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Random Quote: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you get rid of him on the weekend.
Looking for a 28-30 foot walkaround for the family. Looked at Seaswirl Striper 2901, Wellcraft Coastal 29, Pro Line, Century, Grady, Hydra Sports. Every sales person says that their boats are the best. Who is right? I am already familiar with reputations, Grady is great, but is it really worth 40% MORE?
My wife seemed to like the Wellcraft (half the battle, right?!) Whats right or wrong with it?
I just want a quality, safe family fisher to spend time on. Grouper in the Gulf 40 miles off, to trolling for Dolphin in the Atlantic.
If you look at a boat and notice the price is low and you keep on telling yourself this is as good a Grady, SeaSport, Osprey etc......then it probably isnt that good of a boat. On the other hand if you are looking over a boat and you say wow........it is kinda pricey but it sure seems worth it. Then its a quality ride
Ask about how they are put together- Hand laid fiberglass is better quality than a chop gun ( sprayed hairs). The type of fiberglass resin is another tell tale. Wood or composite material is still the great debate. Is the fish box insulated. The hardware stainless and through bolted, not just screwed. Screws will pull out over time. Look at the electrical layout, nice and orderly and connections coated to protect against corrosion. Overall layout and ease of access to bilge, batteries, etc.
The Coast Guard has a website that lists recalls and issues from each builder. Can not remeber the address but it may help with your selection.
Wellcraft is a solid mfr. I am more than satisidfed with mine. In 2003 they went thru a major quality upgrade and now offer a well built boat that handles the seas well and and offers above average fit and finish. There are certainly better out there . There are several in our neighborhood here and everyone is beyond satisfied. Of couse the dealer makes the difference in many cases and we have a good one here in Lauderdale.
Well Snowwolfe said it all. If it's high priced....it's good. If it's lower priced....it's not so good. Just like computers. You can buy an Alienware for $5K. I can sell you the same exact computer for approximately $1.8K. But I won't. I'll charge you $3.8K. Why? Because I can. And Alienware will get $5K because they can. And I only charge $3.8K because I feel that is max it should cost. And I sell local and service it right in your house if there is a problem. Yup...me. the person who built it. But, hey, we're talking boats here now aren't we? High price is good. Lower price is junk. Simple.
Now...on another note. Ask owners of the brands you're looking at if they like what they got, if they had any problems, if they'd buy it again and how is the service from the dealer/manufacturer (especially if they had a problem). Take a sea trial and see how it handles. Is the layout what you want? It might be worth the price to have a survey done on the particular boat you're going to buy (not just used but even if new). You say you want to go 40 miles offshore. That would mean you want something that will stand up to the trials and tribulations of those trips and get you back safe. You'd want the redundancy of twins or better depending on your bankroll. I only go offshore 5 miles max. And that is rare. I'm mostly a bay and channel person here so I didn't need more than I purchased. Not that it wouldn't take the trips, but I'd want something larger if I did. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Setting fiberglass aside, look for things like welded, one piece bow rail versus the pieced together ones that will fall apart over time, look at the cushions, are they thick and comfortable or thin and they bottom out when you sit on them? look at the rubrail, are there gaps along the side of the hull? is the hull and deck joint just pop-riveted together? or are they screwed or bolted and glued? Are the windshields/frames thin and flimsy or stout? The deck hardware undersized or compatible for the designed use? Is the wiring neat, labeled and does it have shrinkwrapped connectors or just a bunch of spaghetti with loosely crimped connectors? Is there just one waterpump for multiple uses (washdown, baittank, etc) or do they use separate pumps for each task? Is there non-skid decking where it should be, you know, where you might just want/need it to be to walk while underway? Are there handholds where you might need them? Access plates for future installations? Is the fuel tank under a one piece deck or does it have a sealed in hatch for removal/replacement some day?
Just a few things to look for when comparing a cheap boat to a quality one...
Watch out for recommendations from buyers of cheaply made boats. They try to convince you that they bought for any other reason than just price. Kind of like going out to a nice restaurant, then ordering from the right side of the menu (you know...where the prices are) instead of getting what they would really want (the filet mignon) but couldn't afford. No one would readily admit that they spent there hard-earned money on a POS (and had to finance it too), so they try to justify it in other ways. They get so defensive...
The saying, "misery loves company" comes to mind when I see some of these glowing reports on boats that we all know aren't built the way that they should be (or at least the way others are).
