Buying a boat..Need some advice

[Kulin]

I am not really an active poster on here but I check this website almost daily. I am currently in Afghanistan and about to finish my tour in about 4 months. I am going to be buying a boat in the 10-15k range. This is my first boat and I just wanted to get some peoples opinion on whether I should get a new or used Tracker or a used fiber glass boat? I want a fiber glass but I am torn because this is my first boat and I am not an experienced boat owner or operator. Thanks guys

[offduty]

Get a good used fiberglass boat. I got a 99 Triton TR-21 that looks new without scratches for $12,500 and it has a 225 Yamaha. The deals are out there to be had just take your time and get what you want for a good deal. Get the NADA bluebook price and compare it to what they are asking. Ride in it before you buy and have the motor checked out by a marine mechanic.

Driving a boat is not that difficult just use common sense and you will be fine. Remember the more vee the hull has the better the ride in rough water, my old ranger was pretty flat and beat me up good. The new boat handles the rough much better at Clearlake and the Delta

Rich

[Kulin]

Thanks. Did you find your boat on the classifieds or did you go somewhere else? I like that stratos they have on there but it will be sold by the time I get home and am ready to buy. Did you take the boat and the boats owner to the marine mechanic, How much does that run? Sorry, I am not the knowledgable when it comes to boats.

[fishwithron2]

If possible, take a test ride and have a mechanic check out the engine. That's the most important part you are buying and if it goes bad, your looking at $$$$$ for repair. The shops normally charges $150-200. Also look under the boat for any damage.
It's a buyer market out there now and take your time. Go with a fiberglass boat as it's heavier.

[smpboy]

fiberglass is way better and holds resale value 10-15 grand should get u a pretty nice boat lots of deals right now.

[Kulin]

I am not trying to sound so arrogant on here but where are these killer deals haha? I check on the classifieds daily for boats and I dont see that many boat under 15k. I will drive to northen california no problem to pick up a boat. Is there a website or somewhere I can look to view more boats. Thanks guys for the help.

[mark poulson]

A good option for a used boat is to buy it from a dealer like Anglers Marine. They have a pretty good inventory of used boats that they take in trade, plus boats that they're selling for Pros and others in the business.
I'm pretty sure they go through the boat before they sell it, to avoid problems, and you can take it back to them for service.
You can call and talk to the owner, Rick Grover, and he'll be straight with you. He's in business to make money, but he lives on repeat business, so you can trust what he says.
If you look at somewhere like Bassboat.com, look for low hours on a motor that's easily serviced locally.
A good deal on a boat with a motor that can't be serviced is no deal at all.
Be sure it's a three star rated motor, so you can take it on DVL, and have it checked out before you buy it by a factory certified and authorized mechanic.

[ASD]

Read this

http://www.westernbass.com/dotcom/libra ... ml?id=2307

an this

http://www.westernbass.com/dotcom/libra ... ml?id=2879

as for looking try craigs list but you have to B fast as good / great deals only last a copple of hours

[Mike H]

First off, thanks for your service!

I agree with others about getting a used glass boat instead of an aluminum one now and wanting to step up to glass later, I have alot of friends that went that route. Right now there are plenty of deals out there.

While it may be a little more expensive going through a dealer I agree with Mark, go to Anglers Marine. Rick, Jordan and John are great people, as well as the other guys down there. They are good honest people who will treat you great, you will know exactly what your getting and they can do any future service for you.

The only down side is while your waiting for them to service your boat you tend to spend more money in their "Waiting Room" on tackle. I took my Champion in recently for its annual checkup and ended up spending way to much money, at least thats what the wife said, on new tackle.

Mike H

[mark poulson]

The only down side is while your waiting for them to service your boat you tend to spend more money in their "Waiting Room" on tackle. I took my Champion in recently for its annual checkup and ended up spending way to much money, at least thats what the wife said, on new tackle.

Mike H

Speaking of waiting rooms, I think they ought to have that Wierd Al Yankovich video playing, the one that is a knock off of a Michael Jackson song, where they're in an operating room, removing a guys wallet!
Seriously, they do have a well stocked tackle area, with stuff no one else carries. It's silly to go there without shopping.

[acm95301]

First, thank you for your service.

Excellent question. With the economy out there there will be plenty of boats being sold as repossesed, used and manufactuers will have new boats on sale.

If you buy new you are paying way more than is necessary, so if your buying cash in hand then this is clearly the best option. However, you will need to be patient and observant. You will need to wait for the better deals to come by, fast to get to it, and need some help to find pitfalls. Did the boat have it lower unit replaced, was mainatnace performed? are you being lied to? if its such a great deal..why is it? If you buy new the advantage is that you can easily get a loan, and you can get all your upgrades done at once all for one low interest loan.....upgrade trolling motors and electronics is a must. Depending on where you fish other upgrades might make sense. Another advantage of new is that the seller will need to fix the problems you find, and on a new boat there will be many...on a used one most of these problems get caught...but if you find any its goning to be your problem.

