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TrueChaos
Nov 14, 2006




It's beautiful - would love to see interior pics if you get a chance!

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Snowmankilla
Dec 6, 2000

True, true

Wife and I are looking to get our first boat, and wanted some super basic advice. It will be used on Lake Erie, so we think at least 23 ft. Wife wants to have a head compartment for our small kids. I have seen tons of bow riders that fit all of those categories, but I don’t know many boat brands. I know Sea Ray, Four Winns, Yamaha, and Chaparral.

So my dumb guy question is, how do you know what is a good brand? Google? A review site? I feel like if it was a car I would be looking for a Honda or Toyota, but I don’t know what those brands are in the boat world. Any advice on where to look other then. Dealers and boat trader.com?

crazypeltast52
May 5, 2010



That is a nice looking boat!

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

Snowmankilla posted:

Wife and I are looking to get our first boat, and wanted some super basic advice. It will be used on Lake Erie, so we think at least 23 ft. Wife wants to have a head compartment for our small kids. I have seen tons of bow riders that fit all of those categories, but I don’t know many boat brands. I know Sea Ray, Four Winns, Yamaha, and Chaparral.

So my dumb guy question is, how do you know what is a good brand? Google? A review site? I feel like if it was a car I would be looking for a Honda or Toyota, but I don’t know what those brands are in the boat world. Any advice on where to look other then. Dealers and boat trader.com?

SeaRay are the cheapest "boats" made. Everything will be built down to a price. They make ok first boats, are available at big dealers with financing, but depreciate like rocks. Buy used, with a thorough inspection if you're going that route.

I'm not a freshwater guy, but here in coastal MA, Grady White, Parker, and Boston Whaler are big names. Boston Whaler makes a bunch of bow riders, and they're (IMHO) better boats than a SeaRay. Every boat is a compromise.

What's your budget? That'll determine any advice's applicable-ness.

Snowmankilla
Dec 6, 2000

True, true

sharkytm posted:

SeaRay are the cheapest "boats" made. Everything will be built down to a price. They make ok first boats, are available at big dealers with financing, but depreciate like rocks. Buy used, with a thorough inspection if you're going that route.

I'm not a freshwater guy, but here in coastal MA, Grady White, Parker, and Boston Whaler are big names. Boston Whaler makes a bunch of bow riders, and they're (IMHO) better boats than a SeaRay. Every boat is a compromise.

What's your budget? That'll determine any advice's applicable-ness.

Awesome. So be weary of Sea Ray. Good to know.

I would say our budget is in the 45-60 range? Most things we have been looking at are around 55k? Would love to be lower rather then higher, and with seeing that over 65 would probably do a new nice 24 ft?

Thanks again!

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

Snowmankilla posted:

Awesome. So be weary of Sea Ray. Good to know.

I would say our budget is in the 45-60 range? Most things we have been looking at are around 55k? Would love to be lower rather then higher, and with seeing that over 65 would probably do a new nice 24 ft?

Thanks again!

With that budget, on the used market, you can do better than a SeaRay.

Solid Options (not in your price range, but SOLID boats):
Boston Whaler Vantage 230 (23')
Parker 2540DC (25')
Grady White Freedon 235 (23')

Robalo makes some dual consoles, as do Wellcraft, Starcraft, and Chaparral. EdgeWater is decent.
Sadly, I don't know much about that style of boat, but others can chime in.
How much are you going to use it? That's a key question, along with "Who's going to maintain it". Buying a boat is the cheap part. Storage/maintenance/repairs are not cheap.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2011-grady-white-255-freedom-7324939/
To give you an idea...

sharkytm fucked around with this message at 18:38 on May 18, 2020

gvibes
Jan 18, 2010

Leading us to the promised land (i.e., one tournament win in five years)

Snowmankilla posted:

Wife and I are looking to get our first boat, and wanted some super basic advice. It will be used on Lake Erie, so we think at least 23 ft. Wife wants to have a head compartment for our small kids. I have seen tons of bow riders that fit all of those categories, but I don’t know many boat brands. I know Sea Ray, Four Winns, Yamaha, and Chaparral.

