bayliner boats

[boat buyer]

I'm in the market for an affordable family boat that I can also use for fishing. Bayliner has an affordable fish and ski model(184) that the family likes that is in my price range. Anyone have any comments on the Bayliner boats(good or bad). Boat has a 125 Mercury Outboard and also comes with removable bow and stern fishing chairs. Also has rod storage and a livewell. Dealer said the 125 hp has top end speed of 43mph at 5000 feet of elevation and would also pull a skier up with no problems. Any opinions are appreciated.

[Husky]

Back years ago Bayliner targeted the low cost entry level market. Trying to get their price so low (they called it affordability) they perhaps cut too many corners , and they developed a reputation of poor quality/shoddy workmanship. Many of their boats were sold to first-time boat owners, who made many mistakes in care and upkeep and helped the poor reputation. this reputation has plagued Bayliner since. They are viewed (whether correct or not) by most of the boating community as entry level boats despite their efforts to improve on all aspects. Im sure their boats are much better and they maintain low prices by being one of the largest manufactures out there, buying materials in volume, and limiting their options such as colors. Trailer Boats magazine bought and ran a 2450 Bayliner for a couple of years and found it to be a very positive boat/experience.
Does that help?, probably not much. But it does give you some background to understand some people's knee-jerk opinions at the mention of the Bayliner name. Their Trophy series (incidentally Trophys are treated like a totally separate line, I think to distance them from that name and bad reputation again) is a fine series of boats.
One thing to be aware of, is that Bayliners depreciate very quickly, more so than other boats. But then again, if you are saving on the front end (at purchase) perhaps the total cost of the ownership is not bad. Just be aware of resale value in making your decision.
I had a Trophy walkaround cuddy for 4 years and found the boat to be solid and dependable. I would opt for an aftermarket trailer though, the Escort trailer that came with it left a lot to be desired as far as ability to load and center the boat easily. The Mercury outboard is a plus. Bayliner used to have Force (Owned by Merc) outboards, again to save a few $$, but they were not as desireable for resale as a Mercury.
Good luck in your research and let us know what you finally decide on.

[stockfish]

A dealer told me Bayliner hulls are made in the same plant-moulds as SeaRay. SeaRay always had a good reputation. The cosmetics might be the only difference, some searching should confirm this info.

[fishslime]

Go to the boat shows and sit in each. Most fiberglass boats are pretty good.

Bayliner factory moved to Mexico for 2003 models so you might want to inspect the boat pretty good as a factory transfer is always a tough thing.

Glastron and Larson has the new VEC technology that has helped them get into that 'value' pricing.

Also, Silverline just came out in 2003 with their new 'value' priced boat, the 1705.

At a boat show, you can sit in all of them to decide what you like, then go to dealers and price the boat. I think bayliner advertises their pricing on their web sites where the other manufacturers have their dealers set the price.

Good luck. Hopefully I helped some. If I made an error in the above, the others here will help us out.

[Walleyejigger]

You did not mention if you were looking for a new boat or a used one. I know of a fishing friend that has a good used Lund Cherokee for sale. If that what you are looking for a good family boat with all the bells and whistles.

[SJW]

I have been selling new Sea Rays for the past 11 years. Bayliner and Sea Ray are completly different boats. Sea Ray is built independly of Bayliner and Bayliner is built independly of Sea Ray. Take a look at the capacity plate on each boat and it will tell you who built the boat and were it was built. Both companies have fincial backing by Brunswick. That is the only common thread between the two boats.

[cadjh]

One important thing to consider: the "entry level" smaller Bayliners (17 - 20)used to be (and still are, I believe) built with bare plywood flooring and support stringers. There were a lot of problems with delamination and rotting. The bigger boats (20+) had glassed flooring.

[watchout]

run from bayliners !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mark_AZ]

At the AZ Boat show yesterday I saw a diagram of a Bayliner hull. No wood/plywood to be found. The brochure said all fiberglass const. if I remember correctly. The interiors looked real generic.

FWIW Tige' boats offers a "Lifetime +10K" warranty. If your Tige' boat EVER has a structural defect Tige' will give you a new boat and $10,000. If you sell the boat, the 10K still applies but only for 10 years.

[shorepatrol]

I have never seen one sink, get swamped, flip over or fall apart. The good news is that they no longer use the FORCE outboards.

[johnp034]

Don't be afraid of Bayliner boats. If you heard all of the horror stories of all the boats, you'd never buy any of them. I remember not to long ago about a very reputable boat company (Stratos, I believe) that got so much bad press on this site over one problem with a cracked hull. I personally have owned 11 boats. Two of these were Bayliners. The first was a 1980 19' cuddy with a 4 cyl. I/O. great running boat, excellant economy, never had a lick if trouble with it. That was back in 1983. The second was a new 1986 24' Sunbridge, with a 305 chevy, and Volvo outdrive. Now, I don't know about you guys, but if I remember correctly, Chevy and Volvo are two pretty reputable names. Kept that boat for about 3 years, never had a lick of trouble with it either. Yes, I'll agree, they skimp on the toggle switches and the hinges on the doors, and some of the other cosmetic stuff, but from what I read on this site everyday, these other high dollar manufactures have their own problems. I think Bayliner is a good, reliable boat, as long as you forget about the Force outboard, and stick with the Merc.
P.S. Someone said Force outboards were made by Merc., I thought they were produced by Chrysler. Does anyone know for sure? Not that it matters, just curious.
In closing, don't be afraid of the Bayliners, they have good running gear, and what the heck, what fun is a boat if your not working on it out in the driveway every day? I also have to argue the point about them not holding their value, I lost more on the other 9 boats I had, than I did on the Bayliner's when I sold them. I guess maybe because they are more affordable, there is more of a market for them in the lower price range.

Just my 2 cents,
ohnp034

[Mark_AZ]

Mercury bought the Force line from Chrysler.

My 1996 Maxum has a 120hp Mercury Force OB. From what I can tell the engine is a pretty old design with 2 carbs and it needs it's fuel premixed.

The 125 Mercury that I saw on the New Bayliners was an oil-injected, carburated 2-stroke. Premixing my Force is a pain. However, I like the engine because there is nothing complex to go wrong and it's straightforward to work on. Tonight I'm going to put in it's first replacement set of plugs and it's first new impeller/gasket set. The Force moves me at 46mph (17ft boat). I may go faster when I replace the 6yo plugs:)

I wouldn't be afraid of a Bayliner. I would look at other Manufacturers before I buy. The hardest part of owning a Bayliner would be putting up with the ridicule from all the schmuks w/ the overpriced boats. My family had a ~85 Bayliner Capri for years w/ no problem. 99% of the Bayliner BS I ever heard came from people who never owned one. Also look at the 4-stroke option. IT may be cheaper to own in the long run.