NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

[rmb3kgt]

Hi all! I have wanted a boat for a very long time, and I finally have an opportunity to buy one, that I think is a good boat for me, at a great price. Need some advice though.

My Needs:
To take a boat wakeboarding on the river, on lakes, and in the bay in San Diego. Wanted an open bow where i can get friends together, and pull a wakeboarder, but others in the boat are still having fun and comfortable.

The boat I found:
The boat is a 1989 Sea Sprite SS, open Bow, 4 cylinder 4 stroke 140 HP 3.0 Mercruiser inboard motor with Mercruiser outdrive

My question:
with the boat filled with about 8 people and cargo, will I still have the power to pull a wakeboarder? Meaning, is 140hp too low with a full boat of people? Is the prop dangerous for wakeboarding (all my wakeboarding time has been on impeller setups)? Also, is a boat like this suitable for river, lake, and ocean wakeboarding?


I've read many good posts on this site, so i thought i would share my quesiton. If you have insight, please let me know. Thank you in advance for all your help!

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

You didnt say how big the boat is ,but it sounds small to me. 8 people is alot of people in a 21 ft or less. My 18 ft open bow gets crowded in a hurry with even 4-6 people, with gear, coolers, kneeboerds, wakeboards etc..Unless all but u are wearing bikinis of course, then its perfect I would think u would have a hard time getting on plane. With wakeboarder for sure. IDK... tough call... I M O

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

Guessing a 140 HP is a boat under 19 feet. As you learn about boating you will most likely find out that 8 is a zoo, 6 persons is a load 4 is great for performance, comfort and even safety reasons. As you learn about props and performance you will find that you can change props just like changing gears on a car. The catch is you can put a small prop and pull anything you want with a full load but you must not run over the recommended RPM or you will ruin the engine. It will not take you long to learn this but a friend operating the boat will just open it wide open and end your day.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

I agree with all the above.
My boat is a 21' and it holds 8 people. With a 170 HP.
Just by what you have stated, i'd look for something with more motor.

 

[Searay87]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

I couldn't agree more with the previous posts. I own a Sea Ray 17 foot bow rider with a merc 3.0 130 HP. It has a 6 person capacity. With 6 people and gear on board it's quite a chore to get on plane towing a skier not to mention the limited space. If the price is right then go for it but it won't be long before you're disappointed with the performance and the over-crowding. Cut it back to 4 people and you'll enjoy it more. The other thing to consider is the limited wake from a standard bow rider. Have you considered a wake boat?

Family friends own a 22 foot Tige wake boat. Now that's the ticket! Mastercraft also makes a sweet ride. Good luck.

 

[rmb3kgt]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

Thank you everyone! I knew i could trust this forum to help me out with some great insight.


paultjohnson - LOL! great answer. 100 lb hotties in lieu of all my oversized buddies, i totally concur! BTW, the boat is 18'. Agreed, I'm starting to realize that 8 people is just too many for this size of boat. Need to adjust my goals, 6 people is probably more reasonable. I will be seeing the boat in person tomorrow early morning, so I'll assess the size.

Lyle29464 - yup, 18', you called it. ya, starting to realize that 8 is too many, again, will assess the size of the boat in person tomorrow, but based on feedback from everyone, looking like 6 people is more the right number for "party" situations, and 4 people for the nominal wakeboarding state. Great info on the props! I was reading about that, and i thought that's what i was hearing. I'm a big car guy, so i started equating props to turbochargers. so engine size power's turbos differently, but then turbos themselves are suited for top end, low end, etc. good to hear that i can fine tune the prop to suit what i need. and also good to know about the RPMs, sounds just like a car ... of course you can run a car in redline, but only if you want the engine to fail.

bifflefan - ya, that seems to be the common recommendation. my issue ... cost. this boat is a killer deal, everything else in this price range is crap. and spending 50% - 100% more, doesnt really get me much more, except a little nicer interior and maybe a slightly newer hull. I did see a boat or two with a larger motor, but i sacrifice greatly on the age of the boat, and the state of the hull and interior. i felt like going with a higher quality hull, and cleaner overall boat, was a better choice. Is it feasible to put larger engines in boats? i'm guessing that could be a pretty expensive investment, due to motor mounts, and transmission adapters (or whatever they are called on a boat). Roughly, assuming i can find a good price on a small block v8, how much to swap it? i know that's an impossible question, but very rough, what would you guess?

