Anybody know anything about boats?

[AreaCode707]

Thinking of picking one up for some summer fun on the lakes and Puget Sound around Seattle. Problem is, I really don't know much about them (or automotive stuff in general). Any advice or stuff to watch out for? I was eyeballing craigslist today and these ones stuck out.

1. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/1138444512.html (Listing Removed)
2. http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/boa/1138361950.html
3 http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/1138358345.html
4. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/1138271194.html

 

[SJP0tato]

I know they're awesome until something goes wrong. Then they're anywhere from "a little bit" to "wtf horrendously" expensive to fix, depending on when you find out that something has gone wrong (For example in the middle of the lake/ocean and need a tow back to dock).

I went out last weekend and am going out again this weekend with my brother-in-law & his parent's boat. I was eyeing some on craigslist myself, they seem really cheap at first. But underneath the cheapness lurks a bottomless pit of expense.

Edit: I just realized I haven't really answered your question at all, I'm curious to see what those with more experience have to say.

 

[joesmoke]

Break Out Another Thousand

 

[PingSpike]

Believe me when I say
I fucked a mermaid

 

[SJP0tato]

Originally posted by: joesmoke
Break Out Another Thousand

<Chief Brody>We're gonna need a bigger bank!</Brody>

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: SJP0tato
I know they're awesome until something goes wrong. Then they're anywhere from "a little bit" to "wtf horrendously" expensive to fix, depending on when you find out that something has gone wrong (For example in the middle of the lake/ocean and need a tow back to dock).

I went out last weekend and am going out again this weekend with my brother-in-law & his parent's boat. I was eyeing some on craigslist myself, they seem really cheap at first. But underneath the cheapness lurks a bottomless pit of expense.

Edit: I just realized I haven't really answered your question at all, I'm curious to see what those with more experience have to say.

We had one when I was growing up so I know the maintenance is high, especially because I wouldn't be doing it myself. That's not really an issue.

Originally posted by: joesmoke
Break Out Another Thousand

Think I need to be in the 6k range to get anything decent?

 

[joesmoke]

that saying applies to after you buy it

 

[Zenmervolt]

From growing up on the Great Lakes:

1) Bayliners are what people buy when they cannot afford a boat. Lots of cut corners and not a good history of durability.
2) OMC/Force sterndrives and outboards should generally be avoided, similar reasons to #1.
3) Mer-Cruiser/Mercury/Mariner sterndrives and outboards are reliable and long-lived.
4) Sea-Ray and Four-Wins build some mighty fine boats. If they are taken care of, they will last.
5) Despite what salesmen claim, the base 4-cylinder outboards do not have the power to pull tubers easily with any kind of group in the boat. I would strongly recommend at least a 4.3 litre V6 for anything 18ft or over if you plan to have many people in the boat. The 4-cylinders can manage, but you'll be running them closer to flat-out all the time, which isn't good for anything. Better, IMO, to buy the bigger engine and accept the higher fuel cost.
6) MasterCraft also makes nice boats, and I like their inboards, but they tend to be more dedicated to Ski/Wakeboard use.
7) Saltwater exposure increases maintenance requirements like you wouldn't believe. Remember, the boat sucks in water from the lake/river/ocean/whatever it's floating in to use for cooling. If you're in saltwater, that means that you have a highly corrosive fluid being pumped through your entire engine. If you intend to use the boat in salt water, a system that is explicitly built for use in saltwater is strongly recommended.

EDIT: Old OMC drives were pretty good. I just remember the drives from the 1980's and 1990's. Not the best and hard to get serviced.

ZV

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: joesmoke
that saying applies to after you buy it

Oh, in that case it's already accounted for.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
From growing up on the Great Lakes:

1) Bayliners are what people buy when they cannot afford a boat. Lots of cut corners and not a good history of durability.
2) OMC/Force sterndrives and outboards should generally be avoided, similar reasons to #1.
3) Mer-Cruiser/Mercury/Mariner sterndrives and outboards are reliable and long-lived.
4) Sea-Ray and Four-Wins build some mighty fine boats. If they are taken care of, they will last.
5) Despite what salesmen claim, the base 4-cylinder outboards do not have the power to pull tubers easily with any kind of group in the boat. I would strongly recommend at least a 4.3 litre V6 for anything 18ft or over if you plan to have many people in the boat. The 4-cylinders can manage, but you'll be running them closer to flat-out all the time, which isn't good for anything. Better, IMO, to buy the bigger engine and accept the higher fuel cost.
6) MasterCraft also makes nice boats, and I like their inboards, but they tend to be more dedicated to Ski/Wakeboard use.
7) Saltwater exposure increases maintenance requirements like you wouldn't believe. Remember, the boat sucks in water from the lake/river/ocean/whatever it's floating in to use for cooling. If you're in saltwater, that means that you have a highly corrosive fluid being pumped through your entire engine. If you intend to use the boat in salt water, a system that is explicitly built for use in saltwater is strongly recommended.

