What cruiser shall we buy?

Also an avid Sealine fan here but i believe for what they need the US boats offer the better accomodation. If they went down the S28 route it would mean putting a bed up and down every night. On a 285 Bayliner there are two permanant double berths.
 
While plugging our own preferences, mine boat is a Sunline 31, 2003. She has twin (small) diesels, and will do 25 knots. Cruises at 22 knots using 30 litres per hour. Chuntering around rivers, she uses less than 5 l/hr.

2 fixed double berths plus a convertible dinette, good size galley, heads/shower. Large cockpit seating 8 in comfort. UK built so very robust and substantial. Would be £55-£60k ish, depending on spec and how well maintained.

Have not tried skiing or donutting, she is too large.

We used to have 25 ft US sports cruiser. 3 of us as well then. Very cramped below decks. Shower unusable, and galley the same. We enjoyed her as she was all we could afford at the time. But very unreliable. I had to tinker for an hour or so evereytime we took her out.

Suggestions above re Essex Boatyars is good, but also try Norfolk Yacht Agency at Brundle, not too far from you. You might want to spend a season or 2 based on the Norfolk Broads too. I think your wife/child would really enjoy this, as it is very safe, pretty and good learning.
 
I think I have decided on a diesel boat

Following all the advice I have received and after checking with North Fambridge Marina where I will store the boat on their fuel prices £0.89 litre diesel and £1.25 petrol I think I have decided on a diesel boat!

However I like the Bayliner 285 but they only seem to come with 300hp petrol engines, what boat will give me similar accommodation with a diesel lump for around £40,000, also not keen on a boat more than 5-6 years old. Further advices appreciated.

Learning fast. Lee:)
 
OK,

I think from what you have said, that you need one of the following:

the Searay 315 with a single Kad 300. Lots of space inside, cheap to run and still sprightly! Such as http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2003/Sea-Ray-315-Sundancer-2261583/United-Kingdom

Chaparral 280 with twin diesels, http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2006/Chaparral-280-Signature-2202929/United-Kingdom

Bayliner 285 with single petrol http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2003/Bayliner-285-1912851/United-Kingdom

Bayliner 288 with single petrol http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2006/Bayliner-288-2239516/United-Kingdom

Monterey 282, twin diesel http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2004/Monterey-282-2197099/United-Kingdom

Regal 3060 twin diesel http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2006/Regal-3060-Express-Cruiser-2190832/United-Kingdom

Regal 2565 single petrol http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Regal-2565-Windows-Express-Cruiser-2132683/United-Kingdom

Doral 280SSe (Prestencia) twin diesel http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2006/Doral-Prestancia-2153455/United-Kingdom

Sealine S28 Twin diesel http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2000/Sealine-S28-Bow-Thruster-2210797/United-Kingdom

Fairline targa 29/30 twin diesel http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2001/Fairline-Targa-30-2124113/United-Kingdom

What I would advise you is to go as large as you can. After a Caravan then a 25ft boat will feel small as they only have a beam of 8ft 2". If you go to a 28ft + the beam goes up by 2ft which makes a huge difference! Most make the mistake of starting too small and unlike cars, buying the wrong boat and having to change it can cost you £1000s! I have done it so no full well I should have gone straight to a 28ft boat instead of taking 5 boats to get there and 13 boats to get to 45ft!

Good luck

Paul
 
I was going to suggest a Searay 315 before suggesting the Bayliner 285. As you set your budget in the £50k's I didn't think you would find one for that sort of money, plus they are a fairly rare beast with not many for sale and they do tend to hold their value.

I have a 315, I've had it from new. If you look at the owner satisfaction websites you will see that Searay are pretty much top year in year out and I would support that based on my experience. My 315 has been fantastic.

I chose it over a Sealine S28 mainly because of the flexibility it gave in terms of accommodation both below and in the cockpit. It was the two berths and the dinette that sold it plus loads of storage so cruising with two kids was made easy without having to move stuff around all of the time. When I had my 24fter I hated having to collapse the v-berth in order to go to bed.

...And (this will set the cat amongst the pigeons) I think the finish on the Searay was better than the S28. My neighbour had one, which I spent a lot of time on. It just didn't feel quite as good.

I'm fairly sure it's one of Searay's longest running production models. They tried several times to replace it without much success simply because it's proved so popular stateside.

It's a big boat for a single diesel but I can mono ski behind mine, and can pull two doughnuts. Compared to a petrol boat the running costs are fantastic. A fast run (30kts) burns about 9gph, but a gentle cruise across the channel (22kts) returned 5.5 gph.

Good luck in your search, and make sure you enjoy it
 
Lee Chambers said:
Following all the advice I have received and after checking with North Fambridge Marina where I will store the boat on their fuel prices £0.89 litre diesel and £1.25 petrol I think I have decided on a diesel boat!

