looking for a little advice..

[mul]

hey everyone.. I am interested in purchasing a bayliner bowrider with a small cuddy or equivalent from another manufacturer.

I am a boat virgin and have bout €12k to spend..

I would appreciate any and all advice on what to look out for, when and where to buy etc..

 

[BrendanS]

Hello and welcome.

A bowrider won't have a cuddy, so you need to explain exactly what you are looking for, and what you intend to use the boat for.

 

[mul]

Hi and thanks for the reply! Excuse my ignorance.. I am looking for a bowrider style of boat but would also like a small cuddy (2 little beds.cushions!). I have seen boats like these on my searches on the net but cannot recall the names..

engine wise, something like the 3l mercruiser for board and ring fun.. does any of this make sense?!

 

[BrendanS]

Bowriders have open bow, Cuddies have a cabin, the two are incompatible.

If you want beds in the boat, then you need a cuddy, not a bowrider.

 

[mul]

alright, so what could I get for my budget cuddy wise with power for some fun also..

 

[fireball]

Sounds more like you want the cuddy for fun ... and the power to go and find the fun? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[BrendanS]

No one can tell you that. Have a nose around on some of the sales sites, and tell us what you like, and we can tell you if a good deal or not. Trying to pinpoint a particular boat for you is doomed to fail.

 

[mul]

I suppose thats not so far from the truth!!

 

[hlb]

Brendan has pointed out that a bow rider and Cuddy are two completely different configurations. In short a bow rider is not fit for the sea, where as a cuddy cabined simillare boat, may be. First, exactly which bit of sea to you intend to venture upon.

 

[mul]

just for use around the coast of cork ireland.. nothin other than hopping from one coastal town to the next..

 

[hlb]

So your bobing about in the atlantic then. Bit serious stuff. Anything would be ok on a good day. But mostly you need a serious boat. I'm not qualified for advice on suitable small boats, others will be.

 

[mul]

i will never be far from shore and most likely always in decent condition.. dunno if my budget allows for a serious boat!

 

[Sneds]

Try having a look around local harbours or marinas and see what other people are using.
Most owners will be quite happy to talk to you and advise.
If there are no small speedy boats there will be a reason for that, ie; unsuitable.
Have a look at small Sealines 190 or 215, 218, or one of the many Bayliners.
Try a search on boats&outboards or YBW boats for sale, or boatshed.
Tap in boats for sale and hundreds will come up.
Good luck

 

[Sneds]

Or what about a Hardy? (like a little ship!)

 

[mul]

wouldnt be too gone on a hardy.. thanks for your advice though.. ill start my search this weekend.. obviously the later on in the year the better the price ya?

 

[mikefleetwood]

If you live in a coastal area, look in your local papers - ours has 2 pages of boats for sale! Many would be well within your budget, and probably meet your requirements too.

 

[Nautorius]

Hi There,

What I think you are talking about is the 'Walkround' open deck boats with a cuddy such as the Cap Camarat 625WA

In Terms of Cuddys the best small one is the Fletcher 19 Sportscruiser. Also good to look at (but Bigger) the Chapparal 205SSE, Bayliner 212, Maxum 2100 and Glastron 219.

Hope this helps

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[alt]

I had a Panther 19SC (Exact same as Fletcher 19) and I loved her. Small cuddy up front to sleep 2 people in (Kinda like posh camping). She handled well on rough days on the inland lakes, but water did often come over the cuddy so I woudln't like to be caught out in a storm.

For your budget though, you'll be looking to travel to the UK and buy an older Fleter petrol model


[ QUOTE ]
Hi There,

What I think you are talking about is the 'Walkround' open deck boats with a cuddy such as the Cap Camarat 625WA

In Terms of Cuddys the best small one is the Fletcher 19 Sportscruiser. Also good to look at (but Bigger) the Chapparal 205SSE, Bayliner 212, Maxum 2100 and Glastron 219.

Hope this helps

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[davesimmons]

Mul_Irl,

Would have a look around to get a feel of what you want. I went through this process at the beginning of the year and settled on a Regal 1800 Bowrider with a 1.7 Turbo Diesel engine. I opted for the bowrider as on a 18ft boat the cuddy offered very little space and we were only wanting to use it on nice sunny days. Having said that we were out at the weekend and entered some choppy seas. It was a bit nerve racking for a bit and this is on the south coast! If you live by choppy seas then a cuddy maybe the best option.

Diesel is something I was also interested in because of the price of fuel. We currently have red diesel until late 2008 which can be a great saving. Even when red finishes you will get more bang for your buck with diesel.

Anyway this is my baby - £11,500 with 28hrs on the clock – well pleased /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gjgm]

please do take a good think about some of these comments, because often they are part of a learning curve that you might not want to have to pay for.
When starting, most of us probably had some dream about what boat we wanted. The first serious and expensive mistake you can make if is that dream boat doesnt suit the waters where you live. You wont enjoy it, no one else will enjoy it, often you wont be able to use the boat, and you ll lose alot of money and emotion selling the boat again.
As has been said, its a good idea to see what boats are being used locally, because those are the successful boats. A small cuddy may well be fine, but if you think it cant be pretty unpleasant just along the coast, I m afraid you are wrong. It might look ok from where you are standing on the beach, but its not so funny sometimes on the water!
Look around marinas, talk to local brokers/dealers, hang around a slipway at the w/e, and see whats being used, and talk to owners. Everyone loves talking about their boat , and most people who are using their boat know whats good and bad about it ! Just remember a broker is trying to sell a boat, not necessarily sell what suits you!