Boats...

[GinoRin]

So a friend of mine just bought a nice spot on Okauchee Lake, and I told him I'd buy a cruiser/skiboat to keep out there next summer. I figure now is a good time to buy since theyre out of season, but I don't know jack sh*t about boats... are there any decent forums so I can do some research, and maybe some places to look up used values and classifieds and such. (yes, I know about Craigslist, thanks :goof )

Thanks for the input

[UnderPSI]

Buy a Four Winns or a Sea Ray. That's all you need to know. I always had good luck with skipper buds. I can put you in touch with my guy if you want. I am going to be picking up a new boat pretty quick here also.

[UnderPSI]

Do NOT buy a Bayliner. That is the trailer park trash of boats. Just looking out for you.

[Breecher_7]

Do NOT buy a Bayliner. That is the trailer park trash of boats. Just looking out for you.

Mabey things have changed but Bayliner and Sea Ray used to be owned by the same company. I think there both junky. Ill keep my lund.

[Car Guy]

Our family went from an `86 Bayliner Capri to a `92 Sea Ray and the difference is night & day :wooo, it's like upgrading from a Geo Metro to a Mercedes-Benz.....:rolf

[UnderPSI]

Bayliner owns Mariah also, really cheap "go fast boats" Those are just as junky. We saw one on Okochee that was three years old and the fiberglass was starting to bubble and peel already. Saw a 2007 19 bayliner on Nagawaukee that wouldn't start. Talked to the owner a little bit, he had the entire wiring harness replaced 3 times already.

I have and would only buy a Four Winns. There are plenty of other nice boats out there, but Four Winns is well respected around the world. They carry the best warranty also. I believe the hull has a lifetime warranty.


This boat is a good deal....
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/908291998.html

[Silver03SRT]

Ranger is my boat of choice. Mostly a fishing boat but you can get the fish and ski

[Al]

Chris Craft FTW!

[Breecher_7]

Ranger is my boat of choice. Mostly a fishing boat but you can get the fish and ski

We still need to race across pewaukee.. :thumbsup

I agree though, dual purpose boats are the way to go. Yeah it may be primaraly for fishing but it handles great and is likely faster then most I/0 Crusiers.

Thanks for the info on bayliner brad, i must have gotten some bad info years ago, i could have sworn bayliner and sea ray were the same company.

[JohnnyT]

Inboard ski boat! Ski Nautique or MasterCraft is the way to go!

Oh and if you aren't quite ready for an inboard yet, I concur with Brad on the Sea Ray or Four Winns (leaning slightly towards the Sea Ray).

[Crawlin]

Yep, the Mastercraft forums were awesome for information on helping decide between which boat.

BUT, that site is more elitist than supra/viper forums it seemed like. Anyone who financed a boat is "stupid". Anyone that had been thinking about anything other than a MasterCraft is stupid.

I think when I was looking, the best "overall" boat, was a Maristar 205 for something that was in the middle. If you wanted more of just a waterski boat, then the ProStar was the line up to look at. If you were going to be more into the wakeboardiing, then the X-series was what you wanted to look into because it could throw the fat wake lip to get the boarder up quicker. But you can always adjust that with the fatsacs you can put all over the boat to create different size wakes. It's just the added weight to get the boat to sit lower in the water.

The stuff from Ski Nautige, Supra, Tige, or Malibu were all ok boats too. Just depends on what you want to do. Those M.C. boats sure as shit hold their value better than anything else it seems.

[Breecher_7]

Thats big dollar shit to begin with. I thought 50K was alot for a boat.........

[JC70SS]

I don't think Gino is looking for any Master craft/Malibu boat as the are way big $$. New Bu's are better than MAster Craft anyway. I like Moomba better for ski. Wake is a bit smaller.

[UnderPSI]

I would never get and inboard. I would get an I/O or an outboard. Just my opinion, but I like the fact that I can pull right up to a beach and not have to worry about damaging the prop shaft.

[Silver03SRT]

We still need to race across pewaukee.. :thumbsup
Hahahaha Ya. We should make a friendly wager like a case of beer I am running low. :rolf:rolf


Ya if you get a Mastercraft be prepared to spend big bucks. There is another boat that is suppose to be better but forgot the name. One of our customers was talking about buying one but he couldnt justify spending 80K on a boat.

[Crawlin]

Really all depends on what you are looking for. I was looking at used '03 stuff and it was mid 20's. And when looking at '01's they seemed to be low-mid 20's depending on model. SO it didn't seem to drop too much over that period of time.

