Completely New To Boats

[NewGuy]

Hello, Brand new to boating (sort of) and new to this forum.

I'm getting the itch for a boat, my wife has grown up on them, me on the other hand...my dad had an aluminum outboard fishing boat when i was much younger but but that's about it. I've once took a boating course for one reason or another and remember a few things. Anyways, been looking around and found a posting on craigslist. I don't know the first thing about what to look for but i tend to get fixated on something and then ask questions like crazy long before showing an owner my interest in their "for sale" item. In this case I found this posting http://lawton.craigslist.org/boa/3623856668.html from the other postings online and from "boaters" at my work this seems to be a good deal. I understand this person seems to be throwing in a bunch of "stuff" I emailed them asking about how many hours are on the motor/outdrive (not that i would know what low or high amount of hours would be), does it have a cover, little things like that. I don't know the important questions to ask or even if this is a good price.

One last thing...is a 1991 21ft cuddy a good first boat? I think it might be big for me but I do have a family of 6 plus whoever else wants to tag along. My wife assures me that boats are quite easy to load/unload/dock/drive I'm excited to be a part of the boating community. Like I said this will be my first boat. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Stephen B.

[pascavone]

a boat man i see.....

well,

i did the same thing your are doing, and both of my 2 season had a hurricane to deal with...;(

but, Offer $2,500....... and then you can put $1000 into for hidden repairs.

boat is old.
boat is small.
its a beginner boat.....
if you look at newer fancier boats, you will not want this one.

so, no a large buyer market.

[biggerseagar]

Welcome ....do you have a friend that is a boater that you can use his/her knowledge? I have over 30 years experience boating blah blah blah, but here is what I would do.
First rule..don't be in a hurry. Second... check structural and mechanicals. This is where a friend can help you make a good decision.Third rule....There are millions and millions of boats out there for sale. It is a buyers market.Take advantage of this.

Where are you boating? Lake, river,coastal....A 21 foot cuddy with 6 people and gear is going to be very tight. I would look for a 23 open bow that will give you alot more room Imho

Have fun and again welcome!

Roger

[Phillbo]

Have a compression test done if nothing else.

[1994Maxum2700SCR]

Hey NewGuy,
I would go with a 21 to 23ft open bow boat like seagar said. If you are going to be trailering it from home to the water, then an open bow is the way to go in my opinion. That little cuddy cabin ends up being used as a storage closet in most cases, so its kind of a waste of valuable passenger room.
My first boat was a 1968 17ft Glastron bowrider (85hp outboard), got it for near nothing but I overhauled the whole thing down to the beams in the hull. i trailer it around to lakes in the area great for day trips. But now I have my 1994 Maxum 2700SCR (7.4L/Bravo 2 Inboard/Outoutboard)on a mooring in the sound, which is like night and day. Much more maintenance involved with the salt water and leaving it on a mooring.

Definitely do a compression test like phillbo said, it makes sure that the engine is running at correct levels (psi)

look into outboards as opposed to inboard/outboards to see what fits you best. 21ft bowriders are all over the place, im sure you can find a good deal on one somewhere.

Hope that helps,

- Joe

[mcoffey]

+1 on the bowrider. IMHO, a cuddy is good for overnight or power naps. During the day when you are using the boat, it is just a waste of space and only good for storage.
If you are boating in a lake and doing day trips only, go with a bowrider. By 21ft (2100SR) can carry 9 people (some being kids though) and has enough seating for all 9.
I think something in the 19-21ft range would be ideal for you. Big enough to hold the people you need and small enough to be easy to handle.
Now, do you have something that can tow this size boat? You are probably looking at 3000-4000lbs in the size range.
Also, mae sure you get a V8 in anything this size if you plan on doing watersports (like skiing). The V6 options are good for cruising but just don't have the ***** to get a skier out of the water very well.
So a 5.0 would be decent in a 19ft but look for the 5.7 if you go up to 20-21ft.

[shrew]

Welcome aboard New Guy. The add has been pulled, so either you bought, someone else bought or the seller had a change of heart. I can tell you that buying a boat on Craig's list will be an excercise in frustration. Approach it with the assumption that the owner is lying and the boat is overpriced.