Looking at buying a speedboat. Help
Discussion
Hey
Im looking at getting a speedboat to restore over the winter. I'm a joiner so im used to fixing things. Im thinking something between 17ft and 21ft long.
I want to pull a wakeboard or ski. And hold about 6ish people.
I will be mostly on lakes until I have done a course then probable will take her to the sea/coast line later on after having experience and knowledge.
I will be looking to take a training course next year before the boat is restored.
A few questions;
1) can I take a boat onto a river or lake or do i need a permit or license?
2) Ive read that inboard engines are better for wakeboarding and i like the look of them, but will i be banging my head against a wall spending too much money repairing an inboard. am i better getting an outboard?
3)Any advise on what boats to look out for? I want cheap. and want to be able to do it up. Ive been looking at 1980's Fletcher boats so far. Not sure what else to look for.
Things i like the look of in a boat;
Inboard engines at rear of boat with seat either side.
Bowriders. Not a must. I just like the look of them.
Possibility of adding a wakeboard/ski tower.
Platform/ledge at rear of boat for getting in and out of water. (can these be added to boats?)
Thanks for any advise.
Im looking at getting a speedboat to restore over the winter. I'm a joiner so im used to fixing things. Im thinking something between 17ft and 21ft long.
I want to pull a wakeboard or ski. And hold about 6ish people.
I will be mostly on lakes until I have done a course then probable will take her to the sea/coast line later on after having experience and knowledge.
I will be looking to take a training course next year before the boat is restored.
A few questions;
1) can I take a boat onto a river or lake or do i need a permit or license?
2) Ive read that inboard engines are better for wakeboarding and i like the look of them, but will i be banging my head against a wall spending too much money repairing an inboard. am i better getting an outboard?
3)Any advise on what boats to look out for? I want cheap. and want to be able to do it up. Ive been looking at 1980's Fletcher boats so far. Not sure what else to look for.
Things i like the look of in a boat;
Inboard engines at rear of boat with seat either side.
Bowriders. Not a must. I just like the look of them.
Possibility of adding a wakeboard/ski tower.
Platform/ledge at rear of boat for getting in and out of water. (can these be added to boats?)
Thanks for any advise.
For a first boat a 16 / 17ft Fletcher is a great choice, easy to use / drive. Get an outboard, we got one new around 92' with an Evinrude V4 90hp outboard. I only sold it 5 years ago and it was still going strong. Floors can be a weak point, but thats just bits of wood so you'll be fine. Use it on a lake until you know what you are doing, always remember to replace the drain bung before launching too.
I think your choices are going to be limited if you are looking to carry 6ish people particularly if they are adults and tow a skier or wakeboard as well. Safety should always come first so dont be tempted to try and squeeze more people on a boat than it is designed for. The extra weight dramatically changes the handling of the boat and the fuel consumption. Ideally what you need to be looking for is a bowrider like a boston whaler type boat or a rib but these can be expensive and are mostly outboard engines. If you can accept that you are going to have to carry less people than you open up a lot more options.
Hi
I recently bought a 16ft bayliner Outboard powered.You need to ask a few more questions i think first.
what is your budget?
what kind of use and access for boarding will be used, beach or pontoon type access?
I picked a outboard drive as 90% of the time i will be loading from the beach so the ability to tilt the Engine clear in shallow water was a must. Next running costs, I went 2 stroke outboard with no EFI or the likes so very little to look after, With inboard fuel and running costs will be a little higher.
depending on what your budget is you can pick up 17" Bowrider bayliners for around 5k just now 3.0l mercruiser even 4.3l crop up.
Even a Maxum ,fletcher, dory sportsman , searay
quite a few of these type of bayliners on the market just now 5-7k
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/bayliner-capri-1...
I recently bought a 16ft bayliner Outboard powered.You need to ask a few more questions i think first.
what is your budget?
what kind of use and access for boarding will be used, beach or pontoon type access?
I picked a outboard drive as 90% of the time i will be loading from the beach so the ability to tilt the Engine clear in shallow water was a must. Next running costs, I went 2 stroke outboard with no EFI or the likes so very little to look after, With inboard fuel and running costs will be a little higher.
depending on what your budget is you can pick up 17" Bowrider bayliners for around 5k just now 3.0l mercruiser even 4.3l crop up.
Even a Maxum ,fletcher, dory sportsman , searay
quite a few of these type of bayliners on the market just now 5-7k
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/bayliner-capri-1...