I've driven pretty much all of them when we'd head up to Minocqua every summer. There are some I like and some I don't. It's all personal opinion. As for driving up to a beach, well how many places around here can you really do that? Not many. And there is plenty of room on the sandbars since we'd hit those up when up north.

All depends on what your intentions are. I'm a big skier and wakeboarder(or was when I had time for it when I was younger), so those options in those boats, were things I liked. If you just wanted something to pull a tube behind and sit on the lake fishing, there are far better options.

PS - you guys keep looking at those x-series boats, and they will be 60-80k. Most of them are full done up then, huge ass radio, perfect pass, fat sacs, tower, boards, etc....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boats_Power-Motorboats__2002-Mastercraft-X-10-yellow-only-141-hours-perfect_W0QQitemZ280288376804QQddnZBoatsQQadiZ2795 QQddiZ2831QQadnZPowerQ20Q26Q20MotorboatsQQcmdZView ItemQQptZPower_Motorboats?hash=item280288376804&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A727%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[Slow Joe]

We have a 2001 Sport Nautique with a big block (502) and under 200 hours on it.

I'll talk to my dad to make sure he still wants to sell it. But it's an AWESOME boat for what he's asking for it.

He lives right on Okauchee, so if he wanted to try it out next summer before he bought it, it would be no problem.

P.S. Nautiques are built better than MasterCraft, Malibu, etc. We checked into it before we bought the boat... :thumbsup

[Breecher_7]

before I bought my boat I literally went to the dealers for Lund, Alumacraft, Smoker Craft, Ranger and so on and tore the boats apart on the show floor. I cant speak for the Ski/sport boats as far as construction but I can say that as far as the boats I looked at the Lund's were built the best all around.

[GinoRin]

Thanks for the help everyone! I'm not quite sure what I want to buy yet, I'm still open to everything. Slow Joe, let me know what your dad wants for his boat, probably out of my price range but if you could just PM me with details if you dont want to post here.

I found a great deal on a 2007 Sea Ray 19' I/O with 40 hours on it and a bunch of extras for like 9k, thats looking pretty good right now. I still dont feel educated enough yet to buy anything. I'm probably going to spend under 10k since this will be kind of a community boat for all the friends to use whenever. I dont want something too nice since I'm fussy with my stuff and I need to have something I really dont care much about since I wont be the sole operator.


Does anyone know of any forums where I can do more research?

Thanks again for all the input!!

[UnderPSI]

Holy Chit. Jump on that deal. If you don't I will. Let me know.

[sidewayzbimmer]

If your looking for a little cheaper but all and all a nice boat. I have a 1994 sylvan 178. It has a 4.3 mercruiser i/o, fiberglass, nice stereo, does about 52-53 consistant with a couple passengers. $4000

[Slow Joe]

Ok, here are all the details

2001 Sport Natique w/502 Python (# 13 of 13 Made)
White, Blue and Black, only one of that color combination w/502.
Under 200 Hours
Factory Upgraded Sound System with Subwoofer
Extended Wakeboarding Boom (removable for parking on covered lift)
Always Professionally Cared For by L & W Marine of Lannon (Formerly), and Duchows of Pewaukee (Currently).
1 Owner
Well Over $50k New
Trailer with Surge Brakes and new "Bling Bling" wheels...
Just had hull repaired by Midwest Natiques (of Indiana) cost covered by Nautique. (There were some extremely small stress fractures in the hull which were not a of any structural concern that a possible buyer noticed, Nautique looked at this, said that it's "normal" for one of the big block boats because of tq, but repaired anyways.)

He's looking for $29,000 OBO. The dealer that I picked it up from in IN said it should be sold for over 32k...

Honestly, this is one of the most powerful boats I've ever driven, and it's a ton of fun... Easily tow multiple skiers, tubers... You Name It...

[A B4C Z]

Gino I know how you roll......
http://www.malibuboats.com/boats/corvette

[mr.gone1985]

Deck boats are the way to go

[JC70SS]

Scarab baby!

[Feature Pony]

Outerlimits, Cigarette, Donzi, Fountain, Checkmate or a nice baja!!! Here is a nice classified section, oh yeah the poker run pics are pretty nice as well!! http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.com/boats-b12-en.html

[GinoRin]

Gino I know how you roll......
http://www.malibuboats.com/boats/corvette

hahaha. Maybe not this year, but if I get into boats I'd probably buy something like that down the road, youre right. :)

[GinoRin]

Scarab baby!

