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Random Quote: First - Walk a mile in my shoes! Then you have a free pair of shoes and a 1 mile head start! ;o)
On the freshwater this weekend. Probably won't even fish. Getting the boat ready for the trek to the coast in a couple of weeks. Going to try and stay a week or better. I usually get fussed at for "bringing the weather" or "making the fish go away" but this time I think we'll back across the bridge and maybe they'll think we are leaving.
Fortunately I was but a passenger in my friend's Cierra.
Yeah, it's not an offshore boat, but would you consider it seaworthy enough for the bay? That's where I noticed its penchant for pitch and roll.
Like I said, I wasn't defaming the boat, I never saw it have problem one. It's an OK boat.
I feel bad for my friend, though. It's hard to dump a used Bayliner. That, in and of itself, is a thinking man's foil for the urge to buy one.
I get lots of heat from my family for buying a Toyota pickup. They cost a little more than they might even seem worth. Fortunately, their reputation precedes them, and they hold a high resale value. For that reason, they may actually cost less than other brands!
The same holds true for boats, I'm sure. If you do happen to buy a Bayliner Trophy, and it's a great boat, and you plan to keep it for life, then you're set. When time comes to trade up, having another name on the trade will pay dividends at the closing table.
Great point, Mark! TCO is what it's all about! People that buy "price-point" boats (cars/trucks/whatever) seem to forget that sometimes.
Dad's first boat was a Bayliner bowrider. We had a lot of fun with it -- it was a decent boat. Only dings were the same as with many other boats of that ilk -- lots of vinyl, carpet, seating built with wood, saltwater in the engine area (it was an I/O), etc. Simply not the "best" choice for a saltwater environment.
Hey Ed, don't you ever sleep? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
Mad-Dog,
Looks like the weather is gonna turn bad for the weekend. Geez, it's only supposed to get up to 80 Monday. The snook bite is still rocking down my way. Also released my first tarpon of the season today. Man, they were everywhere. I also can't get over how much bait there is out there. Oh well, be safe out there tomorrow.
seabass, I could ask you same! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
No, I can't sleep! I put an offer on a house today (on a canal!), and I'm on pins-and-needles.
You're right about the weather for us this weekend; doesn't look too promising (though we sure do need the rain -- hope we do get some).
I always see way more snook as soon as the season closes, heh heh. I'll be trying for tarpon in the bay later this month/next month -- it will be my first to target them, and I'm really looking forward to it. Will have to borrow some rigs from a friend of my brother's -- all we have is light(ish) tackle stuff, 8-12 lbs line, etc.
Got ya both beat. Must be those 3:00 feedings for the baby! Plus, I woke up to pouring rains - looks like the fishing will have to wait for next weekend.
Ed P. - So, can we say that TCO is equal to WLB (wife let's you buy)? Aaaahhh, getting buy-in from the First Mate. Another big mistake of the first time boat buyer!
Seabass - Do you fish the Sand Key bridge much? RudeNY from the Florida Sportsman site is a buddy of mine and spends lots of time (both day and night) around the bridge. Big, big snook and lots of tarpon spotted.
Sorry Mad-Dog... check the time... nobody's clock is as screwed-up as mine right now, not even new Daddies'.
For once, I'm glad the weather stinks this weekend... plenty of other stuff to do, and I don't need the added distraction of the boat and fish calling me...
But Ed, you got a solid 2 more hours of sleep in than I did.
Know what you mean by "other stuff". I already got the old "can't you pressure spray clean the house in the rain" question!!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
I recently purchased an '04 Bayliner 285, live in Oceanside, So. CA. We take her out in five to six feet swells all the time 7-10 miles out to see dolphin and whales. We hit speeds of 15-30 kts SOG (Speed on Ground GPS) with many slaps and bangs. We have experienced an increase in swells to 8 Feet with everybody holding on, fearful of being jostled overboard while at low speeds of 8 to 10 kts. We check her out after every return and have yet to find any discrepancy with hull integrity or loosening of structurally important bolt or other nautically important device.
