| nwaring |
Are there any small cruiser owners out there?
My wife and me have decided to get back into boating. We are social members of a local boat club on lake Erie and have applied for a slip (full membership). The club has a strict max length of 28 feet and we have decided to look for a 24-25’ cruiser with head, shore power, galley, hot water, mid-berth and camper canvas package. This past weekend we drove to Detroit and looked at a 2005 Stingray 24’ cruiser. Overall we really liked it, especially the price. The Cleveland boat show starts this weekend and hopefully there will be some offerings in the 24ft range to check out.
Any opinions?
Thanks
Niles:) |
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| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by nwaring
Are there any small cruiser owners out there?
My wife and me have decided to get back into boating. We are social members of a local boat club on lake Erie and have applied for a slip (full membership). The club has a strict max length of 28 feet and we have decided to look for a 24-25’ cruiser with head, shore power, galley, hot water, mid-berth and camper canvas package. This past weekend we drove to Detroit and looked at a 2005 Stingray 24’ cruiser. Overall we really liked it, especially the price. The Cleveland boat show starts this weekend and hopefully there will be some offerings in the 24ft range to check out.
Any opinions?
Thanks
Niles:)
The best boating forum on the net is:
www.boatered.com
You can get more information than you ever wanted from the people there. They are very knowledgable. Probably some from your area.
You don't have to be a "paid member" to get the boating information. There is one sub forum canned Not Boating Related that reuires membership ($19.95 per year) to enter. It is a riot.
You will also learn about www.boatfix.com where you will find many great boating supplies/parts buys.
Good luck on getting back into the boat game. At the momemt I am in beween.
G |
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| Fireblade6 |
quote:
Originally posted by nwaring
Are there any small cruiser owners out there?
My wife and me have decided to get back into boating. We are social members of a local boat club on lake Erie and have applied for a slip (full membership). The club has a strict max length of 28 feet and we have decided to look for a 24-25’ cruiser with head, shore power, galley, hot water, mid-berth and camper canvas package. This past weekend we drove to Detroit and looked at a 2005 Stingray 24’ cruiser. Overall we really liked it, especially the price. The Cleveland boat show starts this weekend and hopefully there will be some offerings in the 24ft range to check out.
Any opinions?
Thanks
Niles:)
Niles-
The Stingrays are nice boat. My dad used to own an open bow 21 feet ski-fish boat with an I/O mercruiser on it. The boat performed really nice...Since then my dad bought a Monterey. You may want to check out the Montereys are also. Although these day cruisers are built for sea-worthiness and it is a little pricier...I think you will be really happy with them because the fibreglass hull and the interior are really really sturdy. I like the cruiser because when you take it out on rough choppy waters...it cuts through the wakes and ride like it is not made of plastic...it feels really solid. and the seats and cabins are first class and lasts forever. The ONE thing that I do have a preference for is that the engine HAS TO BE a MERC...We are a big mercruiser fan and I will not buy any gas inboard/outboard motor other than Mercruiser.... I dont like VOLVO pentas or OMCs...I think they are CRAP engines.
Unless you want to go beyond say like 40 feet...then you may want to get into the GM diesels..
Am saving up money to see if my dad can hook me up with a 40 foot WellCraft SCARAB(Cigarette off-shore boat) It is going to take like FOREVER but it is a dream of mine..I have been raised around motorboats all my life and I absolutely love what boating has to offer. Too bad though that the MDX cannot two these large cruisers...
One thing for sure that I can appreciate about American trucks like the DUALLIES...they can freakin tow ANYTHING...Even a 40 foot cigarette boat. |
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| nwaring |
Thanks for the replies.
I has been like 13 years since I had a boat big enough to dock. Boats have changed a lot since then and it is kind of a new learning curve. The one change that I have decided to get even thought it costs more is the duel prop setups offered by both Merc and Volvo. They offer so much more control in the slow speed docking maneuvers.
G. Thanks for the link I hadn’t been on that site yet. Boatfix.com I had already found. What did you own?
Fireblade. Monterery’s are on my short list. I don’t think there will be any at the Cleveland show this weekend though. My wife really liked the Stingray but we will see what she thinks after this weekend. I don’t have “boat show” prices for the other brands yet but I think the Stingray will come in 10-15K under the others. Keep saving for that Scarab.:D
After this weekend we will hopefully settle on a brand\style that we like and at that point it will be a decision on new vs. used.
