Buying a Boat?

onewhippedpuppy · 05-27-2012, 06:09 AM

Yeah yeah, I know all the jabs that will come my way......2nd best day of boat ownership, etc.

I'm considering buying a used boat, probably a 16-20 ft outboard or I/O. My wife and kids really enjoy the lake and boating, and I think it will be a fantastic family activity that they will enjoy through their teen years. There's currently 5 of us, the boat would be used for tubing and beginning skiing, floating around, and maybe a little fishing. As with the cars I plan to do my own maintenance. I'm currently wanting to spend $7k or less, which would appear to return a decent serviceable boat after doing a little Craigslist shopping. Something like this: 1995 Glastron

So, what are some good boat resources? What are good brands and bad? Any tips for buying or the kind of boat? I did a lot of boating as a kid and teen, I know just enough to be dangerous. I tend to prefer the idea of an outboard, just because they are simple and access for service is easy.

drcoastline · 05-27-2012, 06:54 AM

Matt,

The two best days don't have to be the day you buy and the day you sell. Unless you are selling to get another boat. Most boat ownership issues revolve around unrealistic expectations and buying the wrong boat.

First boats while fun are a lot of work, much more than our cars. Know that going in. A marine engine is under 100% power 100% of the time so they break and need maintenance much more regularly than a car. Be prepared to do regular and proper maintenance. The elements are harsh. Fortunately you won't have salt water issues to deal with so you are a step ahead of the game. Do your self a favor and set the ruels for maintenance and cleaning the boat from day one. On a well run boat everyone has a duty and everything has a place. It will make launching and hauling/tieing up at the end of the day and cleaning much easier. Dad is usually the guy at the end of the day cleaning and putting everything away until 11PM when everyone else is inside so nip that in the bud from the get go. Same goes for guests they have to pitch in. Give everyone a job. With 5 of you clean up will go fast.

Buy the right boat with proper horse power. A 16-20 foot boat for 5 people is going to be to small right from the start. You will be over crowed with no room to move before you even add a cooler, towels, tubes, ski's or guests. In addition the boat you show has an older Evinrude 115 (2-stroke) It is going to need a lot of maintenance from the day you purchase it. You will spend more time fixing the motor than using the boat.

Being on a lake you do not have tides, currents to deal with (as long as you are not on lake Erie or something) so you wont need the extra horse power or manueverability to over come those forces.

For what you have stated you want to do and the body of water you will be on I would recommend a deck boat starting at 24'. Lots of room and open space. I have never been a fan of I/O's as all the working parts and seals spend to much time in the water being attacked. But I boat on salt water not as big an issue for you. But an out board in my opinion is much better when trimmed up everything is out of the water. It's also easier to work on.

I personally have never purchased a new hull. It will take 30 years for a fiberglass hull to go bad and even then it has plenty of life and can easily be repaired. So I would look for a used hull that's a few year old. They are cheap. If it has an engine sell it and buy a new engine. Look at the Coast Gurad tag for the maximum horse power rating and put on as big an engine as the boat will allow. Your fuel consumption will be better than a smaller engine, The wear on the motor will be less and you know you have excess power if needed. The new Evinrudes are awesome. The company is owned by Bombarier (See Doo, Boambardier Jet) You will get new technology a warranty and a large dealer base for parts and repairs. I am not a big fan personally but Mercury is know for being a fresh water engine. Same applies new engine, warranty and you know where you are starting.

That makes for a good time on the water so you can enjoy from day one.

Here are a few deck boats. Do not get a pontoon boat thery are not the same.

onewhippedpuppy · 05-27-2012, 08:07 AM

Thanks for the feedback, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I am a bit curious about your comments regarding size. Our 5 people would be my wife and I along with kids ages 2, 5, and 8. I don't think I've ever been on a friend's boat bigger than 22' except for a pontoon, and I've never felt cramped. Yesterday we had 8-10 kids and several adults on a Mastercraft taking turns tubing and it never felt too small. Obviously you can't just go walk around, but I don't expect to. The deck boats above look great but would be well outside of my price range.

tevake · 05-27-2012, 08:23 AM

Plus the bigger boat would call for a more serious tow vehicle. Good advice about engines though. The new fuel injected 4 stroke engines are so much more fuel efficient and easy to use that you should look into them. that old Evenrude will amaze you as to how thirsty it is.
Making sure that your kids can swim will add to the pleasure especially for mom.

