Need some boat buying guidance.

[T Wall]

Hey guys,

Looks like the New Year is upon us and with that comes new toys. My family has been regulars at Lake LBJ, right outside of Austin, and this is the "Year of the Boat." My wife and I have been talking about what we want and where we are at financially with getting a boat. Since this is a whole new realm for both us, we have tons of questions about the whole process of buying boats and the continued effort of living the boating life.

As of now, we are looking at putting down anywhere from 10-15% down on the boats that we have been looking at. Supra has stood out the most to us with what we have heard from others but what we are getting for our money. Currently, we are thinking we will be looking at a price range of $55k to $70k. We are both comfortable financially wise and our credit score is looking sharp. Below are some questions I have about the purchase process;

Where should I look to get pre-approved for a boat loan before I arrive? What is the expected length of a loan?

The boat I am currently looking at is in the link below. This is the style and size I want for a boat, but what could I work this boat down to or is this even a good deal?

http://www.rinkersboatworld.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?sid=04722406X1K21K2014J2I55I1 3JPMQ3695R0&veh=3472270&nv=y

When buying a boat, what are the key factors to be looking at? I enjoy wakeboarding and my wife wants to get into wake surfing. We don't have kids as of now so we like to get the music going and have a good time. What aftermarket items should I look at once I get a boat?

I have been looking at pre-owned boats as well, but think that if I get anything over 100 hrs I may be taking on to much risk. Up to how many hrs until a boats deal is not worth it?

I am going visit frequently with any discussions and look forward to joining the lifestyle.

Thanks,
Tyler

[michael hunter]

Some questions for you first, How many people will typically be on board? Have you ever owned a wakeboat? What is the lake conditions like? How far will you have to tow it ? What tow vehicle do you have? Don't be afraid with used boats the average life of a boat engine is 2000 plus hours. Check with your bank and dealer for financing. My best advice is to take your time test drive and ride behind as many boats as you can see what fits your needs best.

[skiman_61]

Hi Tyler,

Welcome to the forum. There are some knowledgeable and helpful folks on here, and some old salts too.

I won't adress the 2012 you have pictured there, other than to say that's a boatload of money to spend on a toy. I've always purchased used boats and with one exception, cars too. The depreciation in the first couple of years is pretty steep.

I would not let the hours deter you from a purchase. If the owner took good are of the boat it's not a significant issue.

The boat I have now is an '87 Saltare'. I've had it since 1998 (!) and it has close to a thousand hours on it now. It's a babe.

You likely don't want one quite that old, but a few years on a well kept boat matters not. A friend of mine bought a beautiful Cobalt. Looks showroom new. Paid 42K. MSRP on that one new is in excess of $110.000.00. Just an example.

When you find one you're interested in look at the NADA book value on it. Typically the site will show you loan value, and give you a range of retail prices and what similar models have sold for recently.

Keep cool when you're looking. Don't get talked into a deal until you feel you know what you're getting. It's just a boat. (Unless of course it's an 87 Salt that you raised you kids on). Maybe take a friend, or a friend who is a mechanic. If it's from an individual take the boat to a dealer and have them check it out for you.

Again, welcome to the forum, and good luck.

Jack

[T Wall]

Thanks Jack. Looking forward to the future.

As this would be my first boat purchase, my knowledge is not as in depth so I am taking what I can get. I have seen many older 2008-2010 models that have a drop of 25-35k from that boat and seem like great boats. My only worry is how well the boat was taken care of and since I wasn't there for every hour of it's use, I might never know the full extent of what might have happened to it. I will continue to post on here while possibly showing boat listings that I have interest. Hopefully with everyone's feedback and knowledge, I will have my dream boat before June.

[crystal waters]

I agree wholeheartedly with Jack. Unless you have money to burn look at a boat that is 3 to 4 years old and has taken a big hit from list price due to depreciation.
There are many great supras out there that would fit the bill that are in great condition. Generally the overall condition of the boat that is visible to you speaks of how well
the previous owner looked after the boat mechanically. I have seen two year old boats that were thrashed by a non caring owner. I have also seen 10 year old boats that are premium
in every way and I would take home in a heartbeat! Have a qualified mechanic go over the boat before you buy it! Worth a few hundred dollars each and every time!
This saved me from making a bad purchase a number of years back.
Finally--take your time and do a thorough search! Don't be afraid to travel to get the right boat for you.
Keep in mind that if you find the right boat but cannot come to terms or run into other unforeseen issues that may cause you concern then walk away. You will always find a nicer boat tomorrow!
good hunting!