However I like the Bayliner 285 but they only seem to come with 300hp petrol engines, what boat will give me similar accommodation with a diesel lump for around £40,000, also not keen on a boat more than 5-6 years old. Further advices appreciated.

Learning fast. Lee:)
Click to expand...

You may struggle to find a diesel powered boat that is about 5 or 6 years old and will comfortably sleep the three of you. You would either have to raise your budget or lower your age range.

Boats are not like cars. A well maintained 10-15 year old boat could give you less reliability issues than a poorly maintained 3 or 4 year old boat.

Forgot to mention, a diesel boat wont make the best boat for water sports either. Our 25ft diesel Sealine wouldnt tow a skier. It is quick enough at 30 knots but it takes some time to get to 3o knots. The acceleration just isnt as quick as a petrol equivalent.
 
DavidJ said:
Doral have gone bankrupt so I would expect this to have some impact on secondhand boat prices but with no particular dissadvantage on maintenance spares availablity.
Tough decision.
My path was
Sealine 195, Sealine 240, Sealine S37
Click to expand...

The fact they went bankrupt is not going to effect second hand market, they are still going see below

"Doral International has been acquired by a longtime dealer in Quebec. Denis Poliseno acquired the Canadian builder out of bankruptcy protection on June 18 after a long period of negotiations.

Doral, which previously built sportboats at a facility in Ontario, will now build its line of cruisers and sportboats at its longstanding facility in Grand Mère, Quebec."

There are are many boat builders who have done this and I think Sealine are one of them.

I think most people who have bought a S28 dont keep it long, before you all tell me Im wrong there will be a few of you who have one for a while.
 
Finding something that is a ski boat and a decent cruiser is going to be tough. There will need to be some serious compromises in one or both areas.

Something that makes a comfortable cruiser for a family of three is unlikely to be much good as a ski boat.

I see you've now dropped the budget by 10 grand to £40k, but state you've decided on diesel power (good move) and only want 5-6 years old. In answer to your question "am i deluded", erm...... you're getting that way :)

I think you need to do three things now.

1) Carefully consider your budget. Remembering that you might need to spend some money on important safety kit as well as the boat. Life jackets, etc. A few extra £££'s might mean a much better boat.

2) Carefully consider what you really want from the boat. IMO, expecting to be able to spend comfortable weekends and odd weeks away on the boat, AND having a ski boat just doesn't work. Especially when you want economy, speed, 5-6 years old and diesel. Now, if you wanted a comfortable and sensibly economical cruiser that you could fish from, well that would be a wholly different kettle of fish.

3) Take a trip to a dealer with a good range of boats and have a proper look around. Don't just glance at the pretty boats, get on them, all of you at the same time. See how much room there is for all of you to move around. Look at where you'll all sleep, eat, sit etc. Some of the small boats mentioned have sleeping accommodation akin to sleeping in a coffin.

It's worth noting that almost everyone buys the wrong boat first time. The expectations of what you will do with the boat seem to be different to how things actually work out. Buying something oddball (or petrol, IMO) wouldn't be a good move if you want to sell it after a year. IMO, you should buy a good cruiser or a good ski boat, not something that just about does but, but does neither well. If you buy a cruiser, buy the biggest y our budget will run to.

Last, and probably most important suggestion, don't rush. Take your time and at least try to get the right boat. Bet you change it in a year though :D
 
Despite what some people say though. If you buy the right boat the first time around it is possible to own it for more than 12 months:D

Take your time choosing the right boat and you will benefit from choosing correctly. Spend as much time as possible on as many different boats as possible and have a good poke around them and think about how you would live with them. The right boat will stand out eventually.
 
CX54WEK said:
Despite what some people say though. If you buy the right boat the first time around it is possible to own it for more than 12 months:D

Take your time choosing the right boat and you will benefit from choosing correctly. Spend as much time as possible on as many different boats as possible and have a good poke around them and think about how you would live with them. The right boat will stand out eventually.
Click to expand...

Only a woman could possibly pick the right boat first time. Us mere men always get it wrong :D
 
Hi Lee,

Thats exactly the position I found myself in 4 years ago!! Had about 50k to spend, me & the wife plus our 3 year old and new born!!

We bought a Bayliner 285 and haven't looked back since. We looked at all the other boats youve mentioned and none came close to the accomodation offered by the 285.

I know Bayliner have a reputation, but everything has took the abuse our young family can throw at it, nothings broken off, she still looks as good as new and the only things that have gone wrong are the same parts as fitted to all the other boats ie Mercruiser bits, but even that hasn't been too horrific!!

