My parents have owned a marina for 25 years on a local lake. Seen a lot of boats. Bayliners are a inexpensive pleasure boat with the cheapest build quality of almost any boat on the market. Inexpensive thats the name of the game. Cheap fiberglass (thin) and blown with a chopper gun. Cheap upholstery etc. Priced accordingly.
And usually severely under powered with four cylinders and very small sixes. The mercruiser lower units rarely last more than 8 years.None of them do. OMC is worse. Never buy an omc lower unit. I have personally replaced dozens in rentals and customer boats. The old ones used to rip out the universals when the trim was raised to high under power. Tourists ripped them out all the time. The newer ones have other issues
get something with a bigger engine. unfortunately that means an inboard or v-drive boat. But an I/O will suit your wakeboarding needs if you put a tower on it and add tons of weight.
I have a 2000 Bayliner Capri 18ft w/ 190hp V-6. Only have 225 hrs on her, but never any problems. I added perfect pass to it and a tower and it does a good job. Also run about 1200 lbs in it. (People and sacs.)
i have the same set up as mark and it works great...190 hp is plenty of power... I had 1990 bayliner capri 18ft with a force l-drive 90hp... way under powered but that is the boat I got hooked on wakeboarding with... also my first boat and an inexpensive way to learn lessons about new boat ownership!
the only thing bad I can tell you is to stay away from anything with a force engine!
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