I quite liked the Fletcher 19 GTO (same as the 19GTS but with the outboard rather than the stern drive), but they seem to hold their value around the £10k mark ...
Cuddy Cabins seem to be more practical if you want somewhere to put your stuff / use a loo etc, I just dont like the look of a bow rider (personal pref)
Spec wise, I do like the Mariah boats, and bow riders seem to be popular, but they are not that popular from what Ive seen in the UK
Cuddy Cabins seem to be more practical if you want somewhere to put your stuff / use a loo etc, I just dont like the look of a bow rider (personal pref)
Spec wise, I do like the Mariah boats, and bow riders seem to be popular, but they are not that popular from what Ive seen in the UK
Hey.
Thanks for your reply.
I'm not looking to spend a lot. Around £500 to £1500 on boat with trailer and motor. (I know this isn't much but I have seen some go for that). One on ebay for £350 without motor but it wasn't my taste. Then spend more time and money doing it up. And I want something I can do up as well.
Im really liking the fletcher boats. But i want one with a doorway in the window. Doesn'thave to be a bow rider though.
After what you guys say I'll go for and outboard engine.
Thanks for your reply.
I'm not looking to spend a lot. Around £500 to £1500 on boat with trailer and motor. (I know this isn't much but I have seen some go for that). One on ebay for £350 without motor but it wasn't my taste. Then spend more time and money doing it up. And I want something I can do up as well.
Im really liking the fletcher boats. But i want one with a doorway in the window. Doesn'thave to be a bow rider though.
After what you guys say I'll go for and outboard engine.
I'd give up dreams of wakeboarding unless you buy something with a hull shaped specifically to kick up a wake. Ok, you can sort of just bimble along behind but without a proper wake, you'll run out of ideas pretty quickly and get board (ha!).
Unfortunately ski boats and wakeboarding boats demand a completely different hull profile and in your shoes, I'd get something that's just cool looking and fast, and maybe stick a ski pole on the back of it for occasional use.
Unfortunately ski boats and wakeboarding boats demand a completely different hull profile and in your shoes, I'd get something that's just cool looking and fast, and maybe stick a ski pole on the back of it for occasional use.
21TonyK said:
only comment and knowledge is from a mate who is Cox on our local lifeboat... don't take a bowrider to sea!
Utter b
ksBowriders are fine in coastal waters in the right conditions. Ive had a couple of Sea Ray bowriders now over the last 10 years and not died yet, both used in Poole harbour which has some particularly dangerous tidal waters to the uninitiated.
Agree with what others have said, you can't go wrong with a small Fletcher with an outboard. You can always trade up when you get more comfortable with it, or have a bit more money.
A speed boat that can carry 6 people, plus skis/boards etc comfortably is going to be a bit of a beast, with a servicing and fuel bill to match. Bigger boats are also more of a pain to tow and more difficult to get in and out of the water. Also, having that many people in a small boat isn't always that much fun when you are responsible for their safety, and will have a negative effect on handling.
Personally, I would aim for something that can carry 4 at most, you can always do multiple trips while the others get a BBQ going on the shore.
OscarIndia's 17ft looks like a good place to start (do I get a commission)?
A speed boat that can carry 6 people, plus skis/boards etc comfortably is going to be a bit of a beast, with a servicing and fuel bill to match. Bigger boats are also more of a pain to tow and more difficult to get in and out of the water. Also, having that many people in a small boat isn't always that much fun when you are responsible for their safety, and will have a negative effect on handling.
Personally, I would aim for something that can carry 4 at most, you can always do multiple trips while the others get a BBQ going on the shore.
OscarIndia's 17ft looks like a good place to start (do I get a commission)?
Inkyfingers said:
Agree with what others have said, you can't go wrong with a small Fletcher with an outboard. You can always trade up when you get more comfortable with it, or have a bit more money.
A speed boat that can carry 6 people, plus skis/boards etc comfortably is going to be a bit of a beast, with a servicing and fuel bill to match. Bigger boats are also more of a pain to tow and more difficult to get in and out of the water. Also, having that many people in a small boat isn't always that much fun when you are responsible for their safety, and will have a negative effect on handling.
Personally, I would aim for something that can carry 4 at most, you can always do multiple trips while the others get a BBQ going on the shore.
OscarIndia's 17ft looks like a good place to start (do I get a commission)?
