Canuack,
I've always thought of the Bayliner as a great inland lake boat. But
it's not a boat to take out into a lot of rough water, not if you think it's
built like a Fountain and should plow through a 3 foot chop at full speed.
If you don't stress the boat it will probably give years of satisfaction.
Paul

"Exiled Canuck" wrote in message
om...
I purchased the 2004 Bayliner 185 earlier this summer with the
optional 4.3 Merc 190 HP engine and I have absolutely no complaints.
Many people I spoke with, mainly competing salesmen, called the
Bayliner brand "junk" and worthless. In MHO however, this was mostly
a bunch of horse droppings. The power plant on all these small
runabouts is the same (ie Merc / Volvo), and construction quality on
the Bayliner is more than adequate.

The hull/furniture/fittings on the Bayliner are all reasonably sound,
but not especially good. Given the thousands of dollars cheaper the
Bayliner was to any other 18 footer with a 190 HP power plant, this
was not a major issue for me.

Again this is only my opinion, and unlike the salesmen & "experienced"
boaters, I am relatively new to rec boating. On the other hand, I
have a Master's degree in Marine Engineering and I spent 11 years in
the Navy as an Engineering Officer. If the Bayliner was really as bad
as some say, you can bet I would have bought something else.

Bottom line, I am very pleased with the Bayliner 185, and with a
reasonable amount of preventive maintenance, I am very confident the
power plant, hull, and fittings will all hold up over time.

I recommend you opt for the 4.3L engine upgrade. In general I always
try to opt for the largest engine option for all my vehicles as the
extra power is one of those things you don't know you need until it's
too late. I would also recommend you consider the optional fiberglass
deck with pop out carpet.