Who built boats best?

[greenbush future]

Re: Who built boats best?

I have heard negative stuff on Bayliners in the past. But don't understand what it is about them exactly.

Never owned a Bayliner, but I have owned the Lund brand and really enjoyed it. I think Bayliners are just targeting the middle of the road boat buyer, they never claimed to be the best, they are more known for being a resonable option for the average boater. The hardware may be of sub-par level, fit and finish is just OK IMO. Find one well cared for and you just might enjoy it well.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Who built boats best?

Never owned a Bayliner, but I have owned the Lund brand and really enjoyed it. I think Bayliners are just targeting the middle of the road boat buyer, they never claimed to be the best, they are more known for being a resonable option for the average boater. The hardware may be of sub-par level, fit and finish is just OK IMO. Find one well cared for and you just might enjoy it well.

I consider Bayliner to be the "Model-T" of boats. It is a basic boat that has allowed many poeple to become boaters and enjoy being on the water; just as the Ford Model T "put America on wheels".

It has served, and continues to serve, a great purpose, but would not necessarily be called a 'best' in any regard . . . maybe price.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Who built boats best?

The answer sort of depends on what you want to do with the boat and how much work you plan on doing to it.
If you have an exact design, or type of boat, maybe a particular model of a certain year in mind, then you are limited to buying the best one of that model you can find and then do whatever work is needed. If you are less picky about the exact boat and just want a general type of design, you may find something that was built a bit better and needs less work.

One thing to think about though, is that past a certain age just about every boat will either have rotten wood, or if made with no wood the foam will be wet. In both of these cases it typically requires the floor to be pulled up and the foam pulled out. If this is the case it doesn’t matter what the original build quality of the boat was (to a certain point) because you will be rebuilding just about everything anyhow, possibly less work with a no wood boat though. I say possibly because they can still fail due to poor workmanship, or materials.

Perceived quality in certain brands has more to do with marketing than fact.

I fish and my boats are devoted to that, so if I purchased a well built ski boat that needed little or no work I wouldn’t be satisfied with it because it would still be a poor fishing boat. I would be better off buying a boat of the design I wanted and then completely rebuilding it to exactly what I want, which I’ve done before.

So figure out what you want (if possible) and then narrow down your options.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Who built boats best?

I can't speak as a restorer, only as a boater....

That said, can't believe Cobalt was only mentioned once. I know a few older ones that are still fantastic boats; heavy and slow, but built like a tank. They were expensive boats in their day for a reason, and if they were cared for they're still worth a premium price. If you're looking for a 10+ year old runabout, I'd rank them at or near the top. Why? It's the details. Their fit/finish is as good as you'll find, the hardware is all top quality stuff, and the rigging is among the best I've seen on production boats.

As has been mentioned, how the boat was cared for is much more important than the brand. I'd take a well cared for Bayliner any day over a "better" boat that had been left to rot.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Who built boats best?

So, if I could be so bold to take what ondarvr said just a step further

"Who built boats best?"

oops
archbuilder
frisco
WOG
lakelover
azlo
GT1M
Sprintst
ezmobee
Northbeach
MichaelP
Piece
dozerII
wrfalpacas
hoss
CBGale
magnumdeke
inmotion

(just a sample mind you)
.........................

knowahattamean

 

[chconger]

Re: Who built boats best?

So, if I could be so bold to take what ondarvr said just a step further

"Who built boats best?"

oops
archbuilder
frisco
WOG
lakelover
azlo
GT1M
Sprintst
ezmobee
Northbeach
MichaelP
Piece
dozerII
wrfalpacas
hoss
CBGale
magnumdeke
inmotion

(just a sample mind you)
.........................

knowahattamean

Cool!

 

[benjh1028]

Re: Who built boats best?

I can't speak as a restorer, only as a boater....

That said, can't believe Cobalt was only mentioned once. I know a few older ones that are still fantastic boats; heavy and slow, but built like a tank. They were expensive boats in their day for a reason, and if they were cared for they're still worth a premium price. If you're looking for a 10+ year old runabout, I'd rank them at or near the top. Why? It's the details. Their fit/finish is as good as you'll find, the hardware is all top quality stuff, and the rigging is among the best I've seen on production boats.

As has been mentioned, how the boat was cared for is much more important than the brand. I'd take a well cared for Bayliner any day over a "better" boat that had been left to rot.

+100 Only wish I would have splurged and bought one. Has to be the best made runabout out there. Second would be Chaparral.

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: Who built boats best?

hmmm...who built boats best???????

THE MEMBERS OF IBOATS!!!!

yaaayyyy!!!

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Who built boats best?

Older Baylinner were top of the line. By the 80s Baylinner sold out and started making subpar boats. Unfortunatly I love the 80s ones so rebuild I must.

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Re: Who built boats best?

My 1988 Wellcraft was well made. A few guys I work said to go with that brand as that's all they will own & I am glad I did.

That said --Any boat with a wood deck can have rot problems if its not kept dry. Older Wellcrafts included.

As stated above the prior owners maintenance & usage is a big factor also.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Who built boats best?

So, if I could be so bold to take what ondarvr said just a step further

"Who built boats best?"

oops
archbuilder
frisco
WOG
lakelover
azlo
GT1M
Sprintst
ezmobee
Northbeach
MichaelP
Piece
dozerII
wrfalpacas
hoss
CBGale
magnumdeke
inmotion

(just a sample mind you)
.........................

knowahattamean

Aw .. I feel left out ..