Cheers Richard

willtel · 05-27-2012, 08:37 AM

I also want a boat soon. My daughter is too young to enjoy it now but I'm making plans to get one in the next few years.

I've been eyeballing Cobalt bowriders that are a few years old.

Seahawk · 05-27-2012, 09:01 AM

Matt,

I've had a few boats, Sea Doo's, etc. and agree it is a great family activity. We still talk of our days on the water...we had a hoot.

My kids love the water because they were always in it.

Enjoy.

onewhippedpuppy · 05-27-2012, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Matt,

I've had a few boats, Sea Doo's, etc. and agree it is a great family activity. We still talk of our days on the water...we had a hoot.

My kids love the water because they were always in it.

Enjoy.

Thanks Paul. My kids love the water as well, they swim in our neighborhood pool every day in the summer, it's probably where we will spend our afternoon today. The two older ones swim well, the youngest has fun but is still in the water wings phase. It's good wholesome family fun.

Seahawk · 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Thanks Paul. My kids love the water as well, they swim in our neighborhood pool every day in the summer, it's probably where we will spend our afternoon today. The two older ones swim well, the youngest has fun but is still in the water wings phase. It's good wholesome family fun.

There is no financial justification for a boat, zero...except all the priceless stuff.

In a few years, get some used Sea Doo's. We bought our first one in 1991 and the second in 1992, both new. We had them until I gave them to a friend of mine two years ago. They still run. My kids were driving alone by seven. I know, I was wrong

Having an anchor/home boat with Sea Doo's is the drill. Water camping. Deck boats are great.

nota · 05-27-2012, 11:24 AM

I really like cats
more speed for less gas

onewhippedpuppy · 05-27-2012, 11:31 AM

Any other comments on brands to avoid, pros and cons regarding features, what to look for, how many hours is a lot, etc? Is there a Pelican Parts for boats that has good forums and sells parts?

Hogger · Hogger's Garage

Stay away from OMC and Force.
Mercruiser and Volvo is your best bet. Volvo parts can be a little more expensive
Bayliners are a good cheap boat. Maxums, Glastron, Cobalt, Bluewater, Reinell, etc. All good boats.
Watch for rot in the floor and engine mounts. And get a good look at the stringers to see if they are fiberglassed and don't have rot.
ALWAYS take a test drive. If the seller won't do it. Walk away.
Hours will depend on the year. Most people say 1000 hours is ready for a rebuild.
iBoats is a good forum and store.

Bill Douglas · 05-27-2012, 12:07 PM

This is my favorite boat.

crustychief · crustychief's Garage

I have had a couple of runabout boats over the years. I would give a pontoon boat glance, it sounds like it would fit your requirements rather nicely.

tevake · 05-27-2012, 12:28 PM

I'm with Nota in really liking cats. They are also very stable, lots of room for the length, good in shallow water. fewer choices and higher cost are a draw back.
Do you see any nice cats there in the middle of the country?

Cheers Richard

drcoastline · 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Thanks for the feedback, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I am a bit curious about your comments regarding size. Our 5 people would be my wife and I along with kids ages 2, 5, and 8. I don't think I've ever been on a friend's boat bigger than 22' except for a pontoon, and I've never felt cramped. Yesterday we had 8-10 kids and several adults on a Mastercraft taking turns tubing and it never felt too small. Obviously you can't just go walk around, but I don't expect to. The deck boats above look great but would be well outside of my price range.

Being cramped is only part of the equation. Why be cramped and unable to move around freely if you don't have to. The cost difference between a 20' boat and a 24' boat is negigable. I'm talking hull not engine. If you are buying used the cost diffenrce is even less. Buy a 24' hull 1 or 2 years older than a 20' hull and the cost differnece disapears. Unless the boats are coming from a tropical area where boating is 24/7 365 the time on the water difference of two boats with a two year age diffenrece is going to be about 100 hrs. In Nortnern climates probably less as the boating season is shorter. The difference in length has more to do with safety and stability. Comfort is a by-product as well as ride quality. A longer boat has a better ride. But again the issue is more of safety. On the water you need to be able to move from one place to another freely with as few obstancles as possible. Again a 20' boat with 5 people, skis, coolers, tow ropes, coolers, etc. is a cramped boat. Lots of trip and fall possiblities. If you are in the Bow (front) and have an issue in the Stern (back) and need to get there in a hurry the last thing you want to be doing is climbing over your three kids, the cooler, skis untangling your ankle from the tow rope, etc. You need to be able to get where you need to be.

