Choosing a boat

[jrn]

I have a Fletcher 19 at present which is great fun but a bit tight on space for weeks (or even weekends away). I would like to upgrade to a 24-26ft boat with 4 berths. Has anyone any suggestions? New or secondhand? Petrol or Diesel? Was thinking of a Sealine S24 or possibly the dreaded Binliner!

 

[DepSol]

I have a Jeanneau Leader 805. Loads of space and dorr separating second cabin.

Beam of 9'9" which for a 26 footer gives it loads of room. Diesel engine means I cruise @ 30 knots.

Dom

 

[KevL]

Looks like you'll be short on any advise from Bayliner owners then.

Kev - Bayliner 2556

 

[peterg]

you might like to also think about...

Windy 9800 or 31 - excellent handling boats, strong build
Falcon 27 or 275 - good value and nice interior layout plus well built

As you don't mention a budget figure it's more dificult but reckon on £5k - £10k more for same boat with diesels and then it's down to you to decide whether to put more capital into the boat or take the hit in fuel bills instead.

Try doing a search on www.boats-for-sale.com or www.ancasta.com or even the YBW list (mentioned 'cos otherwise Kim will do it!) and enter your criteria.

<<...OR EVEN...YES, THANKS FOR THE TOKEN GESTURE BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WOULD SUGGEST TRYING http://www.ybw-boatsforsale.com FIRST, NOT LEAST BECAUSE IT HELPS TO KEEP US IN BUSINESS - KIM >>
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by kimhollamby on Wed Oct 24 16:43:48 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[BarryD]

Re: you might like to also think about...

I looked at a Windy 9800 and it was a nice boat - could'nt get a trial so I can't tell you if the engines blow up!

For ourselves - as this would be our first boat and we're not sure what we really want we've settled on an Rinker 250 - 10 years old and a big ol' petrol V8, cheap price too. Four decent sized berths and a nice mid cabin with a large bulkhead window to let some light in. If we like the lifestyle (as if) then in a year or two we can change it for something more suited to what we want / think we need.

Barry D.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by BarryD on Wed Oct 24 15:43:36 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[byron]

Nowt wrong with a Bayliner, don't listen to all those folks who have never owned one. Speak to someone like Kev who has one.

©2001
www.education-jobs.co.uk
www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[Guest]

Re: Depends

A) What do you want to do with the boat - e.g. do you ski behind her?
B) Where are you based - what sort of sea conditions are you likely to encounter

An enclosed wheelhouse boat is good for the UK weather but in the 25ft range can look a bit clunky. However there are some perfectly decent boats of this type and usually they will offer better, less cave like accommodation than a sports cruiser. Look at Hardy 25, Orkadian, even if you can get a decent one, a Fairline Mirage which is a little bigger at 28ft.

In terms of sports cruisers you will not go far wrong with a well maintained boat from most of the mainstream British and European manufacturers. Some of the American boats are OK too. I wonder how many Bayliner critics have actually set foot on one as there are a number at my marina and they seem to have lasted better than certain boats. Its just that they all look like overgrown speedboats and offer about the same weather protection.

In terms of diesel v petrol, at the size you are suggesting petrol dominates but a good diesel boat is what I would go for. OK, its going to cost more initially but you are far more likely to get your money back out of her on resale than with a big petrol engined beast. You then have the added pluses of greater range and the ability to get waterfront fuel more or less anywhere at about 25/30% of petrol prices.
Falling in roughly the same sort of category, if you can find a shaft drive boat, it will be far more reliable and require less 'out the water' maintenance than an outdrive equivalent. Again, unfortunately there ain't many about at the size you suggest.

Good luck with the hunt. I'm still looking myself.

Nick

 

[Guest]

Well this is a debate I wish I'd read a couple of years back. We went from a Fletcher 170GTS to a Maxum 2300. The Maxum was a great boat (if a little thirsty), but fell between two stools. It was too big to be a sports/ski boat, and too small to be a sportscruiser.

We decided that the kids could sleep in the cuddy, and we could sleep on deck, and it never worked out. You get too hot from sleeping on vinyl, or too cold cos you're in the open. There was also not hot water, insufficient cooking facilities etc etc.

We now have a F'line Targa 28/29, but with hindsight, I would have gone for something like the Sealine S220 instead of the Maxum, or with more money to spend, then the S24. I don't think the yanks (Binliner, Maxum, SeaRay) have any four berth boats below about 24/25 feet, and there don't seem to be that many of those around. Conversely, there seem to be plenty of S218/S220/S24s and similar...

 

[Geoffs]

I'm in the same boat as you, literally, and also looking at the 24 -26ft market.

Nick has said pretty well all of it, the only thing he didn't address is new vs 2nd hand.

As far as I can see,

New, you'll take a big hit on depreciation.

Second hand, you'll be lucky to find exactly the craft you want with all options etc.

I reckon it's got to be diesel. Humping fuel cans around is a right pain, I went to Weymouth this year, no water side petrol, so trips to nearby petrol station.

The boat I liked at Southampton was the Galia 777, by Galeon of Poland, Tameside Marine in UK. Looks well put together and finished, with lots of mod cons (H & C water, shower etc). 34 knots with KAD43, about £45k.

 

[jfm]

Re: Fairline Mirage

Fine boat, and Colin on this BB has one for sale.

