Views on Bayliner 175 Bowrider

[JustDerv]

Right, I'm looking to buy a boat suitable for weekend use. After looking at those available, I quite like the look of the Bayliner 175. However I've heard that the build quality can sometimes be suspect?

Would be looking to buy second-hand, budget probably in the region of £10k - £12k and don't want anything too old. I see 2-4 year old Bayliner 175s for about this budget.

Would start using it on inland waters/lakes for the first year while I get confident (and maybe take some RYA courses too), then aim to motor up and down the east coast and across to the Isle of wight in the second year, maybe on to France in my third year...

Would be for use by me and my 2 daughters, and then any friends we bring along. Any advice appreciated since I am a complete novice to boating.

[jamiep]

They aint nicknamed "Binliner" for no reason i use to have a 2052 cuddy and it was ok for a starter boat, be good enough on the lakes id say as they dont get to rough.

[JustDerv]

What about the Maxum 1800MX?

Don't forget I want to be able to use this on coastal waters after the first year too, not just on lakes and inland waterways.

[MOTORVATOR]

Firstly if you want to use a boat on coastal waters then you are mostly barking up the wrong tree with american boats. Our coastal waters are nowhere like the lakes that they are generally designed for and will not handle it very well.

Secondly if you are seriously contemplating utilising a 17' bowrider with your children to 'pop' over to france then you really need to see a either a psychiatrist or an rya boat instructor or both. Unless of course I have completely misconstrued your post and you have your own helicopter and winchman for escort purposes or you are going via the channel tunnel

Taking on board your comment of novice, you would probably be better off doing a days training with someone like these www.powerboatcentre.com before buying as you will pick up all sorts of sdvice from people who know what they are talking about before investing in what will almost certainly be the wrong tool for the job.

From what you are looking to achieve I would think you should be looking at something like 21' with good protection to keep warm if on a longer journey and a deep vee hull to handle the possible conditions. It's a generalisation but my experience is that american boats are not built to the pounding that british waters give them and stories of hull failures are not hard to come by.

Long journeys on your own? Consider that you will invariably be single engine and reliant on that to get anywhere. The sea is not like the M25 where you can just pull over and await assistance.

If you want to use it at sea then keep back £2k of budget for things like VHF, GPS, Charts, Flares, proper life jackets etc.

[phib]

I wouldnt even take a 17ft bowrider to the isle of wight let alone france !!! Seen so many that have just been swamped after submarining

If you really want to do this seriously look at a good 6.5 - 8.5m rib with twin engine set up, vhf, self righting system etc etc etc and go with another boat.

[FUBAR]

Used to have a Maxum 1800 bowrider. Fine for zipping around the Solent on clamer days. Did many a trip to the Isle of Wight.
(Foley Inn & )

Anything more than a slight chop and

Remember once taking it from Chichester to Brighton in fairly rough seas. Only did it the once, trailered it after that.

Great fun as a starter/beach boat if its calm. Wouldnt put my kids in it if more than a slight chop.

[Rum Runner]

JustDerv
Contact me i have a Bayliner 175BR for sale and many more Sea Ray's and Glastrons allsort from about 6.5k.
We have more of this type of boat in North Wales than probably anywhere in the country.
http://northwales.boatshed.com/dosearch.php?cat=5&...

I do have some small cuddy cabin boats better for leaving on a mooring like this.
http://northwales.boatshed.com/fletcher_19_gts_spo...
My sis has one of these, i got it for her, superb boat all round and sits on a very exposed swinging mooring in Abersoch and was last boat out at the the end of October.Self draining, high freeboard, very deep engine well(no water over the back), Deep V.

These are the absolute kiddy if you do a lot of coastal work, the French fisher men swear by them. I took this out in a very rough se the other day and it was superb. They have a slight full length keel.
http://northwales.boatshed.com/ocqueteau_615-boat-...

Rib's are great and i use one every weekend when teaching but they are very exposed and not the best if you have small children.
Give me a call.

Edited by Rum Runner on Wednesday 10th June 13:56

[JustDerv]

MOTORVATOR said:

Lots of good stuff

Thanks - this is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. No need for a psychiatrist, I did mention I was a complete novice and the RYA boat instructor sounds the best way to go!

From my budget of £10-12K you should be able to tell I haven't got my own helicopter escort

I may revise my options and stick to lakes for a couple of years while learning, and leave day trips to France for when I get a proper boat.

ps: life jackets will be de-rigeur all round on my boat

[JustDerv]

Rum Runner said:

Lots of boats

Thanks Rum Runner, give me a couple of days to go through the boats - there's blooming hundreds of them!!

I like the look of that cuddy cabin boat in your second link but it is just outside of my price range. Taking comments into account I'll probably have to limit the boat to 10K and use the rest for the extras.

You've given me some other names to search now, all I knew was Bayliner, Maxum and Monterey, so I'll have a browse through the adverts and see what I like. But not the final link - that style leaves me cold sorry!

Finally, I did look at RIBs but the exposure put me off with the children, I want something where they can sit down and I can keep an eye on them as well as driving the boat - hence the bowrider style.

[Rum Runner]

JustDerv
The cuddy cabin Fletcher may well be in your price range. The owners will take offers you will be surprised sometimes!.

This is a good compromise
http://northwales.boatshed.com/glastron_sx_175-boa...

Also this has a full canvas
http://northwales.boatshed.com/175_br-boat-72303.h...

If you do decide to buy a boat this way i am also chief instructor at a RYA centre teaching Power/Sail so you could also do your course here at the same time (2 day course).

Edited by Rum Runner on Wednesday 10th June 22:01

[jamiep]

The Fletcher 19GTS listed above will be a better boat, i hear they have a decent deep v hull.

[Rum Runner]

With regards to the V of the Hull this is called Deadrise. Decent deep V's are really 20 degrees and over

[Rum Runner]

The fletcher is now reduced by £750 http://northwales.boatshed.com/fletcher_19_gts_spo...

[MOTORVATOR]

It's not fair to try and confuse the fella with talk of deadrise etc when actually that is not the only thing that makes a good seaboat.

For instance some of the reverse chine affairs that are ideal on lake boats to keep down spray can be absolutely lethal in a heavy sea and the deadrise is always quoted at transom when it is the deadrise, constant or otherwise, through the total length that is important. And then there is a balance of too fine an entry on the bows not giving enough bow lift to avoid stuffing the nose under in some conditions.

That is why, although it's a generalisation, american boats which are designed for lakes are not suitable for our coastal waters. Doesn't make them bad, just the wrong tools for the job.

I could sell my brothers glastron sx 19 bowrider for the right money but I won't offer it because it's not the right tool for you.

Have a look around at something like the Fletcher Arrowbolts such as this http://www.boat-list.com/boatdetailpopup.asp?btsre... and you will end up with a boat that you can confidently use the way you want to as it will do both inland and coastal.

And most importantly on any boat look past the age and the latest fandangled looks. A well maintained 10 year old will give much better service than a poorly maintained 3 year old.

Good hunting

[Rum Runner]

I have just sold a Arrowbolt, you will find the 19GTS a better boat and is really a update on the Arrowbolt.More space higher free-board and full canvas. Outboard not inboard which means single axle trailer and much lighter.
Much better if you intend to leave on a mooring and a super layout.