I'm in the market for a 34 to 38 foot Sedan Cruiser. We've been in boating for
years and are moving up from our current express cruiser (30').

We've looked at quite a few different new boats at several boat shows this year
and have talked to a few marine surveyors (at the shows). When I've asked them
about how I should determine which boat manufacturers, which models, and which
years to stay away from (or which to focus on), they seem to indicate that this
is all information that they know, but not willing to share (I can understand
why).

Isn't there some place on the internet that will give me information on these
topics? I've been to Dave Pasco's website and gotten some good info from it,
but he certainly hasn't surveyed every boat that I'm interested in. There's a
web site called "boat opinions" but it hasn't been in operation now for several
months.

For example, we have our eye on a Silverton 37' sedan cruiser in the 10 year
old vintage. How do I know if Silverton is a quality manufacturer? How do I
know if the cruisers made in the early 1990's by Silverton had any special
problems? How do I know how it compares to other similar boats in this size
and style?

I read magazines, but this is not an efficient method of comparison.

Any ideas? I don't want to just go to Yahtworld.com and compare prices.

I've seen the results of someone asking about a particular boat on this
newsgroup. A question about a Bayliner can result in hundreds of responses
that take weeks and of course there are passionate people on both sides of the
arguement. That's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for more technical,
data based information/opinion.

Thanks,

Wayne

Tough question. Especially for the size range which interests you. Unlike
automobiles boats in larger sizes don't sell thousands each year. Therefore
information of the sort provided by Consumer Reports is simply unavailable.
I'm sure you noticed that Pascoe said something like quality of the same make
model size can differ a great deal from year to year and even within the same
production year.

Silverton is not a boat noted for it's outstanding quality, BTW.

PowerBoat Reports provides some good information on some things to look for in
a boat. Pascoe does the same. Pick a nearby marina with a lot of boats in the
size you want. Talk to people about the boats they own and know about. Ask
specific make and model questions here on rec.boats. You'll get some good
information and some crap but it's worth wading through, IMO.

As I no longer have much interest in larger boats I really don't know who
builds what anymore. But, builders like Tiara, Bertram, Hatteras all come to
mind when thinking of quality. SeaRay is an OK boat but beware of layup
problems.

Whatever boat eventually turns your crank get a good, repeat good, survey and
be mentally prepared to walk away if the boat has problems.
You could do a lot worse than visit a broker. A good broker does not want to
sell you a bad boat because he wants your future business. To avoid conflicts
of interests, however, ALWAYS choose your own surveyer.

Good luck and happy boating with that larger boat.

Butch

Wklkjwrote: snip When I've asked them
about how I should determine which boat manufacturers, which models, and
which
years to stay away from (or which to focus on), they seem to indicate that
this
is all information that they know, but not willing to share (I can understand
why).

Isn't there some place on the internet that will give me information on these
topics?