we've had discussion on boats multiple times on here.
really like my older flat bottom bass tracker with a tiller motor but we took it out on a larger lake with waves and it left me thinking maybe I should consider something a littler more suited to that.
I'd like a console, electric start, maybe 50HP if it fits the boat, welded aluminum but I'd be happy with a 20 - 25 especially if its Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki. I'd prefer 4 stroke. For whatever reason I'm just not a fan of fiberglass.
Pricing is all over the place and I'm not really brand specific - I don't know , maybe I should be. My budget isn't very large - I'm looking for about a $3K - $3.5K so its probably going to be a tracker type boat similar to what I have now - late 80's, maybe early to mid 90s model. No live well or any niceties. I don't see me finding a Lund in that price range with the setup I want.
I'm not in a hurry but when I find the right one I'm going to jump, if a good boat comes up on a craigslist or other platform, its gone in a matter of hours. I lost out on a good one with a Yamaha engine 2 days ago because I farted around and didn't try to call until later. Saturday a guy put an electric start Yamaha motor out on Facebook marketplace for $250, it sold in less than 2 hours. Guy had a Honda 9.9 for $200, same story - you have to setup alerts for what you want , check your email regularly and act on it if you want to get something that isn't junk or pay thru the nose for it.
I think price wise, if I get one with the built in aluminum row seats (I don't know , maybe they all have that) and then add the wood flooring , wiring, etc I'm going to get the most bang for my buck.
Be interested in hearing other approaches if someone thinks I'm off base.
One thing I've noticed - the Bayliner Capri - what is up with that boat? people are selling them all over the place, I read the horror stories about them, especially the gelcoat, but the market is flooded with people selling them at prices that make you think for that price if you get a summer skiing or zipping around out of it, its worth it.
If Paul Barnard is right about boat prices, then who knows? I would not go with a boat that I had to do a bunch of major stuff to from the get-go. Otherwise, you'd be better off waiting for the prices to come down. Your goal is to get on the water quickly and you aren't doing that if you've got to fix up a boat, so you might as well wait and get a better one to begin with.
Bayliner Capri...no offense, but that's fiberglass. Totally different boat than you're speaking of above and if you're in the market for something like that, then it's a different set of recommendations.
The Capri I looked at briefly was $3600. No age given. Guesswork is that by age, that's pretty high. It's not off the charts though, especially if it's good for it's age. That's the thing, boat prices are always all over the place. Bayliner's were notorious for being cheap boats and not of good quality, about like a Tracker. They generally come with a Force Outboard, which have been defunct for a number of years, so parts? The one I looked at had a Mercruiser. Some people like I/O's, others hate them. Be advised. Bayliners were the butt of many jokes but there are a lot of them still around. This may be because they were better than people thought or just a testament to how many were sold in the first place. No experience with one.
What kind of hull do you want? You like the jon boat type hull of your current boat but you describe some dissatisfaction in rough seas. A semi-vee would help in that regard. I certainly like your idea of console steering. I don't like tiller boats, personally.
What I'd look for would be a vee or semi-vee about 16' long with a good motor. You should be able during normal times to find one in your price range, used. Most will be riveted. I wouldn't worry about finding an all-welded boat as there are advantages and disadvantages, but if you are determined to find one you should be able to. Just make sure the rivets are good to begin with or you're into what I talked about first, repairs. Same with welds.
Lowe, Polar Kraft (possibly now out of business), G3, Alumaweld, Alumacraft, Lund, Tracker, are examples of brands that will be adequate for you.