So my dumb guy question is, how do you know what is a good brand? Google? A review site? I feel like if it was a car I would be looking for a Honda or Toyota, but I don’t know what those brands are in the boat world. Any advice on where to look other then. Dealers and boat trader.com?
If you are going to get dealer-serviced, it frankly is probably a good idea to just buy a boat from whatever dealer is most local/convenient. At least with the mastercraft dealer by me, they treat their boat customers much better on service/delivery, for instance.

Generally speaking, it seems like you are probably going to get what you pay for (possible exceptions for some brand premiums, maybe), so just keep that in mind. Most brands seem pretty fungible to me.

In terms of what to look for, bow riders are pretty ubiquitous. There is more recent trend to power them with outboards, which seems more convenient to me. Easier to access for maintenance, and easier to repower if disaster strikes.

You may want to take a look at center/dual consoles as well. They are generally going to be a bit better made, but more utilitarian. Usually outboard powered as well. e: I would classify what sharky is recommending as in this category. e2: These would almost certainly be better in big lake chops than runabouts like a similarly-sized sea ray as well.

I looked a bit recently at what outboard engine companies have the best reliability reputation, and there doesn't seem to be a huge spread, with maybe yamaha getting a few more votes than anyone else.

sharkytm posted:

SeaRay are the cheapest "boats" made. Everything will be built down to a price. They make ok first boats, are available at big dealers with financing, but depreciate like rocks. Buy used, with a thorough inspection if you're going that route.

I'm not a freshwater guy, but here in coastal MA, Grady White, Parker, and Boston Whaler are big names. Boston Whaler makes a bunch of bow riders, and they're (IMHO) better boats than a SeaRay. Every boat is a compromise.

What's your budget? That'll determine any advice's applicable-ness.
There are actually cheaper/worse boats than sea rays! Like, Four Winns, I think. But yeah, all the boat brands you listed are better made. Just because they are made with more of an eye to offshore/salt water usage. Or at least GW and BW, not familiar with Parker. Whereas Sea Ray and Four Winns are more inland lake focused.

gvibes fucked around with this message at 19:33 on May 18, 2020

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

gvibes posted:

I looked a bit recently at what outboard engine companies have the best reliability reputation, and there doesn't seem to be a huge spread, with maybe yamaha getting a few more votes than anyone else.

There are actually cheaper/worse boats than sea rays! Like, Four Winns, I think. But yeah, all the boat brands you listed are better made. Just because they are made with more of an eye to offshore/salt water usage. Or at least GW and BW, not familiar with Parker. Whereas Sea Ray and Four Winns are more inland lake focused.
I classify Four Winns, SeaRay, Bayliner, and several others as functionally the same. Cheap FRP boats with Merc outboards or Merc I/Os, lovely wiring from the factory, badly cored hulls, and lots of problems from the get-go. But I come from the commercial marine world, where things are different.


Take this with a grain of salt, but here's my take on Outboards.
#1 Outboards are awesome now. For any pleasure boat, they're the way to go. All the small (<30') workboats that I work/worked on are 100% outboard powered. Anything bigger is inboard diesel. We built a 55' WesMac and put a C18 in it, for example.

#2: Brands
Honda: $$$, reliable, heavy
Yamaha: Wide dealer network, $$, some common issues, generally reliable, but everyone knows how to work on them
Suzuki: $$, more reliable that Yamaha/Merc IME, narrow dealer network, great repower program. We ran 140s, 200, and 250s on workboats, and regularly got 8-10 thousand hours out of them with just oil changes, fuel filters, L/U oil, and the occasional maintenance items. That's crazy reliable in really poor working conditions (lots of shallow water/mud running, hours and hours of idling followed by full throttle runs followed by 5 weeks of idling 12 hours a day).
Mercury: $, HUGE network, but not as reliable as the above 3. Everyone knows how to work on them
Evinrude: $$, still 2-stroke, not even an option IMO

Parker boats are like a Grady, just less money, and better looking IMHO. Solid Solid construction, great documentation, and widely used in the commercial world for a reason.

There's a poo poo ton of SeaRays on saltwater, those poor bastard owners. Definitely take service into account. If the only dealers on your area of the lake are Merc dealers/techs, then get a Merc. If there's a mix, then you've got options. Just remember that they'll treat you exactly in proportion to how much money you spend.

Crunchy Black
Oct 24, 2017

by Athanatos

sharkytm posted:

Lots of very good, resonable info.

