First boat sanity check

[DrKnowNothing]

Hello all! Long post, hopefully you will stick with me.

I have been learning a lot lurking around this forum for the past few weeks.

I have a young family and like many in these crazy times have gotten a little manic not traveling. My wife has been talking about getting either a pool or a boat for a few years and this stupid pandemic finally pushed me over the edge.

Decided that getting a boat would be the better fit( to throw money into a whole) for us given we live in a town with a decent size lake ( for CT) that is residents only and are only a few minute drive from a few nice launches into the CT river and have some nice options in northern New England for a longer get away.

My wife loved having a boat when she was growing up and my oldest had a blast tubing last summer on a rented pontoon boat. I am pretty sure the family will enjoy boating but it isn’t a lock.

I have never personally owned a boat so have been trying to decide the right thing to buy for us.

I am really drawn to the Yamaha boats for their layout( I know I can just turn the prop off if I am worried about the kids getting back on the boat, but that transom!), features, reasonable sounding maintenance needs( which will be more then I am sure I am anticipating) and just overall seemingly well balanced approach to the whole thing.

Hoping for a sanity check from others who have owned these boats before

looking at either a 21 or 24 foot boat. Had a chance to see a 252s at my local dealer. Really liked the layout and finish but hard to justify that price tag for something we haven’t done before.

I like the idea of finding a 2-3 year old 242 limited se or if the price is right 242x e-series with low hours and saving about 10k. Why the higher line? In all my cars/trucks I have purchased the higher end and enjoy the additional features. It sounds silly but really like the touch screen. I know you don’t stare at it when boating but don’t do the same in our cars/trucks and never once regretted or wanted to “trade up”. It is a way of trying to stave off that desire to upgrade in a few years.

Am I just way off base?

I have a 2012 ram 1500 so I think either a 21 or 24 foot boat should be an issue towing. I keep reading buy the boat you will want for a while but it is hard to determine since this is new( to me at least).

Have seen a few of these threads on the forum but hoping to hear from 212 and 242 owners to help make sure I am seeing the whole picture.

Thanks for sticking with me and appreciate this great forum.

 

[Dough]

Your on the right path. If I had kids still, I'd have bought the 242. Never regretted going limited. Good luck finding the one!

 

[WiskyDan]

I think you’re on the right path as well as long as finances allow it.

I have a similar background, and outlook on models with a nicer trim level, so I hope this helps.

I had never owned a boat before (rented an older Yamaha jet boat on Mission Bay in CA for a few hours) but decided to take the leap at the very end of the 2019 season. A local’ish dealer got a 2006 Yamaha SX230 in on trade and it was reasonably priced. I went to test drive it in late September and bought it just in time to put away for winter. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a hobby that I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to like so the lower price point was attractive. I figured that if things went well I would upgrade after a couple years. I got the boat on the water at the start of the 2020 season and quickly realized that I loved the whole boating lifestyle so I talked with my sales guy about a strategy for trading up to an AR250 (AR240 at the time) for the 2021 season. At the beginning of August 2020 my sales guy called me and said that they had just gotten a 2015 Yamaha 242 Limited S in on trade. I went to look at it and was impressed by the trim level upgrades on the Limited S vs the AR or SX series boats - especially the swim deck area seating. It was dramatically different than the swim deck on my SX230, which you would guess, but also more plush than the newer AR/SX boats. I sold the SX230 in a week (great sellers market) for more than I bought it for and picked up the 242 a few days later. We got quite a bit of use out of it in August/September and even though I paid a bit more than I wanted to (bad buyers market) I have no regrets.

I’m glad that I went with the Limited S trim level over the AR trim level but getting a new/er boat is also very appealing - I can see both sides of the coin.

