Where are you going to use the boat and what is your mission?

9/6/2013 9:23:02 AM

Quote :

"20-25' boat Bow rider Inboard I/O Or Outboard ?"

Inboard or vDrive if you want to get serious about surfing, wakeboarding, or skiing.

Outboard options will be limited. There are some Outboard powered runabouts out there, but most of what you'll find will be saltwater, deck boats, or pontoons. If you want easy care and low maintenance take a look at some saltwater boats. It would be nice to have something that you don't have to cover, doesn't have vinyl/carpet to have to keep clean, and doesn't have to be winterized; but it's not going to be as posh as most of the I/O's you'll find.

If you're just looking for a good all around lake boat it's hard to beat an I/O for easy maneuvering, smooth ride, and comfy interiors.

Now is a great time to buy if you can afford to have your cash sitting on a trailer all winter waiting to be used next spring.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/4013065390.html

This would be sweet if you could ignore the upholstery or if you knew an interior guy who could hook you up without breaking the bank. Lay some new carpet, slap a new steering wheel on there, refinish the wood covering the ski locker and you'd have a nice looking boat.

[Edited on September 6, 2013 at 12:13 PM. Reason : l]

9/6/2013 12:11:15 PM

Yeah I talked to the guy before I saw your post (I do like stingray) I need to look at it.

It probably won't be for a while though we found a house we love and are buying this weekend

9/6/2013 1:17:16 PM

Damn, i want that boat.

Those are simple fixes too.

9/6/2013 2:46:33 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/4045414433.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/4029362148.html

9/8/2013 11:51:47 AM

keep the carpet and upholstery to a minimum. find a wood-free hull. folks who complain about how expensive boats are to maintain are the ones who choose high-maintenance boats.

[Edited on September 8, 2013 at 12:22 PM. Reason : gf]

9/8/2013 12:21:12 PM

Dat teak!

10/26/2013 7:47:57 PM

Looks damned good man

10/28/2013 8:51:44 AM

Thanks! That'll only last about two weekends when it goes back in the water unfortunately. I try to scrub it down and oil it a few times a year, but I gave up on keeping it nice all the time years ago. I'd imagine a cleaning holds up better in saltwater environments where the bottom is sandy rather than muddy.

10/28/2013 2:22:26 PM

This weekend I changed the lower unit oil, greased the prop shaft, pulled fuel tank and flushed it out, put in a new filler neck along with new fuel fill and vent hose along with new straps for the tank. Cranked on the first fire with barely a puff of smoke...then I noticed the pee stream seemed weak and it wasn't cooling with muffs on it. Digital gauge reading 0 to .3psi and temps nearing the alarm point. Fuck.

I cut it off and put the hose on the neighbor savor flusher and I could hear the t-stats opening and closing and the digital readout was reading ~5.5psi and the engine temp dropped rapidly (which didn't actually seem right). I assumed there was a blockage somewhere but 45 minutes of alternating between muffs and flush kit didn't do anything. I had a hunch that maybe putting it in the water with more supply available might build more pressure off the water pump to force out what i was hoping was a blockage. I put it in and cranked it and water briefly blasted out of the easy flush cap (which I inspected and noticed what must be a relief valve built into it that I didn't know existed) and there was a bit of a light "pop" out the pee hole and she had a strong stream and was registering 5.5 on the readout.



[Edited on May 4, 2014 at 5:52 PM. Reason : .]

5/4/2014 5:49:25 PM

^ Glad it worked out. Probably the work of mud daubers.

My dad's temp warning went off the first time he put the ski in last year. A bird built a nest by the exhaust and stuffed the water outlet with nesting materials.

5/5/2014 11:14:42 AM

my trolling motor is still screwed up, won't steer. Looks like I have to order a new control board.

5/5/2014 11:39:50 AM

Ok tdub. What is the best marine battery. I have a 22ft stingray I/o bow rider. Have a optima blue top in it but it died within a year, even after I left a trickle charger on it over winter. I've heard good thugs about deka, any other good ones? Would like a deep cycle as I have an audio system in it too.