Idk how it is on the big lakes but it may be more prevalant to handle it like the costal areas where everything is outdrive? For instance, virtually everything that isn't a bass boat on my lake is I/O.

gvibes
Jan 18, 2010

Leading us to the promised land (i.e., one tournament win in five years)
Good stuff sharky

Crunchy Black posted:

Idk how it is on the big lakes but it may be more prevalant to handle it like the costal areas where everything is outdrive? For instance, virtually everything that isn't a bass boat on my lake is I/O.
I think it's just taking time for the boat population to shift. I've been going up to an inland midwestern lake for a long time, and 20 years ago it was like 90% I/Os and a handful of inboard ski boats. The I/Os have been losing a lot of share to both inboards (wakeboard boats) and outboards in recent years. Probably driven a lot by the availability of good 4 stroke outboards. From a random googling, "In the last 4 years, fiberglass outboard registrations have increased +29.8% while I/O’s have declined 18.2%. In other words, more people want four-stroke outboards." https://nauticstarboats.com/2015/03/21/why-buy-a-four-stroke-outboard-vs-inboardoutboard-stern-drive/

Other than appearances, I'd have a hard time justifying an I/O over an outboard, personally.

Snowmankilla
Dec 6, 2000

True, true

sharkytm posted:

With that budget, on the used market, you can do better than a SeaRay.

Solid Options (not in your price range, but SOLID boats):
Boston Whaler Vantage 230 (23')
Parker 2540DC (25')
Grady White Freedon 235 (23')

Robalo makes some dual consoles, as do Wellcraft, Starcraft, and Chaparral. EdgeWater is decent.
Sadly, I don't know much about that style of boat, but others can chime in.
How much are you going to use it? That's a key question, along with "Who's going to maintain it". Buying a boat is the cheap part. Storage/maintenance/repairs are not cheap.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2011-grady-white-255-freedom-7324939/
To give you an idea...

Awesome. Thanks!

As for how much we would use it, we have a house right near the lake, and go up 2-3 days every weekend all summer and fall. So I would say a good amount? I would assume with water conditions on average once a week? We would pay the marina we stored it at to maintain. Money is not a huge object for things like maintenance, we just don't want to spend 200k on our first boat?

gvibes posted:

If you are going to get dealer-serviced, it frankly is probably a good idea to just buy a boat from whatever dealer is most local/convenient. At least with the mastercraft dealer by me, they treat their boat customers much better on service/delivery, for instance.

Generally speaking, it seems like you are probably going to get what you pay for (possible exceptions for some brand premiums, maybe), so just keep that in mind. Most brands seem pretty fungible to me.

In terms of what to look for, bow riders are pretty ubiquitous. There is more recent trend to power them with outboards, which seems more convenient to me. Easier to access for maintenance, and easier to repower if disaster strikes.

You may want to take a look at center/dual consoles as well. They are generally going to be a bit better made, but more utilitarian. Usually outboard powered as well. e: I would classify what sharky is recommending as in this category. e2: These would almost certainly be better in big lake chops than runabouts like a similarly-sized sea ray as well.

I looked a bit recently at what outboard engine companies have the best reliability reputation, and there doesn't seem to be a huge spread, with maybe yamaha getting a few more votes than anyone else.

There are actually cheaper/worse boats than sea rays! Like, Four Winns, I think. But yeah, all the boat brands you listed are better made. Just because they are made with more of an eye to offshore/salt water usage. Or at least GW and BW, not familiar with Parker. Whereas Sea Ray and Four Winns are more inland lake focused.

The dealer point is super great and valid. That is also good to know with brands/bow riders being a bit interchangeable. I will check out center/dual consoles as well. They seem a bit more suited for fishing to my eye, but I am not set on everything.

As for all the engine talk, I was kind of leaning towards a jet boat or sterndrive just for the kids jumping off the back and swimming. I did not know there was a huge move to outboards. I know they are more efficient than anything else. I will have to keep an open mind on that then. I was thinking they would be the least safe just from like a bumping your head scenario.
.
Thanks again. I think I need to almost have less of an idea on what I am looking for if we stop by some dealers this weekend.

gvibes
Jan 18, 2010

Leading us to the promised land (i.e., one tournament win in five years)

Snowmankilla posted:

The dealer point is super great and valid. That is also good to know with brands/bow riders being a bit interchangeable. I will check out center/dual consoles as well. They seem a bit more suited for fishing to my eye, but I am not set on everything.

