Help, need advice...buying a boat this weekend...

I just moved onto a lake, so I am lucky enough to be able to go out every day. Last year I bought a 18' runnabout. Now that i see all the skiboats running around, I think i want one. I don’t want to buy new, I want to make sure a skiboat is the right thing for me.

Anyway, here are the questions.

1. I found a 1999 Sportstar here on the lake for sale. About 300 hours, GREAT shape, comes with tower and board racks, etc. Really nice boat with a MC trailer. The only problem is that when we went out to test it we found that one of the drain petcocks didn’t work (the one that the hot water shower is connected to) and the blocked cracked this winter. The boat is now back at a great dealer, who is installing a brand new block. The good part is that the motor will be under warranty again for a year. He is willing to let it go for $15,500.00 because he would like to see it stay local. Is that a good deal?
2. I also found a 2002 Tige 20i, 100 hours, tower, nice boat. Unfortunately it did have some hull damage, but was repaired. The dealer that has it wants $26,000.00. Could the Tige possibly be worth that much more??? It is newer.
3. Which one would you guys suggest is best for a newbie?
4. Also, would you consider just keeping the 18’ Chaparral bowrider and putting a tower on it. I don’t know about that one…its only a 4.7l, and just doesn’t seem to want to pull a 250lb skier up.
5. The Sportstar does not have a heater. Can you add one aftermarket easily?
6. Lastly, any advice on websites that sell skiboat gear and accessories?


Thanks in advance everyone, really appreciate it. I need to make a decision this weekend….I just don’t know what to do. I was leaning towards just keeping my bowrider, but then knowing the MC will have a new motor makes it sound even better.

Thanks.

Sportstar was an entry level Mastercraft boat, it was based on I believe the prostar hull of the mid 90s. Is it an open bow? Price seems good if it is, and the engine situation check out all right. A heater is very easy to add, and will be anywhere from $300-$500, depending on if you do it yourself.

With the tige being 10 grand+ more and having hull damage???, I would probably do the mastercraft. Especially since this will be your first inboard and will take some abuse from learning how to drive it and the new stuff that comes along with first inboard ownership.

Dont be afraid to look elsewhere though, and also to haggle on those prices.

Also to answer another one your questions, it will be like going from a kia to cadillac in terms of pulling, tracking, cornering, and feel of an inboard over an i/o.

I had a brand new Four Winns and sold it, pocketed about 80% of the cash and spent the other on an 82 ski nautique and that is night and day over my Four Winns in terms of what I described above.

A NEW block? Who did the work? What work was involved? Are you SURE it has a warranty? From whom? Can you get the warranty, in detail, in writing? A new short or long block may not have a warranty or only a warranty on the block and not other portions, i.e. pistons, rings, valves. If you can get the details and a warranty, that might be worth it.}}

Thanks everyone..keep it coming!

The current owner brought the boat up to the local dealer. It is a premier MC dealer here within three miles. The owner of the dealership lives four houses up from me, and I have known them for 20 years.

The way it was exsplained, you can fix a broken block, but the dealer would not warranty it. The dealer insisted that a new block was the only way they would warranty the work.

What the details are of the warranty? Who knows. Its a freebie anyway really.

Sounds like you guys are saying the price is a little steep...

I would recommend you look for a 3-5 year old MasterCraft X-9 or 209, Correct Craft 206 or Air 206 for your first boat. They ski well, can produce good beginner/intermediate wakeboard wakes, and will have very little depreciation over the next 2-3 years. Then, you will know what you really like or need in a new boat. It sounds as if you don't have a good handle on your lifestyle of the future, so this approach will minmize the amount of cash outlay and preserve your cash value of your asset while figuring that out.

Good luck

I am a Tige man through and through, but that seems a little steep for the 20i to me also. For 10 thousand bones difference, even I'd choose the Mastercraft (if it's an open bow)

What's the hurry? You should be able to find more boats to look at than those two. I'd put a Monster Tower on your Chapparal, have fun for the summer, and look for a used inboard towards the end of summer. Right now, it's boat show sticker shock season, used boats get top dollar before the season starts. Any boat is fun for the summer. You will probably meet a lot of people this summer on the lake, check out their boats and figure out exactly what you like/don't like before you buy. You'll get your money back for the tower when you sell the Chaparral.

Psyclone is right, especially if you want to buy a boat to call your baby and don't want to find out you're less than satisfied in 1-2 years.