Colin, 8% to the usual address please. I'll let you off the VAT consider your self lucky

 

[KevL]

Bayliner Owner

Did someone call?

OK so perhaps you put me on my back foot a bit with the BINLINER comment. Still it is your first post so I'll let you off.

You say you want something about 24-26 foot long but is that LWL or LOA coz there is often about 5 foot difference. Also how much do you want to spend?

But to give you some Idea - all Bayliners first two digits are the LWL in feet and the second two are the type where 52=Command bridge(trophy) 55=Sunbridge 56=Flybridge

2155 4 berth
2255 2 berth
2355 4 berth
2455 4 berth
2655 4 berth
2755 6 berth(?)

In general if you buy a 52 or 56 add 2 to the number of berths. for example I have a 2556 which is a 6 berth. In terms of price you will get a 1990MY 2155 easily for sub £10K, the same year on a 2755 is about £21K.

Try searching on http://www.ybw-boatsforsale.com/

Kev - Back to lurking

 

[Scubadoo]

I used to have a Fletcher 161Gto and a couple of years ago upgraded to a Sealine S24. As I own a S24 I can say it is a boat worth having, good size all round. A 2nd hand one usually will have a lot of extras and all those annoying small faults would have been corrected.

I have a Diesel 150hp (AD31) which is really the minimum spec, try and get the 170hp version (AD31--) both should have duoprops. I have been very please with the sea keeping ability and even when I got caught out in a F6/7 the boat handle very well and gave me the impression she could take more (not sure I could though). A 150hp diesel should be able to achieve 29/30knots at the beginning of a season and will reduce down to 25/26knots late season. The range is 200miles plus depending on conditions and weight.

The general quailty is good however Sealine do love using self tapping screws which can be a pain when unscrewed! but this is only cosmetic, the main structure is secure and strong.

I brought my boat new in 1999 and to be honest had no real faults, although I had about 30 minor faults. The only problem I have to date is a serious rust problem with my engine oil sump which Volvo are looking into - therefore when looking at 2nd hand I suggest you get a mirror and check the oil sump, can be a expensive fix!

The Sealine S24 seems quite a popular boat, probably because other British makes (Fairline, Sunseeker etc) no longer make 24/25ft boats. I suggest you go for a diesel, petrol is just too expensive to run - others will argue. Sealine S24 started life as 230-1993, 240 and now known as S24. The 1993 petrol can be around £26K and a 1999-2001 diesel will cost around £38K-£52K. Look at 1996 models diesel which I think could be around £35K ish, to get a real good idea just look at the MBM mags brokerage page.

Other boats, well American boats are popular when considering just price, however they don't resell very well, but still good boats just not really designed for our British weather - the canvas on American boats just don't fit very well. Fletcher do a nice 240 Cruiser back in 1991 but may be hard to find one that alone a diesel.

Anyway good luck, if you need more advice on S24 just let me know.

RM.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the cue - here\'s my starter for ten

Well we've had the Fairline Mirage (29 feet) with twin diesels for 3 years. She's an 85 boat and we're second owner so history and maintenance records well known. Not had any real problems used her on inland rivers and to France, Belgium and Holland and handles well even in roughish seas. Turbos soot up a bit at prolonged river speeds but easy to clean up. Outdrives gives definite advantages in this size of boat, much more cabin space with all the engines and bits right aft and IMHO easier to look like an expert when it comes to slow speed handling. (There's the start of a new argument).

They say its a six berth, but I reckon four at a push unless all very friendly. V good for 2+ a couple of ankle biters though.

Re the petrol option, just think about it for a minute. It's OK when you're at your home port, you can do all the trips for refuelling in your own car, but what about if you go away for the weekend or longer? Very few marinas now sell petrol, so let's say you go somewhere even 3 or 4 hours away from home base. At a conservative and realistic 10 gallons an hour you now are going to need say 40 galls of unleaded to be carried in at best 5 gall cans from a local garage. say 2 cans per trip, + local taxi a mile or so to a garage, starts to get expensive as well as time consuming. No, go diesel my friend. Bite the bullet from day one and sit in your cockpit with a cool beer and smile smugly to yourself when you see BarryD, KevL and the like struggling with their petrol cans and muttering under their breath with the rain pouring down their necks as they try to keep the water out of their petrol as they pour it into the tanks, spill it on the slippery decks and then go arse over apex into the briney.

"Oh pass me another beer dear and look that chappies just fallen in and his petrol can's floated off, hope he's OK. Is there a colder beer than this by the way? Hic"

 

[Guest]

Re: Fairline Mirage

I had one in the eighties and she was'nt a bad sea boat but
a) she was petrol & 110 gal tank was good for about 120 miles allowing a safety margin
b) she had outdrives
c) although she would cope with a sea, she would slam in a force zero
On the plus side she had excellent accommodation and was for her time quite good looking (I could be talking about the wife here!)

Nick

 

[petem]

Rich,
The 170hp Volvo motor is the KAD32, not AD31. The 'K' stands for Kompressor.
The two people I have met with S24's both thought they were great starter boats.
Pete

 

[petem]

I believe that Cranchi do a 24 footer with 4 berths. I imagine that it would be very similar build/price, etc to the Sealine.
As someone else pointed out the Jeanneau is a nice boat, good value (esp with big single deisel) and from an established manufacturer.
Good luck.
Pete

 

[Scubadoo]

Thanks for that, your right I meant KAD32.

RM.