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Richie44

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Hi all, Just joined today, Im looking to purchase my first motor boat I could do with some advice.
Looking at spending around 6-10k nearer 6 tho if possible, for bit of fun maybe some water sports but more to cruise about and a spot of fishing.
I have looked at a few boats namely....
1999 Glastron SX175... 4.3 volvo 190hp £6000
2000 Campion 485 yamaha 90hp £7000
Bayliner capri 2050 sterndrive 210hp £8000
And a 2005 Campion 535 mercruiser 4.3 at £10000

I realise i dont have all details on these boats hours etc but would appreciate some general info on the brands above, reliability and considering what Im after is the engine size so important for just cruising around?
Any help to point me in the right direction would be appriciated.
Thanks folks
 
Welcome aboard. There are plenty on here that can give loads of advice and pointers on this type of craft (better than me as a Raggie) but can you provide any more detail about how and where you be using the boat. At Sea - coastal UK? or on Lakes. How many do you want to carry, do you need to be able stay overnight on it? Where will you keep it - trailer or Marina? The more info you can provide the better the feedback will be for you. Some other brands to consider are Fletcher, Monterey, Wellcraft and Regal, to name but a few. Best thing is go a look at some and see which ones start take your fancy on design and feel, then you can narrow it down a bit. You'll notice some are outboard engine some inboard, the advs and disads for both.

But more than any of this, if you are venturing out to Sea (or on a lake I guess) please do get some training first - somethng like Powerboat level 1 or 2 at least say. Again, many good trainers on here with advice, just ask. This will give you some vital safety pointers and some basic boat handling skills.

Apologies if you are experienced already, but I have assumed its all fairly new to you.

Aove all have fun!
 
I don't personally know Campion, but the other 2 are well known US Brands, and very good VFM. In your price range, the most important thing is the condition of the engine/sterndrive. Everything else can be resolved at not huge expense, except perhaps the canopy which will be £1000 to replace. Engine/sterndrive coulld be many 0000's if not maintained properly. So my advice is to buy the boat you really like, but make sure you understand where you will need to spend money, because however good the boat is, it will still eat money.
 
rafiki_ said:
I don't personally know Campion, but the other 2 are well known US Brands, and very good VFM. In your price range, the most important thing is the condition of the engine/sterndrive. Everything else can be resolved at not huge expense, except perhaps the canopy which will be £1000 to replace. Engine/sterndrive coulld be many 0000's if not maintained properly. So my advice is to buy the boat you really like, but make sure you understand where you will need to spend money, because however good the boat is, it will still eat money.
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+ 1 for that comment lol

Have you considered SesRay, I know a few folks who have the 225 which are great boats
 
Jurgen said:
+ 1 for that comment lol

Have you considered SesRay, I know a few folks who have the 225 which are great boats
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And at least twice his maximum budget lol !

Quite surprised no one has suggested that it must be diesel or it will blow up and if he chooses the bowrider it will probably sink in the local duck pond ;)

Lots of great choices, the boats you are looking at differ only by length. All of them will be fine for a nice day calm day a few hundred meters from shore, the Bayliner and bigger Campion will give you a bit more protection and free board if it gets choppy.

2 stoke outboard engines are simpler and cheaper to maintain than inboards, but use more fuel per HP. Your concern about engine sizes is probably based on cars, 200hp in a car will be pretty quick, but 200hp in a 20ft sportsboat is really a minimum. You need a lot more power to move a boat (especially if loaded with people and gear) than a car.

Tell us more about how you intend to use it and you will get better advice.
 
also have a look at a Fletcher 19 GTSC, you should be able to pick up a good one at the top end of your budget. A boat built in the UK for our coastal waters (as opposed to large American lakes)
 
Richie44 said:
Hi all, Just joined today, Im looking to purchase my first motor boat I could do with some advice.
Looking at spending around 6-10k nearer 6 tho if possible, for bit of fun maybe some water sports but more to cruise about and a spot of fishing.
I have looked at a few boats namely....
1999 Glastron SX175... 4.3 volvo 190hp £6000
2000 Campion 485 yamaha 90hp £7000
Bayliner capri 2050 sterndrive 210hp £8000
And a 2005 Campion 535 mercruiser 4.3 at £10000

I realise i dont have all details on these boats hours etc but would appreciate some general info on the brands above, reliability and considering what Im after is the engine size so important for just cruising around?
Any help to point me in the right direction would be appriciated.
Thanks folks
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I would recommend the Campion and the Yamaha, both well made.
 
