Advice wanted!! First time boat buyer....

[SB42]

Hey Everyone -

 

Lengthy post alert! Mods - hopefully I'm in the correct forum.

 

I think it’s time I become a boat owner. I’ve been around boats here and there over the years and always have a great time boating. I think it’s time that I take a serious look at buying one. Having said that, I want boat ownership to be as positive as possible so I’m here to learn from you folks that have some experience under your belt.

 

What things should I learn about or be aware of that I’m not including?

 

Financial:

• Boat cost; staying under 20K (initial thought is to pay cash for appx 50% and finance the remainder; good for the credit history etc. Keep the payments down low also, since I’m in CO and my use is limited)
• Gas cost
• Insurance
• Parks Pass etc
• Storage fees

 

Maintenance:

• Winterizing properly (at mechanic or DIY possible? I like to maintain my own things if possible/reasonable. If outside, shrink-wrapping seems like a must and needs to be done professionally?)
• Oil chg frequency? Once a season or at the beginning & end? Synthetic vs. Dyno vs. Rotella?
• Washing the outside after every use or once a month?
• Trailer; lights and bearings?
• Keel guards seem like a real good idea if there’s any chance of landing your boat on a beach? Ugly but functional.
• Fuel Injection vs. Carburetor? Should this be a deal breaker one way or another. Other than the obvious fuel economy and ease of starting what else should I be aware of? Fuel injected is preferred however in the year range I’ve been looking at (98-ish to 2005ish) I see both options.

 

A co-worker brought up a couple thoughts that seemed wise to me. Buy a boat that’s a few years older to minimize the depreciation I’ll incur. I’m sure it’s a fine line between older boats that require work and newer boats that will lose a lot of their value. If I pull the trigger on purchasing a boat, I intend to own it for several years but don’t want to be boat broke.

 

So far it seems like I lean towards Glastron, Larsen, Chaparral, Crownline, Caravelle, Sea Ray, Monterey and a couple others that aren’t coming to mind. There’s several Glastron in my area and the GT/GX 205s seem like a good fit for more of an entry level-ish boat. The 20 footers I can get a 5.0 or 5.7 Volvo in. I’d like to be able to wakeboard and cruise with a few folks on board so at 5K ft of altitude I think I’ll want a V8. Tougher on the gas unfortunately, but more fun to drive. (year 2002ish-2006ish)

 

Larsen/Chaparral, Crownline, Caravelle, Sea Ray, Monterey seem a touch nicer with a few desirable features; walk thru transom, tad bit larger and I get the feeling they are well built so if I found one a touch older (say 98-02) it would compare with a newer Glastron and be similar in price.

 

What features do people highly suggest or “not live without” once having? I like the idea of walk thru transom although that seems more geared towards 21 ft+ boat. Wrap around seating or a rear bench seat seems very nice as well along with storage areas.

 

Length - I lean towards a 20-22ft boat since they are smaller and I’m not experienced yet. 17-18 seems too small and the larger ones (24-25) seem like a little much for a first boat. I’ll be using this on mostly reservoirs’ in Colorado such as Carter Lake, Horsetooth, and McConaughy in NE would be the largest.

 

I know this is a lengthy post but I really want to go in as informed and educated as possible. Also, do I need to have a marine surveyor inspect the boat or is a good solid walk thru by myself and experienced boater sufficient? I think I will request a test drive since I’m so new to the sport. It seems that the general condition of the boat can be a good indicator of the overall shape. Hull shine, scraps, nicks, scrapes on the lower unit, clean engine compartment, condition of the vinyl, and hours?

 

A couple of the Glastrons in my area are in the 15-20K range for 02-06 with as low as 50 hours and as high as 230 hours. All seem very reasonable when I do the math of how many years those hours are spread across.

 

Well, there’s my brain dump on the subject. Jump in and let me know all your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

 

Sam

 

[kstruckcountry]

I have a bit of experience with older ones... That said in Colorado I'd definitely want fuel injected instead of a carb. Fuel injected will work a lot better.

 

If you want to do watersports I'd go with a motor with good power, once you're pulling they'll get about the same mileage IMO.

 

I would shoot for 20ft+, I've spent time on 18's and it gets crowded...

 

Most people I know do engine and lower unit oil once a year. It's good to grease the pivots on the boat and the trailer bearings each trip.