EDIT: Old OMC drives were pretty good. I just remember the drives from the 1980's and 1990's. Not the best and hard to get serviced.

ZV

Good info, thanks!!

 

[Greenman]

I had a 16' Marlin open bow with an OMC V6 IO. That boat was 100% dependable. It always ran well, it always started right up, it never strained pulling up 2 skiers, and it was very easy on fuel. The only problems I ever had were the deck rotted after 15 years or so (an easy fix), and I once went through (not over) a very large wave that broke the windshield.

 

[funboy6942]

Make sure it floats

 

[imported_weadjust]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
From growing up on the Great Lakes:

1) Bayliners are what people buy when they cannot afford a boat. Lots of cut corners and not a good history of durability.
2) OMC/Force sterndrives and outboards should generally be avoided, similar reasons to #1.
3) Mer-Cruiser/Mercury/Mariner sterndrives and outboards are reliable and long-lived.
4) Sea-Ray and Four-Wins build some mighty fine boats. If they are taken care of, they will last.
5) Despite what salesmen claim, the base 4-cylinder outboards do not have the power to pull tubers easily with any kind of group in the boat. I would strongly recommend at least a 4.3 litre V6 for anything 18ft or over if you plan to have many people in the boat. The 4-cylinders can manage, but you'll be running them closer to flat-out all the time, which isn't good for anything. Better, IMO, to buy the bigger engine and accept the higher fuel cost.
6) MasterCraft also makes nice boats, and I like their inboards, but they tend to be more dedicated to Ski/Wakeboard use.
7) Saltwater exposure increases maintenance requirements like you wouldn't believe. Remember, the boat sucks in water from the lake/river/ocean/whatever it's floating in to use for cooling. If you're in saltwater, that means that you have a highly corrosive fluid being pumped through your entire engine. If you intend to use the boat in salt water, a system that is explicitly built for use in saltwater is strongly recommended.

EDIT: Old OMC drives were pretty good. I just remember the drives from the 1980's and 1990's. Not the best and hard to get serviced.

ZV

Good info, thanks!!

This guy gives sound advice. My family has owned a lake house for 20 plus years and I have alot of boat and PWC experience. I had a pontoon boat with a force motor and the motor was a piece of shit.

Of the four you listed (I could only view the bottom 3) I would go with the four winns. I also think cuddy cabins or a waste of space. Get a walk thru open bow for the ladies.

 

[SuperSix]

#1 - Get ANY boat you plan on buying inspected by a qualified marine mechanic. The small amount that costs you, will be nothing in the long run.
Boats are really not much different then cars - with the right maintenance, they can be fun, and relatively hassle-free.

 

[AreaCode707]

Thanks guys!

Get a walk thru open bow for the ladies.

Ladies like me.

What do you guys think of this bigger one? (Presuming that "as-is" in this case doesn't mean "will fail a mechanic's check")

5. http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/boa/1140933656.html

Also ran across these, more consistent with my original postings:
6. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/1140537827.html
7. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/1140793302.html
8. http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/boa/1139047702.html

 

[F1N3ST]

http://sunsationboats.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3058

My boat is telling you to buy it.

And uh just make sure the boat you buy has Bravo One or at least a Mercury drive, they hold up good. Another good boat is a jet boat, they are like 12-18 feet long, fun, do 50. If you get it narrowed down PM me a link or something, I know a decent bit about boats.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
Thanks guys!

Get a walk thru open bow for the ladies.

Ladies like me.

What do you guys think of this bigger one? (Presuming that "as-is" in this case doesn't mean "will fail a mechanic's check")

5. http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/boa/1140933656.html

Also ran across these, more consistent with my original postings:
6. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/1140537827.html
7. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/1140793302.html
8. http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/boa/1139047702.html

#5: Tandem axle trailer with brakes, if you are planning on towing it with a Suburban, you're good. With, say, a Ranger, not so much. "As-is" with an engine is a red flag, but it may be simple. Chevrolet V8 means that it's essentially a Chevy 350 (5.7 litre) with a carb. Easy and cheap to work on unless the issues are severe. A 24-footer is going to be a bit of a chore to trailer anywhere around Seattle. You will also have to worry more about how much it draughts when you're on smaller lakes or around islands.

