New Searay Boat

I've heard two lines of thought when it comes to 1st time boat purchasers - whether to buy a brand new boat (from a dealer) or whether to buy a late model used boat w/ a transferrable warranty (from a private party).

The reasoning behind a brand new boat is of course, peace of mind. I'm going into this hobby at 38 yrs old and I have no misconceptions that this can be an extremely expensive hobby.

My budget is around $18,000 (for lic., ins., dealer fees [if applicable], and misc. other fees).

Also, I am familiar with Bayliner and Searay, and most recently, Four Winns (these are nice boats!). We are a familiy of 5; with my sister and her kids (we each have 3 - all of them are now at the watersports age) a mile away. I've done exhaustive technical research but I've not done any of the most important research - the public.

What is good first boat? I'm looking for a bowrider, i/o (about 175 hp), 18' or bigger.

Thanks to all in advance.

I sold boats for years and owned a few. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME ADVISE! FIRST and important, do you have a proper vehicle with 5 people pulling a boat? V-6 may not "cut" it, i.e., burning motor up, transmission not heavy enough, etc., due to weight. Brochures for boats indicate BOAT WEIGHT ONLY, gas per gallon 7 lbs each, trailer 700 to 1000 lbs., I used 300 for gear, coolers, etc. SECOND CONSIDERATION, 5 people on an 18' boat you DO NOT want this small boat on a BUSY lake, YOUR family will not be happy and dangerous. THIRDLY, have professionally installed trailer "hitch". When you go to have installed you will need to know approximate weight being "pulled".

FIRST TIME, Buy used!!! Why? New boat owners will sell within 2 to 3 years average. Most buy TOO small, as you will find out quickly buying 18', or the anticipated use was NOT as expected, average in America is 50 hours per season. As you look at boats consider useage, i.e., skiing, tubing, cruising, etc. If skiing you need a "Larger Engine", not a 4 cylinder or small outboard.

Where to buy? Go, FIRST, to Marinas that "house" boats for clients. Usually they have large buildings where they "fork lift" boats "one row" at a time. If an owner is doing this they more than likely care about the boat by keeping out of weather. These facilities also offer regular maintenance and service. You will find from the "operators" of these facilities boat owners selling.

Boat dealers do sell used but, from my personal experience working at dealers, finding boats traded in are usually not in great shape and sold "as is". You will find boats on "consignment" where owners that could not sell have dealers put on their lots, these are usually over priced because the owner has a minimum they will take, plus the dealer wants a share as well.

There is an abundance of boat owners selling. When you are "prospecting" REMEMBER, the year of the boat is LAST TWO digits of VIN. NOW you know how to tell. If VIN is "scraped" or "missing", DO NOT BUY, it is easy to "steal" boats and one indicator is NO VIN, located on right rear.

Boat dealers use NADA for trade values or resale. As you are shopping review or "get" one of these. Bayliner can be great first boats, they are "cheapest" and as you ride in other makes you will understand why. "Things" start happening with Bayliner after a couple of years.

With only $18,000 you are more than likely looking at a 2 to 3 year old or earlier. More than likely someone "just" ready to get "rid of because they "bought too small" and ready to upgrade.

Hope this helps. DO NOT become boat poor. ANY USED BOAT PAY A QUALIFIED TECH TO INSPECT, APPROX. $150 TO $200, regardless of what you are told. AGAIN, have a proper VEHICLE!

Good Luck, Boating is a Great Family Activity.

2008-04-24 18:36:55 by Alan H

Video new Model Line-up of Sea Ray boats. Brand new footage, brand new models. If you are interested in buying any boat in this size range ...

boat recently has had new transome , stringers , floor . But boat was not re-foamed

Water in the hull under the floor is a common cause of this. it can be also caused by a bent lower stabilizer on the boat or motor. It can also be caused by a defect in the steering hydraulics. Any of the above conditions would be negatively affected by sudden weight changes caused by passenger movement. The risk of loss of control resulting in accident or injury is high and you should have this situation checked out by a competent marine mechanic.

2006-06-10 01:29:10 by glenn c

We have 2 batteries and don't know where to go from here. 1st time in 9 years it won't start. The boat is a 1999 searay sundeck.

Cathy.....I would recommend calling Mike and telling him that there will be no boating this weekend. Looks like him and Kim are screwed. Probably should've bought the inboard-outboard equipped SunDeck......Dennis is in trouble now....

2008-05-29 06:10:15 by Cathy C

Price: $99.99 $153.10

Include One 6V NiCd Rechargeable Battery, Charger and Two AA Batteries
Forward and Backward Drive
Left and Right Steering

I am looking for a boat that is a searay around 36 to 42 feet.. im looking to spend about 80,000 to 180,000...
it would be nice to be a newer boat 2000-2009
Midwest area is also wanted :)

if you could please help me find a boat for sale it would be great i would lovee to buy.

-thankyou-

There are plenty of boat brokerages around the country. You can also look at repo centers too. Try BoatTrader.com

http://www.searay.com/Page.aspx/pageId/1 3170/Dealers--
http://www.boattrader.com/

Certified Sales, Inc
www.certifiedsales.com

National Liquidators
www.yachtauctions.com

Cooper Capital Speciality
www.cooperss.com

Lab Marine
www.labmarineinc.com

2009-09-13 11:47:06 by Never Shout Never!

But I don't know much about them! Currently I have a three blade aluminum prop on a 22 ft SeaRay (inboard/outboard, Bravo One mercruiser). Are there significant performance benefits to changing to a stainless steel prop? How about different blade numbers? We use the boat for water skiing, tubing, etc, as well as driving to and from our cottage; it is already such a pig on gas, I'm not worried about using a little more.
Thanks Doane...I don't need to go much faster than 35 mph, and being able to reverse effectively is important.

The starting place for prop selection is RPM at wide open throttle (WOT); on an outboard, WOT is generally 5200 - 5800 RPM (check your manual, as it may be different on an i/o).

A prop with a higher pitch will produce more torque (better for pulling out skiers) and will lower your WOT RPM. Likewise, a prop with a lower pitch will increase your WOT RPM. Statements like "higher pitch gives you better mileage" will be generally false, as you need to select the prop that gives you the appropriate WOT range. Usually, 1" increase of pitch will decrease your RPM by 200.

And YES, I know you are not always operating the engine at WOT, but this is your baseline and therefore affects all other areas of your range of throttle.


Stainless Steel props do flex less than aluminum, and are therefore generally preferred for ski boats, as they transfer more power to propulsion rather than to deforming the prop blades. However, be careful with a stainless prop if you generally boat in a shallow area with a rocky bottom, as SS props will NOT bend if they hit something; instead, it will destroy your lower gearcase. An aluminum prop will be a better choice as they are usually less than half the cost of SS, and will sacrifice themselves before transferring damage to your lower unit.

That said, I live in a very shallow area with a muddy, sandy bottom and use a SS prop and don't worry about it.

2007-07-24 10:12:03 by harvityharvharvharv