 

Can't speak for the keel saver. I never really took the ski boat up to the shore. I usually would park out a ways and swim in. For me it's less work than beaching the thing.

 

I like to spend time at dealers on new boats. Fun to look at the features and see what I would want want. A test drive would be fun, I'd want to take one. If you have a boat savvy buddy I'd take him.

 

Good luck!

[8.1HD/ALLISON]

Good advice. Number one rule is always remember what boat stands for.... Bust Out Another Thousand. Lol

[Prokopchuk_9]

 

Hey Everyone -

 

Lengthy post alert! Mods - hopefully I'm in the correct forum.

 

I think it’s time I become a boat owner. I’ve been around boats here and there over the years and always have a great time boating. I think it’s time that I take a serious look at buying one. Having said that, I want boat ownership to be as positive as possible so I’m here to learn from you folks that have some experience under your belt.

 

What things should I learn about or be aware of that I’m not including?

 

Financial:

• Boat cost; staying under 20K (initial thought is to pay cash for appx 50% and finance the remainder; good for the credit history etc. Keep the payments down low also, since I’m in CO and my use is limited)
• Gas cost
• Insurance
• Parks Pass etc
• Storage fees

 

Maintenance:

• Winterizing properly (at mechanic or DIY possible? I like to maintain my own things if possible/reasonable. If outside, shrink-wrapping seems like a must and needs to be done professionally?)
• Oil chg frequency? Once a season or at the beginning & end? Synthetic vs. Dyno vs. Rotella?
• Washing the outside after every use or once a month?
• Trailer; lights and bearings?
• Keel guards seem like a real good idea if there’s any chance of landing your boat on a beach? Ugly but functional.
• Fuel Injection vs. Carburetor? Should this be a deal breaker one way or another. Other than the obvious fuel economy and ease of starting what else should I be aware of? Fuel injected is preferred however in the year range I’ve been looking at (98-ish to 2005ish) I see both options.

 

A co-worker brought up a couple thoughts that seemed wise to me. Buy a boat that’s a few years older to minimize the depreciation I’ll incur. I’m sure it’s a fine line between older boats that require work and newer boats that will lose a lot of their value. If I pull the trigger on purchasing a boat, I intend to own it for several years but don’t want to be boat broke.

 

So far it seems like I lean towards Glastron, Larsen, Chaparral, Crownline, Caravelle, Sea Ray, Monterey and a couple others that aren’t coming to mind. There’s several Glastron in my area and the GT/GX 205s seem like a good fit for more of an entry level-ish boat. The 20 footers I can get a 5.0 or 5.7 Volvo in. I’d like to be able to wakeboard and cruise with a few folks on board so at 5K ft of altitude I think I’ll want a V8. Tougher on the gas unfortunately, but more fun to drive. (year 2002ish-2006ish)

 

Larsen/Chaparral, Crownline, Caravelle, Sea Ray, Monterey seem a touch nicer with a few desirable features; walk thru transom, tad bit larger and I get the feeling they are well built so if I found one a touch older (say 98-02) it would compare with a newer Glastron and be similar in price.

 

What features do people highly suggest or “not live without” once having? I like the idea of walk thru transom although that seems more geared towards 21 ft+ boat. Wrap around seating or a rear bench seat seems very nice as well along with storage areas.

 

Length - I lean towards a 20-22ft boat since they are smaller and I’m not experienced yet. 17-18 seems too small and the larger ones (24-25) seem like a little much for a first boat. I’ll be using this on mostly reservoirs’ in Colorado such as Carter Lake, Horsetooth, and McConaughy in NE would be the largest.

 

I know this is a lengthy post but I really want to go in as informed and educated as possible. Also, do I need to have a marine surveyor inspect the boat or is a good solid walk thru by myself and experienced boater sufficient? I think I will request a test drive since I’m so new to the sport. It seems that the general condition of the boat can be a good indicator of the overall shape. Hull shine, scraps, nicks, scrapes on the lower unit, clean engine compartment, condition of the vinyl, and hours?

 

A couple of the Glastrons in my area are in the 15-20K range for 02-06 with as low as 50 hours and as high as 230 hours. All seem very reasonable when I do the math of how many years those hours are spread across.

