Login

u/Different_Service_26

Image 1 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 2 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 3 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 4 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 5 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 6 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 7 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 8 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 9 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 10 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 11 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
Image 12 — Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?
▲ 10 r/boating

Recommendations on buying this 2015 Bayliner as my first boat?

Looking for opinions on this 2015 Bayliner Element 180XL as a first boat for the Houston/Clear Lake/Galveston area. Seller is asking $11.5k. It has a Mercury 90hp 4-stroke with 215 hours, trailer included, Lowrance fish finder/navigation, VesselView diagnostics. He’s owned it since 2017 and is willing to do a water test at the ramp tomorrow.

About me / what I’m looking for:
- First boat
- Want something easy and low maintenance
- Want decent resale/value retention
- Mostly using it for bay fishing, cruising around Clear Lake, sandbars, and just hanging out with friends/family
- Don’t really care about going super fast
- Prefer reliability and simplicity over having the biggest/coolest boat
- I’ll likely be towing with a midsize truck or 4Runner
- Trying to avoid a project boat or money pit

I know it’s not a hardcore fishing boat or offshore boat, but I’m mainly trying to figure out:

  1. Is this a fair price?
  2. How reliable are these Bayliner Elements long term?
  3. How bad is the ride in Galveston Bay chop?
  4. Is the Mercury 90 enough power for this setup?
  5. Would you buy this over an older center console in the same price range?
  6. Anything specific I should inspect or worry about on these boats?

I’ll attach the listing photos and screenshots of the seller messages.

u/Different_Service_26 — 6 days ago
▲ 16 r/boating

Is this 2000 Pro-Line 24 Walkaround worth it?

Need opinions on whether this boat project is worth it

This is my wife’s grandfather’s boat. It’s a 2000 Pro-Line 24 Walkaround with a Yamaha 200 HPDI and trailer. He bought it brand new and supposedly only used it a handful of times. Original owner with titles for both boat and trailer.

The boat has been sitting outside uncovered for about 6-7 years and hasn’t been started in that time. The cabin has some standing water/mold and the exterior is heavily oxidized and dirty. Trailer will definitely need work before towing it 2.5 hours back home.

The hull and transom both feel really solid with no soft spots that I could find. No major cracking underneath. The prop spins freely and the motor actually looks very clean inside for sitting so long. There were bird/wasp nests inside the cowling but surprisingly not much visible corrosion.

Obviously I have no idea yet on compression, fuel system, injectors, electrical, pumps, etc.

What do you guys realistically think this boat is worth as-is? What would be a fair price to pay considering the risk? What do you think something like this would be worth after being recommissioned and cleaned up? Is this project even worth my time and money?

I live out in Clear Lake, TX so ill be using it around the Galveston area.

u/Different_Service_26 — 6 days ago