Campion is Canadian and of a less 'American' design. Known to be nice quality (although no used boat is better than the TLC it received).

Bayliner (Brunswick owned along with so many other) is aimed at the entry level market. Models pre year 2000 should be surveyed with extra care sine many issues with grp thickness, electrics and general build quality was reported - especialy in trailerable sizes.
Glastron and Campion ranks above Bayliner.

Sterndrives and outboards are different beasts apart from a common design of the submerged part (known as the leg). Sterndrives, also known as i/o or 'in- outboard', is a fix mounted inboard engine (most often a car base engine, marinized to fit the bill) mated by a flexible driveline through the transom to an outboard drive containing gears and facilitating cooling water intake plus exhaust outlet. Since car engines are mainly cast iron, corrosion is a known issue unless a heat exchanger is fitted, allowing the engine's water jacket to contain coolant only (like a car). Access to engine for repar/service normally is very restricted. Sterndrives' scheduled service is costly (sometimes called 'the manufacturer's pension plan') and repairs are even worse. Engines can be petrol or diesel.

Outboards integrate a purpose built engine and a driveline. No fixed/flexible issues sine it is all built into one unit, hanging off the transom. Service and repair access is very good and in case of repowering is it a simple bolt off/bolt on procedure. Unfortunately the ease also attracts thieves :( Engines are petrol. Diesel exist but are not common.

When looking do remember that point one is to know your needs and expectations. Buying a boat is making a dream come true, but dreams tend to be somewhat different from real life.

I'd suggest you visit marinas and talk to owners. Ads and pictures are informative but nothing beats hands on and you need to see things to decide if they are of value to you. Remember that only useable features count in real life (eg. a cuddy cabin that you enter crawling backwards is not a real asset). Size matters and the ones you mention differ: 4,85m is notably smaller than 6,25m. Space inside differs even more because extra length also brings more width and headroom - plus better layout options.

Since weather normally isn't like in brochures some sort of shelter should be considered as well.

When at sea size matters too - as does hull design. Lots of design compromises exist (waterline width brings stability, not least at rest, while a slimmer hull brings higher top speed. A deep hull (V-shape) offers better comfort as it cuts waves but reduce stability at rest) and many claim to have invented the best. You'll see patented hull designs from several manufaturers, eg. Regal's Fastrac, Campion's Apex and Stingray's Z-plane
 
Richie44 said:
Hi all, Just joined today, Im looking to purchase my first motor boat I could do with some advice.
Looking at spending around 6-10k nearer 6 tho if possible, for bit of fun maybe some water sports but more to cruise about and a spot of fishing.
I have looked at a few boats namely....
1999 Glastron SX175... 4.3 volvo 190hp £6000
2000 Campion 485 yamaha 90hp £7000
Bayliner capri 2050 sterndrive 210hp £8000
And a 2005 Campion 535 mercruiser 4.3 at £10000

I realise i dont have all details on these boats hours etc but would appreciate some general info on the brands above, reliability and considering what Im after is the engine size so important for just cruising around?
Any help to point me in the right direction would be appriciated.
Thanks folks
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Where do you intend to boat, and where do you intend to keep the boat. If towing, for example, your car may dictate which boat...
Most of your money is going into the engine/outboard/drive. GRP is reasonably cheap to fix, the mechanics are mutliples of car repair prices, so thats where you need to keep an eye.
A larger boat really does feel more competent that a smaller one, so all other things being equal (and they wont be ) always size up ;)
 
I would suggest you to choose Lowe FS165 Fishing boat. This boat is perfect for fishing and water sports. You can also explore Aluminum Boat Guide to check the specification of this boat.
 
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