What and Why?

[infideltarget]

OK...I did a quick search, and found nothing recent like this. If it is a repeat, please forgive me.
What boat did you buy, and why did you buy it? There are a huge number of posts with everyone telling which brand they prefer, why others should feel the same way, and bashing them for not feeling that way. There are a lot of threads with new people, both to boating and to the forum, asking what they should buy. There is some useful info there, but you have to wade through a bunch of gibberish to glean anything from it. So let's do this right. Don't post things like "I bought me a fishin' bote cuz' I likes ta fish." No. Tell us WHAT boat you bought, and WHY you chose to buy THAT PARTICULAR boat or boats. Be detailed. Be lengthy. Do you enjoy the simplicity of just walking into the dealership? Do you enjoy the hunt for that bargain? Do you enjoy restoration (why restore that particular boat?)? Was it free? Was it the most useful and practical for your application (what application? why was it the most practical?)? Was it a "pretty color"? Had the highest HP rating? Be specific. Maybe this will help those asking the questions to better choose what they want. If they can search and compare by a particular year or compare brands in one thread, without having to try to visit each individual makers group, maybe the answers will be easier to find.

No bashing others for their choices, no judging them for their reasons. There are PM's for that.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: What and Why?

I moved your thread for better responses.

I have had many boats and aluminum seems to be what I return to for all around use. I have a 16' Starcraft that was a basket case and I brought it back to life.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: What and Why?

I moved your thread for better responses.

I have had many boats and aluminum seems to be what I return to for all around use. I have a 16' Starcraft that was a basket case and I brought it back to life.

Thanks for the move, Bob. Why do you like aluminum better? What makes it better than wood or fiberglass for what you do? Why did you buy a basket case instead of a new boat? Why Starcraft?

 

[JimS123]

Re: What and Why?

In my case, I have boats made out of wood, fiberglass and aluminium. They are powered by I/O, OB and jet. Used to own a straight IB. Each has a place and each is suited to the activities I like to do.

IMHO, there are boats that can do it all, but none that do it all well. Be more specific in your question. Tell me what you want to do and I'll tell you why I bought that particular boat.

 

[rbh]

Re: What and Why?

In our case we bought a 1985 270 sea ray sundancer, first off it was a good deal at the time, but the main reason was we could get away for the weekends on it as it is self contained, 10 foot on the beam and lots of room to just relax.







( and we could not afford lake front property)

 

[2ndtry]

Re: What and Why?

I have a 19' Hurricane deck boat with O/B motor. Why?

Its 19' long because that is what would fit in my garage. Its a deck boat because I wanted the maximum capacity (10 people) for a boat that would fit in my garage. Its an O/B because I wanted to be able to boat in some very shallow areas, and liked the idea of being able to boat year round. I bought new (5 years ago), because at that time I was total n00b and didn't want to buy (and spend time fixing) somebody else's problems. I also bought the boat in November because it costs a lot more during the boating season here.

Overall I have been very happy with it. My kids have gotten into water sports in the last 5 years so if I were buying another boat it would likely be a inboard tow boat, but all in all a great "starter" boat.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: What and Why?

Tell us about each of them.

Here, I will use mine as an example.

I bought a 1990 Four Winns 200 Horizon. I bought it because I was in the market for a used, 19-23' bowrider, with at least a v-6 I/O engine. I bought used because i do not like paying for nothing. In my opinion, depreciation is punishment for having to have the newest, latest thing to show off with. I also like to find that gem. That barn find. The highly optioned, little used, item that the owner has no clue about its worth. They are hard to find, but out there. I like yard sales, flea markets, auctions, etc. You can end up with a lot of junk, but you can also find that gem.
I wanted a 19-23' bowrider because I feel that anything less than 19' makes you feel cramped when you try to take family along for the fun. To me, a cuddy is useless because we have a camper to sleep in, and that cuddy makes for wasted space that could be used for seating. Besides, my kids like to sit up front.
I wanted at least a v-6, preferably a v-8 because in my experience, limited though it is, a four cylinder will simply not provide the performance I want. I wanted I/O, because I simply know very little about outboard engines, they seem very expensive to buy and maintain in comparison, and I do not like the way they look on a smaller sport boat.
I bought Four Winns because of my long time experience with the brand. They have great fit and finish, use quality materials in the construction, tend to have a deeper v-hull with a good dead rise angle, and have some weight to their hulls for a more stable ride in windy / choppy conditions. They have a good reputation for reliability, and when properly maintained, hold a decent resale value.
I bought THIS particular boat because it met all of my requirements from above, and was cheaper than what I had budgeted to spend, which allows me more money for repairs, upgrades, toys, and fuel.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: What and Why?

