Re: Bayliner boats
Start a Bayliner thread and sit back and watch the comments unfold. Bayliner has a stigma of being a lower quality boat than the other boats in their class. This was true, up to the mid '90s (PLEASE: Bayliner owners...no bashing...there are still plenty of older Bayliners out there running strong) when the company made big transformations in their construction processes and came into compliance with NMMA specs. That being said, a boat, regardless of it's age, is only as good as it maintenance program. If you're not sure what to look for, take someone knowledgeable in the field to check it out, or hire a survey done. They are pretty inexpensive compared to what you could be spending on hidden defects.
Personally speaking, I had a 1996 Bayliner Trophy W/A, model 2002, and it was one of the best boats I ever had. Never a minute of trouble, no soft spots in the floor or transom, ran 50 MPH with a Mercury 150 on it (don't get the 120 Force. Extremely underpowered), and had a great little cuddy for bad weather or good times (
).
Get more info on the boat: Hours, engine size, battery condition, trailer specs, price, etc and post those. It will help a lot on your position.