We have also documented the boat and have had her inspected by the local Coast Guard for our planned auxiliary activities. They gave her a clean bill of health after we add backing plates to the cleats for towing purposes (simply drill four holes in 1/4 sheet steel, removed the cleats and re-installed with backing plates, per CG).
The Merc 350MPI seems to be pretty fuel efficient (fuel here is $289/G.)with consumption at around 12g/hr. at high RPM and 7g/hr.. at the lower RPM. I take my family of 5 out on the ocean in complete comfort with this boat knowing that my Bayliner is as sound and sturdy as an 8000lb boat should be.
Safety? I think more skippers should be concerned with their level of nautical expertise than the assumed deficiencies of their craft.
Bang for the buck? Value for the dollar? These vary like the wind. Do your homework, make friends with your surveyor, promise to be as critical of your level of nautical rules and safe operational parameters as you are of the manufacturer and we'll all be happier boaters.
The name says it all. The reason they call them Bayliners is that all they are good for is lining the bay. I only boat in the Pacific Ocean and where I boat Bayliners have an unusual amount of distress calls on 16 for assistance. I do not know if it is because the boat is a piece of junk or because Bayliner owners are to cheap to maintain their boats in a seaworthy manner. That is one of the reasons many people would not buy a Bayliner. Next time you are out on the water, listen to Channel 16 or Vessel Assist calls and note the brand of boat.
Dan, I hate to tell you this, but, the reason is because there are so many of them. Especially on the left coast. If all they sold were regulators,would there be no distress calls?
Dan, most people call for a "tow" because they have engine problems, not boat problems. So I guess we should not purchase MerCruiser, Volvo, or Crusader inboards and I/O engines. And what about the outboard engines?---------- There is nothing wrong with a Bayliner boat. Every boat has its purpose and limitations. We own a 27' Doral, and it is a very well constructed boat, but I wouldn't take it 10 miles off shore, because I do not think it is a safe thing to do with just two people on board, and a lot of open water. (Remember boats sink in two minutes).--- It has nothing to do with the construction of the boat.---- I do alot of boating on the Hudson River, Sandy Hook and the Jersey Shore. I see 24' + boats off Sandy Hook and Point Pleasant all the time in very good weather, and there is nothing wrong with this action. But the owner of the boat must know the limitations of his / her craft. My friend owns a 28' Carolina Classic, and there are times that I would not go out in the ocean even on his boat. To say that a Bayliner Boat is a "poorly constructed product" is not accurate. I think the 2858 Bayliner is a very nice well designed boat, and if my wife and I had to purchase our Doral all over again, we might choose the Bayliner, because we would have some extra space in the cabin for weekend get-a-ways! ---I purchase a boat to use it, ---- not to sell it! ---- Our first boat was an "off brand" chop constructed boat with a fifty horse Mercury outboard that we had for 14 years. It was well maintained & garage kept, and we sold it for almost as much as we paid for the boat / motor / trailer pkg. when it was new. When we sold the package, it still had the original prop on the motor. Maintenance has a lot to do with the life of any boat.----- Just my opinion. -----Greg
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post - 'cause I've never owned a Bayliner, or a Trophy, or a Maxum, but the second poster to this thread got it right - you can't sell the damn things. That makes their value $00,000.00, and their cost of ownership infinite.
And to the guy in CA whose family is holding on for dear life in 8' swells - did you really need to boat that day?
The low resale value is a plus if you're like me snd your name ain't Rockefeller. A used boat purchase is more about finding a well maintained and servicable boat, not about brand names. My old Bayliner Trophy was a way better boat in my price range (cheap) than everything else I looked at. It's old, but everything works and she washes up pretty good, too. I've spent more money on the trailer than I have fixing the boat, because I put first things first. A well maintained Bayliner is a wonderful thing.