In my case, I have boats made out of wood, fiberglass and aluminium. They are powered by I/O, OB and jet. Used to own a straight IB. Each has a place and each is suited to the activities I like to do.

IMHO, there are boats that can do it all, but none that do it all well. Be more specific in your question. Tell me what you want to do and I'll tell you why I bought that particular boat.

You have quite the array of boats for sure! Tell us about each of them. Why did you buy that particular boat? What made you decide to buy each and every one of them?

 

[bitterboater]

Re: What and Why?

My very first boat, which I still have, was a '67 Alumacraft. I bought it for Duck Hunting and fishing primarily. I also bought it becasue it was in the right price range with a trailer (about $500 IIRC). As well, I was single at the time and fishing and hunting meant that maybe one other person was going to be with me at the most.
A few years later (about 3) I bought my second boat an '78 Lund Alaskan. I bought this one because it had a steering wheel, OB motor, trailer, was in my price range, and would allow me to take a future family boating (it was an 18ft aluminum model). I have since sold that boat, had many problems with the motor (mostly my own lack of knowledge).
I now take my "future family" fishing with me in that '67 Alumacraft. I really wish I hadn't sold the Lund.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: What and Why?

Ugh good thread...I think!

Where to start, I am a loyal person to brands my first was a Crownline 92 196 br, if for nothing else it was in my price range and fit my requirements 350 power and sporty but nothing I would be heart broken dinging up if I made a mistake. After a couple years I felt I was ready to upgrade, I have a great distaste for taking the new boat hit so used was for me. I felt my new needs would be a big block, Captains Call exhaust and a Bravo III, a sundeck since I love watching my wife sunbathe, I was caught between 23' to 25' I was looking at Crownlines, some Cobalts, Bajas Chaparrals and a few others. I really like the quality of a Cobalt but I just have a thing against hard lines, I like 67-68 Camaros but dislike the 69 because the lines are much more defined if that makes sense? I had a hard bias towards Crownlines one of the things I absolutely love is Crownlines wider then typical beam, I wanted a boat that was not very common which meant Sea Ray was out. I want Quality, Sportiness and function in a Bow Rider. A boat that can pull a large person out of the water on one ski(I have large family members), I was raised in the Hot Boat circle so having a fast boat would be nice as well but my wife would not enjoy a 100 mph boat so 50 or 60mph? I learned that Crownlines have their lines of fast bow riders and I looked for a long time at all red Crownlines but I think the "he's overcompensating" crap would get old, in the end I found my boat 2000 248 BR with a 454MPI and a Bravo III, she is Gold and tan over white, modest tones in a boat that will easily do 50mph, enough torque out of the hole to pull tree stumps or my buddies boat when it breaks down, enough room internally to carry a sizable load, my wife and I have 4 teenagers, add friends and were close to 10 people then the family Lab and were pretty packed, mind you this is the extreme case typically we have about 6 or 8 onboard but sometimes as few as just me the wife and the lab, I have Bow filler cushions which make the bow area a sunbathing area, the rear bench seat folds down to make another place to sunbathe as well which is nice with a wife 3 daughters and yes believe it or not the lab prefers the rear sundeck to herself.

So heres what I love about Crownlines
Great looking boat, soft lines and great color selection
Quality construction
Great selection in motor and outdrive options
Standard 102" beam on boats larger then 20'
internal layout

When I went to pick up my boat my wife had no idea I was even looking at boats, we went for a road trip, I pulled up to a lake on a cool spring morning, the previous owner was waiting for us, my wife was giving me that WTF look she has given me so many times before, I helped her into the boat and after she looked around briefly she laid down on the rear sundeck she reached over grabbed my hand and said "ok". I was like eh babe...we have to see how it runs on the water first ok?

