Boat Guys...

Porkanbeans · 01-19-06, 04:07

My dad has been looking into getting a boat. We went to the boat show this past weekend and were really impressed by the Sea Ray sport line, particularly the 195 sport. It's just what we want, a sporty, comfortable deck boat. We plan to use it mostly in freshwater, but we will put it in seawater every now and then. Can you suggest some other options for us? What else is out there that rivals this particular Sea Ray? We're looking in the $30k range.

Thanks

Pats300zx · 01-20-06, 01:34

Sea Ray is a awesome boat line. I personally have an 18 ft Chaparral and I love it. I have had the boat for 6 years without a single problem. I think the Chaparral SS line would be comparable to what you are looking for.

chpsk8 · 01-20-06, 08:32

Check out this link... Brunswick
The is the main manufacturer of some 20+ boat lines, including Sea Ray. You should be able to cross shop all the brands right from there. At least it will give you an idea of who's in bed with who. Sea Ray is a great boat, in fact most of the Brunswick lines are very nice. Might want to do yourself a favor and get something a couple years old. As the saying goes, "Boat: Definition: a hole in the water into which you pour all of your money". Might as well let someone else take the hit on depreciation from new. Plus boats are eay to see if they have been beat up.

Danase · 01-20-06, 08:51

Check into Regal too. I used to work for Eagle Trailer http://www.eagletrailer.com/ and we made a ton of trailers for the Regals. I looked at some at the Detroit Boat Show last year and really liked them.

Porkanbeans · 01-20-06, 10:57

Thanks guys. I really like the Chaparrals, they are very nice boats. We looked at one at the boat show and it was quite impressive to say the least. I love that side exit exhaust too.

I was surprised by the amount of lines Brunswick makes. I knew Sea Ray was owned by a corporation that made a few other lines, but 20? Wow! The Maxum line really appeals to me.

Regal's designs are sweet. That powerful angled look is definitely unique. They offer a decent lineup of engines too.

It looks like we've got a lot of choices to make. Thanks again!

DETAILKING · 01-20-06, 05:14

Searay is a nice boat but a bit overpriced in my opinion.

They purchased bayliner and if you noticed the hull designs for most of the models look very similar....prob the same! Searay decks out the cabins a bit nicer but bayliner has come a long way in the past 10 yrs. It's a great value and worth a look.

I have a wellcraft 23'. I love the boat, they just don't make boats like they used to...wellcraft, formula,etc. Solid heavy hulls that cut the water nice.

I suggest a sea trial before you buy anything, a 19' boat in rough water can be very uncomfortable if it doesnt have a good hull design and is light. Are you leaning for an outboard or an I/O?

I also suggest looking at some used boats....boats depreciate like mad at first and then level off. I have had 5 boats so far and typically keep them for about 2-3 seasons. I always sell them for just about what I paid for them....typically buy a boat that is 5-10 yrs old.

chpsk8 · 01-20-06, 06:33

Detailking, check the Brunswick link I posted, you'll see that Brunswick owns Bayliner, Sea Ray, Chapparel, etc... Now we can see why all those boats look so similar!

WSUcommuter · 01-20-06, 08:17

My dad had a Starcraft Islander 221 cuddy cabin with a Chevy-powered I/O for twelve years. We used it as a great-lakes boat- it was big enough for 5 adults to fish/ski/tube comfortably, slept 3, was light enough to tow without any major issues. I heard him preach my entire childhood the benefits of a deep-V hull design, so I'm not without bias.

I agree with the others- I'd go a few years used since boats do depreciate pretty quick initially. Low hours boats can be found easily on boattrader.com

DETAILKING · 01-23-06, 04:48

Lately I have been buying salt water boats that have been kept in great condition that are about 10 yrs old that have recently been repowered. You would be surprised how many people repower a boat wth a new drive and engine and then end up having to sell it the season after for any of a number of reasons. These people never really get their investment back and you get nice boat with new power!