Is Bayliner decent first boat?

[evilwind1]

Hi. my friend asked me to go with him to look at a 1988 18.5 i/o Bayliner bowrider, omc with trailer. It needs the usual cosmetic stuff for that year( faded peeling vinyl etc,) ant the seller says the outdrive is rebuilt as is the fuel pump + alternator ( changed/new). The hull is clean and shows no signs of being run aground or stress cracks. The gelcoat is good and bunk trailer looks OK. My question: is this OMC or year boat some thing to avoid all together and is there some thing specific I should check/be aware of? The seller is asking $1200.00 which doesn't seem bad but I just don't want to let someone buy something only to find out later it was the worst year for that particular drive system or parts are almost impossible to find etc. Any feedback greatly appreciated ( we're going to look at the boat in an hour0 Thanks!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

unless it is immaculate, walk away from the OMC drive system, no longer supported with parts, or service. few shops will work on them, expensive. that vintage bayliner is noted for rot, due to deferred maintenance. they were beginner boats, and most neglected.

Buying a boat

1st you need to decide what you want to use it for, fishing, cruising, or water sports.

2nd how many people adults, children you want on board of the average outing.

3rd outboard, inboard-outboard, or inboard power plant.

4th Budget, what you want to pay, and what you are willing to pay, when you find
Exactly what you want.

You can hire a marine surveyor, to inspect the boat, or you can do it yourself.

You are mainly looking for soft spots in the deck, transom, cracks, all signs of a rotten, under frame.

The motor should be clean, no spots where the paint is discolored, or pealing from heat, having run hot. Compression should be atleast 100psi, and within 10% of each other,
Spark on all cylinders, good pee stream, check lower unit for water in oil.

The overall condition of the boat will tell you a lot, as to how it has been maintained.

A 30 year old boat motor combo, may be in better condition, than a 3 year old

 

[Bondo]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

The seller is asking $1200.00 which doesn't seem bad

Ayuh,.....

That's about $1000.00 Tooo Much.....
You outta be able to get atleast $200.00 for the Trailer......

 

[naphobia]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

sounds like some bayliner haters, i have a 87 bayliner with omc cobra 5.0 when i bought it it had floor rot the the motor ran good hasnt givin me any real problems. and parts are not that hard to find. do the research your self i have found lots of place's online to but parts. they have a plug off cap on the motor ,its rubber cost 3 bucks , better check it, and replace one on each side of the manifold, marine2go.com just google it has them. i just bought a starter for mine , ordered i had it in 3 days. the local guy here in jacksonville is one of the only guys around here that is familar with this engine, so that may be an issue. but remember 1200 bux is not a lot of money, if it runs good an all you have to do is replace the floor...so what ...its an easy thing to do. i had someone else do it but it still only cost me 600 bux....for 1200 bux if i had a boat that lasted 3 years. id be happy. if your looking at a 1200 boat,then you probably dont have the money/finiacing to get a new one, so dont let the other guys scare you to much

 

[Mark42]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Yep. And second and third... As long as you buy one that was not neglected. The late 80's were apparently not as well water proofed regarding stringers and floors than the early 80's models, so they do tend to have rot in those areas.

Go to NADA.com to get the value of the boat (usually listed as a boat/motor/trailer package). Then compare it to the actual condition of the boat.

If you are still interested, get someone who knows boats to inspect for rot, and take it for a test ride if possable.

I picked up a 1985 Bayliner last year that is a "cream puff" and paid less than the NADA price. They are out there, and not expensive. Look for boats that were trailered and garage kept. Even if its 20-30 years old, it will probably be in great shape compared to a boat that was kept at the lake, or stored under a cover.

Don't settle for a worn out looking boat. Keep looking for a boat that was well maintained by an experienced boater.

 

[RickyHenry]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Ayuh,.....

That's about $1000.00 Tooo Much.....
You outta be able to get atleast $200.00 for the Trailer......

Agreed, don't pay anything for that boat, in fact, turn the opposite direction and walk away, in a fast like pace. $200 for the trailer though, that sounds reasonable.

 

[Neverhome]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

I have owned a 21 foot Bayliner cuddy and currently own a 2002 Trophy 2359, which was spun off from Bayliner. I am not a Bayliner basher by any stretch of the imagination. In general they are a good value for the money,
but quite frankly, the 1980 years of production had a very bad, and for the most part, well deserved reputation on the smaller boats. Bayliner has come a long way in improving on that reputation with the newer boats. I would be very hesitant to buy one from that period especially since getting parts for the OMC will be very difficlut. Having said that, if you have inspected the boat and are sure it is in good shape and don't want to spend a lot of money, go for it. At that price if you can get two or three years out of it you have done OK.

Good luck with your decision.

Neverhome

 

[RickyHenry]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

I have owned a 21 foot Bayliner cuddy and currently own a 2002 Trophy 2359, which was spun off from Bayliner. I am not a Bayliner basher by any stretch of the imagination. In general they are a good value for the money,
but quite frankly, the 1980 years of production had a very bad, and for the most part, well deserved reputation on the smaller boats. Bayliner has come a long way in improving on that reputation with the newer boats. I would be very hesitant to buy one from that period especially since getting parts for the OMC will be very difficlut. Having said that, if you have inspected the boat and are sure it is in good shape and don't want to spend a lot of money, go for it. At that price if you can get two or three years out of it you have done OK.

