Looking into purchasing my first boat. What should I consider?

[Rendered]

What do you guys recommend I look at for my first boat?

Will be a freshwater only boat, located in the Great Lakes / Ontario Canada. Mainly used in rocky larger bays and Lakes, Georgian Bay, Simcoe, Lake Ontario, and smaller Muskoka deeper Lakes up in Cottage country.

Towing can be either my daily driver 16' BMW 328d xdrive, or I may purchase a used Tacoma, or Porsche Cayenne.

I dont water ski or wake board, but the capability would be nice to have. Very rarely, fishing would be a possibility.

I love my music and quality sound systems, so something my match my JL Audio W7, and full Focal car audio stereo would be nice to have in this boat.

not sure if I should look at 19ft, 21ft or 24ft.... Considering buying a new Yamaha jet boat, but they're very expensive compared to used Seadoo equivalents... Should I consider another brand?

Looking to spend all day on the Lake, with at least 4 to 6 family members onboard.

What would you guys recommend? Jet boat or older traditional prop/outboard/inboard?

Any advice would be appreciated. We only get late May until Late September here where I am located north of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

What do you guys recommend I look at for my first boat?

Will be a freshwater only boat, located in the Great Lakes / Ontario Canada. Mainly used in rocky larger bays and Lakes, Georgian Bay, Simcoe, Lake Ontario, and smaller Muskoka deeper Lakes up in Cottage country.

Towing can be either my daily driver 16' BMW 328d xdrive, or I may purchase a used Tacoma, or Porsche Cayenne.

I dont water ski or wake board, but the capability would be nice to have. Very rarely, fishing would be a possibility.

I love my music and quality sound systems, so something my match my JL Audio W7, and full Focal car audio stereo would be nice to have in this boat.

not sure if I should look at 19ft, 21ft or 24ft.... Considering buying a new Yamaha jet boat, but they're very expensive compared to used Seadoo equivalents... Should I consider another brand?

Looking to spend all day on the Lake, with at least 4 to 6 family members onboard.

What would you guys recommend? Jet boat or older traditional prop/outboard/inboard?

Any advice would be appreciated. We only get late May until Late September here where I am located north of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

Well it’s a sellers market right now, so there is that. First thing to do is set a budget, and see what fits into that. Biggest selling points for me on the jets boats were bang for the buck, less maintenance, having two motors incase ones dies, you can at least limp back, and safety of no props, I have two kids, met someone that lost a leg to a prop, and been on the water when someone lost a leg to a prop. Jet boats are just safer in that aspect.

I went new, but for the price of my 24ft Yamaha I would have been looking at a low end 21ft I/O, and wouldn’t have the sweet swim deck on the back, which was another selling point for the kinda of boating we do (go to a sandbar, drop anchor, hangout, and some occasional water sports)

5 or 6 people will fit in a 19ft, but you are going to get tossed around a bit on the bigger lakes on bigger wave days, and they are single motor. AR210 is what I wanted but the dealer didn’t have any so I ended up with a AR240. I’m happy with it. Extra space has come in handy, I’ve become a more popular person now that I have a boat, and I bought it for myself, my family, and friends to have fun, so I don’t mind bringing more people out to enjoy it, especially when they chip in for gas. It’s also been nice on the intercostal and big bags, they can get pretty rough, I’ve seen some smaller boats struggling/getting rocked all over place as we go cruising buy at 30mph+ just feeling a little chop.

Each size boat for Yamaha has several different models, the nicer models come with upgraded sound systems, but they jump pretty decently in price as there are a bunch of extra/nicer features. I went with a in between model that had just about everything I wanted without a lot of the fancy stuff, I added a amp and tower speakers, eventually I’ll probably do the cabin speakers as they aren’t great but it’s not required. I believe the higher end 2020s and come with Wet Sounds for a sound system, which are top of the line marine speakers/amps/subs.

This is a jet boat forum, so I think everyone here is going to bias to jet boats. They have pros and cons just like I/Os and outboards. Biggest thing to start would be decide your budget, cash vs financing, tow vehicle budget if you have to upgrade etc.

 

[Rendered]

Well it’s a sellers market right now, so there is that. First thing to do is set a budget, and see what fits into that. Biggest selling points for me on the jets boats were bang for the buck, less maintenance, having two motors incase ones dies, you can at least limp back, and safety of no props, I have two kids, met someone that lost a leg to a prop, and been on the water when someone lost a leg to a prop. Jet boats are just safer in that aspect.

