I do agree that Bayliners have improved...but I put older 80-94 Bayliners in
the same class as a Ford Pinto...and we all know what the 70's did to
American Car Manufacturers...All kidding aside, the newer 95+ Bayliners are
much better.

I have a beautiful 1987 Capri that basically fell apart no matter how good I
took care of it. After I completely gutted the boat 8 years ago, and used
better materials, I now have no more problems with the boat. I also own an
old 1976 freeform trihull...This boat has seen nothing but salt water all
its life, and has all the original stringers, and transom. I just recently
replaced the floorboards after 20+ years of service. The 3 inch thick
transom is still solid to this day.

One thing I did notice is that older Bayliners were only treated on one side
of the floorboards, plus excess water had no way of escaping, due to the
poor layout of the floation foam. This is why the boat rotted out so
quickly. I redesigned the boat to allow it to be completely submerged, then
allowing any water below the floorboards to easily make its way out, so the
boat can air dry quickly.

Jim Rojas

"Joseph A. Rich" wrote in message
...

I bought a 1 1/2 season used 2000 19' Bayliner Capri from our local Marina
3
seasons ago. Other than basic maintenance it's been a great boat (my
first
with a motor!) There are many Bayliner bashers out there, but for a good
first all-around boat it serves my purposes well. I think that the price
you've been quoted is a bit high though. I got my boat, with basically a
new
trailer along with a lift with a brand new cover for $13K. Since I bought
it
locally, I knew what I was getting. Oh, I've only used it freshwater.

No matter what the other folks say, if you take good care of your boat -
no
matter what brand you get, it will serve you well. Routine maintenance -
winterize/summerize, frequent cleaning, frequent checking on loose screws,
bolts, etc.

Have a great time with whatever you get.

Best in boating,
Joe



In article , "Jim Rojas"
wrote:
Don't take my word for it...ask around. I have replaced floorboards,
stringers, transoms, and even complete interiors on many Bayliners. Their
problem is that Bayliner takes too many short cuts. Their hulls are 1/4
inch
thick at best, and their transoms are prone to rotting out rather
quickly.
They use cheap lumber in their stringers. The floorboards are 3/8 thick
plywood, which will crack over time just by walking on it. The instrument
cluster is a cheap looking as you can get. As long as you keep your
Bayliner
in freshwater only and properly covered against the elements, it should
last
a long time, otherwise you have been forewarned.

Jim Rojas


"William G. Andersen" wrote in message
news:lQuzc.4387$0z6.65@fed1read07...
Absolute horsecrap.
Bayliner makes a great entry level boat.
Glastron also has a low priced model.
A lot of people think you should buy a used boat - I wonder if they buy
used
cars.
The advantage of buying new is that you have a warranty and you can
take
care of the boat. Buying used, you might be buying someone else's
trashed
boat.
If you've no clue what you want and are likely to want a different boat
in
a
year or two, you are probably better off buying used and avoiding the
depreciation on a new boat.
As for the size of boat - if it's just the two of you on calm days, a
17'
boat's good. A bigger boat gives you a little more space to move around
and
will handle choppy water a little bit better.
I'm prejudiced. I bought my 1998 19' Bayliner bowrider new for less
than
$10,000. I use it at least two days a week, year round, in salt water.
The
lowest price I could find for any other boats was about $14,000, and
there
wasn't any significant difference. Oh, there was a difference: my
Bayliner
included a galvanized trailer - the others came with painted trailers.

"Jim Rojas" wrote in message
...
Bayliner makes the worst boats in the world. They are the "YUGO" of
boat
builders. They use the cheapest materials, have very thin
hulls...real
garbage.

Please shop around. I recommend Mako, Proline, Boston Whaler, Chris
Craft,
etc. Being it's your first boat, why not get a great $5000 used one
before
you commit to a higher ticket item? This way if you lose interest
(most
people do), you can expect to get at least half your investment back
if
you
sell it.

Jim Rojas

wrote in message
...
Hi folks,

My wife and I went around looking at boats today. Was wonder what
ya
all feel about the Bayliner 185 ? We were quoted a price $15000.
With
taxes, ppep, freight, etc, the total is $16057.50. This is for the
Bayliner 185 w/ bikini top and coast guard package. Does this price
sound reasonable?

For the Bayliner 175 w/ bikini top and coast guard package the
price
is $12,000. With taxes, ppep, freight, etc, the total is
$12870.00.

Do you think the Bayliner 185 is worth $3217.50 more than the
Bayliner
175?

This is our first boat purchase. We would appreciate your input.

Thanks,
JC