Good luck with your decision.

Neverhome

I agree, Bayliner had a horrible reputation, it's tough for them to get out of it. Most of this is due to the 1980's build of boats. Even now, Bayliner still produces lower quality boats than any other mass manufacturer, but their reputation from the 80's; remains.

 

[evilwind1]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Thankyou everyone for the replies! Well, we just got back from buying it ($1200) and from what I could tell it sounded great and shifted fine. It was a fresh water boat (most of it's life)and from looking at it totally believable. No corrosion or oxidation typical of salt water and the outdrive and prop looked just about perfect. I was never a big fan of Bayliner since all I ever heard about them were the paper thin hulls and low quality manufacturing.After hearing this one run and seeing that it had been well maintained seemed like an alright deal. I figured if my buddy got a couple of seasons out of it just to see if boating was his thing (wife and kid approval pending) then better off finding out with a small investment than spending maybe tens of thousands. Any way thanks again for all the feedback.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

i'm not a bayliner basher. i like them, it was the bad owners not a bad boat. sounds like this one may have had a good owner. good luck with the OMC, they weren't bad either, just now not supported.

 

[dcg9381]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

the seller says the outdrive is rebuilt as is the fuel pump + alternator ( changed/new).

1) NADA is "ballpark" best case for boats and in most cases, I wouldn't give it "ballpark".

2) If the outdrive is rebuilt, he should have receipts. No receipts = no rebuild or improper rebuild.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

I figured if my buddy got a couple of seasons out of it just to see if boating was his thing (wife and kid approval pending) then better off finding out with a small investment than spending maybe tens of thousands.

^^Wise Words^^

Although I personally prefer people who dive in head first and have to get the newest, fastest, bestest out there. Without them the "very lightly" used market wouldn't exist

 

[evilwind1]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

^^Wise Words^^

Although I personally prefer people who dive in head first and have to get the newest, fastest, bestest out there. Without them the "very lightly" used market wouldn't exist

Yeah..I might have just given up an insiders secret by divulging my "cheap used boat" theory but I'm sure if this works out next year is Donzi time!

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Guess I'm a Bayliner Hater... I'd never buy one and I've had friends that have had just horrible experiences with them.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

But remember guys, this is his first boat. If he can get a good deal on a running Bayliner, then he'll appreciate boats that are better made that much more for the second, third, fourth boats etc.

Plus this is the boat he'll learn handling on, and this will be the one he'll run into docks, rocks, and sandbars.. why do that with a better boat than a bayliner?



Erik

 

[Kachadurian]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Thankyou everyone for the replies! Well, we just got back from buying it ($1200) and from what I could tell it sounded great and shifted fine. . . . I figured if my buddy got a couple of seasons out of it just to see if boating was his thing (wife and kid approval pending) then better off finding out with a small investment than spending maybe tens of thousands. Any way thanks again for all the feedback.

You are a wise man. You'd spend that much to rent a boat for a week. If you use it a lot you'll spend half that on gas. $1,200 isn't much for a boat that's going to serve you well. Plenty of people will spend that this year to get their engines running again.

Tom

 

[tmh]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Yep. i concur. $1200 is more like rental money in the boat world so he can find out about boating on the cheap! Maybe he likes it enough to either spend up or to fix up his cheap boat. If the engine holds up for a while, it's a good buy.

Heck, my plan was to buy cheap and see if it was "for us" but I got hooked on my old boat and fixed it up pretty nice for not too much $$$ and now it's at least a 5-year keeper! And yes, I hit the dock a time or two learning what I was doing and because it is an old boat it didn't ruin my day!

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

Have two Bayliners (88 and a big old 77), and mostly no problems. Both bought used, but the hulls as junk not quite true. In fact a solid good design. BUT, its the floors that were made too cheap. They get a little soft in a place or two after people thinking its OK to just hose them out, but the hulls are solid.
I wouldn't buy an OMC OD, but at $1200...hey, what the heck. Thats soon to be the price of a gas fill up on my big boat!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

I owned a 1987 2150 Bayliner Capri with an OMC Cobra. I bought the boat when it was only a couple of years old and sold it when it was 13 years old. I was very diligent in keeping water off the floor and it still got soft after awhile. I ended up taking up the carpet and soaking the floor with a penetrating epoxy sealer to get a few more years out of the floor.

Having owned one, I personally would not recommend buying that vintage of Bayliner considering the problems I had early in its life and now that they are 20 years old.

 

[rak98221]

Re: Is Bayliner decent first boat?

I just purchased an '89 Bayliner Capri 1952, 5.0L Cobra, outstanding value great performance, I took it over to Lake Chelan and had about a 9 mile run at 30mph with almost a full load in it in about 2 ft chops ran great, I wouldn't hesitate to buy this boat again, it tops out at 51mph and is fairly efficient on gas if you stay out of it.