5/9/2014 5:46:41 PM

the problem isn't the optima. it's how you stored it. you need a smart charger. it will monitor the voltage and turn completely off until the voltage drops a few tenths. then it'll charge it back up.

i have a house/starting battery and then two deep cycles in series for a 24v trolling motor. they are hooked up to a minn-kota 3-bank on-board smart charger that is permanently mounted under the console. i left them plugged up for about 11 months and when i ran it the other day the starting battery was like brand new. the yamaha is cold-natured enough, but having set that long, i had to turn the engine over a good bit and the battery did fine. i don't even remember what brand the house battery is. the deep cycles are the Batteries Plus house brand (i think the guy told me Exide makes them). Batteries Plus will run a sale every now and then, so that's when i try to buy new batteries.

5/9/2014 5:56:43 PM

The trickle charger is one of those battery tender smart chargers. Forgot to mention that.

5/9/2014 6:02:28 PM

they're kinda janky. i'd highly suggest a quality Guest or Minn-Kota on-board charger. it'll pay for itself in saved batteries.

if a battery dies in a year, it's highly unlikely that it's the battery's fault, no matter what brand or how much you paid for it. i've had good luck with the EverStart batteries from Walmart as long as i kept a good smart charger on them.

[Edited on May 9, 2014 at 6:29 PM. Reason : take it from me, man. i wrecked several batteries with a quickness before i learned.]

5/9/2014 6:22:33 PM

Interstate is very popular around here for marine batteries, at least for non agm batteries. I've had good luck with 4 of them on the boat.

5/10/2014 5:39:16 PM

This is what I keep on my batteries over the winter (in my garage) and I'll hook it up if I know I'm going to not use the boat for a while

http://tinyurl.com/kv48gb8

5/10/2014 6:29:45 PM

Anyone in the market for a pontoon boat in the $7.5k range?

5/13/2014 12:36:11 PM

I could be. Details?

5/13/2014 2:00:00 PM

- 2005 Smokercraft 20-21' Pontoon - No damage to pontoons, floor is as solid as it can be from front to back. MP3 CD Player, fish finder, ladder, etc. Previous owners didn't cover it properly, so some of the seat panels are split and the carpet isn't perfect. Cosmetic only and really not that bad compared to a lot of boats. The foam in the seats is still great, so recovering the split panels would be a viable option. Has a toilet if you're into pooping on the boat, lol.

- 2005 Yamaha 50 HP 2-stroke - Runs perfect, estimated at less than 150 hours (100 hours first owner, less than 50 hours second owner.) Cranks easily, idles smooth, shifts smooth, steering cable is smooth, very quiet, paint looks new, good prop, surprisingly good at pushing this boat for a 50 HP. Pretty much a perfect motor.

- 2006 Load Rite trailer - Galvanized, has steps built in at the bow of the boat, plastic/resin type runners that make loading/unloading incredibly smooth, working lights, comes with spare tire.

- Comes with anchor, dock lines, life vests, etc.

Realistically, you could replace the pontoon furniture for about $1800, lay some new carpet, and have a boat that is pretty much new. Most people would just use it like it is and enjoy it just the same. It's a turn key boat that can be dropped in the water any time regardless of the route that the owner might take. I'll send some pics this weekend to anyone who is interested.

[Edited on May 13, 2014 at 3:16 PM. Reason : l]

5/13/2014 3:07:13 PM

I would consider trades for a cool bike (DR-Z400SM and KLR-650 at the top of the list, but would consider Honda 599, Ducati Monster, etc.) or a fun car that I can DD such as an e36 M3, well maintained Mini with sporting options, Mazdaspeed 3, etc.

5/13/2014 6:07:18 PM

sold this one:

5/17/2014 10:48:52 AM

I love holiday weekends. I've decided my favorite past time is to go to a sandbar that is a bit tricky to get to and then watch all the out of towners try and get in on it. Some asshat who appeared to be a bit intoxicated ran his 22 Bay Rider up on one and threw his passengers onto the front deck. He tried to power through it and only ended up getting stuck harder. It took a couple nice dudes that were hanging out close by to go push him off the bar and point him in the right direction.