Searay87 - ya, i want a different boat, but for this price, i cant touch anything else, half as nice. i figure, this is a good starter boat, and i can upgrade to the "ideal boat" later. I also learn on this boat, so if I do something stupid, I dont cry as much. i do really want a wakeboard tailored boat, but again ... too much money. sounds like i may have to sacrifice amount of people if i want to enjoy this boat.

 

[QC]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

8 people is work for my 320 6.2 . . .

I had a 3.0, it was great with two young (trim) couples. Skied and had a blast. A large group with an ice chest and watersports is a challenge for anything under 23 ft. and 300+ bhp. We've done a lot of this with a 20 footer and 250 horsepower, and it was hard work.

 

[rmb3kgt]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

QC - great info. i believe i now realize that my goal of lots of people, plus pulling a wakeboarder, with a boat as small as the one i mentioned, is totally unreasonable. so, i'll need to adjust my goals. i think, my plan is to just split the ideas. So either i take a larger group (8 with cooler, cargo, etc) and we just tool around and dock it on a sandbar, or float downriver ... OR ... i take a smaller group (4-6max) and we go wakeboarding, with no cooler or cargo. it was a longshot to hit my ideal case with a starter boat at a steal price, so i'm fine with adjusting my goals. i am seeing though, that i really need to be ok with the small amount of people that i could take wakeboarding ... really 4 dudes, or 6 peope (mainly chicks) is reasonable for this mini-motor. thank you!

 

[rmb3kgt]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

everyone - i went and looked at the boat this morning, although it was decent, it was far more worn than the pictures had shown. i decided against the purchase, because the seller didnt have all his ducks in a row (had not converted the title into his name, still had signature and name of previous owner from 9 months ago). so the deal felt a little sketchy to me, and that combined with some of the comments you all gave me, I decided it wasnt a go. i mentioned to him that if he fixes the title issue (i.e. get it in his name) and meets my price (I offered a bit lower than asking), then we may have a deal. So it's unlikely this deal will go through. thus my search for a boat continues. I appreciate all your help, especially with my last minute questions. hopefully i will find the right boat, and I'll join you all as a boat owner. how does the saying go, "the greatest days of a boat owners life, is the day he buys his boat, and the day he sells it"

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

Thx for reporting back . You DID the right thing Every boat you look at makes you a smarter shopper. Be picky, You will know when its right, Dont jump, dont be afraid to walk away [ like you just did !] Good Luck on your search ! An old phrase worth repeating... The best things in life are worth waiting for.......... or is it the best things in life are free LOL

 

[bluedevil211]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

I am in the market too...I am looking at about a 20-21' bowrider to be used for skiing and tubing. What size engine will I need?

 

[jkust]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

6 people including 2 kids is work for my 4.3. Even with a wide beam boat, 18 feet feels adequate for our two kids and two adult family. Would never pile 8 onboard even though the capacity can handle it. Couldn't imagine the extra burdon of watersports at the same time with a big load. Also, would never buy a 21 year old boat with an I/O as my first boat.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

while you'er shopping, think about this: you can take a larger group out, drop the cooler and passengers at the sandbar or whatever, then a couple of you take turns tubing, etc. Everyone's happier--less crowded, and no one wants to watch someone else on the end of the rope.
Also, if you think you will frequently take out large groups, consider a hull/interior design that is more open than a boat with limited padded fixed seats. Also, a more open design can be lighter, helping your engine performance.

 

[bluedevil211]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

JKust,

Why would you not buy a 20 year old I/O for your first boat?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

I also wouldn't recommend a 20 year old i/o to a new boat owner. There's so much that will go wrong, and even more that can go wrong, that will leave a new boater so frustrated that he will give up boating. A new boater also always underestimates the costs.
This is especially true, in my view, when you have it for family recreation. A couple of cancelled trips, failure at the dock, time in the shop during prime boating weekends/holidays, and its all over. I think reliability, like convenience, has to be paid for.
It is not the same at all as (1) an experienced boater or boat fixer getting an old boat or (2) the same owner having an old familiar boat for many years. It's also different if it were a young single guy getting an old OB/jon boat rig to learn on.

 

[bluedevil211]

Re: NEW to boating, need advice on potential boat purchase

Makes sense....