Thinking of buying this boat (our first!)

[MakeAWish]

Hi! I've been lurking here on and off for a while. We're going to buy a boat, and we want to do it right now.

I'm eyeing a 2002 Tahoe Blue Ridge 20'. I've gathered enough from searching here that it's a decent brand. The owner claims the 60 HP (Yamaha) motor is "flawless" and had been regularly maintained. He's willing to take a potential buyer out for a test run. The carpet is stained, the seats are stained with a few tears. The Bimini looks good (if dirty) in pictures. Galvanized trailer. $4000.

I realize 60 HP is not going to go fast. We're mostly looking for leisurely boating. Is this a good price?

We are hoping that this will be a sturdy boat. I'll clean and patch the seats and in a couple years get new ones.

Can a second Bimini be added later? Is there any kind of rough ballpark estimate of how much that would cost?

I will have to find out what kind of motor it could handle in the future. More HP is simply not going to happen right now.

Thanks so much. I've read a lot and the posters here are really helpful. Oh! I'll be driving this thing as we'll be storing near our house. Is 20' a manageable length?

 

[Captain Ollie West]

Hi! I've been lurking here on and off for a while. We're going to buy a boat, and we want to do it right now.

I'm eyeing a 2002 Tahoe Blue Ridge 20'. I've gathered enough from searching here that it's a decent brand. The owner claims the 60 HP (Yamaha) motor is "flawless" and had been regularly maintained. He's willing to take a potential buyer out for a test run. The carpet is stained, the seats are stained with a few tears. The Bimini looks good (if dirty) in pictures. Galvanized trailer. $4000.

I realize 60 HP is not going to go fast. We're mostly looking for leisurely boating. Is this a good price?

We are hoping that this will be a sturdy boat. I'll clean and patch the seats and in a couple years get new ones.

Can a second Bimini be added later? Is there any kind of rough ballpark estimate of how much that would cost?

I will have to find out what kind of motor it could handle in the future. More HP is simply not going to happen right now.

Thanks so much. I've read a lot and the posters here are really helpful. Oh! I'll be driving this thing as we'll be storing near our house. Is 20' a manageable length?

60 HP seems like a very small engine for a 20 foot boat. Is this a pontoon? If so, 60 HP may work. There should be a plate attached somwhere inside with the max HP, passengers and weight. If you are new to boating, a safe boating class is a great idea. In my state a coarse is required to operate a boat. Also, if you are not familiar with boats, I would pay to have it inspected by a marine mechanic or surveyor. Sellers are not always honest.:faint2:

Welcome aboard!

 

[jbcurt00]

Since it's a pontoon rated for up to a 75hp OB, the 60 will likely be sufficient. I don't know much about 'toons, so I can't answer your other questions. NADA book value is above $4K, without motor, or trailer. http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/2002/Tahoe-Pontoons/BLUE-RIDGE-2023-SE/1018423

This is the iboats manufacturers spec page for your boat:

 

[muskiemike12]

It sounds like a very fair price to me. The motor alone is worth $2500 if in good condition and used trailers sell for 20% less than new, so basically you are getting the pontoon for free!

 

[dls322]

Sounds like a good deal. Pictures would really help if you could post them. See if he has service records. Yes a second bimini can be added, might be hard to match colors though. They just bolt on so pretty easy, depending on how your rails are setup. Check the deck to see if it's solid or needs replaced and also see if you can get the toons pressure tested for any leaks.