 

[DrKnowNothing]

Thanks for the feedback. I have set a firm cap on how much I want to pay up front to make sure I have enough for a monthly payment plus gas, insurance etc with the down payment I plan to put in. It will make getting a e series challenging but not impossible but that is ok. Found a 2018 242 x e series with only 25 hours on it. Will see if the seller is willing to come down around my asking price. ( not ridiculously low but lower).

When I find the right boat what do you guys recommend for a check out before buying? A friend of mine has been around boats for years but doesn’t know yamahas. Would ask him to help on the test drive but do Yamaha dealers do mechanical Check outs?

 

[WiskyDan]

There are way more knowledgeable folks around here that will give you more detail but asking for any service records, where it was serviced, engine hours, and a YDS (Yamaha Diagnostic Software) report that shows engine error codes are some of the things that I’ve seen on similar threads.

Depending on where you’re located, there may be a member of the forum that would offer to look at the boat with you - it’s a helpful bunch.

 

[DrKnowNothing]

Great information! Given the market right now I am looking a little further afield then where I live in New England. So it will likely depend on what I find. Would love some more experienced help if it could be had.

 

[DrKnowNothing]

Well that escalated quickly. Found a 2018 242 x e series with 25 hours and seller came back with a counter offer under 70k with wake board package. Stored out of water but has run only in salt water. End of season service each year. Asking to get the service records.

This is right around where I wanted to pay and seems like a decent deal given the current market. Nada saying this is around average for pricing at this age. This is a lot of boat for a first time purchase but comparing it to a new 252s I am saving at least 10 grand. Am I tracking right?

 

[Sonic Blue]

Of course, finances pending...... I am new to boating, new to Yamaha and new to this forum. Once i started seriously researching the boat i wanted to commit to..... I kept landing at Yamaha. So, the day I went into the dealership (which was my first time) is put a down payment on the 252SD. To me, it was the largest boat in the line up that was easily towable. (IE, not the 275) I have a Dodge 5.7 Hemi to tow it. Anyway, for a few minutes after all my paperwork was signed, I walked around the showroom to get a feel for the size of the boats....and I have to admit, I got a little bit intimidated when I saw a 25 foot boat against a 21 foot boat. My sales rep said to me:" it takes the same amount of effort to launch the 25 as it does the 21 AND, the guy that was with the other sales rep in the showroom was here to get a bigger boat. He bought last year. Immediately I knew I made the right choice and I didn't look back. Also, since I (knew) nothing about boats (per se) I didn't know what to look for, so that, for me, was the reason to go NEW. I'll get a year or two under my belt...enjoy the new culture and consider upgrades at a later date. (if at all) Anyway...just a little nudge from an excited newbie. Good luck with your decision making!

 

[four_the_kids]

As others have said, "welcome to the jet boat community"!
Our family started out with a 18' deckboat when our children were young and few. As they multiplied, we moved up up to a 20' deckboat, because we enjoyed the stability in the water they provided. But it wasn't until the kids turned into young adults that we saw the need for a larger, more powerful boat. As we shopped around on numerous sites looking, it wasn't until an article in our "Boating Magazine" that highlighted the Yamaha jet propulsion advantages that made us go with a Yamaha. We looked at the different trim levels, and at that time the 242 Limited S was their "flagship" and a bit more, the upgrades well outweighed going with anything else. We now have it set up for all their watersport activities from tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, and now wakesurfing. The increased room, the power, was well worth it, and we've never regretted going from outboard to inboard/outboard to jet drive.

 

[adrianp89]

At 70k, I’d buy a new 25ft. It is a major evolution in the boat.

