What am I getting myself into?

[DevonS]

Hello folks. Yet another newbie here to ask dumb questions. I've been poking around and searching this forum tonight and you guys don't seem to mind the odd dumb question and like to guide people to finding the answer rather than fighting over it and flaming the poor noob out of the internet.

Anyway, on with the intro and eventual questions. As you can probably tell already, I'm a bit long winded. I'll try to keep it short. I'm from the prairies of Canada and I'm still here. We have some nice lakes around here. I've been out boating many times as a kid, but our family never owned a boat. I've been a beach dweller for the last 15 or so year, pouting as I watch all the folks cruising by, skiing by, wake-boarding by. I want in on the action. My wife and I have 2 young girls (5 and 2). My neighbor bought a brand new Bayliner last year and we were out a few times with them. I have driven a few different ski boats, but few and far between. I've almost convinced my wife that we NEED a boat. My budget is around $6K (USD). Usage will be 90% ski/wakeboard/tube and maybe 10% fishing... maybe... I'm good with 0%.

I read some newbie threads on here asking for buying advice, and they have been helpful, but I'll have to look up some terms before continuing (i.e. transom... can't think of others).

I want to start with drive types... I think that's the term. I've noticed a pile of jet boats on craigslist (Sugar Sand, Yamaha Exciter, Sea Doo) that are in my price range. Are they crap? I'm looking at boats that are up to 1500 miles away. That's a long way to go to say "no thanks". Any tips for long distance purchases? Does anyone have a short list of boats every cheap newb should consider (ha! let's see if I start a fight with that one ). Ok, enough typing. Most people glaze over after two paragraphs and I've got 4.

 

[bhammer]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Welcome to iBoats.... I lost you on the first paragraph. All kidding aside, it sounds like you have done a little research. In answer to your questions, a transom is the back part of the boat that holds the outboard engine or what the lower unit attaches too.

As for jets, I don;t know much about them. I know that some of the older ones are very inefficient and probably the ones in your price range. Everyone I know personally, has always liked and I/O better than their jet. Other's here love them because of getting close to the bottom. Some will add to it.

As a general rule, (not always) stay away from Merc 470/3.7 and any OMC boats. The parts are getting scarce and the knowledge base is getting smaller.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Welcome to iboats. No flaming....... yet

Most reliable Inboard outboard drive on the market today (my opinion) is the 3.0 liter mercruiser. The boats you named as far as I know are jet drives with their own unique problems (now that where I will get flamed !). I would avoid them.

Short list.... wife + 2 young children + fun/fish + comfort low maintenance, easy to tow amd launch oh and los cost..... WOW!

Look at a late model used entry level boat at around 17-19' long. Your best prices will come from individuals Vs. dealers. My reasoning is.... people paid 10-12K (US) for these in the past few years....they have either gotten bored, rand out of money...... or the best come from the sick people who have been bitten by the "two foot fever" and they are out to buy a bigger boat

Read the Bayliner reviews at the bottom of the forums in the Bayliner section...... there are many that will fit the bill but the money is the toughest factor.

I/O get the best MPG and have fairly easy maint. 4 Stroke outboards too but have some maintenance issues attached.

Now that I got you glazed good luck!

Check iboats classified too.

 

[DevonS]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

bhammer... thanks for the transom definition. I just found it with a bit more reading... but thanks just the same.

Ok, so two strikes for the jet-boats so far. All I've ever driven have had outboard or I/O. I really like my neighbor's Bayliner and was looking for something different so I don't look like I'm trying to be my neighbor , but to be honest I'm leaning toward Bayliner. I'm noticing most of the Bay's in my price range are '95 - '02. Besides the L-drive-thingy (technical term), is there anything else to watch out for with this model range?

I'll keep reading...

 

[DevonS]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Short list.... wife + 2 young children + fun/fish + comfort low maintenance, easy to tow amd launch oh and los cost..... WOW!

Don't you just love us clowns that want it all for nothing? You can scratch fish off the list. I have friends with fishing boats.

 

[jonesg]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Look at what brand the local dealers sell, if they are mostly mercury then it wouldn't make sense to buy a johnson outboard because you'll be waiting for parts.

