On 21 Nov 2006 13:59:18 -0800, "s o" wrote:

hi,

I'm looking at a 1996 bayliner 1952 cuddy(19 ft) with a 3.0 135 hp
mercruiser I/O. asking $6000. is this a good deal. boat is fairly
well maintained.

I've read some posts on 3.0 vs. 4.3, I think I should be fine with a
3.0. I'll be mainly using it for close to shore cruising (and maybe
fishing) with the family and occasionally overnight at Catalina
Island(I live in SoCal.) My kids are 3 and 5, so no skiiing power
needed. I've talked to a couple of people at a boat ramp, they had 20
or 22 ft boats and gone to Catalina in them. I guess 19 ft should be
ok as well.

will this boat meet my needs? any comments are welcomed(but please no
religious war on Bayliner vs. other boats, etc). thanks.

s o

I can't comment on the use of that boat to go to Catalina Island as I
boat on the Ohio River ;-) However, two years ago I bought a 19 ft
cuddy with a 3.0 Mercruiser (1995 SeaPro Citation 1900 Classic Cuddy).
While a pretty basic boat with pretty basic instrumentation and
accutriments, it was very well cared for, in pretty much perfect
cosmetic hull and interior condition with no mechanical problems. I
find it to have sufficient power for me, my two grandkids and a couple
other adults. I take the kids tubing fine. I have not tried it for
sking. I have overnighted on it a couple times with 4 people. The
biggest power complaint (or maybe it is a hull complaint) is that it
is difficult to find that sweet spot where it is on plane but
cruising. Seems that giving it enough power to get on plane causes it
to go a little faster than a slow cruise once up on plane. My sisters
have an 18' and a 20' runabouts with 6 cyl. mercruisers taht don't
seem quite as tempermental in this respect. However they are both open
bow runabouts so I can't say it is a power issue.

Anyhow, for my needs it has sufficient power. BTW I paid $4,000 two
years ago.

Dave Hall