As for all the engine talk, I was kind of leaning towards a jet boat or sterndrive just for the kids jumping off the back and swimming. I did not know there was a huge move to outboards. I know they are more efficient than anything else. I will have to keep an open mind on that then. I was thinking they would be the least safe just from like a bumping your head scenario.
Not really much of a difference from a safety perspective between an I/O and outboard that I can think of. Maybe if it's one of those that bury the stern drive under a big swim platform? On the other hand the outboard will be very obvious/visible while the stern drive is under water. Seems wash-ish to me.

Don't know much about jet boats, though I see a handful of the yamahas around.

Big Taint
Oct 19, 2003

Jet boats are sweet, especially if you are in a shallow lake. The Yamaha boats I’ve worked on all seemed well put together. If you’re looking for a super nice smaller bow rider I’d look at Chris Crafts in addition to the other nicer brands mentioned (Whaler, Grady, etc.). They are super nice.

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

Snowmankilla posted:

Awesome. Thanks!

As for how much we would use it, we have a house right near the lake, and go up 2-3 days every weekend all summer and fall. So I would say a good amount? I would assume with water conditions on average once a week? We would pay the marina we stored it at to maintain. Money is not a huge object for things like maintenance, we just don't want to spend 200k on our first boat?


The dealer point is super great and valid. That is also good to know with brands/bow riders being a bit interchangeable. I will check out center/dual consoles as well. They seem a bit more suited for fishing to my eye, but I am not set on everything.

As for all the engine talk, I was kind of leaning towards a jet boat or sterndrive just for the kids jumping off the back and swimming. I did not know there was a huge move to outboards. I know they are more efficient than anything else. I will have to keep an open mind on that then. I was thinking they would be the least safe just from like a bumping your head scenario.
.
Thanks again. I think I need to almost have less of an idea on what I am looking for if we stop by some dealers this weekend.

That's a fair amount for a pleasure boat in the North. It's worth investing a better boat if you're going to use it and pay the maintenance.

The best thing about outboards is that you can raise them completely out of the water if needed. Want to beach the boat? Need to disentangle the prop? Simple enough. Safety-wise, I don't think it matters. OBs are just easier to deal with and don't take up any room inside the hull. Jets are pretty awesome for performance and basically the best for safety, but everything is contained in/under the hull for maintenance/repairs. No clue on Yamaha boats... that's a freshwater/lake thing. Chris Craft used to be awesome, then poo poo, and I think they're on the rebound, probably worth a look.

My take: talk to a couple of local dealers, and talk to their service people about what is easiest/best to work on. The salespeople will 100% tell you that every boat is awesome and never needs anything, but (like all salespeople), they're full of poo poo. Definitely get some test rides, and if you're buying used, pay for a full inspection. Hull blistering, core delam, dodgy wiring, and other hidden issues aren't immediately obvious to the uninformed. Bonus points if you know someone independent to do the inspections.

Snowmankilla
Dec 6, 2000

True, true

sharkytm posted:

That's a fair amount for a pleasure boat in the North. It's worth investing a better boat if you're going to use it and pay the maintenance.

The best thing about outboards is that you can raise them completely out of the water if needed. Want to beach the boat? Need to disentangle the prop? Simple enough. Safety-wise, I don't think it matters. OBs are just easier to deal with and don't take up any room inside the hull. Jets are pretty awesome for performance and basically the best for safety, but everything is contained in/under the hull for maintenance/repairs. No clue on Yamaha boats... that's a freshwater/lake thing. Chris Craft used to be awesome, then poo poo, and I think they're on the rebound, probably worth a look.

My take: talk to a couple of local dealers, and talk to their service people about what is easiest/best to work on. The salespeople will 100% tell you that every boat is awesome and never needs anything, but (like all salespeople), they're full of poo poo. Definitely get some test rides, and if you're buying used, pay for a full inspection. Hull blistering, core delam, dodgy wiring, and other hidden issues aren't immediately obvious to the uninformed. Bonus points if you know someone independent to do the inspections.

