Dave,

You have quite a few needs for a first time boater. Some of those needs
like being easy to operate for a first timer, and something big enough
for 4 for a weekend, might be at odds with each other. Here is some
advice which might be helpful is resolving these conflicts.

First of all define the experience and character of the potential captain,
you. If you have had previous boat handling experience, and/or are
someone who can learn the skills of boat handling and adapt those
procedures fluidly, to changing conditions, you might be able to start off
with a larger boat. If you have had little experience and/or tend to panic
in stressful situations (such as docking in heavy winds), it may be
necessary to start off with a smaller boat that is easier to acquire the
fundamentals of boat handling, and is more forgiving of operator error.
Taking safe boating courses, and finding a friend with a larger boat who
will let you get experience docking their vessel could overcome these
shortcommings.

Next, define your personal needs. Within your family of four, define
"weekending on a boat". To some of us it means camping, or "roughing
it". If you family is the outdoor type and your kids are younger perhaps
a 19ft cuddy with a camper top will fit the bill. To some, weekending
means having ALL the ammenities of home aboard. In which case the 24ft
Aft cabin cruiser might be minimum. After you defined weekending,
determine what percentage of your boating will consist of weekending.
Once again, if youre only looking to do this a handful of times a year,
you might consider doing with less to few times to gain other advantages
(eg fuel economy, ease of use, ease of trailering, etc).

Determine where the boat will most likely be used. This will most likely
determine the size and perhaps the type of boat being used. As for the
size and type, I would take a 10' duck boat or bass boat out on Lake Erie
where I boat. Your conditions might just merit that larger boat. When
it comes down to brand, as someone else stated, seek advice from boaters
in the area. My only caveat would be to learn to separate knowledge from
bull****. If another boater can tell you specifically the pluses or
minuses of a given boat model, preferrably based upon person experience,
then I would be more likely to take what they say at face value.

As for which brand to buy... I tend to believe that all boats are somewhat
crap. Irrespective of the brand, I have yet to see a new boat that did
not exhibit some design flaw or quality control issues. When you are
talking about used boats, these issues can skew or level the playing field
of quality between brands. I for one would have no problem condsidering a
used Bayliner that was well cared for, over (insert favorite brand here)
that was abused. Conversely, if the usage was reversed the Bayliner MAY
not have faired as well as the popular boat. I honestly don't know.

As for Bayliners in particular, my personal experiences with them were
favorable on the great lakes. I have formed the opinion that in that area
of use, they are a value priced alternative, undeserving of alot of the
snide remarks seen here. As for salt water use, I cannot honestly say, so
find someone in the area you boat who can give you concrete information,
before you buy.

Do you really need a 24 footer? Or is a 24 footer big enough? Only you
can answer the question honestly. No matter what you decide, good luck
with your purchase and take the time to get acquainted with your needs as
well as the rules and customs of what I deem to be the most enjoyable
pursuits on earth.

I hope this helps

Bob Dimond






In article ,
(Diverguy) wrote:

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.