Take a look at Rinker.

I got a Rinker 212 Captiva (20") in 2002 and am very pleased, especially
considering value.

Look at standard features on the Rinker vs options on other boats.

I was leaning towards a Chaparrel, but the Rinker (212 Captiva) caught
my eye.

I believe Rinker makes a 192 Captiva that might be worth considering,
looking at your desires.

If I were to rank your brands in terms of quality/price:
Cobalt
Chaparrel
Four Winns
(Rinker)
Tahoe
Bayliner

I'm a boating newbie, just off the 2 year shopping/boat show trail, so
take my feedback for what it's worth.

Good Luck,

Ken

alincoln wrote:

Hi all,

I have been researching and planning a boat purchase for some months
now. I have been reading as much literature as possible and walking
the marinas in my area for the last month. Basically in the market
for a bowrider, 18-19'. I've considered the following...Chaparrel,
Four Winns, Bayliner, Tahoe and most recently, Cobalt. My budget is
top end $18,000.00 so the Cobalt is off the table...Not to mention
this will be a starter boat. I want to trailer the boat, so I can
travel to different lakes. The boat will be primarily Freshwater in
the NH Lakes Region...maybe a trip or two in Portsmouth Harbor.

But I read some interesting posts about boat construction and
materials, specifically about certain manufacturers using
wood/plastic/fiberglass. My question is how does one educate
themselves on this? I suppose I could keep reading this news-group,
but I'm guessing there must be some book/web-site/etc... where you can
go and get a summary of the different boat manufacturers and the
materials they use...

tia,

adym