Bowriders!
 

Hey everyone!

I'm currently looking for a boat for my family (hence the bowrider part), but I still want to have a LITTLE bit of performance and stay within my budget.

I'm looking to spend under $20k, and my only real requirements are a 454/7.4 with Bravo 1, and a decent hull. Extras that would be nice are silent choice/captains call, trim tabs, etc. The extras aren't really necessary as I've got enough mechanical aptitiude to add those on my own later too.

I'm looking at Baja Islanders from late 80's through about the mid 90's in this price range. 226, 208,212,240 etc. (Wow Baja had some crazy color combinations for these!)

But what other makes are out that that fit this criteria?

Others that I'm also aware of are:
Powerquest Viate ?
Formula ?

Thanks for any input!
PS - If you have or know of anything that fits this and is for sale, I can be emailed: teampenn at gmail dot com.

Re: Bowriders!
 

there's allot of them out there.. you can normally get a pretty good deal on them.. and it's a good around boat for just about everything.. nice to have people aboard and just cruise the lake

welcome tot he board

and just kind of want to ask.. what's your experience with boats

Re: Bowriders!
 

Donzi also made bow-riders in the late 90's in, I believe a 21'&23' versions. I think the 23 might even have been a stepped design.

Re: Bowriders!
 

Well, I've always been around them, but never had to actually own one myself. My dad always had at least a couple that I used regularly. I spent most of my summer vacations while I was going to school going to the lake every day and skiing with friends. I've got a lot of "seat time" behind an '89 Islander 226, a Carlson CVX20 Jet, SeaRay Seville, and even a small Boston Whaler. I've got friends with Oulaws, Hammer's, and a 290. But now that I've got a 3-year old, a day on the lake is a little different that what it was when I was younger.

Re: Bowriders!
 

cool.. just didn't want to start telling you to check the transom, skag, strakes, etc etc.. on the boat that you are looking to buy

have you looked in the class ads here for one

Re: Bowriders!
 

One of my personal boats is a 2004 Stingray 230LX bowrider. Merc 350mag mpi/bravo-1, 62mph on gps. Great family fun boat for the price. Pictures at www.dkorinc.homestead.com/st3.html

Re: Bowriders!
 

Re: Bowriders!
 

Thanks for the replies so far, I do appreciate them.

I've looked in the classifieds here, ebay, and boattraderonline.com. I'm mainly just trying to find if there are other makes that I should be including in my search that fit the bill -- Bowrider, big block Merc, Bravo 1 combination.

My brother-in-law has a new Chapparal 220ssi. It's a nice boat, but it needs a bit more motor for my tastes. Pulling a skiier with a group on the boat with coolers,etc... is not the greatest. It's out of my budget anyway.

There is a 208 Islander on boattrader for cheap that is just a few hours from me, but after calling the guy and talking to him about it, I just don't get a good feeling. He's built-up a 502... stated to me that it has been bored .070 over to a 521. Thru-hull exhaust only. Well, .070 over is likely too far over for a 502 to begin with (he never mentioned any sonic testing), .070 over doesn't make a 521, .070 over is a really weird configuration, and it would probably be a bad idea to add a silent choice system to it anyway given it's size.

Re: Bowriders!
 

There are some really good deals in the 20-26 ft range particularly in the Donzi and Scarab lineup, I think the lil 22' Scarab is a killer lil boat.

Re: Bowriders!
 

I owned this boat before I traded for my 29 Fountain. Its a 24' 1992 Seebold Eagle. This is a great boat. Probably pick it up for under 20k more like 17k. Here's the link...if you want to know about it a little more pm me.

http://www.lakecumberlandmarine.com/...odystyle=clear