Funny timing as I bought a boat yesterday. Mine is is ski/wakeboard boat though. And no, I/O boats are not ski boats. Mine is a bit of a fixer upper, aka mechanic special, lol. My 2 boys are 6 & 7. Say what you will about owning a boat, but the opportunity to have my boys learn to wakeboard or wake surf will be an experience they will never forget. I bought a used Moomba Mobius.

I saw a Moomba this past weekend at lake Norman. They are cool looking boats! My daughter is only six and she stood up and was waterskiing behind my friends 17ft bayliner. It was awesome.

We’re mainly looking for something we can enjoy on the lake, pull a tube, do some fishing, pull up on beaches or in coves and relax. It looks like I could potentially get the boat and a trailer for under $5k. I got damn lucky with my last boat, it cost next to nothing and served me well for over three years.

Our family and some friends all went in on a lakefront house on Lake Norman for a weekend. Having a view of the lake, large boat house in the back yard and going on multiple boat rides every day was awesome.....we got a taste of the lake life and it was sweet.

I can't speak for bayliners, but I have a Rinker bowrider with a 3.0L Mercruiser sterndrive.
Don't walk away...Run! What an unholy pos. True, I keep it in the sea, but the amount of problems it gave me are ridiculous. Rotted manifold, rotted risers, rotted water pump..you name it..latest joke is the jubilee clip securing the drive bellows snapped, letting in water, rotting the gimbal bearing and almost sinking the bloody thing.
For the watertight integrity of a vessel to be dependent on a clip costing a few bucks (which necessitates pulling the sterndrive to replace) makes no sense whatsoever.

She's now for sale and I switched to a boat with a 4 stroke outboard. Easy peasy and no risk of sinking.... I'll be happy to see that bucket of issues disappear over the horizon...

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Rule 1: aluminum
Rule 2: outboard

I’m also about to buy a boat which is more or less a necessity here where I live if you want to enjoy all the cool things here.

Trying to decide between a hewes craft and a sea eagle.

I see quite few folks on Lake Superior with the smaller Bayliners.
Nope.

Bought a 18’ Lund with a 140 HP Suzuki on it a couple years ago, 1998 vintage
When all the BS creeps in I get out on the water and even just a few hours makes my head relax

I’ve had no major problems and as I age, boating will be a part of my exit
The grandkids love being out in the water with me
I am mechanically competent and apart from basic matenance I’m trouble free
Not bad for a 20 yr. old boat I bought used.
Yes, bass know when I get in the water, they hide.

I bought a boat this summer. Here we are on Lake Huron near Cheboygan:



I'd have the engine looked at by a competent mechanic. The boat I boat is 10 years old, but only had 45 hours on it. As a precaution due to age, I'm have the bellows, belt, and impeller replaced. Also, all the fluids including the engine coolant (the block and heads are fresh water cooler).

Have you looked at the fuel burn? Are you ready for 4mpg at best of boat gas? Tubing will cut that number significantly.

My suggestion is to buddy up with someone who already has a boat and pay for their gas every time they take you out.

Trailering or keeping in a well?

How expensive a boat is depends on how much you can do yourself. An engine rebuild can be had for far less if you can do it all.

I do 99% of my boat work.

When I was in the CG we called them Bottom Liners.

They are the Hipoint of boats.

If you are going to get a boat get something you can sell in a few years, and a Bayliner ain't it. Why woul the boat need a new floor??? The flooring is not something that routinely gets replaced..

Rent

I once had an inboard/outboard. It was a new 1986 Sea Ray 21'. It was warranted for 24 months. In the 25th month, the outdrive lower unit self destructed. MerCruiser said not their problem. It cost $3,000 and took two months to repair. The boat was sold a month later, and I'll never buy Mercury/MerCruiser again.

Next I bought a new 1988 Mako 17' center console. Which I still have. It has never needed a new floor, or any other structural repair. It still has the original (3) cushions. After 19 years, the original Johnson 110 had the powerhead rust through, and I repowered with a Yamaha 90 two stroke in 2008. That cost $8,000 and took three days. Engine repairs are minimal, primarily changed lower unit oil, and a new water pump every 5 years. Neither the Johnson or the Yamaha has ever needed a tow back to the dock. Ever. It is on it's fourth trailer though, as it is used in the Atlantic and lower Chesapeake Bay.

