Newbie!

[Chasing sunsets]

Good afternoon to all,
My girlfriend and I are on the task of purchasing a boat for the first time, (never having owned one before) I myself have been looking for the past 15 years, knowing that I would own one some day. I’ve looked at Baba 30 and 40 sailboats, motor yachts and basic sport/pleasure craft but never found the right one
I’ve heard all the jokes of owning and selling, but have a limited idea on the actual $$$ it takes in caring for one, let alone the actual costs of mooring one.
We now have our eyes on pulling the trigger in the next 6 months to a year, eyeballing the Bayliner 3788. I’ve been reading much about capacity, power and electronic devices, however, this does me no good without help from the experienced boat owner of such a vessel, or those whom know the pluses and minuses of the 3788. What should we look for with this boat?
I love the fact that it’s just the right size for two, and a great size to entertain. I’ve looked at smaller and bigger but really have my mind set on the size and comfort of the 3788.
We live in Portland Oregon and will be keeping what we buy in fresh waters which I’m sure makes a huge difference staying out of saltwater. (Though I wouldn’t mind taking it outside for a great adventure)
I’m extremely hands on with anything mechanical and have pulled and rebuilt engines in my past. I’ve always been the guy that friends and neighbors call on to fix or repair things and love my now vintage motorcycles to enjoy their mechanical simplicity.
Though realizing a boat is a whole new ballgame, I’m confident in myself and my abilities that owning one will make owning less of a headache than others, and less money spent when it comes to repairs.

Thanks for any and all your help. Hope to hear from you soon!

Cheers!

 

[Bouba]

Good afternoon to all,
My girlfriend and I are on the task of purchasing a boat for the first time, (never having owned one before) I myself have been looking for the past 15 years, knowing that I would own one some day. I’ve looked at Baba 30 and 40 sailboats, motor yachts and basic sport/pleasure craft but never found the right one
I’ve heard all the jokes of owning and selling, but have a limited idea on the actual $$$ it takes in caring for one, let alone the actual costs of mooring one.
We now have our eyes on pulling the trigger in the next 6 months to a year, eyeballing the Bayliner 3788. I’ve been reading much about capacity, power and electronic devices, however, this does me no good without help from the experienced boat owner of such a vessel, or those whom know the pluses and minuses of the 3788. What should we look for with this boat?
I love the fact that it’s just the right size for two, and a great size to entertain. I’ve looked at smaller and bigger but really have my mind set on the size and comfort of the 3788.
We live in Portland Oregon and will be keeping what we buy in fresh waters which I’m sure makes a huge difference staying out of saltwater. (Though I wouldn’t mind taking it outside for a great adventure)
I’m extremely hands on with anything mechanical and have pulled and rebuilt engines in my past. I’ve always been the guy that friends and neighbors call on to fix or repair things and love my now vintage motorcycles to enjoy their mechanical simplicity.
Though realizing a boat is a whole new ballgame, I’m confident in myself and my abilities that owning one will make owning less of a headache than others, and less money spent when it comes to repairs.

Thanks for any and all your help. Hope to hear from you soon!

Cheers!

Welcome, I think Bayliners are good boats. As far as cost goes, all I can really say is that boating will be a lot cheaper than it it is here in Europe. Good luck, I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will answer soon.

 

[gordmac]

If you haven't got much boating experience I would suggest a bit of training before committing. If you want it just go for it but most people find with experience their first boat isn't actually the boat they need. I would imagine a Bayliner would be easy to move on when you need to.

 

[Chasing sunsets]

If you haven't got much boating experience I would suggest a bit of training before committing. If you want it just go for it but most people find with experience their first boat isn't actually the boat they need. I would imagine a Bayliner would be easy to move on when you need to.

Greetings and thanks for your reply. I’ve been on quite a few boats from fishing, sport/ski, private yachts, sail and cruise liners.
Though I’ve not taken the helm of any, I appreciate something that’s comfortable enough to maneuver and to spend a couple/few days on. The 3788 looks to be a good size to fit my wants and needs, and at the price point we’re looking at. and though we’ll have it inspected as is done when purchasing I’d like to know some of the ins-and-outs of what may be in the future of repairs with a mid 90’s boat. Especially this particular model and size.
The pricing seems to be in the high 70k-100k which seems to depend on engine hours, canvas, zincs, a certain type of electronics, the usual exploits of cabin features and views from the fly bridge.
I believe that if you take care of your belongings, they’ll last as much as you want them too! So I guess my question is more of how reliable is this craft at this age? At what “running hour” is the indicator for an engine rebuild? How often do the zincs need to be attended to? How often is bottom paint needed in fresh water? What are “good”, “better”, “best”, “exceptional” electronics? And what is really needed in today’s world of boating?
Quite a bit I know. Thank you for your ear.

Newbie

 

[gordmac]

Not familiar with that particular boat. I am guessing in your part of the world you will be looking at petrol V8 engines on outdrives? Proper maintenance is the key, carefully check the boat service history against the manufacturer requirements. Get an experienced mechanic to do a mechanical survey.