[Cusefan78]

I agree with above. I have always been a buy new guy but I can't see dropping that much money on a toy I will use on weekends for a 1/2 year if I'm lucky. If you do your research on a used boat you will get more bang for your buck. My supra has 800 hours on it and still runs like a top. If you end up going the used route have a mechanic look at it first and have a compression test done on it. Just remember on any boat new or used that boat stands for break out another thousand.

[MJHKnox]

Agree with the comments. Some other items to throw out there, this is coming from a person who has never purchased a new boat. Purchased one new car in my life. For boats or cars, I looks for low miles or low hours - 3 years old. I let someone else take the DEP hit in the first 3 years.

My 22' Supra was 4 years old with 250 hours. The owner had is listed high and was looking to get rid of it b/c he just purchased a new Mastercraft. I did a compression test on the motor. Also made sure of the the elect connections and components. The hull was in good shape, but needed to be buffed. A ballast pump was not working. All were easy fixes, but it gave me some room to BARGIN.

Red and Black boats are hard to keep clean. Make sure they are not stored in the sun or face the oxidation that occurs. By brother-in-law had a red boat like your pics, I had a black one. Look great when they are shined, but I would not buy another.

Banks or credit unions are good places to start for $$$. Be ready, bank are still tought to get money from. More downpayment and they know you are serious.

Find out if it has service records. Who did the work? When was is done? There are a lot of people that use dealers to do this, so there should be record trails. The biggest items are fluid changes - motor and drive. The supra site has downloads for when service should be done and when (hours).

Use the web to look for Supra dealers in different states. They resell many 2-5 year old boats that people are trading up. It will give you a good idea of the price ranges by year.

Some of the 3-4 year old boats will typically have aftermarket upgrades: Add'l ballast, Wet Sounds Speakers, LED lights. Alll good stuff.

if you buy from a dealer, at the end of the deal, make sure they provide items that will make the boat ready to use: life jackets, fire ext, lines, bumpers. If you purchase from a priv owner, they will have this and more. Priv owners might also have items like, tubes, boards, tow lines, etc.

Mark
Knoxville TN

[knanney]

Hey Tyler,

I went though the same thing you did about 3 to 4 years ago. I ended up buying a new boat. In the last 3ish years I have put 250 hours on it, ZERO issues. Like you I wanted to wakeboard and really get into wakesurfing. Almost all I do anymore is wakesurf and yank the kids around on tubes. You can buy used now, but for surfing, that technology is really just now coming of age. The older boats you have to put a LOT of manual weight in the boat to get the right wave. The newer boats are being designed for surfing. They are changing so much for surfing I am thinking of trading up.

Which is why I joined this forum. I wanted to learn more about the Supra boats from the users. Currently we ride a 2011 MBSPORTS V23 B52. GREAT boat, but I just sat in a 2014 SUPRA and my lady and I fell in love with it. Now with the surf gates, all that much more appealing. Our MB is nice, but we put about 3500LBS of ballast in it to get that amazing surf wave.

When I looked at boats, I looked at interior room, ballast options, local dealership location to where I live, checked out users forums :), removable carpets, is there carpet under the seats, etc...little things that make owning a boat more enjoyable. I store my boat under a roof, it is all black, and maintenance has been fairly easy. These guys are right, you can buy used if you do your research and do your due diligence on that boat. I bought my boat for about 55K (great end of season deal) and dealer just offered me 42K on trade in 3.5 years later with 250hrs on it. They really hold value, but it has dropped obviously in value.

You will make the right choice no matter what. Supra is a solid brand or buying new. I would never my Malibu or mastercraft new, but SUPRA and MB are doing it right, making high quality boats still affordable, relatively speaking of course. :cool:

Send me instant message or your info if you want to talk about this. I could go on and on...