N()()B, need your opinion for my potential first boat.

[fcam00]

Hi all,
I just stumbled in this forum a week or so ago, and keep lurking daily, I see a lot of great people, great activities around here.
First time posting, little bit nervous since I saw couple of posters got hammered about their poor English, and English isn?t my first language, so please taking easy on me.
Anyway, I?ve been looking to buy my first boat, and couldn?t come up with a decision to whether I should stay with 19 footer or shorter, or getting a bigger boat between 21-26 footer as my first boat.
I used to work in a tugboat (I often took the wheel for 3-4 hours so my captain got a nap here and there) back in my country for few years, so I think after the boat launched on water, I will be ok. The part that I am lack of confident are I never tow a boat, or launch a boat before. My question is how much different (difficult wise) to launch a boat at a dock between the 19 footer, and 26 footer? (Towing wise as well? I have a 2004 Suburban Z71).
I don?t often have 2 days weekend like most others, so 1 day trip mostly will be the norm. Would the bigger boat isn?t practical for my needs?
Trips will mostly for 3 of us (me, my lady, and son), but other family member could join us sometime.
I am looking at the 1986 Bayliner Ciera 2450. I like the look, the roomy of it, and price range (asking $3200). I could go as much as $7k max for this hobby for now.
By looking at these attached photos, what you guys make of the condition of this boat? I probably will schedule to viewing tomorrow, what should I look for?
Here?s the seller?s description:
1986 Bayliner Ciera 2450 with 2001 Load Rite Trailer
24' Cabin Cruiser with a Chevy 350 Engine
Volvo Penta 275 Outdrive
Comes with Lowrance GPS/ Fish Finder
VHF Radio
Has Porta Potty
Sink, Alcohol Stove and Refrigerator
New Upholstery on Bench seat last season
Some new plastic on the enclosure.
2001 Load Rite Trailer with less than 1,000 miles and spare tire.
Boat was used last season starts right up and was winterized.
New Battery
New Shift Cable
New Steering wheel
Have a spare instrument panel that we will include with the purchase.
Boat could use a cleaning and waxing.
Looking to downsize to a smaller boat.

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: N()()B, need your opinion for my potential first boat.

Welcome! There will likely be someone along shortly with experience in this particular boat, so be patient. In the meantime, I am just killing time till time to leave the office, so I will jump in and say welcome to iboats!

Oh...and English is typically a second language in here too, regardless of where they are from

 

[fcam00]

Re: N()()B, need your opinion for my potential first boat.

Welcome! There will likely be someone along shortly with experience in this particular boat, so be patient. In the meantime, I am just killing time till time to leave the office, so I will jump in and say welcome to iboats!

Oh...and English is typically a second language in here too, regardless of where they are from

Thanks infideltarget for the welcoming.
BTW, love your other thead what and why....great stuff going on there.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: N()()B, need your opinion for my potential first boat.

First off welcome to the site,

I normally recommend a smaller boat for a first boat but it seems you have more experience then most do so let me tell you this, I have found that launching and loading my 25' boat is easier then my 19' (my first)boat was, it doesn't seem to react to wind and waves as fast as the smaller 19' boat did. Trailering is not a big deal just something you need to do and grow used to doing, it shouldn't take long. I have no idea what your Suburban can tow it is one of those vehicles that can be a 1/2 ton or a 1 ton so we need more info from you on that and that will tell us what the towing capacity is of your vehicle.

The Boat,
I think the condition of the boat is on par with the price, in other words get used to working on it, the problem is that we have no idea what the condition of the backbone is thats called the stringers, judging by the overall condition of the boat along with the age I would tell you its probably not good, what this means is that no matter what you do, if you don't fix the stringers your polishing a horse turd. The way around this is to pay for a marine survey, this employs a professional to come out and do an independent survey of the boat including the condition of the stringers. If the marine survey comes back and the stringers are in good shape then get after it, if not I would say pass unless you are very serious in the ways of rebuilding a boat from the hull up.

Please take a look at the rebuild/restoration section of the site for all the information regarding replacing the stringers on a boat.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: N()()B, need your opinion for my potential first boat.

Hey fcam00,

First of all, welcome aboard!!!

Second, don't worry about getting "hammered" for your command of the English language... The few who get "hammered" are from the United States; English is not a second language to them. They want well thought out, inteligent answers to their all but thoughtless, misspelled, rediculously difficult to understand questions.:facepalm: Regardless, most of what I just said was lighthearted, as is the "hammering" these people usually get. There is a lot of friendly banter and humerous sarcasm going on here most of the time.

I agree completely with what my buddy LippCJ7 told you.

I'm not a bayliner basher. They do indeed make a decent boat for the money. Understand, though, you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, in the mid eighties, Bayliner earned themselves a really bad reputation for putting out some poorly constructed boats. The boat your looking at, is from that time frame. From what I've seen, though, they've come a long way since then. Do not disregard this boat because of what I just told you. The last thing I want to do is scare you away from what quite possibly could turn out to be a really good boat.

That's awesome that you worked on a tug boat. I'd never launched a boat from a ramp until I moved from New York to Georgia. I picked it up really quickly. the first time I did it, the boat was launched in well under 5 minutes. Would've been less than 2 minutes, had I not forgotten to secure the bow-line to toss to my wife who was waiting on the courtesy dock. We live and learn.

Where are you from?

 

[hibbert6]

Re: N()()B, need your opinion for my potential first boat.

Welcome!

My input would be to consider if you really want the cuddy cabin. It adds weight and more places to clean.

For 3-5 people, a 19 foot boat will be plenty. It will be lighter, (by 1000 lbs.)easier to tow, (much easier to go around corners) and will get better gas mileage, in both the boat and the tow vehicle. It would also be better for water sports. But you would not have a toilet on a 19 footer.

Dave