It has been SO long that I consider myself a NooB

After dropping out of competitive water skiing some 15 years ago I have quickly fallen in love with wakeboarding once I decided to bite the bullet and try it. Last season I split the cost of a run about boat with some friends who are not, in the least, interested in high performance/sport specific gear. I told them I thought it was a bad idea to not just "get what we want" right out of the gate, but alas they could not be persuayed. We own a broken POS. It is now July and almost a year later and no real progress on the boat we currently own. I catch tows and sessions with whomever I can. I am still suggesting the purchase of another boat since she has caught the slalom bug and their kids love to wakeboard. We were set to buy a 10k boat last week when a wrench was thrown in the works; her ex husband - a big business man in our little town offered the use of his HUGE luxury boat as soon as he can be bothered to pay his service bill at the local marina. This thing has a flippin' changing room and is much too big to pull with my '97 Land Cruiser. In the mean time I found a kid that has an '89 Sport Nautique. 4XX hours on the meter, but new block, rings, gaskets, plugs, wires, alt, carb, muffler, tower with system, racks, and mirror. There is some upholstry damage, but nothing a beach towel can't fix for the rest of the year. It has Fat Sacs but they are not in the hull and not connected to an automatic pump system. He is asking 10.5k for it. My boat buying partner is leaning toward borrowing the ex's boat for the rest of the season and starting yet another boat search next spring. What I want to know is this: is this a screamin' deal on this Sport Nautique or can I find this same kind of set-up for the price over the winter/next spring. She has told me that if this is a steal and we can't find another good buy (if indeed this one is)like this in the spring that we can buy it. It is times like these that I hate being an 8th grade teacher more than ever...how bad does it suck that I have to split the cost of a 10k boat and can't just outwardly buy it! Thanks for your help and not killing me for being a noob and my first post a plea for help.

Katie
Recruiter

I'm gonna say that an 89 Sport had better be in excellent condition for $10.5k. Ignore all the accessories and work done - it adds basically nothing to the value, and I'd question why it needed a new motor within 400 hrs?

The real question is... is this big businessman gonna pay for the gas for the cruiser? That would be my only deterrent from going that way.

I think that you have learned an important lesson about not buying a boat with someone else. If owning a boat is really important to you, save your ass off until you can afford one yourself.

Get rid of the boat that you have. Tell your partners that you want out, so that they either have to buy your ownership out or you guys have to sell the boat.

I feel for you, I really do. I almost bet that if you were willing to overpay for pulls and what not, that you could find some people willing to give you pulls until you could afford your own boat.

I agree with trace. Me and a buddy of mine just bought a boat together in december and ended up getting a 96 Sanger V210 with 250 hours on it for $12,500. The boat is almost flawless. The only thing it was missing was a tower which we were able to pick up for $750 with a pair of boardracks on it.

the nautique could be cheaper. Throw him 8/8.5 and I think you're ok. Too bad, you knew what you needed and they wouldn't listen!!

Too much for the Nautique IMO. It has obviously been neglected ALOT. If it needed a rebuild at 400 hours. You'll want an open bow for sure.

Save your money if you can wait till winter, and try to get into the 12k - 15k range. Something like Jason above would be a much better deal.
I agree, 400 hours and a rebuild smells bad.