Boat owners... (step inside)
 

been looking to buy a boat... any help/advice would be much appreciate :)

want something for mainly lakes...


flat bottom / v shaped ?
length?
clearence?
brand? (i've checked out BayLiner and MasterCraft so far, like em both)
motor? prop/jet?

thank you. :thumbsup

What are you looking to do with the boat ?

You wana just go fast ? like 100mph or 70mph or 30mph ?
You wana fish ? (what kina fishing ?)
You wana wakeboard ?
You Wana Ski ?
You wana party ?

What price range are you loooking into ? 5k to 10k ? 20 to 50k?
You wana used boat or new boat ?
OBTW bayliners suck (trust me on that one).

party and fish (trout mostly)
new
30-50k? depends on what i find..

You prolly would want somthing like a 19foot fish ski.
With a 200Hp motor ,(will run around 60 to 65mph wich is pretty quick on the water )

Check out this one.
http://www.tritonboats.com/frames2.asp?cat=6&bid=154

Is this what you had in mind ?

Here is one forsale at a dealership. (better pics)
http://www.nixonsmarine.com/images/9071/9071.htm

Its got a 4stroke motor on it (Merc. Verado very quiet motor) , i think most lakes in CA only allow 4 strokes nowadays.
So your gonna want a four stroke , plus they are way better on gas.

Yachtworld.com seems to have a nice selection

Also if you buy a brandnew boat , make sure before you buy it , you go out on a demo test drive , to make sure you like it.
Most decent dealerships will have a demo they can take you out on.

My folks live on the water and have two boats. One 22ft SeaRay ski boat and a 28ft Bennington party/deck boat. They both have to compete with a bevy of SeaDoos, but the deck boat get's more action.

http://www.watercraftsalesinc.com/im...nington111.jpg

i don't know if i want a full blown fishing boat... i think i'd rather have something with seating infront as well

maybe something like this

I have a 218 deep v from: http://www.sailfishboats.com

They are a well made boat and have some models that would be perfect for lakes or bays.

I'm not sure where you live but you'll probably want to visit your local boat dealers and purchase that way so they are close and convenient. New boats come with a warranty and there will be little things here and there that will need to be fixed. (for the life of the boat) a hole in the water you pour money into is spot on.

4 strokes are the norm now and are super quiet and get great fuel economy. Way better than 2 stroke. Honda and Yamaha are leading the pack in outboards.

Your local dealers should have plenty of display models to look at or you can hit the boat shows where all of the dealers and manufactures set up shop for a weekend.

http://www.miamiboatshow.com/ is a huge one here in Florida.

You can also look at http://www.boattraderonline.com/ they have many dealers, boats, new and used listed there. Same company that sells those car trader and boat trader books at the convenience stores.

check this pontoon boat perfect for a lake :thumbsup

http://www.pontoons.com/boats/luxury...ajestic/video/

"If it flies, floats or fucks ... it's cheaper to rent it"

too big.. too slow :thumbsup

:1orglaugh :thumbsup :thumbsup

big yes slow check this out
http://www.pontoons.com/boats/luxury...ajestic/specs/ :pimp

this is the one I just got for Lake George its big but it is fast :thumbsup

Im bigtime into boats, but living in Norway with our rough sea, is very different from your lakes. So not sure if I can help. And not many scandinavian/european boats for sale over there I guess.

Anyway, good luck! Boats are sooo much fun. And both Bayliner and MasterCraft are great boats!

It's been said,the best day in a mans life is the day he gets his first boat.
The second best is the day he sells it.

That being said, I have a starcraft 22' pontoon. Other than it's a pain to trailer it's a good day on the water.

Good one:thumbsup :1orglaugh

dammit - you beat me to it :1orglaugh

Bluewater makes a nice bowrider , check this one out.

http://www.nixonsmarine.com/images/635d/635d.htm

I have also heard good things about these boats
http://www.tahoesportboats.com from what i have heard that are not a bad buy for the buck.

those are nice :thumbsup

:1orglaugh I have tax records for each catagory :1orglaugh

If it fucks, flies or floats.... RENT IT!

Pipecrew - 2004

Your boat should match the body of water you're primarily going to navigate. Take into account the size and depth of the lake(s). Also consider boat launches you'll be using, trailering, towing and the like.

Consider how much work you're willing to do, your boating experience and think about how far you are willing to go to get your ass on the water.

Smaller, slower boats make you want bigger, faster boats. Bigger, faster boats mean more work...and of course...money.

Without knowing ALL of the facts it's hard to point you in one direction or another. For lakes and just to party and fish for trout I would look for a fast pontoon boat. Problem is, fast for a pontoon boat is still fairly slow and they can be a bitch to trailer. I agree that a 4 stroke motor is now a must on lakes. If not it soon will be.

I also agree that you should at least talk to the local dealers and repair shops if for no other reason than to get to know them. I'll bet you can get a lot of valuable info just from talking to them.

Anyhow, my experience is mostly saltwater, but I was raised on boats and love the water. A very good friend of mine owns the Sea Tow franchise in my area, which is a huge bonus. Free tows when and if I need it.

Rambling....stoned...good luck with the boat and have fun...ok...shutting up...

Boat = Hole in the water you throw money into.

thnx :thumbsup

There's an old saying: The best days of a boat owner are the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it.

ballllllllllllllin

so i guess buying one is a bad idea :(

pretty much

I could easily live with out my bigger boat because most of the time we fish out of our one friends boat. He's got a new 29' Everglades, and that makes the most sense for where we fish at. Usually 4 of us at a pop x 50 or 100 bucks depending on how far out we go.

It's great to get back to the dock and walk away from it after some light cleaning. Cause when he gets home he has to do the real cleaning and maintenance and count all the dings where lead sinkers get dropped, dried blood here and there, salt, etc etc.... lol....it's not fun.

I had a 19' Bayliner bow-rider a few years ago, all my friends loved it. Of course rarely did they chip in for the $80 of gas or stick around to clean it after every use.

Your best bet is to find a friend who already has a boat. ;)

http://www.malibuboats.com/ are pretty nice:thumbsup

those are nice :thumbsup

I want a sailboat

Al, if you're going to buy a boat, you may as well get something nice, that retains its value, one that will accomodate everything you (or people you take on it) may want to do, and one that will make panties drop and give you some pimp status. My recommendation is:

used: Mastercraft X-45
link:http://www.mastercraft.com/index.php?znfAction=viewDab&series=x&boat=ms245x45 .07

It's not quite as pimp as the X-80, but for a 2005 (maybe 06 depending on how hard you look), you can get one around 50-60k

new: Malibu Wakesetter XTI
link: http://malibuboats.com/default.aspx?...=4&modelID=123

It's 23' long so it's got the bling factor and can hold 14 people. It's direct drive so overall use is easier and since you don't really care about the ultimate wakeboard boat, the fact that it's not V-drive won't really matter.

We'll talk more in LA tomorrow :)

thnx :thumbsup

see you here :pimp

www.regalboats.com <- best in the business.

those are sick :thumbsup