Shooter

Hi all my baja buddies,

As you might know, I moving to Tampa from Jersey in the next few months. After I sell my house I will have a significant amount of money buring a hole in my pocket.

I have been looking at newer boats here and there, but I really like my 96 302 and I got it for one sweet deal. I got it at a "fire sale" for 50k with 99 Heritage trailer with 250hrs on the engines, there are 400 hours now. Problem is that it needs some extras to make me and the wifey happy. But I really love my boat.

It has 502 mags, full latham to the helm, gauges, chart plotter, trim on throttle, Bose stero, DSC VHF, houston labbed props.

What it does not have is a head, galley, fridge, freshwater washdown, and AC.

I was considering adding the above items for, I guess, in the neighborhood of $3,000.00 - $4,000.00 all said and done.

It has the crappy instatrim dual piston tabs with indicator which I am in the process of swaping out with a set of 23" tabs from a fountain (I ground the Fountain name off!). With this I'm going to mechanical drive and tab gauge.

Would you guys go through all the trouble to upgrade and keep the doe in the pocket or look for a newer boat for 80-90k and sorry - it might not be a Baja this time around (I've had three).

Ric232

If you can make yourself happy with the current boat, keep it. You'll get something back on resale with the extras and the depreciation on the boat should be pretty slow from this point on. You can always buy a new one later.

You can always do a few little things to make the boat feel "updated" if you feel the need. New steering wheel, new snap in carpet, etc. Nothing terribly expensive, but it freshens things up a bit. Maybe do a nice repaint on the outdrives if needed to make them shiny black again.

29 OUTLAW

Only buy another boat if you need something bigger. It wouldn't make sense to buy something newer if your not moving up in size - even if the new boat has a head like you want. Afterall, how many times are you going to need to take a dump on the boat?

Shooter

It ain't me, I make my two boys pee over the side, they are into the exhibition, it's my wife that's the problem... I was considering putting in one of those piezo-electric AC units a guy did here a while ago. Works off a cooler with very little electric. It will get hot in FLA. My boat is pretty much the same size as yours, I find it plenty big, I had six guys on it for the NYC Poker Run and there was plenty of room. I like the high freeboard also.

29 OUTLAW

You're right. It pretty hot in FLA.

My opinion on A/C on the boat is that it's only usefull if you have a generator. Afterall, most of the time you need it is when you are anchored or beached somewhere and there is no shorepower around. Generally when you near shorepower, you are also near places that allow you to get out of the heat.

thosetwins

I agree with 29 outlaw.Heads, gally,AC, May overnight once or twice a season, For the type of boating i do its called, CONDO

97BossHammer

I'd keep the current boat......sounds real nice and your talking 3-4K compared to 80-90K for something else.

JaayTeee

If you like the boat, do the mods.
keep it for a few more years.

Then, those "new ones" you are looking
now, will (in a couple of years) be 40-50k ( instead of the 80-90K, now)

my .02

jt

Ironmanwb

Keep the boat, fix it up and save the money until your sure of what you want to buy with it. until then put it in some safe investiments so you can buy your dream boat.
I am having the same delimma with my 302 right now but that only because I want bigger and faster.

Shooter

This is the AC unit I am looking at...

http://www.bayairac.com/

I think the Concepts use a unit similar to this.

I'm having a little trouble getting the part no. for the head and galley for a 99 and earlier 302 - the "older" style. The "newer" has the head and galley on the same side of the boat. Anybody out there with 302's bored and have a tape measure?