Note well that an outboard motor has an especially endearing characteristic - it eliminates ANY hole in the boat's hull. We are talking watertight, baby. When you go to look at that Bayliner, notice how many through hull fitting there are. Each through hull fitting is connected to a rubber hose. Each rubber hose will deteriorate and require periodic replacement. It also presents the opportunity for a catastrophic failure. Each through hull fitting should have a seacock, so that you can stop water flow. One characteristic of a Bayliner is that they use the most inexpensive hardware available. During your inspection, notice the location and condition of the seacocks. Can you get to them to replace them?

In my opinion, you would be better off with an outboard.

But it's your boat! Buy it if you like it!! A day on the water is a joy forever.

can you guys say what are the 'higher end' boat brands?

i am fairly boat ignorant having never owned one

-------------------------------

I'd look at a nice used pontoon. Unless you're purely using it as a ski boat, the pontoon will be more comfortable in every way than the Bayliner.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
can you guys say what are the 'higher end' boat brands?

i am fairly boat ignorant having never owned one

-------------------------------

No offense intended, but nearly any brand is 'higher end' when compared to a Bayliner.

In trailer boat sizes, these are my top value brands:
Grady-White
Boston Whaler
Pursuit
Carolina Skiff
Parker

If you can afford a Regulator, buy one!

If you are boating on a lake, then many, many more brands, including Bayliner, are probably fine.

Here, let me help you.
Do NOT buy a Bayliner or an Aquasport.
Ever.
You are welcome.

Get the boat and enjoy the heck out of it. You'll learn a lot as its your first boat. Mainly if you actually like owning a boat or not. Second, once you get past the honeymoon period, you'll learn if you actually use it or not.

I've been around lakes all my life and I can't see ever not owning a boat (or two), but it is a lot of work and when things go break, it can get expensive and mechanics generally have a long lead times when you want to use the boat the most.

After the honeymoon period is over, you'll know if the time spent trailering, cleaning, maintaining, etc, are balanced by the fun, relaxation, and family time spent on the water. If you love it, great I'd then start saving for an upgrade. If it isn't worth it, then you're not out that much money considering how much a bunch of these little boats cost (go price a top of the line wakeboat for a good laugh).


Also, I STRONGLY recommend that you and your kids take a boater safety course. I've been driving runabouts and inboards for almost 30 years and I took my first class 3 years ago to be able to drive for an charity organization called Wake The World. I was surprised how much I learned.

My father always had boats when I was a kid. It was great when I was little. When I became a teenager, apparently it was my responsibility to clean the damn thing after the family used it. I am 48 and I have never thought once of owning a boat. The upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, and storing are a pain in the butt. YMMV though.

I would disagree with those who make owning a boat seem like a constant headache. I've owned a Sea Ray with Mercruiser 5.0MPI since 2002 and a Ranger 621 with Mercury 250XS since 2005. Neither one has cost me anything beyond insurance (about $800/year for both) gas, oil and annual winterizing supplies.

Buying a used boat with unknown history is a different matter, but my point is that quality boats are not inherently problematic or expensive to own.

It's not a headache, at least to me. I own a little Bass Tracker bass boat that my dad bought new in 1986 and gave me a couple years ago. I put new tires, new batteries and fresh gas in it and fired it up after sitting for 20 years. I did have it tuned up and a new water pump put in, but still, less than $500 in maintenance for a boat that hadn't been cranked in 20+ years isn't too bad.

My old pontoon was a money pit, so I got rid of it. My wife still prefers the pontoon, so I'm sure we'll get another in the next few years.

I agree with whoever said to buy an aluminum boat with an outboard. Very little maintenance required, less to go wrong and far better gas mileage. We put hundreds of hours on our 100 hp Merc and I'd guess, maybe 10 hrs towards maintenance in 10 yrs.

Jim

I've been a boat owner for 25 years and love it. Maybe I've been lucky, but it's not as much work, or as much money as people think. It's a sailboat, which might be cheaper than a powerboat of the same size. I do most of the work myself and actually enjoy doing it, but the list never seems to shrink.