![]() |
1st boat help
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. |
1st boat help
Our first boat was a 30 footer. Like you we had been around boats for a long
time but had never owned one. We did a ton of research before buying, trying to sort out the "bayliner is crap" sort of advice as well as determining what our needs were (sounds like you've got the needs part figured out). I read up a lot on hull design and learned the difference between open water boats and protected bay boats. And looked around a lot to see what other people were using and what they seemed to think. As far as the Bayliner thing goes, there's a lot of Bayliners in my marina and they seem perfectly fine. We're on the St. Lawrence/1000 Islands area so none of us are dealing with the type of stuff you would need a Hatteras for. But it all comes down to your intended use. I'm not familiar with the boating area you mention so you'll want to see what the other guys are using and ask them what they think. Just my 2 bits. "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. |
1st boat help
Paul, do you know if the state's pulling in the docks yet for the launches
at lakes like Black Lake? I'm salivating for one last trip up that way.... |
1st boat help
Gee I don't know sorry. I'm on the Canadian side, I'm guessing you're on the
'murican side? I'd give my left arm for one more cruise too. The trees are supposed to be spectacular down there right now. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... Paul, do you know if the state's pulling in the docks yet for the launches at lakes like Black Lake? I'm salivating for one last trip up that way.... |
1st boat help
Yeah...'murican, in Rochester. The twits are pulling the docks at some of
the Finger Lakes already. Nobody told them there's another month to bass season, and that the pike and walleye are going friggin' bonkers. We can still get our boats in the water, but it requires hip waders. "Paul" wrote in message . cable.rogers.com... Gee I don't know sorry. I'm on the Canadian side, I'm guessing you're on the 'murican side? I'd give my left arm for one more cruise too. The trees are supposed to be spectacular down there right now. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... Paul, do you know if the state's pulling in the docks yet for the launches at lakes like Black Lake? I'm salivating for one last trip up that way.... |
1st boat help
Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for
handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer, and in a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability. The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the design characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable boats for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size wise you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport fishing conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other brands would be worthy of investigation and consideration. |
1st boat help
To avoid 2foot-itis, when I decided to buy a boat, I bought
the biggest boat I could trailer without getting ridiculous (25'). Never regretted that move. JR 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. -- Remove X to reply -------------------------------------------------------------- Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth |
1st boat help
"Gould 0738" wrote in message ... Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer, and in a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability. The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the design characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable boats for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size wise you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport fishing conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other brands would be worthy of investigation and consideration. Check with the people on the All Coast Board. They fish and boat the area. One of the guys has a 24' Sportcraft for sale. Never ridden on one, but do like the lines. http://www.allcoastsportfishing.com/...&conf=mainconf Bill |
1st boat help
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. |
1st boat help
"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
m... 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? Good point. A fishing acquaintance of mine bought a 25' something, without thinking of how he was going to trailer it. He has a 1999 Crown Victoria with all the snazzy suspension upgrades, but still, not a car you'd want to tow with every single weekend. He was about to trade it in for some pig of an SUV like an Escalade or something, just to tow the boat. Luckily, his wife slowed him down and reminded him that they only trailer it about 6 times a year, to move it between lakefront houses owned by their parents, on different lakes. It sits at those houses for 3-4 weeks at a time. She called a couple of marinas and found they could get the boat towed 6 times for far less than the cost of putting gas into a fat SUV for three months. And this didn't take into account driving the SUV around pointlessly for the off-season. It may seem like a minor point until you consider that the Crown Vic gets an honest 24-26 mpg, and something like the Escalade gets 12 mpg on a flat highway doing 65 mph with the wind behind it. |
1st boat help
It seems to me you are looking for family comfort, a dive platform and
some nice amenities. You should have a look at Formula boats. The 27' or the 31' will fit your needs. I have a '91 26'PC. The boat is very well built, with stainless fittings where most other manufacturers use plated or worse. The hull is stronger, and won't break in heavy seas. (Bayliners have been known to do that.) The entire boat is well thought out. The swim platform is so well made, my wife and all our guests can climb out on it! http://www.formulaboats.com/ Capt. Frank See attached website for a few pix. Go to the "boating link" |
1st boat help
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. |
1st boat help
"Gould 0738" wrote in message ... Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer, and in a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability. The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the design characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable boats for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size wise you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport fishing conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other brands would be worthy of investigation and consideration. C-Dory is a nice boat but not offshore. The bottom is too flat causing a rough ride and instability with a following sea. Been there, done that! Gordon |
1st boat help
C-Dory is a nice boat but not offshore. The bottom is too flat causing a
rough ride and instability with a following sea. Been there, done that! Gordon I'm doing a boat review on a 25' C-Dory next Monday. (Wanted to get something done about a vessel suitable for blackmouth fishing, since in the magazine biz it's already December). This will be my first experience actually underway on one of these, although I did an article on the factory about two years ago.. It seems we agree that they are "nice boats", hopefully there will be enough snot to plow through next week that I'll be able to either agree or disagree with your handling assessment. :-) |
