Bayliner or binliner

Seastoke

Seastoke

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So who first called them binliners ,although i have never owned one i feel they are great boats for the money and have introduced so many poeple to boating ,is it the hull shape that makes them a little unstable at sea ,just a question.
 
Not sure about unstable. More relatively flat bottomed to give maximum accomodation and easy planing with low HP for the size giving not the best of rides at sea. Lots of petrol engines as well. As you say great value for money to get into boating. Bit thinner in the build than top Brittish boats so it could crack easier if subjected to too much slamming.

My first GRP boat was an Olderburg 17 which I cracked trying to keep up with my mates deep V speed boats. My first GRP repair lesson. Strengthened the full to ga faster then the doors started falling of :) Then decided I would go for older brit boats that could handle a wave instead of newer bling.
 
seastoke said:
So who first called them binliners ,although i have never owned one i feel they are great boats for the money and have introduced so many poeple to boating ,is it the hull shape that makes them a little unstable at sea ,just a question.
Click to expand...

Largely agree with RLW. I had 2. Crossed channel, had them out in a f8 and never cracked one though. Budget finish but that is visible when you make your choice and its far from terrible. only real weakness is hull/deck joint which can leak, rub rail needs removing to repair properly.
 
1st saw them at the boat show in the mid to late 80's. They were staggering value then, 17ft bowrider with outboard, trailer, metallic paint and a dash that came straight from KITT for less than the price of a 14ft Fletcher package.

Talking to a few people at the show who we had bought boats from in the past, it was obvious there were some scared boat dealers around. This was when I first heard the term Binliner. I think it was a term pushed and possibly invented by dealers from other manufacturers who couldnt get anywhere near the prices of the Bayliner. Having said that,the early Force outboards and the OMC/Cobra inboards were pieces of junk.

We didnt buy one (Dad was a Fletcher/Yamaha buyer through and through) but fast forward 10 years and the 1st cruiser I bought was a Bayliner 2651, great boat, good value and did everything we wanted. Couldnt fault it really (By then they had mercruiser engines). We took it on an MBM cruise in company in the 90's and I think it suprised a lot of people.
 
I've had a 1990 2655 for around 15 years and have been really pleased with it. With the wide beam it has far more room than other boats of its size and has been pretty economical to own. Both the 5.7 Mercruser engine and Alpha One drive are original, have never had any major problems, and are relatively inexpensive to service. Even the calorifier and Norcold fridge, both orginal and 25 years old now, are still going strong. I'm river based, so can't comment on its sea going capabilities, but for my use it's been a terrific boat with a lot of good years left in it.
 
Established in 1957 and in various alliances until 1986 where Brunswick aquired it, and made it part of their strategic efforts to offer boats in all segments.

Brunswick brands cover a full palette of offerings, now leaned a bit but always with Bayliner as an entry level product. It is worth noting, that the Arriva and Trophy model lines was marketed under thier own names to make them stand out from the general Bayliner image. At least the Trophy was of a higher build quality than Bayliner, at least until a big effort to improve the overall quality was done in year 2000. The large Bayliners has always been better, but then again motor yachts seldom are entry level.

Several brands, especially in Europe, has been aquired by Brunswick when going bankrupt and after some time of keeping the original name, been merged into the main marketing scheme.
Brunswick own(ed) Mercury/Mariner/Force/Mercruiser as well, and by matching a boat from one branch with an engine from another branch customers got a wide range to select from.

Picking a Bayliner with a Force engine was the most inexpensive package. American manufacturers supported sales efforts by sticking wheels to their shipping cradles, in Europe presented as trailers (although not certified for road use).
The sibling Maxum always was 'the dressed up sister' of Bayliner. Other brands in Brunswick ranked above with Sea Ray near the top.

