No way for me.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
It is an expensive segment, even for 18 year old boats they tend to run $7-12k depending on brand and condition. This one is listed at almost ten grand.

$ 10,000.00 to much, keep looking.

I wouldn't buy anything from a guy that lets his expensive items get in that bad of a condition. Would you buy a motorcycle stickman in that same kind of condition for top dollar? I doubt it.

Jim

The current owner seems to have purchased it in this condition and done little to fix most of it. If he is being honest he probably did what I did with my first boat and take a gamble and enjoy it with little issue. Problem is how long before it bites you. You can only roll the dice so long. For 10k no way. I’d be nervous spending half that simply due to the corrosive damage to the outdrive. Volvo Penta outdrives are $$$$$$

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
Posted by ensigmatic,

quote:

I'll tell y'all this: The stuff stick's coming up with in his search is making me feel very good about putting our boat up for sale next spring

Nothing but questionable projects so far. To be completely fair if I posted up the specs of my first boat and the concerns I had at the time I probably would have gotten a similar consensus to run. My first boat had a hole about the size of a basket ball in its deck which was remedied by placing a steel plate over the hole and carpet over the plate. The engine was a two stroke Johnson from the early 1970’s. I still got three trouble free years of fun out of that boat and never came close to a grand in repairs. A new battery and chasing down a bad ground were the only two issues I encountered.

Yeah but you probably only paid $1-2k for that first boat. Parts to repair them were a smidgeon of what they are now, and most of them don't last nearly as long as they used to. Engines weren't nearly as complex either. Labor rates are $130 an hour at most dealers here now.


Wait and find a deal on something that's ready to go. They're out there, you just have to be a little patient. Your season is pretty much over in Virginia in a month, so why rush.....take your time, look and look, and something that you truly want, in a condition you want, will pop up in your price range. I can't say it enough though, expand on what you're looking at also, don't get stuck on just looking at regals.

The good thing about seeing all these basket cases is that it makes it easier to explain to the wife why tripling the original budget is a good idea.

I’m seeing some beautiful Cobalts in the $14-16k range.

Have you considered Sea Ray?

https://www.boattrader.com/lis...e=standard%20listing

They are pretty solid boats if taken care of.

If you are willing to call it a project boat and get it for a song, say $4,000-$5,000 it would be okay. Otherwise just keep looking there are far to many nicer boats on the market today and as fuel prices climb there will be more.

Run, don't walk away as quickly as you can....

edited to remove overabundance of snarky from me. Uncalled for.

I do think it will be a challenge to find an inexpensive boat that won't have issues and risk of leaving you stranded on the water, but do hope you can find that nugget in hiding and enjoy some boating this fall.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Georgeair,

BAhahahahaha, FTW!!!!

Actually cheap can work. It worked for three years for me. Yeah I drifted twice with no engine and it sucked but it wasn’t a huge deal. The vast majority was mostly a great time on the water. Hitting mud flats as well as objects in the water will ruin your day on any boat, on a used boat that’s already dinged a bit it just stings a bit less I suppose.

Stickman, I'm presently in Va Beach, if you find something in this area and need someone to take I look, I can do it if it's not too far out of my way.
I have circumnavigated on a fiberglass boat and have been a USCG licensed Master since 1985. I'm also an experienced ship surveyor. I'd give a definite no to the current (pictured) Regal. Not even addressing the galvanic corrosion of the outdrive, the transom fiberglass damage looks like the original glass was under-resined, which will generally lead to rapid delamination once water gets past the gelcoat. You should be able to find a boat in your price range that isn't a major project boat.

That’s too much.

Boat looks like it’s been severely abused and neglected.

It’s crap.

No way.

That transom is rotten.

The anodes on the stern drive were never replaced now it's ruined.

CaptainMike, I’ve been considering widening my search to include the 757, it’s a HUGE boat market. I’d been thinking that looking around Lake Norman in NC would yield good boats that have only been used in freshwater but obviously I haven’t found anything good yet. The search continues.

The mistake I made with my first boat was getting something I outgrew too quickly. A 19 ft bowrider would work fine for a while but the extra size of a 21-22 footer is nice, they are about the largest I can go to store in my heated garage. I’ve been tempted to look at a few smaller boats locally but something’s telling me it’s smarter to wait and get a slightly larger boat.

OP:

Everyone seems to be telling you to run away from a boat, yet you seem to be intent on driving ahead.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
The mistake I made with my first boat was getting something I outgrew too quickly. A 19 ft bowrider would work fine for a while but the extra size of a 21-22 footer is nice, they are about the largest I can go to store in my heated garage. I’ve been tempted to look at a few smaller boats locally but something’s telling me it’s smarter to wait and get a slightly larger boat.

Your first post in this thread mentions a 9 person capacity. If that's what you're looking for, a 21-22 isn't going to do it. They may have a capacity plate that says so, but there is no way in heck 9 people are going to have any fun squished in there. My 21' Sea Ray is good for about 4 comfortably. Oh, there are more places to sit, but it's not the way you'd want to ride.

Half the people saying Run are the same sort who don't have a swimming pool because they've heard its a pain to maintain or expensive, or they're the sorts who only have the kinds of Boats, Bikes, Pools, etc that other people maintain or that have a full warranty.

A boat's a boat's a boat.

If it runs and doesn't sink, which is the vast majority, who gives a shit... neither boats nor pools or bikes are particularly challenging, and if you're the sort that enjoys such things and aren't scared of them, ignore most of the warnings without second thought.

I've had every bit as much fun in ugly, old, beater boats as I have on Master Crafts and a tons of other fancy, new, posh specimens. I've never had one sink, never seen one sink in person, and only know one person who has and their problem was a bilge plug and pump.

We aren't talking about Arctic Icebreakers here, or blue water ships. It's pleasure boats.

Run Forest, Run!!!!