Yeah, we want quality vs saving money. That was what motivated the move to used. Would rather have a solid used boat vs a cheap new. I will definitely keep ob in mind. More space in the boat was a positive on a jet, so that’s a great point for a ob as well.

Yeah, our plan was to hit up all the local places and see who doesn’t seem like a piece of poo poo. Our local power sports guys are real decent and gave me a hell of a deal when I bought a Sea Doo a few years ago, and I know they sell Yamaha as a minimum. I also have a decent friend who is the finance guy at a local dealership. I like asking him what is the easiest to maintain. That is something I would not have thought about. And I will for sure pay for an inspection before pulling the trigger.

You guys have been awesome. Thanks and I will keep you updated.

Snowmankilla fucked around with this message at 18:45 on May 19, 2020

Nidhg00670000
Mar 26, 2010

We're in the pipe, five by five.
Grimey Drawer
A fairly common joke in the 90s among boat people here was "Do you know what AIDS and Bayliners have in common?"

The answer being some variation of "if you get it you're hosed" or "no-one has ever managed to get rid of it".

gvibes
Jan 18, 2010

Leading us to the promised land (i.e., one tournament win in five years)

Nidhg00670000 posted:

A fairly common joke in the 90s among boat people here was "Do you know what AIDS and Bayliners have in common?"

The answer being some variation of "if you get it you're hosed" or "no-one has ever managed to get rid of it".
Yeah, when I made the "there are worse boats than sea rays" comment I was actually thinking of bayliner, but did not want to date myself.

Cat Hatter
Oct 24, 2006

Hatters gonna hat.

Amy Pole Her posted:

$1900 completed! Hoping to get ski done for similar money.

I love my 4 stroke challenger but these 2 stroke speedsters are so much obnoxious fun.

The GW Invader is a cool boat! Where’d you find her? The only one I’ve seen is 16 feet with a 6 foot (iirc) beam. That looks bigger

GW Invader is from mid Michigan and is 20 feet which includes the swim platform and water-slide shaped transom so it's not as much useful space as that would imply (my dad used to have a 19ft Baja which was the same size as a few years newer 21ft Baja because they started putting swim platforms in the fiberglass mold instead of bolting them on).

Here's some pictures I took to document the condition the day I brought it home.

That big navy blue/purple stripe on the side? Black. Didn't realize until I scrubbed some oxidation off. Also, I think someone made shark fin soup out of my skeg.


Someone bothered to hand-paint the registration numbers onto the hull.


Came with a big removable panel in case I prefer a closed bow (I do not). I intended to get some reupholstery work done before the season started but whoops. I added a couple extra cracks to the engine cover by kneeling on the vinyl while it was cold during winterization last year.


Bonus: The boat I sold for practically the same amount I paid for the GW Invader.

Cat Hatter fucked around with this message at 23:56 on May 19, 2020

MrYenko
Jun 18, 2012

#2 isn't ALWAYS bad...

Nidhg00670000 posted:

A fairly common joke in the 90s among boat people here was "Do you know what AIDS and Bayliners have in common?"

The answer being some variation of "if you get it you're hosed" or "no-one has ever managed to get rid of it".

In 2006-2008, three friends of mine went in on a boat together, none of them having any boating experience at all. They ended up with a 2000 Bayliner 215. IIRC they paid $7500 for it, with a couple spongy spots in the plywood floor. That thing got rode hard, put away wet (literally, often) for two years. I was with them often, since having friends with a boat, even a bayliner is better than owning a boat yourself.

After two full seasons of hooning Biscayne bay and the intercoastal, they sold it for $7000.

It remains the most inexplicable boating event I’ve ever encountered.

Big Taint
Oct 19, 2003

Haha ya that’s the dream, honestly the boats that get used a lot are happier than ones that just sit. I’ll be another counterpoint to the Bayliner hate, you can definitely easily find areas where they cheap out (zamak hardware for example) but overall they are fine entry-level boats. Sea Ray vs Bayliner is like Ford vs Chevy, they’re both mostly fine for the money but they both do stupid cheap poo poo.

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

Big Taint posted:

Haha ya that’s the dream, honestly the boats that get used a lot are happier than ones that just sit. I’ll be another counterpoint to the Bayliner hate, you can definitely easily find areas where they cheap out (zamak hardware for example) but overall they are fine entry-level boats. Sea Ray vs Bayliner is like Ford vs Chevy, they’re both mostly fine for the money but they both do stupid cheap poo poo.