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: What and Why?

i bought a 14' chrysler vailent. 1968 boat and a 50 hp johnson i bought it because i wanted a boat and it was my first next time i will know what to look for. my boat need a engine tune up a new deck. so next time i will look for this not to happen again to me.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: What and Why?

Ugh good thread...I think!

Where to start, I am a loyal person to brands my first was a Crownline 92 196 br, if for nothing else it was in my price range and fit my requirements 350 power and sporty but nothing I would be heart broken dinging up if I made a mistake. After a couple years I felt I was ready to upgrade, I have a great distaste for taking the new boat hit so used was for me. I felt my new needs would be a big block, Captains Call exhaust and a Bravo III, a sundeck since I love watching my wife sunbathe, I was caught between 23' to 25' I was looking at Crownlines, some Cobalts, Bajas Chaparrals and a few others. I really like the quality of a Cobalt but I just have a thing against hard lines, I like 67-68 Camaros but dislike the 69 because the lines are much more defined if that makes sense? I had a hard bias towards Crownlines one of the things I absolutely love is Crownlines wider then typical beam, I wanted a boat that was not very common which meant Sea Ray was out. I want Quality, Sportiness and function in a Bow Rider. A boat that can pull a large person out of the water on one ski(I have large family members), I was raised in the Hot Boat circle so having a fast boat would be nice as well but my wife would not enjoy a 100 mph boat so 50 or 60mph? I learned that Crownlines have their lines of fast bow riders and I looked for a long time at all red Crownlines but I think the "he's overcompensating" crap would get old, in the end I found my boat 2000 248 BR with a 454MPI and a Bravo III, she is Gold and tan over white, modest tones in a boat that will easily do 50mph, enough torque out of the hole to pull tree stumps or my buddies boat when it breaks down, enough room internally to carry a sizable load, my wife and I have 4 teenagers, add friends and were close to 10 people then the family Lab and were pretty packed, mind you this is the extreme case typically we have about 6 or 8 onboard but sometimes as few as just me the wife and the lab, I have Bow filler cushions which make the bow area a sunbathing area, the rear bench seat folds down to make another place to sunbathe as well which is nice with a wife 3 daughters and yes believe it or not the lab prefers the rear sundeck to herself.

So heres what I love about Crownlines
Great looking boat, soft lines and great color selection
Quality construction
Great selection in motor and outdrive options
Standard 102" beam on boats larger then 20'
internal layout

When I went to pick up my boat my wife had no idea I was even looking at boats, we went for a road trip, I pulled up to a lake on a cool spring morning, the previous owner was waiting for us, my wife was giving me that WTF look she has given me so many times before, I helped her into the boat and after she looked around briefly she laid down on the rear sundeck she reached over grabbed my hand and said "ok". I was like eh babe...we have to see how it runs on the water first ok?

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!

 

[jeffwpayne]

Re: What and Why?

i have a 1991 ebbtide dynatrak 200ss fish-n-ski with a 200xri mercury. (55mph with 4 people) i bought it cause i got it for $1,000. i love fishing salt/fresh, flats/bay and pulling a tube every once and a while so it works for me. it came with a brand new trolling motor/ fish finder/ bimini top/ radio and many other things. i love outboards cause they are easy to work on for me. i rebuilt the manual fuel pump, water pump, and installed new thermostats. installing 2 new batteries next week and should be set. also removed all the rotted carpet and doing a non-skid to make it more salt water friendly. it has plenty of storage, 2 livewells and a built in cooler. i couldnt be any happier with the steal of a deal i got thanks to my uncle. if you have any questions id be happy to answer.

 

[bradtw191]

Re: What and Why?

Well i wanted a small inboard which i found is near impossible for under 5k. So i started looking about a year ago for an I/O under 20 feet so i can hopefully haul it with my small truck. I searched craigslist daily for months. Considered many bayliners because my grandparents have one that has been very reliable but where i boat 50% of people have them and the hull seems thin. I found a 1990 sea ray 180 that looked nice When i went to check it out i was surprised how clean it was. the hull and everything seemed very solid and well built. it had the 4.3 instead of a 3.0 which appealed to me because i plan on skiing and wakeboarding behind it lots. the price seemed right at 4500 and that included the marine storing it until i pick it up and they will dewinterize it for free and replace anything that needs to be for the spring. all is pending on a satisfactory test drive. if something is wrong i can deny it and get my money back

 

[JimS123]

Re: What and Why?