5/26/2014 7:05:08 PM

Couple years ago I was in the water about to be pulled up when a boat hit a sand bar near us. Spent 30 minutes wasted trying to help them get off the sand bar. Lady driving didn't see the marker and hit it at full speed.Threw the 3 kids in the front of the boat into the water.

5/27/2014 5:28:31 AM

I had a jet skier come within 50' (at 40+ MPH) of a wake surfer that I was towing twice this weekend. Yelling ensued.


^ There was a sand bar right in front of my old place. We always enjoyed sitting on the deck and watching drunks run onto it. On July 4th it wasn't uncommon to have 5+ boats stuck at the same time in the rush to get home after the fireworks show.

[Edited on May 27, 2014 at 3:46 PM. Reason : l]

5/27/2014 3:43:21 PM

Skack,

On Belews last weekend, we had a couple of jet skiers come within 25' of my wife wakesurfing. Gave them a few choice words over the PA system and rev 10's.

5/27/2014 10:23:47 PM

Good use of the PA! I was driving my buddy's Wakesetter. The jet skier definitely heard me yell and saw us waving for him to go away. He took off and didn't come back. I really don't want to be aggressive on the water (especially with kids on the boat), but I'd like to think this guy was just ignorant to how dangerous he was acting and needed a warning. He came right down the middle of the wake directly behind the surfer, jumped the second set of rollers (the surfer was on the first set), and took off after we yelled at him. We were going ~11 MPH and the surfer would have come to a dead stop if he fell. This guy was going 40+ and his attention was completely focused on our wake. He looked like a noob; hopefully he got the message.

Are you coming to Gaston again this summer?

[Edited on May 28, 2014 at 12:50 PM. Reason : l]

5/28/2014 12:45:23 PM

How much do y'all spend a year in boat related stuff?

Storage repairs etc?

It's getting to be that time and I'm thinking about just getting a jet ski because i have a place to put it and I don't have to worry about being on the edge of the published towing capacity for the jeep. (Yes I have a truck but I hate driving it so taking to boat with us would be a pita with that thing)

And if we use the crap out of the ski then start thinking about boat storage etc.

6/9/2014 8:22:17 AM

$330ish for insurance, $35 oil change yearly, $35 water pump impeller every two years, $10 transmission fluid every two years, and maybe $30 worth of cleaner, polish, teak oil, etc. every year.

I find that I can do most work myself in the same amount of time that it would take me to hook up to the boat, drag it to a dealer, come back three weeks later, pay them a ton of money, and drag it home.

Winterization takes an hour, oil change, water pump, and transmission fluid takes an hour or so, and I usually turn it into a full day of work by polishing the boat, cleaning the carpet, taking out all the seat cushions to store indoors, adding some Damp Rid, and sealing the boat with a tarp in addition to my canvas cover.

The only times I've deviated much from this formula are:
- Ignition system on my 93 Nautique failed. Parts were $330ish, but I threw a ~$450ish carb at it too. Boat ran better and cranked easier with the new carb, so I got some benefit out of it even though the boat didn't really need it.
- On all the new boats I've bought I had a set of planned repairs/upgrades in mind at the time of purchase. I bought them at good prices and didn't sweat installing a new steering cable, laying new carpet, getting a couple of seat cushions replaced, upgrading speakers, buying new batteries, etc. because it was all negotiated into the purchase price.


A used boat is kind of like a classic car. You can go overboard with battery setups, stereos, LEDs, performance parts, etc if you choose, but the mechanics are fairly simple and easy to understand for the most part.

6/9/2014 1:32:40 PM

I bought my '08 boat in May 2011, second owner. I replaced the water pump myself at the end of the season when the high temp alarm was hitting despite having a decent pee stream. The plastic housing of the impeller had cracked and was slipping on the drive shaft.

Last year the water pressure sensor went bad and was like $100 for the part, I replaced it myself. That is the only real issue I've had. Boat has 257 hrs on it.

I went back and looked at this thread where you guys were giving me advice on a skiff versus a bay boat (or some other boat). Generally speaking, I'll go ahead and say we were both right.