Sea ray .. LOL ..
Bayliner .. cough ..
Larson.. erm .. some

Wellcraft .. yea some years ..

Does not matter of the brand .. its the Techs that build boats .. not a name.

Glass is glass .. process is key.

YD.

 

[b.gagnon]

Re: Who built boats best?

Any boat that has no wood in the stringers or transom!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Who built boats best?

Aw .. I feel left out

You gotta post up your rebuild project(s) so we can check it out man, start to finish, knowwhattamean. From digging the rot out to the last coat of wax, eh.

We know you are an excellent boat builder, we just can't see...

process

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: Who built boats best?

Aw .. I feel left out ..

Sea ray .. LOL ..
Bayliner .. cough ..
Larson.. erm .. some

Wellcraft .. yea some years ..

Does not matter of the brand .. its the Techs that build boats .. not a name.

Glass is glass .. process is key.

YD.

I'd have to agree about Sea Ray...at least from the experience i have of mine....
initially, they were "overly" built, with lots of wood in their bellies.....but like many have said...wood is wood....water is water....rot is rot...and when the old Sea Ray's rot....thats alot of rotten wood
but i still wouldn't trade mine for any other

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Who built boats best?

I can't speak as a restorer, only as a boater....

That said, can't believe Cobalt was only mentioned once. I know a few older ones that are still fantastic boats; heavy and slow, but built like a tank. They were expensive boats in their day for a reason, and if they were cared for they're still worth a premium price. If you're looking for a 10+ year old runabout, I'd rank them at or near the top. Why? It's the details. Their fit/finish is as good as you'll find, the hardware is all top quality stuff, and the rigging is among the best I've seen on production boats.

+1!!
I worked at a Cobalt dealership that also handled Starcraft, Sunbird, Grady White and Boston Whaler. The Cobalt was, hands-down, the best finished boat I've ever worked with. I was the tall, skinny kid who was asked to help run wires, etc. in the hard to reach places when someone was adding radios, depth finders, etc., so I had a close up view of all the spaces you CAN'T see and the Cobalts were finshed as cleanly and neatly in the hidden places as they were in the places you could see. Sunbird was the worst - ragged edges, rough finishes, etc. resulting in plenty of skinned knuckles & knees... probably on par with Bayliners of the day (late 1980s/early 1990s). Starcraft was a step above Sunbird. Grady was very good, but not up to the level of Cobalt. I wasn't terribly impressed with the Whalers of those days. Nice, but a modest step backwards from their previous era. I think Reebok actually owned them at the time and the bean-counters worked their "magic" and cut some corners... I was out of the marina business by 1992, so I'm not real up on what has happened since regarding brand quality...

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Who built boats best?

I was blown away at the quality of my former Cobalt 226... Attention to every detail, and craftsmenship was awesome...

I've also been impressed thus far with the quality of my Key West... Very well built boat!

 

[rschap1]

Re: Who built boats best?

I owned a 1984 Chris Craft. I was really surprised how well built and SOLID that boat was. Especially since it was a smaller boat.
I owned a Powerquest and that was the best built boat I have owned to date. VERY nice work.
I had a Regal deckboat. Not the best, but far better than I expected and way better than some others I have owned.
Had a 1989 Four Winns Liberator 211. OK for what it was at best, lay up and finish work were not impressive. Worst quality I have had the "pleasure" of calling my own was a 1992 Rinker Captiva 206. Flimsy, poor quality, poor fit, finish and just CHEAP! I now have an Azure that was built by Bennington. I'd put that in middle range for quality. Not up to the Regal, but WAY better than the 4 Winns or Rinker, WAY better

I would say Cobalts do take the cake from what I have been lucky enough to see, maybe someday.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Who built boats best?

Aw .. I feel left out ..

Glass is glass .. process is key.

YD.

You gotta post up your rebuild project(s) so we can check it out man, start to finish, knowwhattamean. From digging the rot out to the last coat of wax, eh.

We know you are an excellent boat builder, we just can't see...

Well now .. I have a bit of show and Tell already posted up on this board .

Its not show and tell for me .. Its basically Tell.

I was being sarcastic with me being left out of the whole "who builds a better boat" post.

As I have said in the other post that only the workers build good boats.

Wellcraft was the most difficult boat of the Power series to date. .. The glass was so thick that it a bit of grinding to feather out for the repairs.

We are not talking about boats that have internal lams on the hull deck seam ... or any other 600 hp boats that are seamed. Nor are we talking about a pre-preg Kevlar boat ( Been there done that ).

YD.

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: Who built boats best?

i have an ols Alumacraft, very well built for a tinny, and Ive had 2 Glastrons that were well built, but lacked in finish and trim level. Now I have an old Webbcraft and I am blown away by the buikd quality of this boat. Heavy as a small building, but rock solid and very nice finish and trim.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Who built boats best?

Hmm, Whenever this subject comes up (quality of older glass builders) I'm surprised that I don't think I have ever seen comments of hand laid up hulls vs chopper gun laid up hulls. Personally I would stay away from manufacturers who laid their hulls up using a chopper gun. The glass strands are shorter, so the strength ends up being less.