Wikpedia said:
Current subsidiaries include:[1][7]

Aquador
Bayliner
Boston Whaler
Brunswick Commercial & Government Products
Crestliner
Cypress Cay
Harris FloteBote
Lowe Boats
Lund
Meridian Yachts
Princecraft
Quicksilver
Rayglass
Sea Ray
Uttern
Valiant

Former subsidiaries:[5][8]

Arriva
Arvor
Attwood [note 1]
Cabo Yachts
Cobra
Hatteras Yachts
Kayot
Kellogg Marine [note 1]
Maxum [note 2]
Robalo [note 3]
Sealine
Smart Craft [note 1]
Starcraft Marine
Trophy
Wahoo! [note 4]

Notes:

1. Now a part of the Mercury Marine group.
2. Discontinued in 2009.
3. Marine Products Corporation purchased Robalo from Brunswick in June 2001.[9]
4. Marine Products Corporation acquired the Wahoo! trademark when it purchased Robalo from Brunswick in June 2001.[9]
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Elessar said:
Largely agree with RLW. I had 2. Crossed channel, had them out in a f8 and never cracked one though. Budget finish but that is visible when you make your choice and its far from terrible. only real weakness is hull/deck joint which can leak, rub rail needs removing to repair properly.
Click to expand...

I've not owned one either but over the years, I've never met anyone that has owned one (quite a few too) to have said anything bad about them. THe one thing that comes to mind is that they all said if nothing else it was value for money or gave them more boat for the buck so to speak.

They may be a bit flatter in the V department which will mean backing off when getting slammy or trimming down but this does give more internal space on the plus side.

I also know of one forumite about these parts who reckons they handle quite well with a bit of down 'elevator'! :cool:


RR
 
I think it's fair to say that, if Bayliners were really badly screwed together, they would have been drummed out of business years ago in the USA by a welter of product liability lawsuits and that would include any issues with hull stability. Whilst they never have been the last word in build quality and finish, they have provided thousands of owners with sound boats at affordable prices and yes, they have been responsible for bringing many newcomers into the boating industry and on both those counts IMHO they should be applauded. Not only that but the company and the brand have survived for 57yrs and that is some achievement in itself
 
Never owned one, but from everything ive seen theyre fine boats. As structuraly sound as any other of the same size. Some of the fixtures and fittings can be a bit cheap looking, and theyre probably not as luxurious feeling as a more expensive boat, but that shouldnt surprise anyone.

Id have no worries going to sea in one.
 
+1
In the SoF where I,am La Napoule - behind us inland is Cannes marina -loads of folks have day boats .
Basically to go to the islands .Also there is a bayliner dealer actually in La Nap along with SS, Fairline ,Priny .Fr + others like Sessa, Azimut Pershing etc .
At La Rague Baylinners are stacked at the side of Rivas .
There are Allways demo boats of the above around and the Baylinners do seem to be doing brisk trade -
Starting average families out boating in the Med a kinda accessory to the property .
They do the job -get folk on the water - funnily enough like Deleted User ,I am kinda pleased they do what they do
Perhaps go as far to say " binliner " is not really appropriate these days - the B word
 
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As many of you know we have a 285. We've had her 7 years now and bought her cause she provided more accommodation than anything else for the budget we had.

I can only speak for the newer ones as I am aware early stuff had many issues.

Finish isn't all gloss but with 2 young and lively boys that's a bonus. She's never lets us down, neither have bits fallen off. We go out in normal boating weather and rarely have to back off because of conditions. She's took us all around the Solent and South, even up the Thames.

It's like comparing a ford to a bmw. Both will do 100k no issues. Both will transport the family around in comfort. We all know which we'd rather own, but if it means I can boat (I still spend a hell of a lot on this hobby each year) not be in debt, have a nice life at home and still have holidays abroad then I think it works for me.

I do think about up grading but to get similar accommodation in a uk boat it's a massive extra investment, not only in the craft but also running cost of 2 engines. I then think could we, as a family, have any more fun than we currently do?? The answer is no and the money saved can be spent in other parts of my life.

I'd happily recommend one and with no concerns whatso ever.
 