I bought used because i do not like paying for nothing. In my opinion, depreciation is punishment for having to have the newest, latest thing to show off with.

Used is paying for nothing. New is paying for something.

Depreciation is a myth. Know what you want and keep it long enough and there will be no depreciation. If you don't know what you want, wait till you do.

Instead of calling it "depreciation", I call it the extra cost of getting an unmolested boat that was NOT used and abused by some idiot that didn't know much about boats. If there are holes to drill and stuff to be added, its by me, not by someone else. Also, with that extra cost comes a certain amount of peace of mind.

I didn't buy a boat to save money. If I wanted to invest for an early retirement, I wouldn't have bought a boat.

 

[JimS123]

Re: What and Why?

You have quite the array of boats for sure! Tell us about each of them. Why did you buy that particular boat? What made you decide to buy each and every one of them?

I've been a boater since 1954 and a Boatman since 1968.

My "family boat" was bought for a variety of water sports. I wanted to trail it so it needed to be small enough (and light enough) to haul. It also needed to be big enough (heavy enough) for the Great Lakes. A FG bowrider fit my needs. I bought a Stingray because it is more fuel efficient than some others, plus it has a lighter hull so trailering is easier. The 19" had sufficient room, and my car would pull it. However, most of all, the storage space, floor plan, lack of wasted space and ergonomics are what sold me on it. E.G., the seats are comfortable, the windshield is high enough to see THROUGH, and the glass has no distortion. I look at the boats in the boat show every year, with the intention of buying a new one if I see one that's better. Now, 27 years later I haven't found it yet. Its not a Cobalt, but as a matter of fact I sat in a Cobalt just recently, and the view from the helm would have made me sell it if I owned it.

My "fishing boat" is a Starcraft. When I bought it, I felt that the layout was the best of the tinnies that were available in my area. Others were Lund, Alumacraft, Crestliner, etc. I chose aluminum because it was light enough to be pulled by my compact every day car, and its big enough for myself and one other fisherman, which is all I need. After 2 seasons with it, I expect that it'll take me well into retirement.

When I was a youngster, my best friend had a wooden Lyman. Given the opportunity to buy one just like it 43 years later I jumped at the chance. Actually, its the best and most fun boat I own. Its may be the least one used, but the most enjoyable when it IS out.

When the 2 old greyhaired fogies (my wife and I) want to kick it up and act like kids, we go out on the ski. Yamis are the most reliable, but we bought a Doo because the are the fastest and just plain the most fun.

 

[JimS123]

Re: What and Why?

MEOW!
Depreciation is not a myth, it's fact. Call it what you want, is exists. Even if you keep it forever. Thought I asked for no bashing or judging here? I stated it was my opinion, and you all know how those are, but its mine. I am glad you like buying new...some do, some don't. Now, how about telling us about those boats you have listed. and stop swinging at me?

Whoa.....no bashing or swinging intended. You asked for my opinion and I gave it. If you like used, that's YOUR opinion and I respect that. It's just that i have a hard time personally getting excited about buying something that the other guy thought wasn't good enough for him to keep.

My statement about depreciation myth is just my opinion. Forever is a real long time....LOL. But in ones lifetime is not that long. For example, in 1952 my Lyman (total rig) sold for about $800 brand new. Its now appraised at about $7000. Now I realize that if you invested the money in the stock market, bought bonds, got a IRA, yada, yada, after 59 years you would have a lot more than $7K, but I dare anybody to say the boat depreciated.

On the other hand, I admit that nobody (well not too many....LOL) keep their boats that long, but then again not too many people can be kept satisfied that long either.

 

[blifsey]

Re: What and Why?

I will give this try...

First boat - used 14' mod-V aluminum boat (can't recall mfr). I had started doing some fishing my brother-in-law and my kids (mainly my daughter) wanted to fish with me. Brother-in-law's 12' jon was two small for 3. I later added a 10HP Mercury OB. Most of the smaller local lakes we fished are 10HP limit or electric only. We kept this boat 2 or 3 years.