As far as a sand bar machine goes, I just don't think a skiff can be beat - especially one with wide gunwales. We don't have to take anything off the boat, we sit on the gunwales in ankle deep water, sun bathe on the front, and we can get into the bars where the V hulls (and even some of the bay boats) can't and when we do touch bottom it isn't so abrupt. I've had 8 people (self included) with a 120 qt cooler fully loaded with beach furniture on it and it will actually plane off with the Optimax 115 (though at ~8gph burn rate, lol). Clean up is super easy. The boat is really stable due to being so flat.

Having said that, unless something like a 24ft skiff offers a markedly different ride (which is possible over my little 20), I'm most likely going to switch into a bay boat. By happenstance, we spend a lot of our time at sand bars east of our neighborhood ramp where we put in the Bogue Sound. After 3 summers here one thing that has become quite obvious is that the predominate SW wind seems to be there 80% or more of the summer. What this means is we can get from our ramp to the places we like to go with no problems, even when it is blowing 20 it is a dry and not too bumpy for a ride (we can run 30 knots if we want, wife usually likes it a little slower unfortunately). However, coming back is just damn miserable. There really isn't any combination of trim/speed that doesn't result in some amount of frustration. Nose up and the spray isn't too bad or blows past us but it tends to pound the hardest. Nose down and the pound isn't as bad but we are getting wetter. Even a slow troll on a very windy day gets us wet. We could minimize this frustration if we headed west earlier in the day before the wind has picked up and then when we came back we'd be running with. We do this about 30% of the summer but the friends we hang with the most are closer to AB and we end up at Sugarloaf and sandbars near the AB bridge a majority of the time. We could also trailer we really tend to enjoy not having to deal with community ramps and the idiots that are at them.

Now...if only the bay boats weren't so damned expensive. I'm looking at 22'-24' boats and even older (what some would call) underpowered ones are going for quite a bit more than a skiff of similar level.

[Edited on June 9, 2014 at 11:24 PM. Reason : .]

6/9/2014 11:23:54 PM

i thought that salt spray was refreshing on a hot summer day???

6/10/2014 6:12:14 AM

When I'm moving at the compromise between spray and bumpiness and the water has properly warmed up it is. But so far this year the water and air temps have still been cool so it's been a bit annoying.

And just through pure bad luck, the typical prevailing wind comes at about a 45 degree angle to port on our path back home through the ICW. So that brings the spray right at the driver. My wife and even people sitting out on the front deck don't really get all that wet. It's just me and anyone that would be sitting/standing over my left shoulder. It isn't like the boat is wet everywhere we go when the windy is really blowing. I'd be somewhat surprised if your boat was actually drastically different such that it would make me want to trade into that over mine. Riding on a Parker 23SE in the same conditions I'm describing is certainly dryer but I was surprised that even sitting on the seats up front making 20 knots or so was bumpy enough to not be comfortable, the helm was much better.

6/10/2014 6:38:56 AM

What exactly is a bay boat? I'm familiar with terms like center-console and v-hull but have never really heard people use the term bay boat even though google confirms it's legit.

6/11/2014 12:00:54 AM

It's a salt water boat you wouldn't want to take out into the open ocean.

6/11/2014 6:32:03 AM

I tend to think of them as being a cross between a bass boat and an ocean boat. Kind of like a bass boat built for the sound and ICW (no carpet, minimal vinyl, saltwater electronics, taller gunwales, center console instead of dual console, poling platform options, etc.)


Pontoon boat I mentioned earlier is sold!

[Edited on June 11, 2014 at 12:26 PM. Reason : l]

6/11/2014 12:24:58 PM

sumfool doesn't actually seem to know boats. There are plenty of days a year that the sea is calm enough to take either a bay boat or skiff out into the open water miles off if you're so inclined just as there are plenty of days you wouldn't take anything shorter than a 23ft deep V boat out (and you still wouldn't enjoy it).

6/11/2014 5:35:19 PM

Ha ha...I've been out of the inlet in a 16' Glastron with a rotten floor.
I insisted that the guy keep it within a mile of shore so that I had a goal to swim towards after he sank that thing.
We made it back in despite stuffing the bow at least half a dozen times.