I would go with outboard, if theres a problem just pull it off.
2 strokes are much simpler to work on but theres a ton of help here if you're handy.

my brother has a big bayliner, nice boat but he wishes he had my 20' with a johnson outboard, mine is easy to trailer and low DIY maintainance compared to his big V8 under the deck.

 

[roscoe]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Definitely go with a brand of motor that you can get serviced locally.

If you go with a Bayliner, make sure it is solid and sound; NOT an l-drive, and NOT a Force motor.

You can buy some fine boats for $6000, just be patient and keep looking till all the pieces fall into place.

My personal favorite would be a 1990-92 Sea Ray, 18' with a 4.3 liter v6 and Mercury Alpha One drive.

 

[DevonS]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Look at what brand the local dealers sell, if they are mostly mercury then it wouldn't make sense to buy a johnson outboard because you'll be waiting for parts.

I would go with outboard, if theres a problem just pull it off.
2 strokes are much simpler to work on but theres a ton of help here if you're handy.

Good tip on the local dealers. I'll look into it. Your logic with the outboard makes sense to me. I've ripped apart engines before and I'm not afraid to tackle some more in-depth repairs. I started to rebuild an engine in an 89 Mustang, but got board and sent it off to get finished. Put it back in myself tho.

 

[DevonS]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

Definitely go with a brand of motor that you can get serviced locally.

If you go with a Bayliner, make sure it is solid and sound; NOT an l-drive, and NOT a Force motor.

You can buy some fine boats for $6000, just be patient and keep looking till all the pieces fall into place.

My personal favorite would be a 1990-92 Sea Ray, 18' with a 4.3 liter v6 and Mercury Alpha One drive.

Thanks for the info, Roscoe. I'll take a look a the Sea Ray. I was hoping to get the newest boat possible, but a well cared for older boat may be better than a new boat. I see you're in Wisconsin... I'm seeing lots of boats on Craigslist from there... I'll likely be pulling the trigger in that area.

 

[PhatboyC]

Re: What am I getting myself into?

You need to provide us with your intended budget. Just so we can help you bust it.

I recommend a bow rider runabout with an I/O. The size of the boat depends on the waters you'll boat on and your tow rig.

 

[Sikiguya]

I love my Jetboat!

I love my Jetboat!

Good luck in your search! I was doing the same thing a few months ago. A few advice I had received will be passed on to you.

One. Get a bigger boat. I too am a boat novice and was really concern about getting too big of a boat and was looking at the 17 and 18 foot boats. From the few trips I have made in my 21 footer, I am glad I got the bigger boat. From just the room in the boat to how it handle on the lake, the bigger one is better. (Be sure to check the tow capacity before going overboard with the size!)

Two. You will spend more than what you plan for unless you are truly disciplined. I had budgeted a certain amount and went over! That said, there are a lot of good deals out there. You need to research and have a good idea about what the prices are on the boat you are looking at. So that you are ready to pull the trigger when you come across the deal of the century...or to wait for it.

Three. Don't be afraid to drive a distance to get a boat. I didn't and got mine in Minnesota. It was a 5 1/2 hour drive each way and we made a weekend out of it wit the Mall of America. With the internet these days, you can get enough pictures or even video emailed to you so that you can see it. On boats without a warranty, I would have it check out by a mechanic prior to driving out to get it. The challenge is driving it back when you haven't tow a boat before!!!..believe me, I was a little nervous about it....and then mother nature threw in a snow storm and 25 mph winds....that's another story. By the way, may want to check the necessary requirement to buy a boat in the states and taking it to Canada...

For the Jetboats, we love it. Love the fact that there are no props to deal with...that is going to spark a debate. Not saying props are not safe...just rather it not be there for the kids. Also, being a novice, I love the fact it is pretty much dummy proof. Just turn it on, push throttle forward to go forward, and pull it back to go reverse.... That said, you don't want to go in 12" of water either. You can go pretty shallow provided you are not going fast...the jet can pull crap off the bottom. For the price range provided, you are probably looking at the Merc motors, do some research before getting one. They run well and there are many happy people using them. But from what I looked at, if you have a bad one, you can have a real money pit! If your budget can stretch a bit, look for the ones with the actual jetski motors. Good luck! You and your family will really enjoy the boat! I know we do!