Agreed. But it's more like 1990s Kia vs Hyundai.

Neslepaks
Sep 3, 2003

So I'm a massive idiot and the first thing I did yesterday was put the canvas down without making sure I'd unbuttoned all the buttons first. Just like they told me not to.

So I ripped one off. I smell a first project!


Poor.


Very poor.

Now, because I've been boating for a while, it just so happens I have a canvas button kit, so this is easily fixable.


There's an inside bit and and outside bit, and they're riveted together by putting the outside bit in the little blue cradle, and holding the little rod to the hub from the inside and hammering like you're Clarkson for a while.


Et voila.

The next thing I break won't be so easy and cheap I bet. :c00l:

n0tqu1tesane
May 7, 2003

She was rubbing her ass all over my hands. They don't just do that for everyone.
Grimey Drawer

sharkytm posted:

The best thing about outboards is that you can raise them completely out of the water if needed. Want to beach the boat? Need to disentangle the prop? Simple enough. Safety-wise, I don't think it matters. OBs are just easier to deal with and don't take up any room inside the hull. Jets are pretty awesome for performance and basically the best for safety, but everything is contained in/under the hull for maintenance/repairs.

Jet drive outboards and outboard conversions exist too, if you wanna get weird.


Cat Hatter
Oct 24, 2006

Hatters gonna hat.

n0tqu1tesane posted:

Jet drive outboards and outboard conversions exist too, if you wanna get weird.




I guess you can clean weeds out easier than a traditional jet drive at least. How does reverse work on such an animal?

... Nevermind, I think I see a reversing bucket on there.

n0tqu1tesane
May 7, 2003

She was rubbing her ass all over my hands. They don't just do that for everyone.
Grimey Drawer

Cat Hatter posted:

I guess you can clean weeds out easier than a traditional jet drive at least. How does reverse work on such an animal?

... Nevermind, I think I see a reversing bucket on there.

Yeah. A reversing bucket. I actually think Yamaha has their bucket up in that promo image, so that if it were running, it'd be in reverse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHXwLcmGa_U

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010

I'm already a sailboat guy, but having been on many a fishing trip in offshore outboard boats, there is something unsettlingly heretical about this image.

monsterzero
May 12, 2002
-=TOPGUN=-
Boys who love airplanes :respek: Boys who love boys
Lipstick Apathy
Uh, that's making me feel a little self conscious about my new outboard

Amy Pole Her
Jun 17, 2002

Cat Hatter posted:

GW Invader is from mid Michigan and is 20 feet which includes the swim platform and water-slide shaped transom so it's not as much useful space as that would imply (my dad used to have a 19ft Baja which was the same size as a few years newer 21ft Baja because they started putting swim platforms in the fiberglass mold instead of bolting them on).

Here's some pictures I took to document the condition the day I brought it home.

That big navy blue/purple stripe on the side? Black. Didn't realize until I scrubbed some oxidation off. Also, I think someone made shark fin soup out of my skeg.


Someone bothered to hand-paint the registration numbers onto the hull.


Came with a big removable panel in case I prefer a closed bow (I do not). I intended to get some reupholstery work done before the season started but whoops. I added a couple extra cracks to the engine cover by kneeling on the vinyl while it was cold during winterization last year.


Bonus: The boat I sold for practically the same amount I paid for the GW Invader.




GW Invader is from Indiana and comes in a variety of sizes. Surely we’re talking about different boats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-W_Invader

Cool sea doo! Small world, too! I’m picking up that very model (2003 Sportster LE?) tomorrow!

Yamaha jet boats are by far the most reliable (unless you count the sea doo 4Tec NA, then those are the most reliable). Sea doo jet boats are by far the most fun though.

Nidhg00670000
Mar 26, 2010

We're in the pipe, five by five.
Grimey Drawer
My dads' fetish for old Solo inboard engines had us go on another road trip and this time both of the engines were, accurately, described as "parts".

