700 hour boat questions...

[JohnE]

Holy cow I had no idea they had broke $200K. I thought the Paragon was the only one going near the $250s. Dang, I'm no where near that kind of money. I'd hate to get stuck with something like that if gas goes to $5 a gallon again and the market drys up again. But then again I guess its a lot like buying a Bentley or a Ferrari, if you need to ask about insurance rates or MPG you shouldn't be looking at it anyway.

These prices are up there. This is why a 2007 boat is worth as much today as it was in 2009. Just nuts.

[freeheeler88]

I agree the prices are really bananas, ridiculous. Sales tax on top of it all...
That’s how I bought my xt21, a Mastercraft photo shoot boat demo, with a commercial warranty, saved a lot of money over new, just wishing it was bigger these days!

[bturner2]

IDK...... To be honest none of the top manufactures are really building a boat that I personally would buy these days. I can admire them and drool over all the gadgets and features but none of them any longer meet my buying criteria.

Now I know the surfing thing is off the hook right now and many people are spending hours on end with their families on their boats these days, which is great. So I understand the reasons these surf ships are so attractive right now. I mean heck, even the friends I have that just 2 years ago were poking fun at RV people are now buying mobile mansions.

The issue I have with the these current offerings are 2 fold.....

The obvious first one is cost. I get that there's a ton of rich people out there but still there has to be an end to this market in sight. This market reminds me a lot of the "go fast boat" market of the Miami Vice days of the late 70s and 80s. Boats back then started in 23' - 28' range with offerings from the likes of Donzi, Formula and Panther. There were a lot of takers in the early days at that price point but within 10 years competitive/desirable boats had grown from from the 20 footers to the upper 30'-40' boats. Prices soared until the sport/hobby basically collapsed into what it is today. They pretty much priced the middle class out of the market by changing the market. To this point, this middle class guy is not taking out a house mortgage of a boat I can only use 4 months a year. $150K for a used boat, no thank you.

The second for me is the size/weight of these monsters. I'm on a smaller inland lake 70% of the year in a normal year and 100% of the season during the Vid. The average depth of our lake is probably about 5'. This profile would describe probably about 80% of the inland lakes in Michigan. Are there bigger/deeper sure, but most are smaller lakes. The new surf ships I'm seeing popping up on these lakes look more like pocket cruisers than ski boats. They just look out of place like those gold chain wearing 60 yo guys with the beer belly and scantly clade "nieces" hanging out on one of those go fasts from the 80s. To be truthful I just don't want or need 24', 7K lb boat but try to find a vDrive under 4000 lbs these days. It used to be easy we had the X1, X2, X15 and the list went on. So now even if I were looking for a new surf ship not only would I be buying a new boat but I'd also need a new lift. If you were pulling before with a mid size pickup or SUV you'll also need a new truck.

Lots of whining here I know but IDK boys, I get the feeling these companies are losing their way and the fall may be hard one day in the not so distant future.

[MC25]

Here is my take. If price truly was a problem, they wouldn’t be selling. Especially at the rate they are.



The weight thing is pretty nuts to think about, which is a good point. An XT22 is 7k on a trailer, which isn’t light by any means. Didn’t even like towing it with a half ton.

[JasterCraft]

The 700 hours now is not what would concern me, it's the 600 you say you'll put on it in the next 4 years. By that time you'll have 1300 hours which is a lot for any boat. Sure you'll get the guys that are going to say that motor will go 3000 hours and wouldn't hesitate to buy a high hour boat but they themselves never do (with the exception of Bouyhead apparently), they just say that.

There's also a big difference between a ski tug from the 90s and a surf ship of today. The big difference being it's not just the motor that will have high hours. The pumps, interior and all the other components will also have those hours as well. If it has displays, heated seats and other toys those too will have those hours. I have no clue if there are any options to add warranty to a 700 hour boat but if I were in that business I wouldn't offer one or if I did the cost of the warranty would be in line with the risk which is high.

Another thought would be on resale. If you buy new and keep the boat for the 4 years you project the new boat will have 600 hours. This will still be a high hour boat for the year but still less than the 700 hours on the one you're looking at. There will still be much more value and a market for that 600 hour boat than a 1300 hour boat that you'll probably be giving away by comparison.

For most people doing 30 - 40 hour a season buying a 700 hour boat wouldn't be that bad of a deal. The 150 hours per year you plan to put on the boat are what raise the red flags for me.

This was almost exactly the point I was going to make.

[freeheeler88]

I just put my xt21 on the scales last week to check my gcvwr and it weighed out at 7300. Granted it had 700 lbs of shot in it, a full tank of fuel, and some odds and ends. So yah, xstar or 24 puts another 1000 or so lbs back there.
I agree with the boat market craziness, there have been a few threads here discussing this phenomenon and I cant help but think at some point the prices have to simmer down, etc. But the toy market in general has obviously been wild with the covid situation. I do think there’s a chance that there could be a glut of boats on the market next year or so..?

