I’ve tried to talk my wife into a center console with an outboard but for what we’re gonna do a bowrider makes more sense.

I’ve also been looking at Chaparral boats since I’ve seen a lot of them on the lake. I haven’t found one close to the cost of this Bayliner.

If I have a marina look the boat over before I buy it are they very likely to be able to discover any structural issues or would a new floor cover that up and make it tough to find?

My grandfather HATED Bayliners and I/O engines because his motor mounts rotted and gave him nothing but problems.

For a bow rider type boat the 2 best brands in terms of quality would be Searay and Cobalt.

Just because a boat has an outboard, doesn't not mean there are no holes in the bottom of the boat or it can't sink. There are bilge pump discharge holes just above the water, some have floor drains that drain overboard. Rain can cause an outboard one to sink if the batteries go dead or pump/float switch goes bad. There are less holes in the bottom of the boat. The outboards are a lot easier to work on, that is for sure.

A new floor "should" have the same bilge access points to access things. (This depends on who did the floor, but most replicate what they're replacing). Floors go bad in lots of good brands too with age. I've seen rotton in floors in Seacrafts, Mako's, Grady Whites, and on and on...……...just not as soon as some of the cheap brands...…

If the motor checks out and the boat is solid, for the kind of money you're talking about, it sounds like right around $3k, it's not a big deal even if you got a few good years out of it and then something major happened and you gave the boat away.

stickman, you keep answering your own questions.

I am aware of their reputation, but have no direct knowledge of Bayliners. That said, buying any boat is a leap. Buying a poorly engineered poorly maintained one is something altogether different. This decision merits more research and information than you'll likely find here. At a minimum, on any boat regardless of manufacture, pay for a quality survey. Get an expert opinion.

I would consider an I/O as a family cruiser, not really well suited for skiing or wake boarding. When I was looking this summer I was looking at inboard only, and it had to have an open bow, which really limited choices. Most tow boats have good reputations, but are probably not in your budget.

The brands I was looking at are:
Mastercraft, Ski or Air Nautique, Malibu, Tige and Moomba.

Mastercraft went to composite stringers in 1983 I think. Most of the other above manufacturers went to composite stringers in the mid 90's. I would not buy a boat with wood strings unless I knew the history very well. It's very hard to tell if the stringers are rotted.

Here's the project I picked up on Monday for $3k. Kids (and me) are super excited. Mom, not so much.

quote:

I’ve also been looking at Chaparral boats since I’ve seen a lot of them on the lake. I haven’t found one close to the cost of this Bayliner.

There is a reason for this.

Someone earlier gave you a list of ranked boats which is useless to you since it's fishing oriented boats.

For a bowrider type boat, good ones are going be brands like:

Cobalt
SeaRay
Formula
Chaparrel
Bryant
Crownline
Monterey
Rinker (?)
Four Winns (?)
Regal (?)


Once you get down into Stingray, Glastron, Larson and Bayliner you've moved into disposable boats. Admittedly those at top of list can be pricy, even used. Pretty much any of the recognized ski boat lines are very well made, but very expensive. Great ride, but a focused need or they are waste of money IMHO.

Also someone suggested alum.. In the boats you're interested in you are looking for fiberglass. Not just some, but EVERYWHERE if you plan to keep it long term. They drive cost down by putting wood in decking, seats, interior panels, cabinets etc. I don't think anybody is crazy enough to use in transom any more. It will not last. Don't be fooled into thinking keeping it covered and dry will help with that.

You mention the floor was replaced - that won't happen in a properly built boat, ever.

quote:

I’ve also been looking at Chaparral boats since I’ve seen a lot of them on the lake. I haven’t found one close to the cost of this Bayliner.

There's a reason for that. To reiterate a previous post, there are a lot of boats whose perceived quality are above Bayliner's. There aren't many below a Bayliner. SeaRay is a step down from Cobalt in the bow rider category. I'd rank Formula and Cobalt at the top of the category.


When you said new floor, I though you meant new snap in carpet or such. If you mean the fiberglass floor was cut out, the core was replaced, and new glass was put down, that's a whole nother story. I'd pass.

I looked at renting a boat in Indian River, MI this past summer. It looked like somewhere between $350 and $500 a day plus fuel. We live on a canal, have a lift, and plan to use the boat we bought around Florida and Michigan enough that buying one worked out better.

quote:

When you said new floor, I though you meant new snap in carpet or such. If you mean the fiberglass floor was cut out, the core was replaced, and new glass was put down, that's a whole nother story. I'd pass.

I skipped this. There is a shit-ton of difference in a fiberglass encapsulated wooden floor and a 100% fiberglass floor.

Guess which one you want? Guess which one is a bouncy/soggy/squishy pile of crap waiting to happen? Guess which one costs more to make?

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
I’m going to look at a very clean Bayliner bowrider on Friday. The boat has apparently had a lot of work done to it and from the pics I’ve seen it looks clean. I normally wouldn’t consider such a boat but some friends of ours have taken us out a few times on their Bayliner and we’ve had a blast. Their boat has actually withstood a good deal of neglect as well as noob mistakes like pulling out of the lake with the engine trimmed down. They haven’t been able to break theirs in the three years they’ve had it.

This is the 22ft bowrider I’m considering.








The boat apparently has a new floor, interior, water pump, stainless prop, and top. I am not sure if the total hours yet. It has a 5.0L merceuiser alpha one with a new stainless exhaust.