 

Well, there’s my brain dump on the subject. Jump in and let me know all your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

 

Sam

 

 

Well, i have owned a few different boats in my day…i can offer some advice but im in a totally different area and use my boats for strictly fishing and im from canada. i store my own boat and insurance policies/costs are probably very different. Gas is Gas, its gonna be the cheapest part of the boat lol. Youre looking for the family/water ski type boat by the way it sounds which ive never owned but my grandparents have and parents have had many, i know a little bit about them...

 

winterizing - well, i have never shrink wrapped a boat niether have my parents. just buy a nice cover with it, make sure its not gonna cave in from snow (with wood supports) i would think shrink wrapping it would trap moisture and the carpets and seats would develope a funky smell IMO…maybe they do it differently down south never seen that up here. One thing i seen you didnt think of is changing the oil in the leg to ensure no moisture is in there that can freeze, i think the most overlooked one is to make sure all the water is drained from the system as well i know on mercruisers (all my parents ever owned) theirs little petcocks that get clogged up somtimes and all the water cant come out. poke some wire down in it to make SURE you get ALL the water out of the block! Then get marine grade antifreeze fill that sucker up. We used too fog those inboards as well, but they were carb engines at the time so i dont know what they recommend with newer EFI engines. I fog my outboards too. Also any fuel left put a bottle of gas line antifreeze and stabilizer in it.

 

My dad would service his 350 Mercruiser like once a season LOL, but he didnt put many hours on it and mostly just trolling around a lake drinkin beer…but if youre doing lots of waterskiiing and wide open pulls might be a better idea to do it quicker. I just follow manufacturer specs to a "T" with my motors…oil types, oil weights and service frequencies are all specified in a manual.

 

ive never used a keel guard so i dont know, trailers are trailers…make sure the wiring doesnt look farmer joe'd and has decent tires. Bearing buddies help big time as well..EFI would probably be the way to go nowadays i would guess. but i wouldnt be afraid of a carburator, for the reason if something happens on the water you actually have a better chance of troubleshooting it right there. some of those new boats require a laptop...

 

i got a couple questions for you tho. Have you done a boaters safety course? in canada it is mandatory, you cant even go buy a boat without it from a dealer…are you going to do any fishing at all? Why not buy new? i know up here financing rates are suuuuper high on used boats, but for new ones you can get interest down pretty low! If it was me i would buy new, then you get factory warranty and all the perks of it being new. i know if it was me i would NEVER buy a used boat unless i went for a ride in it first…as for brand names i dont know much about those kinds of boats but up here mastercrafts, malibou, glastron, bayliners and sea doo seem to be a popular brand of that type of boat. Im more into the Lunds, Crestliners, Rangers and Nitro's…anyways hope that helps bud

[Coastal44]

I have been around boats all my life and have owned several in the 21-25' range. My previous boat was a 2004 Yamaha SX230 for three years and I liked it so much I upgraded to a 2008 Yamaha SX230 (23') with twin engines 320HP. Bought both used and by far the best boats I have ever owned and cheapest to maintain. All there is to do is change the spark plugs and oil. To winterize, start the motors on the trailer and rev for 15 seconds...Done! The acceleration is unreal and no worries about damaging props (the draft 16"). Needless to say, I'll have a hard time going back to a prop, especially since the ride quality is on par with all my other past boats. The swim decks are huge and really sets Yamaha apart. I would recommend the Cobra steering fins though. These make it steer like a prop boat at slow speeds.

 

I also found that the twin motors are way better on gas than my last two 5.7L V8's. They can be as thirsty if you run at WOT though. A lot of people put keel guards on them and beach them, but I don't like doing that.

 

The best part is our 2010 GMC Acadia can pull it no problem since it weighs 5,000lbs with trailer. These are the best selling boats on the market in the 21' - 23' categories year after year. You can't beat them for the cost.

 

There are two forums dedicated to these boats as well.

http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/index.php

 

http://jetboaters.net/

 

Couple pictures of mine.

 

[SB42]

Good advice. Number one rule is always remember what boat stands for.... Bust Out Another Thousand. Lol

Haha true that.

[SB42]

I have a bit of experience with older ones... That said in Colorado I'd definitely want fuel injected instead of a carb. Fuel injected will work a lot better.

 

If you want to do watersports I'd go with a motor with good power, once you're pulling they'll get about the same mileage IMO.