We are based in the Solent and she has never scared us even when we've been out in force 5 / 6. We do have the 300hp petrol, but again we managed approx 2 mpg @ 3900 aprrox 26 knts. So yes she's not cheep to run, but we generally only go out when the forecast is 4 or less as not to scare the kids and I've stopped worrying about fuel cost because it pails next to the mooring / maintainance cost...... Now if I was doing 300 miles a weekend it would be very different!!

Hope that helps?? Let me know if I can give you any more info on the 285.

Paul.
 
£1.25 petrol I think I have decided on a diesel boat!

Learning fast.

Just to push the point home
Your big twins will use around 15 gallons an hour on lets say a 3 hour round trip.

£250 pounds per trip and just for the hell of it lets go out for two days over the weekend.
£500.00 ? :)
 
oldgit said:
£1.25 petrol I think I have decided on a diesel boat!

Learning fast.

Just to push the point home
Your big twins will use around 15 gallons an hour on lets say a 3 hour round trip.

£250 pounds per trip and just for the hell of it lets go out for two days over the weekend.
£500.00 ? :)
Click to expand...

I think as oldgit say's don't go any where near twin petrols!! But as I said for us and our type of cruising, it's really not that bad!!

For example a typical weekend for us would be to leave the Hamble, down to Lymington. An over night stay then come back. I've just looked at my log and for the last trip it shows that I burnt approx 74 litres, so @ £1.14 (mdl fuel at cost, got the invoice!!) thats £85 quid for a weekends boating, so it's not the end of the world. But if you used your boat differently then it would become a different matter......
 
Paul, just so I can get more of an idea if I was to go say 50 miles in a weekend just poodling as at say 5 knots what would it cost in your Bayliner v285? I would like to cruise down the Thames and from where I am thats a good 100 mile round trip, obvioiusly not every weekend but if i get one i will want to use it. £100 a weekend is in budget but £500 a weekend regularly would hurt.

Please let me know?
 
Hi Lee, I wouldn't get too caught up with the fuel cost issue, on a single petrol engine that size, you'd need to be going some to burn 500 quids worth of petrol. I reckon you'd have great fun on a 285 with 100 quids worth of diesel over a weekend. If you consider all the costs of having the boat, buying it, berthing, insurance etc, you just need to factor in how much you can afford per annum for fuel. You'll probably find that some weekends you'll spend nothing in fuel due to weather or other commitments, so if you spend £200 on a really nice weekend you won't be out of pocket.

I agree with other posts that you should buy as big as you can afford to buy (and run) but bigger is not better for watersports.

After a long break without a boat I bought a 19ft boat in 2008, a 31ft later that year and a 43ft one last year. Although I started off with the 19ft sportsboat ideal for ski-ing & donut, my kids 16 & 13 wanted to invite their friends and bigger seemed like a good idea, they can now run around in the dinghy. Its true what others have said about making careful choices but in reality you only really know whats good or bad for you when you start using it. I nearly bought a 285 before I bought the 31ft with twin diesels it looks a really good layout for the three of you. I have had great fun in different ways in all my boats no matter what size/cost. Good luck..

David
 
Lee Chambers said:
Paul, just so I can get more of an idea if I was to go say 50 miles in a weekend just poodling as at say 5 knots what would it cost in your Bayliner v285? I would like to cruise down the Thames and from where I am thats a good 100 mile round trip, obvioiusly not every weekend but if i get one i will want to use it. £100 a weekend is in budget but £500 a weekend regularly would hurt.

Please let me know?
Click to expand...

Hi Lee,

To be honest I don't have fuel figures that are accurate at those speeds, cause if we do a passage at 5knts it's bloody rough and we'll be using more fuel, so I calculate every journey as what our consumption is @ 3900 rpm and if we travel @ 6 knts then I've alway used less fuel than I've calculated for...... it just adds to the safety margin!!

As richie pointed out, the boat test figures are fairly accurate and I can tell you we get 5 knts at around 1200 rpm, so if you look at his link to the fuel graph that will give you a rough idea of what you should be burning!!

If you do get a boat, do the tidal thames. We did it, through the capital and stayed in St Kats, it was one of our most enjoyable holidays every!! Felt like we'd travelled to the moon.... and all on our own!! Even passed under tower bridge with it open, a cutter was passing and the bridge was opened for it, once it had passed through we nipped under with the wife on the camcorder and the kids gobsmaked...... I'll die a happy man now!!

Paul
 
We keep our 285 in the Hamble and a trip from there to Chichester and back is around 45nm and costs around £80 at 23kts; of course, at 5kts she is much more efficient.

Hope this helps!
 
Lee

For what it's worth, I fully agree with paultallett's posts.

The boat consistantly comes up as a great all round family outfit, and the reality of crossing vast oceans and running up hundreds of hours a year is just a pipedream for most of us.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top