Agreed, small powerboats with lots of people in them are never a good thing. A speed boat that can carry 6 people, plus skis/boards etc comfortably is going to be a bit of a beast, with a servicing and fuel bill to match. Bigger boats are also more of a pain to tow and more difficult to get in and out of the water. Also, having that many people in a small boat isn't always that much fun when you are responsible for their safety, and will have a negative effect on handling.
Personally, I would aim for something that can carry 4 at most, you can always do multiple trips while the others get a BBQ going on the shore.
OscarIndia's 17ft looks like a good place to start (do I get a commission)?
If you're wakeboarding you ideally want a driver a boarder and a spotter, its not fun with more people.
I'd get a RIB personally anyway.
Hey
im happy with 4 people. Only said six as I like to bow riders and they have 6 seats. Reading into it they can only carry 4 people anyway.
Im goimg to go for a 17ft to 19ft with outboard.
Really like the look of a windsreen with opening hatch I middle like on the fletcher bravo or arrowstreak.
Do I need a permit or anything to go on rivers. I know I cant go fast on rivers but someone once told me I did. Is that true?
im happy with 4 people. Only said six as I like to bow riders and they have 6 seats. Reading into it they can only carry 4 people anyway.
Im goimg to go for a 17ft to 19ft with outboard.
Really like the look of a windsreen with opening hatch I middle like on the fletcher bravo or arrowstreak.
Do I need a permit or anything to go on rivers. I know I cant go fast on rivers but someone once told me I did. Is that true?
steve rough said:
Do I need a permit or anything to go on rivers. I know I cant go fast on rivers but someone once told me I did. Is that true?
It will depend on the river as to the speed limit and what authority is in charge of it. High speeds create big washes which erode banks. You probably don't want to go on my patch, the Great Ouse in Cambs, but as an example that is 7mph and the EA will insist you have a river licence or prosecute. Rivers it seems are more subject to rules and regs than the great offshore.jackh707 said:
Inkyfingers said:
Agree with what others have said, you can't go wrong with a small Fletcher with an outboard. You can always trade up when you get more comfortable with it, or have a bit more money.
A speed boat that can carry 6 people, plus skis/boards etc comfortably is going to be a bit of a beast, with a servicing and fuel bill to match. Bigger boats are also more of a pain to tow and more difficult to get in and out of the water. Also, having that many people in a small boat isn't always that much fun when you are responsible for their safety, and will have a negative effect on handling.
Personally, I would aim for something that can carry 4 at most, you can always do multiple trips while the others get a BBQ going on the shore.
OscarIndia's 17ft looks like a good place to start (do I get a commission)?
Agreed, small powerboats with lots of people in them are never a good thing. A speed boat that can carry 6 people, plus skis/boards etc comfortably is going to be a bit of a beast, with a servicing and fuel bill to match. Bigger boats are also more of a pain to tow and more difficult to get in and out of the water. Also, having that many people in a small boat isn't always that much fun when you are responsible for their safety, and will have a negative effect on handling.
Personally, I would aim for something that can carry 4 at most, you can always do multiple trips while the others get a BBQ going on the shore.
OscarIndia's 17ft looks like a good place to start (do I get a commission)?
If you're wakeboarding you ideally want a driver a boarder and a spotter, its not fun with more people.
I'd get a RIB personally anyway.
The Nautique G21 we ride behind has all sorts of gadgetry aboard to add ballast.
That aside, for the budget, the boat above looks ace!
I gave in to the lure of my 1st boat last year, primarily to ski with and generally mooch about.
Settled on a 17' Fletcher Bravo with a 90 Mercury, now about 20 years old but really well cared for and has been a great introduction to the world on water! With a trailer and the inevitable 'second hand' issues, it still doesn't stand me at £5k and I've had plenty done...bills to prove!
For a beginner boat that I now trust implicitly, hard to beat! It can cope with 4 adults quite happily and no trouble at all in the Solent.
Settled on a 17' Fletcher Bravo with a 90 Mercury, now about 20 years old but really well cared for and has been a great introduction to the world on water! With a trailer and the inevitable 'second hand' issues, it still doesn't stand me at £5k and I've had plenty done...bills to prove!
For a beginner boat that I now trust implicitly, hard to beat! It can cope with 4 adults quite happily and no trouble at all in the Solent.
Edited by LFB531 on Tuesday 27th May 15:18
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff