sfcarioca wrote:
Hey all,

I've been researching the right boat to buy with a buddy

Hmmm, could be trouble. Owning a boat in partnership is a very touchy
relationship.


... We are on the cusp of a purchase of a 1999 26' Bayliner
Ciera 2655 boat with 350 hours on it. We've had the survey, agreed on
the price, and all we need to do is sign the paperwork. I feel we're
getting a very good deal on it, and no other boats of the same year and
model on yachtworld are listed for a lower price.

But after learning from the seller all the things that have gone wrong
with it in the last 3 years (replaced starter, a couple of pumps,
props, other piece of the outdrive,) I'm getting cold feet.

Maybe you're finding out why it's at such a low price.

BTW boat prices are truly a free-for-all. Very few boats change hands at
asking price or even within 10%. It's not uncommon for a boat that
"needs TLC" to go for half or less than what the same model in cherry
condition would fetch.

... Already a
bilge blower broke since we first saw the boat and needs to be fixed
(might be minor, like a fuse or switch problem) and the water heater is
showing some rust. A couple of other things have broken (speedometer,
wipers) and were never fixed. In addition we need to paint the
outdrive because we're keeping it in the water (hull is already
painted.)


Sounds like this boat is basically going to need everything replaced.

From what I've seen in other boats, this boat is in average shape for
its age and boats just simply have these kinds of problems.

Not really. It's true that boats are relatively work-intensive but for
the most part, a properly designed & built & maintained boat should not
have constant breakdowns.

... I think
I've come to the conclusion that boating is for people who would enjoy
spending a lot of time working on their boat themselves and
troubleshooting these kinds of things.

Definitely. If you're not a "fix it yourself" kind of guy then buying a
16 year old IO with maintenance problems is going to be an expensive
nightmare.


... I figure that these things to fix that
often crop up, in addition to arranging for regular maintenance (zincs,
oil change, scrub bottom, paint bottom, etc.) would take almost as much
time as I could spend out enjoying the boat.

Not really. There is a fair amount of regular maintenance but it should
be a burden. But if you hate working on the boat, then you're going to
dodge maintenance and things are going to break down and/or need
replacing more often, as well as the boat will be less reliable.

Fair Skies
Doug King