I'm also in the market for a boat, I have a jet-ski now and would just like something i can chill on. Plus pulling a wakeboarder isnt ideal on a jetski. Ive taken the boat course so im good there.

I looked at a 2001 Glastron SX175 yesterday, looked like a decent little boat with a Mercruiser I/O. Any comments?

3/31/2007 11:21:08 AM

decent boats, id put them in the seadoo/searay range. Mercruiser is standard for i/o's. see if they have any maintanance records, and check the rear corners, hull, and underneath seat pads for spider cracks in the fiberglass. also, you'll wanna compare the color of the fiberglass to a new boat and make sure it isn't faded too bad.

3/31/2007 2:55:03 PM

Just don't get caught boating off at work.

3/31/2007 9:08:34 PM

glastron in a seadoo/sea ray range? they are nowhere near a sea ray, almost down in the dumps with a bayliner in terms of fit/finish. but staying in this price range it's about what you're goin to be looking at.

if you are willing to spend the money take your time and look at all facets, fit, finish, upholstery, padding, etc. a merc i/o is rock solid, and the 3.0 that you'll probably be looking at is solid as well, not much on the top end, but enough for a 18'. if you make the move to a 19-20' only go with a 4.3 and get the MPI if you can find one for a good price.

3/31/2007 9:12:44 PM

Yea well ive got to stay under 10k as well. I would like a newer looking boat,since im not a big fan of the square winshields and stuff. I can throw on a tower and it can look like this. Should be a fun relatively inexpensive starter boat for me.

3/31/2007 10:48:33 PM

yeah if all you're looking for is something to get you a couple years of fun and trade up then you should be fine with a glastron, although I'm not too sure what the resale is or if that's even really important to you.

Is that SX175 the one that's on Craigslist right now?

here's a stingray for sale, that's a foot longer... http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/300481410.html

and you might be able to get him down a bit on this one, seeing that new ones sell for just over what he's asking, brand new the list is 18, meaning you could take it off the lot for probably 15-16
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/302075823.html

whatever you get you'll have fun... we love the hell out of our boat and enjoy every minute of it

3/31/2007 11:13:18 PM

^ yea its the one on craigslist, what do you think

any other suggestions?

4/1/2007 2:56:11 PM

you might want to check this out...

http://stingrayboats.com/2007_180/?cash=1

brand new 18' for $11K

Chatlee has a few in stock:

http://www.stingrayboats.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap?user=www&script=findspecific.pl

As you can tell I'm partial, this is a great company and makes a quality boat, I'd be glad to take you out on mine so you can see what they do.

check out boats.com or look at some of the local dealers for their used inventory. They usually don't like keeping these boats on the lots. You may still be able to get "show" pricing from some dealers.

Other than that it's up to whatever you like and are comfortable with.

4/2/2007 3:08:29 PM

Still 14k once you get the tralier etc.

4/3/2007 11:48:49 AM

that's where the negotiations come into play... if you pay for a trailer you're getting ripped off...

but a used boat is probably the way to go to get into the hobby and find out if you like it or not, some people buy a boat, use it for a year and then realize that it can be a pain in the ass.... and then it either sits and collects dust or gets sold for a hit... that's where you can pick up the best deals!

keep lookin you'll find what you want. visit some of the local dealers and look at their boats... too bad you just missed the boat show season...

4/3/2007 5:29:55 PM

4/3/2007 9:24:02 PM

haha... that's funny

4/3/2007 11:11:25 PM

Any brands to stay away from other than the brands that only lasted a few years and bayliner?

4/4/2007 10:48:01 AM

93 Crownline or 88 Ski Nautique?

4/4/2007 6:15:43 PM

Don't ever buy a Magic Tilt trailer.

4/7/2007 1:10:52 PM

that depends on what you'll use it for. Nautiques are great for boarding and the such, but may not be what you're looking for. crownline makes a decent boat.

what sizes, motors? etc...

4/7/2007 5:01:03 PM

I'd go with the Nautique. Their build quality is top notch and the inboards are easy to work on and maintain. The handling will be superb, but the ride can be a little harsh since there is no way to trim it up or down like you would find on an I/O or an outboard boat. They aren't very big either, so that's another thing to keep in mind.

Make sure to check the stringers for rot and check the floor for soft spots though. Stringer rot is about the worst thing that can happen to these boats.

What model Ski Nautique is it? The 2001 hull is a fantastic wakeboarding boat. Weight it properly and you'll get a fat wake with a lot of pop.

I'll admit that I don't know much about the Crownline though. I'm assuming it is an bowrider I/O which will give you a lot more room than the Nautique.

[Edited on April 8, 2007 at 1:32 AM. Reason : .]

4/8/2007 1:31:01 AM

yea the Nautique is a 2001 Series with the 350. The Crowline has a brand new 5.7 I/O.

4/8/2007 9:47:54 PM

I would go with Grady-White's new 27 foot Bow Rider. Twin 224 4-Strokes, can't beat that shit.



[Edited on April 8, 2007 at 11:00 PM. Reason : This one clearly doesn't not have the 225's but its an option]

4/8/2007 10:58:21 PM

^def a nice option, too bad one of thoes 225 is out of my price range.

4/9/2007 12:44:58 AM

biuld one. not as hard as it seems. I am almost done with my 12' and it cost less than $300. stitch and glue up to 27' to 30'. maybe $1000. plus outboards

4/9/2007 6:51:21 AM

what kind of resin are you using?

4/9/2007 6:55:14 AM

^I dont have the time for that.

4/9/2007 9:08:51 AM

Quote :

"biuld one. "

YIKES. Just yikes.

4/12/2007 12:20:15 AM

Ok, im gonna be looking at a Larson and a Monterey tomorrow. Can you give me an idea of overall built quality of these two.
I've heard Monterey is Chaparalls cousin, so im guessing its a good but. I think the larson is a good boat kinda middle of the road.

4/20/2007 5:40:07 PM

I've got a Yamaha LS2000 for sale if interested... if you are let me know and I'll get you the details.

4/20/2007 6:11:18 PM

they're both decent boats, just really depends more on the motor/outdrive condition. check things like hours, maintenance records (if they have any) if the boat was run in salt or just fresh, etc... take a look at the condition of the trailer as well. Ask if they wax yearly, and just get a good overall impression. the condition of the appearance of the boat can usually tell you a lot about how they took care of the boat and the motor.

4/20/2007 9:14:58 PM

Check it out
http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=473796&page=1

4/22/2007 8:19:28 PM