first boat

[charlumax]

I am new to boating and am planning to buy my first boat for general cruising and skiing/donuts. There will be 2 adults and 3 kids aboard and, with limited funds, am thinking about buying a new sports boat/walk around which must be trailerable. Qs as folllows plse;
A) i have a front wheel drive Volvo V70. I know about max towing weights etc, but I assume this is OK for the slipways etc ????? i would like a 4x4 but obviously that's more money to upgrade......
B) The boat. I have researched a fair bit, and the Bayliner 175 still seems storming value at £12995 incl trailer. It's 17'6" with 7'1" beam and takes 6 people. Even looking spending £5k more on Ranieris or Quicksilver or bigger Bowriders, I don't seem to be able to get really any more for my money. 1. Am I correct and is this a good first boat to buy? 2.Can anyone recommend anything else ?

Many thanks



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[whisper]

Hi and welcome.
It is very common for people to buy their first boat and then change it for something bigger or different in style within a year or two. This is because they discover what their real boating priorites are. It makes sense therefore for your first boat to be second hand, as it will be atleast 15-20% cheaper than a new one when only one year old. The models you mention are OK though it would pay you to look at the test reports in such as MBM which may give you more alternatives to consider.
Unfortunately Bayliners have got a poor reputation but this seems to refer to early boats not those of the last 5 yrs or so, furthermore this fact can make a 2 or 3 yr old one a bargain buy.

Re the V70 - being frontwheel drive is not the best set up for hauling a boat up a wet slipway , though you may manage ok if the boat is not too heavy. You could of course fit a tow attachment to the front of the car but this is an extra expense and won't do the residuals of the car a lot of good. How about swapping yours for the AWD version ?

Good luck with whatever you decide to buy - the first few weeks are the worst - honest /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[Talbot]

With front wheel drive it is vital that you have a long rope to assist with haul outs (i.e. attach trailer to long rope, and rope to car) If the slipway is slippy, then also use it for launch. If the car is still not able to make any progress up the slipway, then secure the rope under the front (theres normally somewhere that you can attach a tow rope)

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[hlb]

Yep. Dont buy new for a first boat. Mind I would not ever buy a new boat. Much better for some one else to add all the goodies and loose the first big kick in depreciation. Binladiners, Well they have had a bad reputation in the past. Some say that they've inproved.?? I'd say, more of a lake boat than sea. Think you all ready know that front wheel drive is not the best for towing up muddy slipways. Maybe just see what your local ones are like. Just get some thing cheap and see how you go on. You might hate it or love it...But then again theres the SWMBO..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> Get Yer Flags ear</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[PaulF]

Yes Welcome to boating.

My first boat, used for ski-ing was a 13ft Prout Catarmaran with on old Perkins 30hp outboard. It cost me a staggering £110, but it was 1971 and the guy needed some cash cos he'd got the wrong side of the Inland Revenue! Myself and a whole bunch of friends learned with it. After one year it was sold and a Yarecraft Sea Swallow with a 50HP Mercury followed.

Anyway , you have already had some very sound advice, it is VERY unusual for a 'new' boater to keep his/her first boat more than two seasons, mostly it is changed after the first one. Nothing to do with poor judgement, but ones' requirements are not necessarily clear at the outset. ALL boats are a compromise, regardless of what size budget you have.

Dont stretch yourself for the first boat. Just enjoy it, take into account all the families feelings, it is vital that nobody is frightened or put off at this stage, take it slowly. Then when they are hooked, you can be more confident about what direction you want to go in. Then make a boat selection MORE appropriate for your requirements, and then you will feel happier that your investment is sound.

Have a great time. Paul

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[PaulF]

Yes. Welcome to boating.

My first boat, used for ski-ing was a 13ft Prout Catarmaran with on old Perkins 30hp outboard. It cost me a staggering £110, but it was 1971 and the guy needed some cash cos he'd got the wrong side of the Inland Revenue! Myself and a whole bunch of friends learned with it. After one year it was sold and a Yarecraft Sea Swallow with a 50HP Mercury followed.

Anyway , you have already had some very sound advice, it is VERY unusual for a 'new' boater to keep his/her first boat more than two seasons, mostly it is changed after the first one. Nothing to do with poor judgement, but ones' requirements are not necessarily clear at the outset. ALL boats are a compromise, regardless of what size budget you have.

Dont stretch yourself for the first boat. Just enjoy it, take into account all the families feelings, it is vital that nobody is frightened or put off at this stage, take it slowly. Then when they are hooked, you can be more confident about what direction you want to go in. Then make a boat selection MORE appropriate for your requirements, and then you will feel happier that your investment is sound.

Have a great time. Paul

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[itsonlymoney]

Now you lot just stop this bayliner bashing right now /forums/images/icons/smile.gif It is true that early B,liners suffered some build quality problems however this has been sorted with modern B,liners offering exeptional value for money. They are reasonably well fitted with lots of standard equipment that ordinarally would be options. I agree with whisper and hlb much better to buy second hand cos till you have tryed it you wont be sure exactly what you require from a boat.
Good luck with whatever you buy.
Regards - Ian

<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[charlumax]

thanks for the feedback. All I could add is that I totally take your point re initial depreciation, and it's something i look at carefully. HOWEVER..... re boats that I'm looking at, there is simply such a lack of stock around that if you find a 2/3 year old 17/18' boat the're always £10k - £11k, so as i said when i started, for the sake of £2k i get a brand new boat, 5 years warranty on hull and engine etc.

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[TrueBlue]

I can only make a comment on your car; V70's are not the best towing vehicle, having a modern engine they are lacking in power at the bottom end as well as being front wheel drive, as somebody else here suggested you might care to consider the AWD variants. V70 AWD models are rare, however the V70XC is an AWD car and there are some about s/h. The diesel engine version is really quite good (unless your driving style is to go screamin' about). You will discover that if you do any serious towing your fule consumption in a petrol engined car will be poor. Diesels are better in this respect.



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Stop what you're doing and wait my signal

 

[hlb]

Waranties on engines are unfortunatly not for your benifit. They are there to force you to use original parts and even oil in some cases, at exorbitant expence. Buy a five year old boat for half the price. Use the extra to buy another car.

<hr width=100% size=1> Get Yer Flags ear</font color=red>
Haydn