What are you thoughts on bayliners?

Depends what size you're after.

Bow Riders i'd rate them the same as any of the other ones. Going into the 25+ ft market i'd tend to avoid, personal preference. They are built to a price but this suits some people
 
We have had 2 of them and were very pleased with both. 185 bowrider with 4.2 v6 and 802 Cuddy with 5.7 v8.

Both very quick, and felt we got a lot of boat for our money. Only traded up in search of a cruiser.

if any of my sons go into the market for a boat I am sure Bayliner would be on their list.
 
usually a lot of boat for the money they are a budget boat so not as nice as other makes but the "binliner"lable of old is unjustified

I've never owned one but been in a few & they are good value for money look at other makes too & you will see the difference but also notice the difference in the price tag

plenty of them about which is usually a good sign or no one would have bought them in the first place but it also means you have more chance of finding a good example

best of luck
 
Last edited:
Had one for fifteen years from new and apart from routine maintainance and upgrades the only thing that ever failed was the wiper blade fell off, built to a price so the deck hardware etc is not of the best quality but value for money and sound, the motors and drives are the same as used in other more expensive other boats i.e. Mercruiser and the like, sometimes they use a lower power model than somebody else might for a similar sized boat though.
 
blackrandomapple said:
Hi all,

I have just sold my Fletcher Arrowstreak so i am looking at buying a bayliner for next season...

What are they like, They seem quite cheap?

Regards

James
Click to expand...

As an owner of a 2004 245 SB I have nothing but praise for the brand, we've had ours for 6 years and its been extremley reliable, having spent a few grand upgrading with ss fitiings, anchor etc and real teak decking its as good as anything else in its class and holds its value.

You could do a lot worse, ours is petrol V8 ... however I would suggest a diesel might be more economical - but you will pay a premium for one.

Other benefit of a 25 foot is you can normal get moored when marinas are busy.
 
blackrandomapple said:
Hi all,

I have just sold my Fletcher Arrowstreak so i am looking at buying a bayliner for next season...

What are they like, They seem quite cheap?

Regards

James
Click to expand...


If Henry Ford was into boats the company would have made bayliners. Inexpensive, utilitarian boating for the masses. Nothing wrong with Fords and nothing wrong with bayliners, both are capable marques that do the job as good as everything else, however possibly with less kudos.
However if you could easily afford a stable of ferraris, you would not buy a fiesta.

I own both a fiesta and a bayliner.
Anyone who says different has not owned one.
 
Mate of mine had a 33 cruiser twin petrols (he now has a 28 regal). His daughter has a 642 cuddy. They appear good value in terms kit for your money IMO, just don't expect the best finish ever - say compared to a Regal (keeping to US sports boats). Sealine S23 or S28 maybe worth having a look at depending on budgets of course. Thing is, its like any boat of nearly any make, if the boat you are looking at has been well looked after, been lovingly treated and properly manitained and you like it, a Bayliner should be fine. If you are buying used, the devil is in the detail, just ensure you have a good engine and general survey - have fun :)
 
We have owned our 285 for 6 years now and she's been superb!!

Never let's us down, nothing's every fallen off, no stress cracking etc.....

We've been out in all kind of weather and she's always looked after us, yet goes like the clappers when it's smooth enough.

Admittedly there's no glossy wood work or fancy electric this and that, but she gets my family afloat (safely) with plenty of room and for a price that means I can still afford to go places and treat the wife and kids when we get there!! :)

And if that's not enough, stevedunstable and ogaryo have been known to get drunk onboard too!!
 
blackrandomapple said:
Hi all,

I have just sold my Fletcher Arrowstreak so i am looking at buying a bayliner for next season...

What are they like, They seem quite cheap?

Regards

James
Click to expand...

I've had 2. Engines are the same as everyone elses. Gelcoat is as good as anyone elses - better than many as it's mass made. Fittings are the same as everyone elses - but they tend to go for budget catches etc.

Interiors are made to a budget, and what you see is what you get.

