TechnoLust's Journal: Boat Shopping

I'm looking at 2 jetboats* tomorrow. One is a 1996 Four Winns Fling 14' 115hp Mercruiser inboard jet that they are asking $3500 for. The other is a Sea Doo Speedster 15' with twin 85hp inboard jets. Dude is asking $4800, but he said he's going to China on Saturday and he'd knock a lot of the price if he could unload it this week. I'm going to look at them tomorrow, so any of you guys have any experience with these or similar boats? I'm wanting to pull a wakeboard with it.

*If you don't know what this is, it's like a jetski, except it's a boat. So no prop sticking out to slice your leg off. They cut sharp like a jetski and are lighter than normal boats. They are considered sport boats.

I dunno a thing about them, but...

[VisorGuy]

85*2 = 170 > 115, so I'd be tempted to go with the Sea Doo.

Sea Doo

[turg]

Random useless fact:

Sea Doo is named after the Ski Doo, the original snowmobile. Both are made by Bombardier. Anyway, do you want to know how the Ski Doo got it's name? (I'll tell you anyway) The name was supposed to be the Ski Dog but there was a typo on the original brochure.

condition

[gmhowell]

My gut reaction, especially if you are pulling a wakeboard is to go with the more powerful boat. But, when dealing with used stuff, condition is everything. You've had PWCs, IIRC, so you know about keeping the oil topped up, post run flushing (especially if run in salt water).

So I'd lean heavily towards the bigger boat unless it is a clear dog compared to the other, but I don't have enough experience with either for you to give me much more than $40 or $50 for that advice.

Oh, and in buying all sorts of st

Re:condition

[TechnoLust]

Yeah, I'm going to try to talk him down to $3500 on the Sea Doo. He says it is in good shape, but needs cleaning. We don't have salt water in TN, so that isn't a biggie, but the engine and all that is where I'll be looking. He says he just had it looked at by a boat mechanic. He asked if I was familiar with the place and I said no. He told me where the guy's business is and it's on the same road that my uncle lives on [in a larger city south of here] so I can call my uncle and ask him if they are reputa

As a salom skier/wakeboarder

[asv108]

You can't beat the wake and power you get from a traditional ski boat. Unfortunatly, even a used master craft from the early 90's is going to a lot more money that one of those jet boats.

If I had the money, I would pick up a MC prostar 197 [mastercraft.com]. :)

Re:As a salom skier/wakeboarder

[TechnoLust]

Yeah, my parents used to have a nice large ski boat. Unfortunately another requirement I have is that it be below 1500 lbs. because that is the towing capacity of my small truck. Most ski boats weigh more than this with the trailer. These jetboats are around 1000 lbs.