped area in the back right of the boat, it is in pretty good condition. I will be searching on craigslist to find similar boats to see what they are going for.

A couple of red flags I see here:

1) It's an inboard/outboard that looks to have lived in salt water. That is almost sure to cause added maintenance cost soon. You would need to have it professionally inspected, especially the entire outdrive, exhaust manifolds, intake manifold, Y joint, etc.. These are all high risk for serious rust or corrosion that can kill the engine. Outboards are typically a better choice for salt water.

2) This looks to have a wood floor with carpet glued to it. Old construction technique that is almost sure to cause rot unless it's been stored inside or covered properly at all times. Rot in the floor means probably in stringers and transom. Rot could mean a $6000 pile of scrap.

3) The damage indicates it's been less than perfectly maintained which will contribute to higher chances of #1 and #2.

Personally I would pass on this and keep looking. Ideally you might find something a bit newer with fiberglass floor and snap in carpet that will greatly reduce the chance of boat killing rot.

 

[CaptainSteveo]

So I searched the craiglsit listings in my area for boats cheaper than $8k. Besides jet skis, canoes, etc... What was coming up was
1986 Seay 290 $3675 (needs TLC)
1996 23' Welcraft $6700
1989 28ft Sea RayCC $5200 (claims great condition)
1993 Bayliner 2655 $7500
1999 Bayliner 1950 Capri $5995 (sold in as is condition)
1995 Searay $5500
2005 Sea Ray 185 Sport $9950
1997 Stingray $4500 including trailer (but its out of the water)

So based on that the 1998 one is about on target for what they are going in this area. In theory, I would probably go with a better one in the future, but I want to see first if I am actually going to be going on the water often.

Thank you

I would definately check out the 2005 Searay, 1997 Stingray, and maybe the 1999 Bayliner. If the Searay is even close to good condition that is likely to be the least troublesome. Of course they may not serve your intended purpose of going along the shoreline as well as the cuddy.