Second boat - used 1984 17.5' Procraft fish-and-ski with 150 Mercury. Kids were growing out of the fishing and wanted to do water skiing, tubing, etc. I still wanted to fish and also wanted to try some of the larger lakes that I wasn't comfortable in a 14'er on. We kept this boat about 2 or 3 years also.

Third boat - new 2002 Glastron 20' bowrider with Mercruiser 5.0L V8 I/O. We had progressed to more recreational boating and wife did not like rough ride of Procraft Went out in a friends 18' Sea Ray with 4cyl I/O. Wife said it rode much smoother and quieter and had a much nicer smell to it (compared to older 2-stroke OB). We originally looked at 18' Glastron fish-and-ski but we all really liked the larger 20'er. We went for new because I was ALWAYS having to work on the Procraft & Mercury OB. Wife said when it was time to go to lake, she didn't want to wait on me to fix boat . We kept this boat though 9 seasons and enjoyed the heck out of it. We watched our kids grow up enjoying skiing, boarding and tubing. I TRULY believe the boating and camping we did over the years really made our family much closer. My kids are 17 (18 in about 15 more days) and 19 (20 in May). They have always and still do enjoy family outings. They loved sharing the camping and boating experience with their friends.

Fourth and current boat - new 2010 Tidecraft 19' bay boat. Although the kids still enjoy spending time with us, reality is they have much busier schedules and are not wanting to spend every minute on the water tubing now. I wanted to get back into fishing. We had also always wanted to take boat to Savannah/Hilton Head coastal area but I did not want to take the Glastron...especially with the painted steel trailer. We discussed mod'ing the Glastron for fishing and replacing trailer with an aluminum but it just seemed we would be trying to make that boat into something it wasn't. So, we traded to the Tidewater.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: What and Why?

Had a 16 foot boat, wife and 1 kid which worked out great. Then we added twins, which gave a great excuse to buy something bigger! I put out the word to friends that I needed a cheap 18 foot aluminum boat and a couple weeks later one called up and said if I was there in 1/2 hour his buddy would sell me one for $350. It took me 45 minutes so I payed $375 for a stripped out 18 ft Sylvan with a 35 hp merc, downriggers, and trailer. Sold the motor and downriggers for more than I payed for the boat, put on a new 90hp Evinrude I bought CHEAP off Ebay and away we go. Only regret is I made the mistake of redoing the floor and consoles before I found IBOATS.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: What and Why?

When I was looking for the "next" boat in the fall of 2006 I was fresh out of a ten year relationship with a 1994 SeaRay 170, and while I loved the lines and certainly enjoyed the many compliments, I was tired of the rotted floors, soggy carpet and "extra" maintenance of an I/O.

My ciriteria then was:

17-19 feet LOA
Dual Console (thought I wanted CC this time, but didn't end up liking that configuration given our needs)
No wood construction
No carpet
Self bailing cockpit
High quality materials, fit, and finish
Good reputation
4 stroke outboard between 90-120 horses
Lightly loved with low hours

I spent some time researching various brands that would provide most of the above then ended up finding all of these attributes in a Scout Dorado 170 owned by a retired police officer living in North Carolina. Two years old, 22 hours on the clock, showroom condition.

Hmmmm. What to do....Here's me living in Ontario Canada - about a thousand miles away giver or take. However, since Scouts are rarer than the proverbial hen's teeth in my part of the world there was nothing for it but to hop a flight to Wilmington, via Charlotte, rent a U-haul truck, drive two hours to the guy's house, take the boat to a nearby lake for a sea trial, take the boat back to his bank, transfer some cold hard cash, hook up to the U-haul and head north for the two day drive.

I thought it was fun although my wife had a few other names for it...

So here we are having completed our fourth summer with her and the entire family is still smitten. She's light and lively, purrrs like a kitten, sips fuel (as much as boats can...), great for tubing, cruising, or trolling, can be cleaned up with a couple buckets of water tossed at her after a day of chips, sand, and all the other assorted carp kids track through boats. I'd buy her again in a minute.