Me I'd go for the Hydra-Sport, Wellcraft, or Grady. For me buying quality is worth it. You just need to decide if that quality is worth it to you. Look at the hull sides... can you see the fiberglass under the gelcoat or is it smooth? What kind of hinges on hatches, piano or small individual ones? Do hatches bend under your weight? Do the hatches bang shut or sound more solid? What kind of thru hull fittings? Quality hardware? Clean wiring? Electronics easy to access just in case? Things like that
Hopefully this won't turn into ANOTHER boat bashing thread!!! There have been more than enough.
I wondered the same thing when I got into boating. I've concluded that quality differences show up in the details. Is the hull solid when you pound on its sides? How about when you jump on the deck? Is the gelcoat straight or does it show ripples? Are they using cheaper low-capacity bilge pumps? Is the hardware made of stainless or zinc? Is the rubrail metal or plastic? Is the wiring well put together? (This is a big one.)
It's often easy to see quality in something like a car. I've found it's more difficult in a boat. Unless you know what to look for everything can appear the same. There really is a difference though. In my opinion, it's worth paying for. My personal favorite is Stamas. High quality without jerking the customer around. They're not perfect, but nothing ever is.
I visited a bunch of salvage yards to look at boats ruined by hurrican Ivan. I was very surprised at the detached hull/deck joints on boats that otherwise looked only moderately damaged. On the other hand I saw boats that had the $hit beaten
out of them but the hull/deck joint was intact as though it was a structural member on the boat. I won't name boats, but there's a reason why three piece hulls are built and cost more. One of the reasons is the access to the inside of the hull deck joint... they can fiberglass and/or bolt the hull/deck joint. Expensive and worth it from what I saw.
I'm sure there is something to be said about the advantages of optimum resin/fiberglass ratio and cored hulls (light weight, higher speed, better gas economy)... but again, the boats that seemed to take a beating best looked to me like heavily layed-up fiberglass and resin rich.
Why is the above important? I think about the boat's ability to hold up for many years. Just MHO... Tom.
He runs a design consulting firm, and is writing for consumers. Knows his stuff - both on a technical and practical level, and discusses all manner of small craft from 20-100 feet. He's not hung up on any particular model, brand, size, style or price class of boat. The discussion is unbiased, expert (rather than opinionated, which is extremely common but of little utility), and thorough.
You can leaf through it a bit on Amazon, as they have the "Look Inside/Search Inside" function available for it.
__________________ When blithe to argument I come, Though armed with facts and merry; May Providence protect me from, The Fool as adversary. Whose mind to him a kingdom is, Where reason lacks dominion; Who calls conviction prejudice, and prejudice opinion.... ;-)
YankeeB... geez go to bed!... Totally agree on Sorensen... the best boat book out there. He bought a GW 223... mine may be for sale unless it turns out that I like it better than my newly purchased 24' Albe...
You are giving good advice... Please let us know about the + & - of your Qt... Aussie boat. Tom.
ABoater . . . don't you get it? "Cheaply made boats" = bayliner (according to stratocaster apprantly)
If you mention Bayliner or bring up anything negative about "cheap boats" around here, you'll wake the bayliner army.
Through this website, I've come to learn that screwed in "shoebox" deck to hull joints, lack of structural bulkheads, non-glassed but gel-coated stringers, engine hatches without gas struts, voids/delams on the hull, non-marine wiring/connections, plywood backed seating, thin hullsides that deflect with a light tap from the bottom of your fist, etc . . . are all negative things when found on boats . . .
But if any of these features are found on a bayliner, . . . eh, well, they're not . . . Bayliners are the best boats out there for the price so there is absolutely nothing wrong with bayliners. Even the BIII's, nortorious for corrosion, won't corrode when attached to the transom of a bayliner. Outsourced parts that are recalled mysteriously fix themselves on bayliners. Exposed screws really do disappear if you squint hard enough. My buddy who survived a fire, near sinking and was stranded out in the water a number of times loves his 88' bay . . .oops, I nearly forgot that these things can occur on any boat other than a bayliner.
Max, don't let ABoater's post scare you off. He lost the "arguement". Add "cheaply made boats" to your list - you'll probably even catch more fish.
Look at many boats for many months. Get rides on as many as possible. Talk with owners of the boats you like. Carefully match the boat to your needs and wallet.
How you can't tell the quality of a boat.........
Start a discussion on "How can I really tell boat quality?"
Welcome aboard and enjoy the learning process......
I take weight into consideration, when comparing boats of the same size and comparably equipped and one is 1000 or 1500 lbs lighter it makes me think what did they leave out.
__________________ Stratos 2500 wa
Twin 225 Johnsons
What is that sucking sound?
How can I REALLY tell boat quality??? 
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