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

I heard a rumor you can rub just a tiny bit sunblock on your canvas snaps and it acts as a lubricant for about one season, any intel on if this is crazy talk? Seems possible

monsterzero
May 12, 2002
-=TOPGUN=-
Boys who love airplanes :respek: Boys who love boys
Lipstick Apathy
You can also use Tefgel as sunblock, last about a season IF it doesn’t give you contact skinitis

Big Taint
Oct 19, 2003

I slather myself in lanolin at the beginning of every season, keeps the salt from building up in my nooks and crannies.

Nidhg00670000 posted:

My dads' fetish for old Solo inboard engines had us go on another road trip and this time both of the engines were, accurately, described as "parts".



Those are some big pepper mills.

Crunchy Black
Oct 24, 2017

by Athanatos

monsterzero posted:

Uh, that's making me feel a little self conscious about my new outboard



longshaft 4 horse Tohatsu? gently caress yeah!

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

monsterzero posted:

You can also use Tefgel as sunblock, last about a season IF it doesn’t give you contact skinitis

I use several syringes of TefGel every year, do people get reactions from it?

n0tqu1tesane
May 7, 2003

She was rubbing her ass all over my hands. They don't just do that for everyone.
Grimey Drawer

Beach Bum posted:

I'm already a sailboat guy, but having been on many a fishing trip in offshore outboard boats, there is something unsettlingly heretical about this image.

I mean, if you want "unsettling outboards", just look at mud motors.

Cat Hatter
Oct 24, 2006

Hatters gonna hat.

Amy Pole Her posted:

GW Invader is from Indiana and comes in a variety of sizes. Surely we’re talking about different boats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-W_Invader

Cool sea doo! Small world, too! I’m picking up that very model (2003 Sportster LE?) tomorrow!

Yamaha jet boats are by far the most reliable (unless you count the sea doo 4Tec NA, then those are the most reliable). Sea doo jet boats are by far the most fun though.

Nope, both the title and steering wheel say G-W Invader. That Wikipedia link also mentions a 20 foot Bravo ESC but mentions a cabin, which I guess is what the C was for because mine just says ES on the side. I've learned that they're not the easiest boats to research.

Good call on the year for the Sea Doo. I liked that boat most of the time but I spent enough time tinkering on it to never envy having two engines, two pumps, and four carburetors to work on.

monsterzero
May 12, 2002
-=TOPGUN=-
Boys who love airplanes :respek: Boys who love boys
Lipstick Apathy

sharkytm posted:

I use several syringes of TefGel every year, do people get reactions from it?

Oh, no. I just was just making a joke


Crunchy Black posted:

longshaft 4 horse Tohatsu? gently caress yeah!

5hp propane SailPro

n0tqu1tesane posted:

I mean, if you want "unsettling outboards", just look at mud motors.



I should have gotten a harbor freight long tail instead

Invalido
Dec 28, 2005

BICHAELING
I have a stupid boat question: since outboards are super easy to raise completely out of the water, why do the vast majority leave them in when the boat is not in use? Not a boat owner (borrowed kayaks don't count) but I would think you want your expensive metal parts to spend as little time in sea water as possible?

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

Invalido posted:

I have a stupid boat question: since outboards are super easy to raise completely out of the water, why do the vast majority leave them in when the boat is not in use? Not a boat owner (borrowed kayaks don't count) but I would think you want your expensive metal parts to spend as little time in sea water as possible?

It Depends.

On many hulls, you can't get the outboard completely out of the water even at full tilt. There are zinc or aluminum anodes on the motor that prevent corrosion, but they need to be in the water to work.

Leaving the OB up lengthens the vessel, and your marina may charge you for more length in a slip.

It also exposes the lower unit and prop to morons who might crash into it (or steal the prop).

On our 15' skiff, we pull the outboard up because it's got a high transom and it keeps the motor cleaner, plus it's on a mooring. On the 26' landing craft research boat I worked on for years, we left it down. Better to have the anodes fully submerged than have just the last 4" of the L/U getting eaten by stray currents. Plus it kept people from stealing the prop, or crashing into the motor... Lord most boaters are horrible at maneuvering in tight spaces.

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MrYenko
Jun 18, 2012

#2 isn't ALWAYS bad...

n0tqu1tesane posted:

I mean, if you want "unsettling outboards..."





It's a 320shp Allison 250. Apparently developed for the DoD, Mercury racing's website claims it only weighs 200lbs all-in.

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