 

I would shoot for 20ft+, I've spent time on 18's and it gets crowded...

 

Most people I know do engine and lower unit oil once a year. It's good to grease the pivots on the boat and the trailer bearings each trip.

 

Can't speak for the keel saver. I never really took the ski boat up to the shore. I usually would park out a ways and swim in. For me it's less work than beaching the thing.

 

I like to spend time at dealers on new boats. Fun to look at the features and see what I would want want. A test drive would be fun, I'd want to take one. If you have a boat savvy buddy I'd take him.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the reply. Do you say fuel injection because of jettting and all that type of stuff? I would prefer fuel injected thats for sure. From the boats I've seen in my range it seems like 50-50 though. I'm planning to check out the couple dealers in my area within the next couple months just to further my search. Would love to be on the water next summer! Also, it seems like more and more boats are popping up onto our market as the years ends (I'm sure this is expected).

[SB42]

I have been around boats all my life and have owned several in the 21-25' range. My previous boat was a 2004 Yamaha SX230 for three years and I liked it so much I upgraded to a 2008 Yamaha SX230 (23') with twin engines 320HP. Bought both used and by far the best boats I have ever owned and cheapest to maintain. All there is to do is change the spark plugs and oil. To winterize, start the motors on the trailer and rev for 15 seconds...Done! The acceleration is unreal and no worries about damaging props (the draft 16"). Needless to say, I'll have a hard time going back to a prop, especially since the ride quality is on par with all my other past boats. The swim decks are huge and really sets Yamaha apart. I would recommend the Cobra steering fins though. These make it steer like a prop boat at slow speeds.

 

I also found that the twin motors are way better on gas than my last two 5.7L V8's. They can be as thirsty if you run at WOT though. A lot of people put keel guards on them and beach them, but I don't like doing that.

 

The best part is our 2010 GMC Acadia can pull it no problem since it weighs 5,000lbs with trailer. These are the best selling boats on the market in the 21' - 23' categories year after year. You can't beat them for the cost.

 

There are two forums dedicated to these boats as well.

http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/index.php

 

http://jetboaters.net/

 

Couple pictures of mine.

 

 

Thanks for the reply! I've seen those Yamahas around recently. What type of wake do they produce for water sports? That's something I've often been curious about. I've also heard pretty good reviews from folks that own those that I've run into.

 

What types of boats did you own before the Yamaha? I think the only thing that that's detering me from taking that route this time around, is the cost. They aren't really in the price range I'd like to stay in, for my first boat (under 20K max). Don't get me wrong, I really actually want, a really nice boat, such as a new or newer one or a Yamaha but don't want to spend all on my money on it or be worried about damaging it all the time. Also, I have lots of hobbies and try to spread my funds out a little.

 

The shallow draft would also be perfect for my anticipated once a year trip to Powell!

[SB42]

Well, i have owned a few different boats in my day…i can offer some advice but im in a totally different area and use my boats for strictly fishing and im from canada. i store my own boat and insurance policies/costs are probably very different. Gas is Gas, its gonna be the cheapest part of the boat lol. Youre looking for the family/water ski type boat by the way it sounds which ive never owned but my grandparents have and parents have had many, i know a little bit about them...

 

winterizing - well, i have never shrink wrapped a boat niether have my parents. just buy a nice cover with it, make sure its not gonna cave in from snow (with wood supports) i would think shrink wrapping it would trap moisture and the carpets and seats would develope a funky smell IMO…maybe they do it differently down south never seen that up here. One thing i seen you didnt think of is changing the oil in the leg to ensure no moisture is in there that can freeze, i think the most overlooked one is to make sure all the water is drained from the system as well i know on mercruisers (all my parents ever owned) theirs little petcocks that get clogged up somtimes and all the water cant come out. poke some wire down in it to make SURE you get ALL the water out of the block! Then get marine grade antifreeze fill that sucker up. We used too fog those inboards as well, but they were carb engines at the time so i dont know what they recommend with newer EFI engines. I fog my outboards too. Also any fuel left put a bottle of gas line antifreeze and stabilizer in it.

 

My dad would service his 350 Mercruiser like once a season LOL, but he didnt put many hours on it and mostly just trolling around a lake drinkin beer…but if youre doing lots of waterskiiing and wide open pulls might be a better idea to do it quicker. I just follow manufacturer specs to a "T" with my motors…oil types, oil weights and service frequencies are all specified in a manual.