I went new, but for the price of my 24ft Yamaha I would have been looking at a low end 21ft I/O, and wouldn’t have the sweet swim deck on the back, which was another selling point for the kinda of boating we do (go to a sandbar, drop anchor, hangout, and some occasional water sports)

5 or 6 people will fit in a 19ft, but you are going to get tossed around a bit on the bigger lakes on bigger wave days, and they are single motor. AR210 is what I wanted but the dealer didn’t have any so I ended up with a AR240. I’m happy with it. Extra space has come in handy, I’ve become a more popular person now that I have a boat, and I bought it for myself, my family, and friends to have fun, so I don’t mind bringing more people out to enjoy it, especially when they chip in for gas. It’s also been nice on the intercostal and big bags, they can get pretty rough, I’ve seen some smaller boats struggling/getting rocked all over place as we go cruising buy at 30mph+ just feeling a little chop.

Each size boat for Yamaha has several different models, the nicer models come with upgraded sound systems, but they jump pretty decently in price as there are a bunch of extra/nicer features. I went with a in between model that had just about everything I wanted without a lot of the fancy stuff, I added a amp and tower speakers, eventually I’ll probably do the cabin speakers as they aren’t great but it’s not required. I believe the higher end 2020s and come with Wet Sounds for a sound system, which are top of the line marine speakers/amps/subs.

This is a jet boat forum, so I think everyone here is going to bias to jet boats. They have pros and cons just like I/Os and outboards. Biggest thing to start would be decide your budget, cash vs financing, tow vehicle budget if you have to upgrade etc.

Amazing response. Thank you!! You've touched on some things I never even thought of....having twin motors in case one dies, offers the ability to limp back to the marina just in case. Brilliant thinking... Are the standard 1.8 litre enough power? They are 2 stroke or 4 stroke?

Seems like Yamaha are the most reliable sought after brand to buy these days and I shouldn't really consider anything else right?

I can barely find any resale preowned in my area so I may be forced to do new. I was going to pay cash, but their open loan financing offers do look attractive... Keep my cash free to use for other investments....

Do these boats depreciate much? Should I wait for a 2 to 4 year old to reduce the depreciation shock? An AR240 up here is around $111,000 taxes in CAD dollars... seems high to me...

 

[WREKS]

Best to have the proper pulling power whatever you get.

 

[jmargo]

Buy your second boat first. I was looking at a AR190 but settled on an AR240 because of that advice.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

Amazing response. Thank you!! You've touched on some things I never even thought of....having twin motors in case one dies, offers the ability to limp back to the marina just in case. Brilliant thinking... Are the standard 1.8 litre enough power? They are 2 stroke or 4 stroke?

Seems like Yamaha are the most reliable sought after brand to buy these days and I shouldn't really consider anything else right?

I can barely find any resale preowned in my area so I may be forced to do new. I was going to pay cash, but their open loan financing offers do look attractive... Keep my cash free to use for other investments....

Do these boats depreciate much? Should I wait for a 2 to 4 year old to reduce the depreciation shock? An AR240 up here is around $111,000 taxes in CAD dollars... seems high to me...

The 21fts are running different motors, plenty of info on here that is better than what I can give you. Twin 1.8s on my 240 got plenty of power. Lots of low end thrust for water sports. Top speed with two adults and not to much gear is low 50s with good conditions. Fully loaded with 10 people/gear/coolers/toys it’s around 44. Sounds low if you aren’t a boat person but that’s pretty decent unless you start looking at boats built toward speed, and they get real pricy real quick.

Best guess is the market is going to be flooded in a few years with nice low hour boats with everyone who can find one buying them right now. A lot of those are people who are going to realize boats aren’t for them when the world opens back up. But that’s just a guess, who knows.

Of note, with the water cooling systems on these boats, you are limited to about 5mph with a engine down, to much water going through the pumps will creep up the cooling system and enter to motor, which is bad. They make valves your can install to cut water flow off so you can go a little faster.

Also, as said above, figure in the tow vehicle, would suck buying a pricy boat and realizing your going to need some more serious cash for a bigger tow rig.

 

[tdonoughue]

I'll give you the short version, but basically I was in your shoes a number of years back. Identical as to fishing, water sports, etc. I wound up with an AR240 and have been very pleased with the choice.

