Boat Hours

Looking into buying a used boat that has 55 hours on it, is that about average for a year. If not what do you think is average per year for a boat?

Thanks for the input

I bought a used boat last year, in July. It had 50 hours on it, and was 3 years old. I thought 50 hours wasn't even broken in yet. I have had it for 11 months now and have put 100 hours on it.

I put about 250 to 400 hours on my boat a year (more than your average), so 55 hours is basically brand new.

Like Don and Andy said, 50 hrs a year is minimal, I only get to take ours out on the weekends (With short Nebraska summers to boot) and still put way more than 50 on a year

I'd rather have a boat with 50 hours than one with zero if all the kinks and fixes (and maintenence of course) have been taken care of.

400-500 is average for us. 55 hours may not even be enough to keep the seals lubed, depending how old it is. A well maintained boat with some hours on it is a better find than a neglected or unused boat with just a few hours.

I put 100 hours on our 07 Malibu VLX the 1st year (we only go out on weekends usually late April to early May-Labor day 1st part of September) and the 2nd year we got 50 hours (the wife was pregnant and less friends that year).... This year we have had some conflicts early spring, and have a 7 month old.... So I have to have a 3rd adult to help with the little one, or no riding for me... so we will see.... I would say 50hrs is probably about average for a typical weekend only owner that is not a serious rider....

I think for the average boat owner the average is around 120 hours a year. MANY people are scard away by even slightly high hours.

I am dropping my pants on my 06 Supra 24 and people that re interested in the boat balk at the hours.... 420 in 3.5 years? WTF?

Your average boat owner isn't most of the people on here.It's like 25-30hrs.
Seriously,not everyone lives on the water,and 55 hours is nothing,it's a bit below my average when I had my old boat.

Well 3 year old boat with 800 hours on it here. I think everyone is right average is about 100 hours a year. Hours to me would not be as important as how the boat was maintained and serviced.

I have heard that 1000 Hours is much like a truck engine with 100,000 miles on it? Anybody know if there is any truth to that?

I sold my old 2002 VLX in 2005 and it only had 155 hrs. on it and people that were calling me to look at it wanted me to discount it because they thought it was too many hours. Yeah right. That's just a little over 50 hours a year.

The way I look at it if the boat is 4 years old and it has 400 to 500 hours on it, but it looks great. Interior and Exterior, then I figure that person has really takes care of their boat and that the boat engine is probably babied.

I have seen boats with low hours and it is beat to hell. I figure the engine was also been mistreated.

regardless of age...it seems the golden numebr is 500 hours...when you get over that buyers really start to shy away IMO.

I made the mistake on one boat selling around 800 hours...now its' 400-450...boat has to go if I plan on sellgin it.

I think 25-30 would be closer to average, depending on location/season. I put about 50 on mine, but I have a crew I ride with all the time and each one of us has a boat.

My 96 VLX has 285 hrs.

if you do some math its funny how it actually works out. I commute 45 miles a day my car keeps my avg speed which includes 30 miles of frwy traval a day. I avg 36 miles per hour. Take 400 hours x 36 miles per hr and its 14,400. Id say thats pretty new. Granted not apples to apples but a interesting point

Hours are a terrible measurement of the quality of a used boat. You would be better off looking at the condition of upholstery.

If a boat is maintained well, hours are almost irrelevant. How it is ran and how it is maintained is far more important.

The boat may have 50 hrs because it spent so much time in the shop that it couldn't be used.

Make sure you look at all of the factors and do ever put too much weight on hours.

MY 08 VLX has 150 hours on it, bought it new in Feb. of 08. 55 is pretty good IMO.

my 06 vlx has like 415 420 hours on it and thats mostly weekends so fify is pretty good

My ford truck has a hour meter It is an 2006 F350. I Have 1700 hours on it and the truck has 74,000 miles on it.

I am glad this post was started. Good info. Don's case tells alot of the story although we push our engine's much harder than a car 400 hours is really nothing.

Yeah Clint but you dont use your boat enough!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah my Dad has just hit 500 on his 1999 Prostar 205V. We def. didn't use the boat enough growing up, but I do ride with friends more than my folks these days.

Print/copy this thread and post it when you advertise your boat. I'm in PA, and if I run less than 100 hours in a summer, I'm not using the boat enough. More hours = better running engine.