[Edited on June 11, 2014 at 7:03 PM. Reason : l]

6/11/2014 7:03:10 PM

i saw some guys in an ~18' aluminum flat bottom catching kings in the dead tree hole once lol

6/11/2014 8:29:28 PM

I took my skiff out of Beaufort Inlet on an ok day because it was just my Dad and I with no wife to freak out and as soon as we are 1/4 mile out of the inlet a couple of big sport fishers come steaming in from the direction of the Cape throwing off huge wakes. I tried for a brief second to outrun their waves in the other direction but it was too late so I turned into them and got over the first one and planted the nose right in a wall of water on the second.

I promptly came back inside.

6/11/2014 8:30:12 PM

And I'm the one who doesn't know what I'm talking about..

It's what bay boat means, it always has been.

Doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't take it into the ocean just means if shit gets rough it's not going to be fun.

6/14/2014 4:59:55 AM

"bay boat" doesn't "mean" anything. This style of boat is more than capable of going even 20 miles off shore under the right conditions.

You should have said:

"It's a salt water boat you wouldn't want to take out into the open ocean under conditions that boat isn't designed to handle"

The point is, even "open ocean boats" can't get outside on many days of the year because the conditions are just too salty.

6/14/2014 11:08:35 AM

yep... i've been to the gulf stream off Hatteras on a mako 284.... the conditions weren't bad but it wasn't an easy ride either.

6/14/2014 2:37:54 PM

We used to take our 24' Grady out to the Gulf Stream all the time. Do you want a cookie or something?

6/15/2014 12:09:11 AM

i too, have a boat and a pair of testicles

6/17/2014 8:42:27 AM

I don't have either

6/17/2014 11:45:39 AM

So i think i'm going to sell my PWCs at the end of this season. I have a tandem trailer for them and i'm trying to figure out how much value the trailer adds to the deal. It's nothing special by any means, but it's in fine condition and has a utility box modded to it for ample storage.

The PWCs are 2002 Seadoo GTX models with 130hp 2-cycle engines. One of them runs without problem, the other has a little body damage (purely cosmetic. no damage to hull or fiberglass) and is starting to lose compression and show signs of bearing wear (loud/rough idle) but runs fine at cruising speeds. NADA lists them around $2,500. What do you guys think is a reasonable asking price?

7/7/2014 3:06:25 PM

^^^^^^ too salty? What?

7/14/2014 4:26:05 PM

OK...Jet skis are fun, but now that all my friends are old and married and boring and no longer want to rage around on hot skis with me, and I myself have a daughter who'd probably enjoy a boat more than another hot ski, I'm starting to seriously think about getting a boat. I actually started thinking about it last summer, but I wanted to wait until my career transition was complete (and thus financial situation much more stable).

I still have a thing for 80+ mph go-fast boats, but I don't want to spend the money to buy or operate one right now, and that's probably not a good choice for my first "real" boat. I think I want a little center console bay boat (although I'd consider a deeper vee, or maybe a dual console).

Probably 90% of my usage will be just cruising around with my daughter and/or my friends, in the bays/rivers/intracoastal, and beaching it to hang out on the sand bars and little islands. The reason I'm thinking bay boat (as opposed to deep vee or something like a bowrider) is that I would like to be able to go out into the Gulf on calm (1-2' or less) days, maybe 10-12 miles or so, and be able to hit some of the closer dive sites. I'd also like to be able to water ski behind it. I also want the simplicity and ease of cleaning/maintenance; I don't want a lot of upholstery/trim, and definitely no carpet.

Is a 19-22' bay boat pretty much the ticket? Could I get away with a 17-18'? How much power will I need to pull up a slalom skier? 150 hp OK? Would 115 do it? (Most of my waterskiing has been behind V8-powered lake boats, although I have skied on 2 skis behind a couple of Boston Whalers and even a party barge).

6/7/2015 12:38:29 AM

I'd probably consider a fast inshore boat (bowrider, etc), if it was less expensive and had a pretty spartan interior. Definitely no carpet. I'd probably be willing to give up the ability to dabble in the Gulf if I could go a little faster and spend a good bit less money. Not really what I'm looking for, though.

6/7/2015 12:43:43 AM