Hi David,

This is not my area but I have been looking at ~25' boats with a cabin.

I think you need to consider what size you can tow unless you will keep in
on the water?

I would spend some time looking at new boats so you can learn something
about them. I would find a dealer near the area you are planning on boating
and talk to them about something new and used.

I would not get a boat over 10 years old and about 5 years old would be
great. If you are going out in the ocean, you need to learn a lot about
boating and have a boat that is in top shape.

One more thing is that a diesel motor is nice on a larger boat but will cost
more.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Diverguy" wrote in message
om...

I've been around boats for a long time because I've been on Dive boats
but have never owned a boat myself and have never really operated them
myself. I would like to get a boat that my family of 4 can go out
from Orange County to Catalina for the weekend (23 miles). I would
also like to go out and go diving with a few people. I don't plan on
staying on the boat for more than 1 or two nights. Being my first
boat, I would like to get a used one to help reduce the cost. My
thoughts are to get a 26-28ft with a cabin. First, am I crazy for
getting this size boat as my first one? Also, I was looking at the
Bayliner because the cost is a lot lower than others. The bad news is
that I see a lot of negative feedback for Bayliner boats. I'm looking
for a boat that is seaworthy, dependable, etc. but I don't need the
fancy interior stuff like teak, etc. Any recommendations would be
great. Please email mail in addition to posting on the newsgroup
). Thanks.