Aluminum vs. Fiberglass....I believe that fiberglass hulls catch the wind less and are probably faster in general. However, how confidnet are you in trolling into a wood choked creek with fiberglass. Aluminum is more durable and probably cheaper. I bought my tracker knowing I was goning to be banging around in it. Also upgrades like recessed footpedal were easy to do.

Your price range will get you a used aluminum boat anywhere from 4,000- 15,000 ...probably around 60hp- 115hp and anywhere from 8years to 2 years old. a used boat frequently needs new carpeting about 800-1300 dollars, new electronics maybe as much as 2500 and a new trolling motor a good one 800-1500. Fewer fiberglass boats will be in this range, but you will find some smaller 17 foot ones and underpowered ones. If you live in the central valley call up JIm Moulton at C and C marine....YOu can try to keep an eye on boat trader, craigslist, and even ebay.good luck.

[Greg_Cornish]

First, thank you for your service.

Add me to that sentiment and come home safe and have some fun.

[Kulin]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I am am from Temecula, Ca and I fish DVL alot. I am just skeptical that I can get a decent fiber glass boat for the price range that I want to pay. I think I will just do my homework and look for a used fiberglass. I appreciate all the replies again. I cannot wait to get home and start fishing.

[Ross England]

Thank you for your service and be as safe as you can over the next 4 months.

[offduty]

Thanks. Did you find your boat on the classifieds or did you go somewhere else? I like that stratos they have on there but it will be sold by the time I get home and am ready to buy. Did you take the boat and the boats owner to the marine mechanic, How much does that run? Sorry, I am not the knowledgable when it comes to boats.

I actually found mine on craigslist and it was a few miles south of my house. It will do about 65 and has a 53 gal fuel capacity. If you are patient I think you will find what you want. I suggest you try bassboatcentral.com they have a lot of boats for sale nation wide and you can search under various brands. You can also check craigslist and ebay. It might be worth taking a bit of a road trip for the right boat. It will probably be cheaper getting a boat from an individual rather than a dealer as there will be no overhead. Just use the NADA guide to see if the price is fair.

According to NADA my boat is worth less than 10k now. To me it is as good as any 30k to 50k boat as it is in great shape. It is the years that de value a boat even if it looks like new and works the same

I never took my boat to a mechanic but I did take a ride and it ran great. In retrospect I should have had a mechanic check it out. I would call various marine mechanics and ask for a price to inspect. I think if the motor is about 99 or later they can hook it to a computer that will tell you how many hours it has had at what rpm. If it has not been run around and over 5000 rpm a lot it will probably last longer.

Also get the serial # off the side of the motor and do some research on it to see if it is the same year as the boat and what there is to be said about that particular motor on line.

I suggest if you get a Yamaha you run Ringfree additive at 1 oz per 10 gallons. Boats are like cars if you run them wide open a lot you end up needing a new powerhead sooner rather than later and there is nothing wrong with driving 35 to 45 mph, you will use a lot less oil and oil is pricey. I try to keep my rpm's under 4000 and expect that motor to last a long time with the appropriate maintenance, trust me its worth it.

If you want good oil cheap join the Amsoil preffered customer program and if you buy a 30 gal drum like I did it will be about $17.00 a gallon. It costs $10.00 to join and you get dealer cost. Their closest warehouse is in Vegas and they charged me $50.00 to ship a 30 gallon drum to west Ventura co.

Rich

[fishwithron2]

Another thing to consider is where you fish. Some lakes don't allow 2 cy unless it has a 4 star rating. You might have to go with a 4 cy motor.

[Andy Giannini]

I would go glass used. Speaking from experience, it is much more expensive to buy a "starter" boat and move up at a later date.

There are usually more boats for sale than there are buyers.

.02 A.G.

[split172]

I would go with fiberglass for sure!

Here is a check list I made and use to give to sellers to answer most of my questions:
Boat Check list:
Motor:
1.) What motor is it?
2.) When was it last run?
3.) How many Hours?
4.) What is compression?
5.) Any repairs/rebuilds?
6.) Service history?
Boat:
1.) Any damage to hull? (Scrapes, gouges, holes, cracks, repairs)
2.) Any damage to transom?
3.) Any damage to railing?(Oxidation, Sun Fade, Scrapes, gouges, holes, cracks, repairs)
4.) Condition of carpet? (Rips/Tares, frays, burns, stains)
5.) Condition of Upholstery? (Rips/Tares, Burns, Stains)
6.) Drivers Console? (Gauges all work, condition of console)
Trailer:
1.) Does it have swing-away tongue?
2.) Does it have disc brakes? If so is it dual disc? (on each axle?)
3.) Any damage to trailer? (Dents, dings, etc.)
4.) Condition of bunks?
5.) Trailer lights functioning?
6.) Condition of tires?
7.) Come with a spare tire?

Has the boat been garaged while not in use?

Why are you selling?

What electronics come with boat?

What is the condition of batteries?

Does boat come with any extras? (cover, prop, life jackets, etc...)