 

ive never used a keel guard so i dont know, trailers are trailers…make sure the wiring doesnt look farmer joe'd and has decent tires. Bearing buddies help big time as well..EFI would probably be the way to go nowadays i would guess. but i wouldnt be afraid of a carburator, for the reason if something happens on the water you actually have a better chance of troubleshooting it right there. some of those new boats require a laptop...

 

i got a couple questions for you tho. Have you done a boaters safety course? in canada it is mandatory, you cant even go buy a boat without it from a dealer…are you going to do any fishing at all? Why not buy new? i know up here financing rates are suuuuper high on used boats, but for new ones you can get interest down pretty low! If it was me i would buy new, then you get factory warranty and all the perks of it being new. i know if it was me i would NEVER buy a used boat unless i went for a ride in it first…as for brand names i dont know much about those kinds of boats but up here mastercrafts, malibou, glastron, bayliners and sea doo seem to be a popular brand of that type of boat. Im more into the Lunds, Crestliners, Rangers and Nitro's…anyways hope that helps bud

 

I appriciate you feedback even though you're rocking the fishing boat.

 

Down here wrapping the boat seems relatively popular for outdoor storage. One of my work buddies that boats swears by it. It's like heat shrink for the boat and they use wood like you mentioned to create a dome/bubble around the boat. they add vents to keep it from trapping any mositure. From what I've heard it usually runs a couple hundred bucks tho.

 

Help me out on the leg? Is that the vertical portion of the lower unit?

 

I haven't done a boaters safety course recently. Did one several years back in FL but I think that was a pairred down version just to rent a jet ski. They don't require them in Colorado but I'm not opposed to the idea. I'm all about learning as much as possible. Regarding the new boat vs. used boat question; I would love a new boat but they are damn expensive for what I'm looking for. At this point in my life I dont know that I would want to spend 30K+ on a boat (29years old). I'm sure this won't be my first boat ever and if I get a mechanically sound, well maintained boat, i should be in pretty good shape I would think. Also, I want a new truck here in the next couple years so trying to spread out the expenses. I'm thinking interest rates won't be too big of a hurddle. I can get an unsecured loan for 9% and secured for 3%. My plan would be to pay a good portion in cash and then pay the loan off within 2 maybe 3 years...

 

Thanks for the feedback and the questions back

[sahls01gmc]

Good advice. Number one rule is always remember what boat stands for.... Bust Out Another Thousand. Lol

And, the 2 best days of owning a boat are the day you buy it, and the day you sell it!

[SILVER SLED]

I've been around boats all my life. I do all my boating in smaller inland lakes in lower MI, where outboards are by far the most popular. Glastons are pretty good boats, and would be a good choice. I'd go with a bigger motor, because if your doing a lot of watersports towing the big motor will come in handy. And, a small motor working hard could use as much gas as a big motor "loafing". All the above advice is pretty good. I'm not a fan of jet boats though. Maint. on most boats is pretty simple. But if your in doubt, most marinas (around here anyway) can store and winterize your boat for you. I have a 25ft pontoon, so I don't have anyplace to store it, so I take it to the marina and they do all the work, including shrink wrapping it. They also offer pick up and delivery. I have a 16 ft runabout with 115 that I do all the storing and maint myself. Keep in mind that you should get what you want as far as interior layout. Every thing has a trade off. Less cockpit room with a padded sun deck... Good luck.

[SB42]

Silver Sled - thanks for the post. I agree about the engine size and I'm looking for either a 5.0 or 5.7. Rinker boats have now entered the equation. They seem to have nice layouts with some desirable features for a decent price. Also looking at chaparral and crown lines nowadays. Really hoping to find something in the next couple months so I can enjoy a full summer on the lake!

 

Cheers!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SILVER SLED]

All those are good boats. I really like the lines on Crown Lines, but I think they're the priciest of the group.

[SB42]

Agreed about the crowlines- and of course that's how it has to work out lol

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kstruckcountry]

If you're doing much skiing/boarding I wouldn't get an outboard. I/O has a lower center of gravity so you can turn harder at speed and doesn't get in the way quite as much climbing into the boat. Slightly smoother ride with I/O as well due to better weight distribution.