Shopping and need help

[clinicaide]

We have never had any kind of boat before but are in the market for a decent used pontoon, preferebly under $10,000. We want one to do some fishing, cruising, and skiing. We've been looking at used ones on craigslist, etc, but are so ignorant we don't even know what questions to ask sellers. Can you give us some questions about things we really need to know?

One thing we've thought about is the motor. We know there are different sizes, etc,(although we have no clue what we need ) but am wondering if we get something with a smaller motor and want at larger one, do dealers take trades ins on motors?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[dockholiday]

Welcome

May have to rule out skiing, but do some tube pulling for less than 10k. Best to try an find the motor or speed you want now. Usually you won't come out well trying to trade especially with a dealer. Since this is your first boat I would get a 2stroke motor.
Basically put in gas put oil in the resevior an make sure water is coming out the pee hole an you are set. Most of the boats you will be looking at will probably be 2 strokes anyway. Both 2 strokes an 4 strokes have their advantages an disadvantages. I would try to find a 22 to 24 ft with a 90. If you plan to fish a trolling motor would be nice but could be added later.
doc

[GXPWeasel]

One thing I will add to what Doc said, is about the hours on a motor, and maintenance. If you don't know a lot about motors, then it may be well worth finding a friend who does, or a mechaninc check out the boat for you, before you make an offer. Also, if you are serious about a boat, ask the seller to take you for a test drive. This is a good way to get a feel for that particular boat, and about what the motor will do for you. One last thing is hour meters. I know a couple of peoples boats that have hour meters, but they are hooked up so that anytime the key is on, even to accessory, the hour meter is running. This is obviously an innacurate measure of engine hours, so be careful.

Good luck in your hunt, and if you find a couple you are serious about, give us the details. There are plenty of people on here who really know what they are doing, and can give you a good review of the boat with a some details and a picture or two.

[clinicaide]

Thanks for the replies so far! As of right now we are basically just looking at craigslist to find if we can locate something in size and our price range. I would spend a little more than 10K but DH is pretty tight with his $$! So hopefully we can find a good deal for a starter boat. That's what we did on our first RV and then we figured out what we liked and didn't like and then shopped for a newer, better model of a used one. We do have a friend who has a tri-toon and he has money to burn, but at least maybe he can go with us to look at some when we find one to look at.

Here is an example of one: http://houston.craigslist.org/boa/1841093413.html. We are about 300 miles from this one. What questions should be ask about it? I know I would like to see interior pictures.

Please keep the advice and suggestions coming, as we are completely ignorant about the adventure! TIA!

[dockholiday]

Check here.........http://www.boattrader.com/browse/pontoo ... -price.asc

The boat on craigslist said 120hp merc.............from what I remember merc makes a 115.

Good Luck
doc

[newlights]

The best advice I can give in buying a boat is do not buy one you havent at the very least heard and seen run!!!!!! The other piece is wait dont jump on the first one unless its unpassable. The more you look expecially on craiglist you will find better deals.

[texaspontoon]

Wanted to add to this as well. Before I do, let me make one thing clear. I DO NOT SELL BOATS. I am strictly a user and enthusiast. I have been boating all my life. I have had everything from a 12' Zodiac to a 29' bayliner bounty cabin cruiser with twin chevy 350's. My pontoon boat is without a dobut the most versitle, dependable, and family friendly boat you can buy. I fish, cruise, ski & tube, and even love how it tows behind a vehicle compared to other boats I have owned.

But I will say this, I have also broken down many times with every used boat I have ever bought, and even recently put bad gas in my brand new Honda 150 and broke down. Simply put, I gambled the gas in those cans was fresh enough to put in my boat, and it cost me $450 and a tow back to the ramp. So nothing is break down proof. In fact, with my cabin cruiser, I was regulary having to pay a mechanic $300-$600 every other month for a costly repair. I knew I was getting to the point where I seriously needed to condider going with brand new engines or pulling both motors for a complete rebuild. That would have been nearly $10,000 - $20,000. That is when I made the leap to a new Pontoon.

But the reason I went with brand new is the following: The used toons I was looking at cost $12,000- $20000. I had about $5000 to put down. I know you get what you pay for, so I was looking to buy used for $15,000 - 20,000. However, I found out that the best loan I could get was for 7 years at 7.9 interest,, payments almost 450 per month.

If I went new, I could buy a sweet boat with a new motor and trailer for $25,000-$35,000. I paid $33,000 for mine. I put down $5,000, got 4.9% financing for 15 years, and my payment is $300. I am paying extra on it, and should have it paid off in 7 years, but if I have a tough month, my payment is only $300

Except for my own screw up, I have never had one single problem in over 200 hours of use. Every time I turn the key, it starts. With my old boats I drove around with my fingers crossed and white knuckles every time I went out while my family had no idea that I was worried about breaking down. That is no way to boat my brother. I will drive used cars and trucks forever. In fact I own a 10 year old Honda Oddesy mini van and a 10 year old suburban. But I will never buy another used boat (althouh I hope this boat lasts me forever). Reason being, I can call a tow truck almost anywhere. But when I am in the middle of a lake, or up a river with a couple of families on my boat, I don't want to worry about getting back to the dock.

So my advice, don't rule out a new boat. Peace of mind is hard to put a price on! Knowing exactly where your motor has been, having 3-5 year warranty is a real comfort to me. And it's affordable. I don't play golf, I don't own a Harley or classic cars, I like to boat and fish with my family. (By the way, my boat insurance actually went down with a new boat).

Good luck, and happy hunting.