1st boat help
"Gould 0738" wrote in message ... C-Dory is a nice boat but not offshore. The bottom is too flat causing a rough ride and instability with a following sea. Been there, done that! Gordon I'm doing a boat review on a 25' C-Dory next Monday. (Wanted to get something done about a vessel suitable for blackmouth fishing, since in the magazine biz it's already December). This will be my first experience actually underway on one of these, although I did an article on the factory about two years ago.. It seems we agree that they are "nice boats", hopefully there will be enough snot to plow through next week that I'll be able to either agree or disagree with your handling assessment. :-) Mine was a 22 footer. Is the 25 the cat? Or do they something new? The deadrise on the old 22 foot was shallow and the bottom was completely flat on the pre 1986 ers. After all they are dories! Also you mentioned offshore. I don't think you'll get into 7 foot swells with 3 foot chop in Puget Sound as you commonly will going to and from Swiftsure Bank out of Neah Bay in May. Gordon |
1st boat help
Also you mentioned offshore. I don't think you'll get into 7 foot swells
with 3 foot chop in Puget Sound as you commonly will going to and from Swiftsure Bank out of Neah Bay in May. Gordon With any luck, we'll see the 2-3 foot chop. Swells aren't so bad- just up the hill and down again. :-) |
1st boat help
On 21 Oct 2003 10:59:20 -0700, 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. Just one additional consideration and my opinion only: if I were buying anything upwards of 28', I'd spend the few extra dollars to make sure it had twin engines. Besides the extra safety in emergencies, they can be far easier to maneuver in rough weather in emergencies. While you will need to spend a bit of time learning the handling characteristics, I think that once learned, they are far easier to handle in tight quarters. -- Larry email is rapp at lmr dot com |
1st boat help
I would like to get a boat that my family of 4 can go out
from Orange County to Catalina Didn't the Four Preps define that as "a leaky old boat, any old thain that will stay afloat"? Of course that was the 60s ;-) |
1st boat help
Personally, I think that a 28 foot stern drive, single motor boat is the
toughest "to control" boat out there. Anything larger, you'd almost have to go with twin screws. Anything smaller, you could "man handle" your way through some mistakes with the help of 2 deck mates. Just thinking about backing into a tight slip on a windy fall day on a 28' single screw makes me wince . . . J 10/21/03 5:55 PM Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer, and in a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability. The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the design characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable boats for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size wise you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport fishing conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other brands would be worthy of investigation and consideration. |
1st boat help
Wow,
That's great advice Bob! Where were you when we were looking for our first boat?? As far as Bayliners in Sal****er is concerned. We boat in New England and it's tough to find "old" bayliners around here. But . . . I have seen a few. There is one fellow in our marina who bought his Bayliner brand new in 83' and it still looks and runs great! He is however, an incredible mechanic and does all the work on the boat himself. I think he will keep his boat another 20 years . . . J 10/22/03 1:19 PM 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. |
1st boat help
Personally, I think that a 28 foot stern drive, single motor boat is the
toughest "to control" boat out there. Anything larger, you'd almost have to go with twin screws. Anything smaller, you could "man handle" your way through some mistakes with the help of 2 deck mates. Just thinking about backing into a tight slip on a windy fall day on a 28' single screw makes me wince . . It's easy to see why you would be wincing. I wouldn't "back" my 36-foot, single screw boat into a tight slip on a windy day. Not without using a spring line. Unless there's some reason to be stern-to at the central float, more single screw boaters approach the dock like most sailors, bow first. A head-in docking is easily accomplished with a single screw boat in any type of conditions one would ever consider venturing out in. (Personal worst conditions I have ever docked my single screw, non-bowthruster, vessel? Over 40-knots sustained with gusts over 50. It wasn't pretty, but we made it work.) When conditions are fairly benign, it's easy to back into a slip with a single. If your two deck mates can't fend off a 28-footer, there is no reason to expect a magical difference with a 23 or 24-footer. Unless there's a *major* screwup underway, one person is usually enough to make minor manual adjustments on vessels of 35-40 feet. With a single screw boat, you *must* take the natural environment into account. Wind and current conditions will have a huge effect on docking, as does what I call the "inside/outside" factor. If the wind or current is up, my experience says that the best approach is upwind, or upstream. You can bring out a few more horses to make headway, but once you're "sailing" downwind or downstream you are fairly well out of control. The inside/outside factor: There seems to be a correlation between tight berths and small fairways. Where you find one, you often encounter the other. When making a turn from the fairway into a slip, try to approach from the angle that will allow the side of the boat that needs to be next to the finger float to be on the "outside" edge of the turn. IOW, turn to starboard to put the port side against the pier, and turn to port to dock the starboard side. You want to have fits? Just try to dock the "inside" edge. It can be done, but it's about three times as difficult and why mess with it? Then again there are times when the inside/outside factor and the wind or current are contradictory. But not all that often...and if the wind or current is extreme that is the dominant variable IMO. (I've pulled into guest moorage at marinas and had twin screw boaters ask, "Why did you go past the slip and then do a 180 in the fairway and come at it from the other side?" .....If you can solve the problem with horsepower you don't learn to solve it with strategy.) The major difference between handling a single screw and twin screws is that with a single you must plan a little more carefully and "think" your way to the dock before you make your approach. Twin screws, you just sort of drive like a bulldozer. :-) |
1st boat help
Thanks for the kind words, J.
In article , JML wrote: Wow, That's great advice Bob! Where were you when we were looking for our first boat?? As far as Bayliners in Sal****er is concerned. We boat in New England and it's tough to find "old" bayliners around here. But . . . I have seen a few. There is one fellow in our marina who bought his Bayliner brand new in 83' and it still looks and runs great! He is however, an incredible mechanic and does all the work on the boat himself. I think he will keep his boat another 20 years . . . J |
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:37 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 BoatBanter.com