 

[WildCatFan54]

@DrKnowNothing I started with a 2007 Bayliner 185 in 2015. After only 2 outings on Lake Cumberland the wife and I soon realized we had made a big mistake. The big houseboats and cruisers out there were just beating us to death. No fun and we felt like we had just wasted about $10k ? I went back to my dealer that I purchased the 8 year old Bayliner from prepared to take a BIG financial hit. He showed me a 2016 AR240 (new) in his showroom and had my wife hooked immediately. Took me 2 more days to realize that he didn't have to sell me , only her ! He gave me every bit of my money back on the 185 toward the purchase of that AR240. Not many dealers that would have done that I suspect ? We loved it from the first time out until the day I sold it in Sept. of 2019. Yamaha had come out with the 12" Connex screen and I also wanted some of the features only available in the "E" series. I'm starting my 3rd season with the 19 / 242 Limited SE. Can't imagine wanting anything more in a boat , but who knows ? Both of my Yamaha's have been mechanically flawless. I highly recommend that you jump on with a 24' model. Good luck in finding "the one".

 

[WiskyDan]

At 70k, I’d buy a new 25ft. It is a major evolution in the boat.

So wait until 2022?

 

[kgower]

So wait until 2022?

Probably more like 2023.

 

[meegwell]

I just bought a 2018 242x e (first boat). Impossible to find a new one (originally looking for 242 limited SE slightly used) until the 2022-23 from my searching/discussions. Every boat I had on short list, and one I actually put an offer on, all sold out from under me. When I found the one I have and it was still available I was willing to pay offer price and the dealer selling it (not a yam shop) said good because the guy isn't budging. The few grand didn't really mean nearly as much as the stress of not finding something I wanted before the season started. I wasn't looking to pay for the extras that come with the x-e over the se-limited but I too have several young kids and they are now studying youtube videos on how to wake surf!

I think you are tracking right but keep in mind if it's a good deal it may not be around for long. Total sellers market and us buys just have to deal with it. I was looking as far as FL from VA ended up getting it in NC...paid someone to trailer it to me (~3.5 hours).

Hope you close a deal soon!

 

[DrKnowNothing]

Thanks for all the great perspective. The wife is onboard so going to see if we can lock this in with the seller. He is pulling the maintenance logs from the dealer and I got the thumbs up from the bank. We are talking on Tuesday to hopefully lock this in. Still a few steps to go and trying to keep my powder dry.

 

[Skyhawk223]

Good luck on the purchase. Just bought my first and went with the 252S, mostly because there was zero used inventory in the area. I checked out a 2017 AR last August that sold quickly.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Thanks for all the great perspective. The wife is onboard so going to see if we can lock this in with the seller. He is pulling the maintenance logs from the dealer and I got the thumbs up from the bank. We are talking on Tuesday to hopefully lock this in. Still a few steps to go and trying to keep my powder dry.

With so few hours on that boat It sounds like a dandy!!! Good luck!

 

[OrangeTJ]

Any thoughts about what you want to do with whatever boat you get? $70K is a lot of money to jump in with and can buy a whole slew of different types of boats (hint: outside of Yamahas, many many boats have a LOT of wiggle room down from their "list prices"), from huge and roomy pontoon/tritoon boats which really can't be beat for "coving" and can still absolutely pull tubes and such to gently (or barely) used wakeboats that can't be beat for watersports use and are also quite good for social/coving use. These Yamahas are awesome "jack of all trades" boats, no question. However, you might find that one aspect or another of boating is what you really like the most and the Yamaha may not be the very best use of your $70K with that primary purpose in mind. If you don't even know for sure that you want to boat and/or what you'll want to do while boating, my own humble advice is to find a way to spend less and have less of a potential depreciation hit if you decide that what you want to do while boating doesn't play to the strengths of whatever boat you buy. I woul totally recommend getting a Yamaha but maybe one you can get for $50K (or a lot less) to get a sense of your boating preferences. They are certainly hard to beat when it comes to all around boating and ease of maintenance/ownership, but you really don't need the very latest & greatest to learn your preferences. Just one man's opinion.

 

[adrianp89]

So wait until 2022?

play yours cards right and you won’t need to. I was able to find multiple boats.

 

[WiskyDan]

play yours cards right and you won’t need to. I was able to find multiple boats.

Post em up, I’m sure the OP would appreciate as many options as possible.