[bturner2]

I keep thinking now is the time to get that Vid money out of my boat while it's there and scoop something up in 2 years when the Wally's have had enough or the economy cracks under this green new push. This is exactly what I did in 09. I ended up buying a 2 yo X2 for half what it sold for those 2 short years prior.

Trouble is that with the Vid not letting up this summer there would be a revolt if I tossed the boat.

[curver900]

I keep thinking now is the time to get that Vid money out of my boat while it's there and scoop something up in 2 years when the Wally's have had enough or the economy cracks under this green new push. This is exactly what I did in 09. I ended up buying a 2 yo X2 for half what it sold for those 2 short years prior.

Trouble is that with the Vid not letting up this summer there would be a revolt if I tossed the boat.

i'm right here with you.. the boat and the RV... thought maybe we would just not travel for 2 years then pick up a newer used RV when the crash is in full swing... it is going to be ugly for sure... it will make the 2008 debacle look like a party....

[Burton167can]

I just came off a 1000HR Malibu, I have full confidence that that boat will run flawlessley for another 1000HR. At 700HR the engine in that boat should run great for many years to come. Generally when engines begin to run poorly its time to look at the components around them, (weak spark plug/wire, poor fuel delivery, setting valve lash) to name a few. Maintain the motor and tune up when it needs it, the motor will outlast you.

The biggest problem with a higher hour motors is consumer perception. Nobody is out there looking for 1000+ hour motors, therefore your re-sale price will take a hit. What I sold my 1000 hour malibu for vs what people were selling low hour boats for was night and day. Make sure you are factoring this into the purchase price, knowing that 1000+ hour resale will be a tough sell.

[tchur1]

Figured I would chime in here since I bought the boat you were looking at and shared many of the concerns you all outlined here before deciding to purchase.

I spoke to Travis for about an hour before purchasing to get a better understanding of maintenance schedule and condition of the boat prior to speaking with the dealer. The boat had oil changes every 40 hours, and all other maintenance performed on or ahead of schedule. 1 actuator and 1 ballast pump have been replaced on the boat so I assume I will have to replace those over the next year or two.

Aside from that its in great shape. Dealer also ran diagnostic test on the motor and 400 of the 700 hours were at idle. At this point I was comfortable with the condition of the boat and the dealer came down off the list price to make it work.

Have been on the boat for about 10 hours now and am pleasantly surprised every time we get on there that this boat has 700+ hours.

I think anyone in this situation, do your HW and you can find hidden gems with higher hours. Just my $.02.

[maniacmikes]

I just came off a 1000HR Malibu, I have full confidence that that boat will run flawlessley for another 1000HR. At 700HR the engine in that boat should run great for many years to come. Generally when engines begin to run poorly its time to look at the components around them, (weak spark plug/wire, poor fuel delivery, setting valve lash) to name a few. Maintain the motor and tune up when it needs it, the motor will outlast you.

The biggest problem with a higher hour motors is consumer perception. Nobody is out there looking for 1000+ hour motors, therefore your re-sale price will take a hit. What I sold my 1000 hour malibu for vs what people were selling low hour boats for was night and day. Make sure you are factoring this into the purchase price, knowing that 1000+ hour resale will be a tough sell.

Nailed it.


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[01star]

At the rate of 150 hours a season even if you found a boat with say 400 hours you'll still be at 700 in a couple years. I'm with some of the others on here in terms of evaluating the quality of the boat. If it appears well cared for and maintained I don't think you'll have an issue. I have a 2001 prostar 209 with 705 hours and it looks and runs like new. I feel like if I posted it here tomorrow for 35K it would sell, maybe even more! The market is extremely hot, if it feels right, go for it. Just my .02

[Thrall]

400 idle hours and 300 hours pulling is way different than 700 hours of pulling.
And was it mostly boarding or surfing? Wakeboarding preferable.
But IMO,good luck getting much out of a 5 year old 1300 hour boat. It’ll still be too expensive for people who are looking for a high hour deal on a boat and way too many hours for those that can afford the expensive 200 or 300 hour garage queen boats Your target market will be very slim imo.
If you got $139k to spend on a boat, your options are so ridiculously open, anything with 700 hours shouldn’t even be given a second thought.

[dvsone79]

^^^ Um, the OP was the one who uses his current boat 150hrs per year. The guy that bought the 700hr boat is not the OP.

[chrislandy]

If I spent 150k on a boat, I'd be doing 300hrs+ / year to justify buying it!

High hours boats are fine, nothing to be scared of. If you flip boats every year or two then low hours is king, if you buy and keep for 5-10yrs+ then find a nice high hours bargain and enjoy spending the saving on fuel