Hi everyone, I am new to this website and pretty new to boating. I grew up with inactive parents, but when I got to go boating with friends as a young adult, or rented a boat for an afternoon on the harbor, it was always an amazing experience. I now live one mile from the harbor and was looking to buy a starter boat, and it would be great if any experienced boaters could provide some guidance.
Some key facts: I'm in Huntington Beach, Southern California. I'm looking for something small, in the 17' to 19' range. It will be stored in my driveway or garage and would be used all seasons. It will primarily be used in Huntington Harbour in Huntington Beach, Newport Bay in Newport Beach, and Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. I'd love to go up and down the coast to these destinations, but the boats I'm looking at right now probably can't handle that and I'd need to get a few more hours of experience under my belt. These harbors/bays all have low speed limits, so I'm not looking for super-power; a "slow" boat is fine by me at this stage. I may go out for some lake usage, but primarily I'll use in the harbors, which are all close to my house. I know I am dealing with salt water and need to flush after each use. My main goal is to have a boat with an open bow to cruise around in with a couple of friends, and maybe later get into fishing (no experience there yet). I can't spend a tremendous amount, but want something fairly reliable (as far as boats go). I'm looking at around $5500 and below.
In reading this forum and other research for boats most suitable for beginners, looks like outboard motors are most recommended. I've seen a few Bayliner Capris listed at a local dealer which seem to be what I'm looking for (though I've read some bad things here about Force outboards). I'd prefer going through a dealer over Craigslist, as I'd expect better quality and more opportunity to get a test drive and inspection before committing. I've done some research and know that the condition/storage is more important than age, and to watch for soft spots and rotting transoms. Below are the boats I'm looking at; provided they are in good shape and get a good grade from the inspector, do these seem suitable to meet my goals? Any knowledge or comments on these models or the listings? If not, any other suggestions on what I should get? Any suggestions on offering a fair price? Thank you all very much in advance!
#1 http://www.hippmarine.com/searcheng...&indid=1&sortCol=Length&sortDir=DESC&page=6&#
#2 http://www.hippmarine.com/searcheng...&indid=1&sortCol=Length&sortDir=DESC&page=6&#
More info here: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/boa/2307964223.html
Some key facts: I'm in Huntington Beach, Southern California. I'm looking for something small, in the 17' to 19' range. It will be stored in my driveway or garage and would be used all seasons. It will primarily be used in Huntington Harbour in Huntington Beach, Newport Bay in Newport Beach, and Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. I'd love to go up and down the coast to these destinations, but the boats I'm looking at right now probably can't handle that and I'd need to get a few more hours of experience under my belt. These harbors/bays all have low speed limits, so I'm not looking for super-power; a "slow" boat is fine by me at this stage. I may go out for some lake usage, but primarily I'll use in the harbors, which are all close to my house. I know I am dealing with salt water and need to flush after each use. My main goal is to have a boat with an open bow to cruise around in with a couple of friends, and maybe later get into fishing (no experience there yet). I can't spend a tremendous amount, but want something fairly reliable (as far as boats go). I'm looking at around $5500 and below.
In reading this forum and other research for boats most suitable for beginners, looks like outboard motors are most recommended. I've seen a few Bayliner Capris listed at a local dealer which seem to be what I'm looking for (though I've read some bad things here about Force outboards). I'd prefer going through a dealer over Craigslist, as I'd expect better quality and more opportunity to get a test drive and inspection before committing. I've done some research and know that the condition/storage is more important than age, and to watch for soft spots and rotting transoms. Below are the boats I'm looking at; provided they are in good shape and get a good grade from the inspector, do these seem suitable to meet my goals? Any knowledge or comments on these models or the listings? If not, any other suggestions on what I should get? Any suggestions on offering a fair price? Thank you all very much in advance!
#1 http://www.hippmarine.com/searcheng...&indid=1&sortCol=Length&sortDir=DESC&page=6&#
#2 http://www.hippmarine.com/searcheng...&indid=1&sortCol=Length&sortDir=DESC&page=6&#
More info here: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/boa/2307964223.html