#6: Decent little boat. Definitely easier to trailer. A 16-footer is about as small as I would go for a runabout and you're running into the same issues with a 4-cylinder engine that I mentioned earlier. The seating layout on this boat is good for groups with the "back-to-back" seats in the main area.

#7: Another decent little boat. I like it better than the Bayliner. It will still be easier to trailer but it's a bit larger which will make it better for groups. I also like the bench seat in the rear more than the back-to-back seating. The Suzuki engine also has the advantage of having oil injection. Older outboard engines are two-cycle, like weed-eaters, and the Force used for #6 and the Johnson used in #8 require you to mix the oil on your own. With the Suzuki you simply fill a separate oil tank with two-cycle oil and it mixes the oil and gasoline on it's own. This is a reliable system and it is much less hassle than mixing your own. I know that older Glastrons have a pretty active community and are well-liked, but I have no experience with the newer ones. Looks very solid though. This seems to me to be clearly the nicest boat you've listed.

#8: Also a very nice boat. Same seating arrangement as the Glastron, and Four Winns has a good reputation. The Suzuki on #7 is a better engine than the Johnson on this boat, but overall I think this is probably the second-nicest boat.

My gut says #7 is the one to go after, even though the owners are asking more for it. It has clearly been well cared for and will be easy to sell later if you take care of it. The fact that it comes with spare props tells me that the current owner is meticulous about mechanical things and the boat is likely to have maintained the boat very well.

ZV

 

[F1N3ST]

My friend has a boat with a Johnson drive, and the drive fails. I know it may not be the case for all of their drives, but its not worth risking on a boat IMO. Plus if your not a mechanic, its harder to find marine service places for odd drives etc.

 

[AreaCode707]

Thanks for the continuing advice guys! Husband and I talked and decided to wait until early June to buy, since we've got some business affairs wrapping up at that point and can devote more attention (and cash) to the project. I'll let the thread fade til then and then bump to ask your expert advice on whatever craigslist happens to be offering at the time.

Cheers!

 

[alkemyst]

Freshwater is much easier...

saltwater you have to expect problems. Your boat engines are the most expensive usually at this level. You have to bank on one or more dying someday.

They could cost more than the whole boat/trailer/accessories to replace.

 

[F1N3ST]

Considering you live in CA.... if your profile is accurate, salt water is fail, buy a boat from inland. Salt water eats drives, engines, everything as he mentioned above. Corrosion is your enemy!

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: F1N3ST
Considering you live in CA.... if your profile is accurate, salt water is fail, buy a boat from inland. Salt water eats drives, engines, everything as he mentioned above. Corrosion is your enemy!

I'm actually in Washington, just wish I were in CA again. Puget Sound is technically salt water but is so diluted from rain it doesn't even smell like salt. Think that will destroy a boat quickly?

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: F1N3ST
Considering you live in CA.... if your profile is accurate, salt water is fail, buy a boat from inland. Salt water eats drives, engines, everything as he mentioned above. Corrosion is your enemy!

I'm actually in Washington, just wish I were in CA again. Puget Sound is technically salt water but is so diluted from rain it doesn't even smell like salt. Think that will destroy a boat quickly?

 

[SeaSerpent]

Hi fellow Puget Sounder,

My passion is boats I have three at this point...

If you are looking at getting a sterndrive, check were the engine mounts to the boat for rot, this can be a common problem.

Make sure you get a boat that is freshwater cooled. A raw water system runs seawater through the block...you dont want that.

Find out when the exhaust manifolds were replaced. If it has not been done in the last 5 years you can expect to replace them soon. Also, find out when the impeller was replaced. If it hasnt been done in the last couple of years you can expect to replace that to.

You will also want to check the drive fluid for water, this is VERY important. Make sure the fluid isnt milky....

Stay clear from OMC, the older drives used a "ball gear" set up in the drive...prone to failure. Mercruiser Alpha and Bravo drives are great, but if you find yourself looking at a boat with a V8 and a Alpha drive...pass on that. Alpha's are great for the 4 and 6 cylinder boats but some say the V8 had to much power for the drive.

Volvo 280 and 290 drives are bullet proof and easy to work on but the parts are a bit more...but like I said bullet proof. Volve SX drives are nice also.

 

[SeaSerpent]

Forgot to mention that there is a couple real good boat forums with some knowledgeable people..

iboats

marineengine.com