They have a flatter bottom than most british designs, which makes them spacious and more fuel efficient. But it makes them more likely to slap and get a harder ride. Had my 28fter in a north sea easterly force 6 once though and it had been an 8 earlier so the sea was huge - the shipping forecast said "very rough" - , and an 8 in the solent once too. So they are capable.

Avoid bowriders, hard to sell on in the UK and dangerous in a sea.

Weakness - don't know if they fixed this on newer ones (my newest one was a 2000 model) but the hull/deck join isn't glassed over. If there are water leaks from the area or evidence of mastic repairs budget £2k to have the rubbing strake removed, the join raked out and sealed with sikaflex, and the rubbing strake replaced. You can't mend it from the outside.

Had a lot of fun in both of mine.
 
Friends of ours owned this boat (245 with a KAD32)

http://www.burtonwaters.co.uk/used-boats-for-sale/boat-details.php?BoatID=4379020

We pitted it against our Sealine S23 with the same engine in a lumpy sea and there was very little in it performance wise but they were slamming around a lot more and ended up tucking in behind us for some clean water.

Good boat and they never had any problems with theirs. To my mind the fit out is more budget than some other brands which is evident in fixtures and fittings, hull windows, canopy frame fittings etc. but many people get a great many hours of pleasure from them so they cant be all that bad.
 
As another ex Bayliner owner I agree with most of the above replies, very good value introductory boat. :)

Only slightly concerned that you are buying a fixerupper.

Cant see the sense in that.
an advertised £30 k bayliner will sell for closer to £15k
a knackered 30K bayliner will also sell close to 15k but will take longer.

If you are going to put your effort into a fixerupper you would be better to fix up a Sealine / fairline/ princess/ cranchi which if presented well in a few years will avoid being a money pit and should return enough to help upgrade to your next project :)
 
We've now had two Bayliner 285's and I can only say positive things about them.

They are cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap to park, cheap to run, cannot easily be damaged by the kids but if they are, I suspect they can be easily and cheaply repaired. Quality is good i.e. nothing flimsy etc but you don't get much, if any, real wood.

Inside, they are amazingly spacious - try finding another 6 berth boat, with king-size mid cabin, in that size category - never mind that price category! I often wondered why people preferred to go for smaller boats, at three times the price...

Overall, it gets you to most places where other British-built boats go - except that range per tank is limited if you are on petrol - but then, V8 performance is really nice!

And yes, that is a picture of my Bayliner... I still love it, even though we've moved on to a larger flybridge now.
 
Last edited:
As the owner of a 1990 Bayliner 2655 I have to say that I'm very pleased with it and have had it for around 12 years.

Pretty much everything that came with it still works, including the now 23 year old Norcold fridge. The electric/alcohol stove still works perfectly and the hot water heater makes water almost hot enough for tea. It came with a 240v to 110v transformer to power the built in US stuff, and a 240v circuit with outlets all around the cabin. In fact the only major thing I changed from original spec was the battery charger when I added a bigger battery bank.

If I get it trailered out for servicing then engine and drive servicing is pretty cheap without the lift out costs.

As posted above, the mid berth is big, there's a dinette berth and v berth, so it can sleep six, and it has a wide beam and so is as big inside as many boats a few feet larger, but costs less in marina fees.

Over the years it hasn't cost me much to maintain and so I've never seen it as a "fixer upper". Like anything else just look for one well maintained and in good condition based on how much work you do or don't want to do.

They also have a fantastic (US based) owners forum which, over the years, has been an incredible information resource and has saved me a fortune in helping me do the odd little jobs myself.

If I ever changed I'd happily buy a Bayliner again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

S
How much does re-upholstery cost?
Replies
11
Views
441
Dino
Dino
Bouba
Keeping warm in bed on these cold nights
2
Replies
25
Views
672
Mr Googler
Mr Googler
M
Galeon in the 50ft Class – Hoping to Borrow a Bit of Owner Wisdom
Replies
4
Views
351
Elessar
Elessar
boatmike
Merry Fisher 695
Replies
3
Views
180
Bouba
Bouba

Share this page

Top