Boat suggestion?

[St. Lawrence River Guy]

Looking for something similar to a fish & ski, 18ft, outboard, etc.  60% of use will be me by myself, 30% with family and balance a couple of fisherman.  I went to a boat show this weekend but prices were all over the map.  Willing to pay a little more for a boat that holds it's value.  In 6 yrs, I'll go back to a bass boat so resale value is pretty important.  Thx.

[Jethro]

Looking for something similar to a fish & ski, 18ft, outboard, etc.  60% of use will be me by myself, 30% with family and balance a couple of fisherman.  I went to a boat show this weekend but prices were all over the map.  Willing to pay a little more for a boat that holds it's value.  In 6 yrs, I'll go back to a bass boat so resale value is pretty important.  Thx.

You looking to buy new or used? So many routes you can go. Fiberglass or aluminum? If I were buying a new boat for that purpose, I'd be looking hard at the Crestliner 1750 Super Hawk. They are great hulls with great features, it's got an in floor rod locker, jump seats, bow rider seats, wide and roomy... a good family/fish boat. They are very high quality hulls and retain their value very well. But honestly, there are hundreds of ways you could go here.

[St. Lawrence River Guy]

Y, the huge number of alternatives is part of the problem.  Dealers tend to push just their product which makes comparison shopping very hard.  If I was looking at 4 door sedans, I could hit a dealership ave and see toyota, ford, honda, etc all in one day. 

The super hawk s a nice looking option and one I hadn't considered probably b/c the nearest dealers are 90-120 miles away.  Thanks for the info.

[Luv2Fish]

Lund will hold itz value but you'll pay more up front ,really nice boats

[Sluggo / NY]

Don't know where on the river you are, but as mentioned.. Lunds are great boats and probably have the best resale of most. I was just at a show in Clayton this past weekend and drooled all over a 19ft. Lund Tyee that's a perfect multi-purpose rig for the St. Lawrence. Martin's Marina, just below Cape Vincent, had it and a few others there. Mike and Beaver Martin are good guys to deal with and are one of the biggest Lund dealers in the east. Their service is also top notch. Lots of choices out there... Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[St. Lawrence River Guy]

I saw those Lund's at the Clayton show last week and snapped some photos to show my chief budget officer (wife). 

The guys at Martin Marine used to take care of my old Ranger/Mercury and I always had a good experience dealing with them (though my credit card sometimes strained under the weight of their repair bills).  I imagine I'll be a 6-8 yr boat owner so I'm looking for something that will hold some value after a few years of light use.

I'm right in Clayton so maybe I'll swing by their shop this weekend to see those boats in person again. Thanks.

[htc]

crestliner and lund same company crestliner cheaper and better ride imho

-htc

[Mac Attack]

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2010/07/crestliner-and-lund-minnesota-nice/

[St. Lawrence River Guy]

I should have known that about Crestliner/Lund.  In a galaxy far far away I used to do some work with the old Genmar before it became Brunswick. 

Keep the suggestions coming.  Building the shopping list of wants is easy - pulling the trigger and signing the check will be another story

[filetandrelease]

I like the idea of rivets over weld ,my lund is now 7 going on 8 yrs old and holding up fine , and beav & Mike are easy to deal with and resale can't be topped and now crestliner can cost more than a lund , my bud has a nice 18' starcraft and is holding up well ,just remember if you take care of what ever you decide on will last a long time , I had a 16' tracker and had it 7 yrs and it was a great boat and well maintained , just out grew it , just love my 2025 Le  ,
just go to the web and compare and see what fits your needs and wallet ,

[Hoosier]

I`d say.... Get the Bass boat now. Buy a tube, a long rope for it and a cushion for each kid. They will apprieate that when your bouncinem around on the front deck of that ranger, ( I`d suggest a Skeeter or Triton   ). You can put ice in the livewell and go faster than a Bayliner. If your lookin to lower that 30% down to 15% this is the ticket. Don`t worry, it takes a bit but momma will say she loves ya again. How can ya go wrong?   

[St. Lawrence River Guy]

Good suggestions here - One more ?:  I've never bought new.  Most manufacturers price everything on their website now.  How much wiggle room is there for the dealer?  Is it a negotiation like buying a car or is it a fixed price?  If it is a negotiation, what should I shoot to get off MSRP? 5%, 10%?  Thx.

PS - I'd love another bass boat - can't beat them for fishing. 

[800stealth]

Everything is negotiable... How much you can negotiate varies from dealer to dealer. When I bought my Nitro, I picked all the options and extras I wanted and he gave me an all inclusive price. I told him it wasn't good enough and made an offer of around 15% less than his quote. He said he couldn't do it, so I politely told him I know I'm asking alot of him and understand that he couldn't go that low and I left... 3 hours later he called me and asked if my offer was still good and when I would like to pick it up. My point is, make a lowball offer... the worst they can do is say no.

[Hoosier]

Agreed, low ball and walk. Even if they cant match that price. A good salesman will have asked for your number and will call you after you leave. I know it can be a tall order, but the best way to get that even better than a low ball, is to go with cash.then you get a shirt too..lol

[800stealth]

Agreed, low ball and walk. Even if they cant match that price. A good salesman will have asked for your number and will call you after you leave. I know it can be a tall order, but the best way to get that even better than a low ball, is to go with cash.then you get a shirt too..lol

My dealer wouldn't take cash, he told me he would only accept a bank check or wait for a personal check to clear... To much hassle and extra paper work involved with trying to deposit $20.000. Banks ask a lot of questions when depositing large sums of cash.