Niles |
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| G. COLTON |
Hi Niles. The last boat that I owned was a Baylines 2509. This is a 25', they call it 27', walk around style. Small cabin with marine head, one alchol burner and v berth. Mine was powered by twin Merc 150's.
Very nice but I got th itch for something bigger. Still looking. Problem around here now is that there are too few slips to place a boat. Hurricane Ivan wiped out many docks. So I have been taking it easy on boat looking lately. I want something in the 30 to 33 ft range with all of the options imcluding generator.
Good luck in your search.
George |
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| hondacuraworld |
There are always plenty of nice boats for sale in Buffalo as well. The boating season here is always shorter because of the ice boom in place which keps ice away from the hydroelectric intakes.
Heck Niles, if you want, send me your address and I'll send you all the local swap rags. |
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| nwaring |
George…I just read an article last week in one of the mags about the dispute going in Fl about responsibility…marina’s vs. boat owners and some sort of law about forcing people to pull there boats vs. leaving them in. Interesting but very sad.
Niles |
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| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by nwaring
George…I just read an article last week in one of the mags about the dispute going in Fl about responsibility…marina’s vs. boat owners and some sort of law about forcing people to pull there boats vs. leaving them in. Interesting but very sad.
Niles
Have not heard anything about this. Don't think there ever would be a low about pulling boats. Too many boats and too many BIG boats to go around pulling. Here people boat 12 months of the year. Probably some local commnity thing.
The only major problem we have here is with the Save the Manatee Society and their total lack of knowledge about the animal they supposedly want to protect. They are about in the same boat as the Global Warming people. Lots os pseudo science and much, much big noise by people who know not of what they speak. All pretty much politically motivated.
G |
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| G. COLTON |
Niles, thanks for the link. I guess that this type of thing does get debated sometimes. However, the "lives over property" people will prevail. There is no way you can force someone to go down to the dock and move their boat when a hurricane is bearing down.
Boats do damage marinas and a responsible boat owner will take his boat to a safe anchorage is time permits. Or if the boat is small enough he will have it pulled and put on the rack.
I assume that you have found the major internet sales links such as boattraderonline, yachtwords, iboats, etc.
Good luck.
George |
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| nwaring |
George, Yes I have been looking on all the ones you mentioned. I took Tim up on his offer for Buffalo "paper" ads because that’s a short drive for us. I understand the depreciation factor with boats and buying used is considered the “smart” thing to do. But…I am a “new” kind of guy. I don’t know if I want\can take the time to check out a used boat, hire a surveyor and go through the process. I’ll have a better idea of our direction after the show. The MSRP on some of the 24-26' brands would buy a couple MDX’s. The Stingray dealer we visited in Detroit last weekend was 19% under MSRP right out of the box. It will be interesting finding out what the buy price the others have.
Thanks
Niles |
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| G. COLTON |
Well, it is show time and show time brings out some very good prices. I understand the desire to go new. It just seems to save a lot of hassel. I have only bought one used but it was only 3 years and had absolutely no problems.
In a bigger boat there is some evidence that even buying new a survey is good.
G |
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| nightguy |
| Is there an edmunds.com type of site for boat pricing ? I haven't looked hard yet but have not seen anything. |
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| G. COLTON |
| deleted as redundant |
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| Mr. Mom |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
Is there an edmunds.com type of site for boat pricing ? I haven't looked hard yet but have not seen anything.
http://yachtworld.com/
Check out the boats for sale section. Lots on the market now due to the price of fuel. |
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| hammermdx |
| Congrats and enjoy, seems like a great price!!!! |
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| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by hammermdx
Congrats and enjoy, seems like a great price!!!!
Well now you know what you will be doing with your spare time and spare cash for the next two or three years. Be sure to join boatered.com and get all those folks good advise, and jokes about the POS project. There are a number of folks on there who have embarked on major restoration projects.
G |
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| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by hondacuraworld
God help me ;) I've just bought a boat meself! :D
That's a nice find for the money. My dad suggested I find one with a blown motor but I want to get on the water before 2010. I just don't have the time. The wife now says we should get one with a "downstairs". :) |
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| hondacuraworld |
| This is going to be next year's project......have the outdrive out and the motor is being picked up by a friend in New Hampshire. Over the winter I'll go through everything and my goal for this boat to be on the water is Memorail Day 2006 :) |
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| Rick_James |
I gave up boating this year. After 9 years of it. I finally call it quits. Since wife and I work off schedules, we decided to sell ours.
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