For an entry level boat the Bayliner ticked all the boxes,they looked like a mini big boat and the designs attracted those looking for a boat which perhaps reflected aspiration, rather than experience.
Looking for our first proper boat, looked at loads as your appeared to get an awful lot of boat for the money. The first was a sports cuddy with twin petrols on outdrives, remember the ones converted by BMW.
It was immaculate and with an virtually no hours.:).It was up for sale for years.
Main criticism was at that time build quality, with some justification.Interior fabrics was really designed for warm climates not for English summers. Glue appeared to be the main element of the boat interior.
Chine cracking was problem.
As a result bought a Regal with a pair of "Black Anchors"*.....what a crock of ***t that was.
As others have said it got loads of people into boating,do wonder just how many bought a second one.:)

* Mercruiser petrol engine sometimes driving Mercruiser outdrives.

If one of them started and got you there...a triumph.
If it got you home again, or merely to some place you could catch a bus home from... pathetically grateful.
 
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oldgit said:
For an entry level boat the Bayliner ticked all the boxes,they looked like a mini big boat and the designs attracted those looking for a boat which perhaps reflected aspiration, rather than experience.
Looking for our first proper boat, looked at loads as your appeared to get an awful lot of boat for the money. The first was a sports cuddy with twin petrols on outdrives, remember the ones converted by BMW.
It was immaculate and with an virtually no hours.:).It was up for sale for years.
Main criticism was at that time build quality, with some justification.Interior fabrics was really designed for warm climates not for English summers. Glue appeared to be the main element of the boat interior.
Chine cracking was problem.
As a result bought a Regal with a pair of "Black Anchors"*.....what a crock of ***t that was.
As others have said it got loads of people into boating,do wonder just how many bought a second one.:)

* Mercruiser petrol engine sometimes driving Mercruiser outdrives.

If one of them started and got you there...a triumph.
If it got you home again, or merely to some place you could catch a bus home from... pathetically grateful.
Click to expand...

Rather patronising og. Turn the question round. How many people who have actually owned one would dismiss them as the armchair critcs do? I bought 2 BTW.
 
oldgit said:
For an entry level boat the Bayliner ticked all the boxes,they looked like a mini big boat and the designs attracted those looking for a boat which perhaps reflected aspiration, rather than experience.
Looking for our first proper boat, looked at loads as your appeared to get an awful lot of boat for the money. The first was a sports cuddy with twin petrols on outdrives, remember the ones converted by BMW.
It was immaculate and with an virtually no hours.:).It was up for sale for years.
Main criticism was at that time build quality, with some justification.Interior fabrics was really designed for warm climates not for English summers. Glue appeared to be the main element of the boat interior.
Chine cracking was problem.
As a result bought a Regal with a pair of "Black Anchors"*.....what a crock of ***t that was.
As others have said it got loads of people into boating,do wonder just how many bought a second one.:)

* Mercruiser petrol engine sometimes driving Mercruiser outdrives.

If one of them started and got you there...a triumph.
If it got you home again, or merely to some place you could catch a bus home from... pathetically grateful.
Click to expand...

Blimey...... Me and the family must be the luckiest people alive. Not only do we not have any of the problems / finish you suffered from, my engine starts every time and causes no issues.

Having said that she is pampered and serviced to the letter.
 
We've had our first Bayliner 285 for 2 years, sold it but could not find anything that offered more value for less than 4x the price, so we bought another one which we have now had for 7 years. No issues. What I like about the 285 is the fact you get 6 berths and aft cabin with door, no problem / always felt safe even in F7. No real wood so kids friendly and easy / cheap to clean and maintain. Went across channel but mostly coastal, the G&T and view is just as good as on any other boat. Also, peace of mind that I did not have a mortgage or worries.
 
My first and current boat is a 2005 265. On our 4th year of boating. started on the Thames and recently moved to south coast. Great starter boat although not designed for slow speeds on rivers or speeding through a slightly rough sea but I love it.
Plenty of room for a week away for the 3 of us. Fridge, cooker,sink, microwave, shower,TV, toilet and a bed what more do you want.
Had it trailered down so cheap to move around. Serviced every year at a very reasonable price.
Fit and finish I think is better in mine than in the latest Bayliners. Cabinets seem a bit DIY.
Would i buy another? Yes.
 
this is where i am they are not bin liners i think they might have arrived in the uk at a yard in windermere they sold a **** load then they frachised round uk to me dealers tried to dis them .ok why cant we in the uk start to do a great package to startcruising .ps who am i i use a colvic
 
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