I'm actually going down to Crystal Lake, Il on sunday to look at a 97 Moomba with a LT1 inboard, those look pretty cool.

[Al]

Anyone here ever consider steam power?

[Slow Joe]

I'm actually going down to Crystal Lake, Il on sunday to look at a 97 Moomba with a LT1 inboard, those look pretty cool.

I'm guessing our Natique is a little more than you want to spend?

[GinoRin]

I'm guessing our Natique is a little more than you want to spend?


That would be a correct guess, Joe :) I'm looking at boats in the 5-10k range, so I'm pretty sure I'm a *touch* out of the ballpark :thumbsup Sounds like a badass boat, though! :headbang

[Slow Joe]

:rolf Touch, eh?

Yeah the thing's badass, but it's HARD to sell since it's expensive, and the big block boats are just hard to sell as they are... I'm still trying to convince him to keep it... So if you see it flyin around next summer, stop over... We'll prolly have alcohol :rolf

If you're on the lake, we're in stumpy bay... My dad has the tanish-brownish house with a perfect view of the lake between the island and the mainland... It's next to a huge newly built house... It's not a small house... But the neighbors house looks amazingly large. We have two piers... If you see the lot-o-us out this summer, swing by... If it ends up being my dad, just say you know me, he's friendly :rolf

[GinoRin]

Cool deal, we'll have to meet up for a beverage or three! My buddy just bought a place off Road Q. Its a 60s chalet style home with 110' of frontage. I guess hes buying it from an older lady. I know he's about 100-120 feet off the lake in the channel, just in the no wake I guess. I haven't been there yet, just saw pics.

[UnderPSI]

We have family just outside the no wake zone. We will probably be up there a lot more this year. I just have to work on getting this new boat.

[GinoRin]

Nice! Okauchee should be fun this summer! Seems like theres lotsa peeps going to be out there we all know , should make for some drunk...err good times. :thumbsup

[Slow Joe]

We're off of P North, on Snyder Lane to be exact.

[nitrous]

Not sure how much you're looking to spend, but my brother is toying with the idea of selling his '07 Moomba so he can build a cabin up north. Comes with a Pioneer stereo with a 10" MTX sub, Perfect Pass, tower, cover, numerous wakeboards, skis, tubes, kneeboards, life suits, water suits, and nice trailer.

Let me know if you're interested.

[UnderPSI]

Did you get a boat???

[GinoRin]

Not Yet, still looking and saving up... It seems like the closer we get to spring the more options are popping up, and I dont think boat sales are going to be anything better than terrible this year, new or used. Should be able to get some really good deals. I'm still educating myself on everything out there, I dont like buying something without being at least somewhat knowledgable. I know whatever I get is going to be open bow, preferrably a V8 I/O 17-22' something or other. I'm even looking at some inboard stuff, but all the inboards I look at are smaller and more geared towards skiing/boarding only. I need more of a runabout with female and alcohol capacity than the ability to pull a barefooter behind it :)

[UnderPSI]

I have a 19' right now and I wouldn't get anything smaller than that. The new one I ordered is a 20'

[That_Guy]

Buy a Four Winns or a Sea Ray. That's all you need to know. I always had good luck with skipper buds. I can put you in touch with my guy if you want. I am going to be picking up a new boat pretty quick here also.

BAYLINER FTL....


SEA RAY always always made great boats

[CATNHAT]

A friend of mine has a sweet Ski Nautique for sale. 2 years old, tower, heater. Nice boat!

[tommyt5078]

Boat show is this coming weekend at state fair grounds!

[A B4C Z]

A friend of mine has a sweet Ski Nautique for sale. 2 years old, tower, heater. Nice boat!

Is it red? I got a email from a guy with a red one that is super super clean looking.

[UnderPSI]

I am going Friday. Nice to look at all the stuff I can't afford :goof

All I would really need is a Four Winns V278. That way I can still trailer it. Keep the 20' for the smaller lakes and the V278 for Michigan. So... if any of you want to help me out and loan me a couple hundred grand that would be great thanks. :thumbsup

[GinoRin]

I'm hittin up the boat show next week, too...

[CATNHAT]

Is it red? I got a email from a guy with a red one that is super super clean looking.

Yeah, whie with red accents. REALLY nice boat. I think he is asking $38K.

I have driven it and thought of buying it, but kids are alittle to young for that performance.

Still a great buy!