I quite like Bayliners, personally I think they offer splendid value. Syd had one and it seemed to me a damn good boat and I don't think he had any complaints only selling because he wanted to go larger.
The main pisstakable(?) thing is that name. They look quite snazzy. Otherwise they are mercifully free of prentitious, pretend and often redundant polished wood that is glued around and about most modern boats simply to make then feel "posh". I suppose that secondhand they might be more suspect than they should be as newbies and others on too-tight budgets may not maintain them as well as they should, and perhaps they might have slightly more than their fair share of crunches.
And Syd's boat is now in Harleyford and called Lady Evenstar..........
Bayliner skimp on things like switches and trim - which can be easily replaced once worn out. The hull is made by the thousand, is good quality and less likely to have a bad hull because it was cold on the day they made it or Fred the mix bloke had an argument with his wife. The engines are the same as everyone else's.
It leaked (a lot) when I bought it, due to dried out sealant around a window frame, a deck light and the rubbing strip. It's fine now, and I'm sure that could happen on any 13 year old boat. The acid test - I'd buy another.
So! You are the new owner? I hope you took the bunk mattresses out and shot them with a 12 bore. The thought of sleeping where Syd and his drunken mates have been is frightening. Good job you changed the name too, everyone in St Kats would run and hide when he arrived.
Yep, that's me.
Only problem caused by previous alleged drunkeness was a can of Guiness found, months after purchase, in the bilge. It froze, split, leaked and went very mouldy indeed. I found it by smell.....
Have now got a second fridge as 1 wouldn't keep up with our drink supply requirements - sounds like we're keeping up a tradition on this boat.
Well! I hope you have ½ half the good times Syd had with her then you will be a very happy bunny. Hope too that you join Harleyford Motor YC and then I will meet you when they rally to my place.
Back on the suject of cheap boats, this site has the equivelent of new but pre registered cars and they do look cheap - look at the 2858. Same price in dollars for a new one as a secondhand one here in pounds. http://www.exportamerican.com/inventory_sedan.htm (how do you make that into a link??)
I've no idea what the price will end up at with import duty, VAT and transport, it may kill the saving I suppose.