So this year your kids are 2, 5 and 8 but they get a year old every year and bigger cramping the boat even more. Add 1 friend per child as a guest. Now you have 8 people in a 20' boat. I am confident you will exceed the boats maximum per person capacity and probably weight limit. Excessive weight is going to drastically effect the performance of the boat in a negative way. If you are at speed and a few kids on one side decide they want to go to the other in a hurry it could upset the balance of the boat. This problem would be exacerbated if you are in a turn and/or have a skier in tow. That problem diminishes as the boat gets larger. Sorry to say that many people on the Mastercraft was unsafe for the reasons above and then some.

The deck boats I posted were just to give you an idea of what they looked like. You can probably find some nice deck boast about 10 years in your price range.

KFC911 · 05-28-2012, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

...In addition the boat you show has an older Evinrude 115 (2-stroke) It is going to need a lot of maintenance from the day you purchase it. You will spend more time fixing the motor than using the boat.

.... I am not a big fan personally but Mercury is know for being a fresh water engine. Same applies new engine, warranty and you know where you are starting.

....]

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Any other comments on brands to avoid, pros and cons regarding features...

Lot's of good advice on this thread, but I'll throw in my .02 worth. With your skills, don't overlook an older "bargain" (sorta like an older 911 vs a new one). I've had my 23 year old Mariner 150 (2 stroke) on the back of my 18' bass boat and other than a few minor issues, it's been trouble free (and low maintenance) since new. FWIW (I'm not sure it still applies today), but for the older motors, Mercury/Mariner (same motor with more salt water protection w/ the Mariner, or so I've been told), and Johnson/Evinrude (again, same motors) are what I'd be looking for. BTW. do you have a place to store it inside? A big plus if ya do...have fun and good luck!

onewhippedpuppy · 03:42 AM

KC right now I'll probably store it in my neighbor's huge local storage unit over the summer, then put it in one of my in-law's sheds over the winter. I won't buy one if I can't store it inside, the sun is not kind on boats.

Thanks to everybody for the feedback. I'm going to start shopping, but may not buy one until the end of the season. I would expect that boat prices are probably the highest now, and slowly go down throughout the year.

rfuerst911sc · 05-28-2012, 03:53 AM

In my boating past I owned three Bayliners and a Four Winns. Bayliners are entry level boats and they built a ton of them so are plentiful and cheap. Construction is not bad but like anything else there are better out there. The Four Winns I had was a 22.5' Cuddy with a 5.7 Chevy and OMC King Cobra I/O, that was a fantastic boat we really enjoyed it except for the appetite for fuel. In your situation if you want a smaller boat like 16-18' I would go with a outboard, it will provide a little more interior space. Basically purchasing a used boat there are common sense areas to check, weak/spongy floors, stringers ( framework ) and transom. As long as these areas are solid and the motor works you should be good to go.

rfuerst911sc · 05-28-2012, 03:57 AM

Also I would not rule out a center console boat either, they are the utility boat in the industry. They may be spartan in the interior but most have fiberglass interiors which are super easy to clean and maintain. Carpet is nice on the feet but what a pain to clean. Also if possible find a boat that comes with a galvanized metal or aluminum trailer. Standard steel painted trailers started rusting as they left the factories. And make sure you have good tires including a spare AND a way to change it on the side of the road. Bearing buddies are a nice addition for bearing grease application. Good luck.

onewhippedpuppy · 05-28-2012, 04:33 AM

That's great feedback on the brands. Right now I'm seeing plenty of Bayliner, Four Winns, Glastron, Sea Ray, Euroline, and Larsen. I've seen a few VIP, Regal, Mariah, Caravelle, Maxum, Crownline, Chaparral, Rinker, and Chris Craft. Anything obvious good/bad between all of those? Right now I'm trying to determine what to rule out vs what to look for.

I would love to find something all fiberglass, no wood rot and easy to clean sounds perfect.