My main concern is that it doesn’t come with a trailer. I’m thinking I should be able to find a used trailer for $900-1500.

Are Bayliners terrible boats? The price is QUITE tempting.

Well the floor has been replaced which is problem area 1 on Bayliners but check the transom as that is another source od issues and general will go out about the same time as floor.

Premium bowriders/runabouts in my mind have always been Cobalt followed by Sea Ray. I will have my Cobalt 262 even if it is obsolete by the time I can afford one and a lakehouse to dock it in.

Read you were thinking about storing it at home, if you live in an HOA covered development check the by-laws, 99% of them do not allow storage of boats, motorhomes, etc, or anything on a trailer other than overnight. So you'd need a place to store it, down here we have those u store it places, some have yards for boats etc.

As to a trailer, unless you're going to motor to different lakes, find a marina to store it at the lake you will using it on. No need to load up the boat, trailer, etc, just call ahead and have them get it out for you..

Had one almost exactly like it back in the early 90s, basically an entry level boat for beginners. They look nice but when you start looking at the details on the boat you will start noticing the difference. Compare them to Cobalts,Sea Rays,Chaparrels and some others. We developed cracks in the transom and the bow by the controls on the floor. I wouldn't buy one.

Sounds like it has had major repairs. I'm not a boat guy, but that seems unusual.

If you spend $5K now and another $3-6K over the next five years, what can you sell it for then? Are you OK with the depreciation? What if you have to spend $6-10k to keep it going? How many trips to the lake will you take each season? 10? 2? 20?

I've always been amazed what boat owners are willing to spend ($/trip) to own a boat. A nice used towboat of $50K, 15 summer trips for 10 years, another $7500 for gas, insurance, maintenance etc and a resell of $12,500 (after 10 years) - that's $300 per trip!!!! Holy crap! Not to mention the tow vehicle!!!

We owned boats in Florida for many years, fishing and diving off shore and associated with many others who owned and operated boats. I would not take a Bayliner if you gave it to me for free, they have a horrible reputation among boaters and their resale is shit. They have only one thing going for them, just like Taurus and HiPoint, they are cheap. There are far too many quality used boats out there to trust your safety and family's safety to such a poor quality boat. You live in Grady White country, if I were you I would look for a used Grady or Whaler and not have to worry. Chaparral also makes a good boat. Whatever you decide on, have a professional boat surveyor go over it before you buy, it is worth the cost. Have you shopped the Boat Trader?

I've owned a Bayliner bowrider and never again. The last 15 years has been a parade of Monterey, Searay, and our current Cobalt. The Searay was a particularly robust boat; the Monterey less so.

Bowriders of the 22-23' range aren't really ski boats, but they can do serviceable duty. They are, however, great family cruisers for a day on the lake, and the Cobalt is likely our last boat.

I found a nice 22ft Regal with a Volvo Penta V8 for a little over double what this bayliner would cost.

Consider getting a fish-n-ski. When I was around 18 we got a smaller version of what you're looking at, then got bit by the fishing bug. I did what I could to make our runabout into a fishing boat, but it just couldn't cut it, so we traded it in for a bass boat. It was a fairly low-end fiberglass boat with a 90HP motor. It was small, but had a properly mounted trolling motor, casting decks, fish finders, rod storage, live wells, etc. I have countless fond memories from the hours spent in that boat, and still remember the frustrations and failed efforts of trying to make the runabout into a fishing boat. Fishing is something you can do year-round, rain or shine, with friends, family, or by yourself.

True, Bayliners don't have a great reputation. But that doesn't mean you can't have a good time for a little while until you can upgrade. Growing up, I spent many a summer at Smith Mountain Lake on a 1970 K Craft that had been sunk... twice! My brother and I each put in $300, and we had a 16' boat with a 85hp Johnson outboard. The interior was shot, but every spring we gave it a new roll of duct tape. Great memories in that old piece of crap, and that boat is where I learned to slalom ski. Also, as a teenager, it was a chick magnet, notwithstanding its condition. Girls thought it was cool that we had our own boat. We literally drove it until the transom was rotten. I'm starting to sound like Alan Jackson here.

Here we are this year. Total trailer trash at Lake Powell.


I got tired of docking the Mastercraft in 3ft of water and wading out to it, so I acquired this old homemade pontoon built in 1960. I bought a trashed 1968 Bell Boy for $250, pulled the 135hp Johnson, got it running for nothing more than a new impeller, put it on the pontoon, and off we went. It is essentially a self-propelled dock for the Mastercraft. Plus, we were able to hang out on it and carry a lot of camping gear, fuel, and ice (Lake Powell is huge).

Bottom line. If it is inside your budget, don't let the naysayers poo-poo your choice. Just know upfront what you are getting...

Why don’t you just join a boat club? A few thousand a year in dues and no headaches of ownership.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
Why don’t you just join a boat club? A few thousand a year in dues and no headaches of ownership.

Unless they are different where the OP lives than they are here, it's a ridiculous scam. I've never considered it, but have looked at the websites. Limited choices of boats on a few area lakes. Good luck reserving what you want on a particular day.

Former Sea Ray owner here.

23’ bow rider

Great boat

7.5 mercruiser

If it’s had a deck replaced I wouldn’t. It’s been abused and wet for a long period of time. Deck rot.

It’s s buyers market this time of year. Shop around.