Boat choices??

[brad614]

I am looking to upgrade, and there are several brands I have been interested in. The list includes: Bayliner, Celebrity, Crownline, Angler, Robaldo, Donzi and Sea Ray. Are there any of these that I would definitely want to steer clear of? Any that would be a preference? I am looking at cabin cruisers in the 25-32 ft range.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Boat choices??

The boat is only as good as the previous owner's maintenance. That being said, some boats just are full of gremlins from the factories. Just because you may talk to one person that had a crappy XYZ boat doesn't mean that all XYZ boats are crap.

Check floors, transoms, and especially maintenance logs. Some people say smaller boats don't require maintence logs, but I will never buy another boat without verification of service & parts.

Buy the boat that's right for you. A 28' Bayliner has a totally different layout than a 28' Rinker and a 28' Robalo.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Boat choices??

Brand means very little when it comes to used boats. The older they get, the less it matters. The fact that you have Celebrity listed there tells me you're considering some older models. Condition condition condtion is all that matters at that point. (and don't buy something with an obsolete powerplant).

 

[ryanr623]

Re: Boat choices??

Brand means very little when it comes to used boats. The older they get, the less it matters. The fact that you have Celebrity listed there tells me you're considering some older models. Condition condition condtion is all that matters at that point. (and don't buy something with an obsolete powerplant).

I agree somewhat, however the boats that are built better usually hold up longer though, no? I looked at a bunch of "older" boats(early 90's). Every 4 winns freedom i looked at had soft floors for some reason. Every bayliner seemed to be coming apart at least in one spot. Imperial seemed mostly wood. The rinker i looked at was decent. I settled on the regal because you could tell it was built better. Everything was more solid. From the floors, to the chairs and even the doghouse. It was very well cared for, but if it wasnt, it seemed like it coulda held up to abuse FAR better than the 4 winns, bayliners and imperials I looked at.