I also like my music (not that I want to broadcast it to the whole lake, but I want it to sound good for me). If you are at all inclined, buy just the boat you want and upgrade the audio yourself. There are a lot of upgrades that are really easy (like replacing the existing speakers with Polks or JL's), intermediate (adding an amp), or more advanced (adding a sub, including cutting the hole, wiring, etc.). That way you can put in exactly what you want, leave out what is less important, prioritize, etc.

As to the 4-6 family members... I was the same (5 here). But consider this: once each of the kids brings a friend, you are at... ? And if your family of 4-6 wants to bring along another family of 4-6, then you are at.... ? And before you know it you have an AR240 and you are not worrying so much if your boat can fit that many and doing much more enjoying.

Good luck and let us know how we can help!

 

[Dixie Highway]

I’ll answer your tow vehicle inquiry, I doubt a 3 series BMW, even a diesel, would have the capacity to tow a 4,000 lb boat/trailer. I think that’s probably low end for a 19’ ready to hit the water. Even if it did have the rating, that will be a prime example of the tail wagging the dog. You’ll need at minimum a mid size SUV for a 19’ to be safe (in my opinion). So factor that in to your decision.

 

[Dave burke]

As others have said, almost everybody on this forum is a jetboater so you’ll have some degree of bias/preference. That being said, many of us have owned outboards and sterndrives so it’s an informed preference.

When I bought my Yamaha in 2017, I owned a 19ft Chaparral sterndrive and was always impressed with the fit/finish of the Chap. I had decided I wanted to go jet because our lake is shallow and also because of the safety factor. I looked at all the jet boat manufacturers (I think there was four then) and narrowed it down to Yamaha and Chaparral.

For me it was a tough choice because I thought the fit/finish of the Chap was better than the Yamaha (and I still do) but overall I thought the Yamaha was better value and I liked that they came very well equipped. I also liked that Yamaha makes their own engines which none of the other jet boat manufacturers do.

A couple of other Yamaha advantages that were important to me:

- the swim platform is the best on the market in my view
- clean out ports are a brilliant idea and because our lake is shallow it can be weedy. These ports allow you to clean weeds, sticks, ropes, etc without having to swim under the boat.

Re the tow vehicle, I totally agree with @Dixie Highway that youll need a mid-size SUV or a pickup. I tow mine with a BMW X5 and it runs very well but the towing capacity is 6000 lbs I think. I’d be surprised if your car is close to that. My wife has a BMW 440 and I couldn’t imagine trying tow my rig with that car.

I hear you on the cost in Canada. I live there but boat at my cottage in the US so compared the prices in both countries. The prices in Canada seem to be quite a bit higher even allowing for the exchange rate. Not sure why except maybe that aren’t many Yamaha dealers. I bought mine in the US but that’s probably not an option for you. But you might want to look into it just to make sure.

Good luck.

 

[Miitch]

I agree with @Dixie Highway in regards to the towing. you gotta account for the boats fuel, people in the car, gear, etc... I ended up towing my new to me sea doo 18ft with my 4cyl Subaru outback. Rated for ~1000lbs over what my boat and trailer weigh, and i FEEL it back there.... Keep in mind that a full tank of fuel on a boat (120 L for mine anyway) weighs about 200 lbs...

But everyone else has pretty much hit the nail on the head... Buy your second (or third of you can afford it) boat first. Mine is a similar size to the Yamaha 19ft and it gets crowded fast.. rated for 8 people, but anything over 6 is going to be an uncomfortable time. With peoples shoes, towels, bags... it gets filled up fast. When they say "rated for 8 people" what they mean is 5 people with their gear, or 8 people, naked no questions asked. Single engine gets under powered pretty quickly when you start loading it up with people. Not that you're going to be running at WOT the entire time, but having a second engine would add a little bit more peace of mind in case anything happened out on the water with one of the engines.

I personally think anything in the 21ft range is ideal. Bigger than the 19'ers but wont drain the bank with fuel like the 24'ers. But thats just coming from a kid who cant quite afford a 24'er yet


PS: we are on lake ontario as well!! docked in Niagara on the Lake! Blue Sea Doo Challenger 180! we make some trips out to Lake Erie, Muskoka, Collingwood.. If you see us on the water, say hi!!

 

[Rendered]

I agree with @Dixie Highway in regards to the towing. you gotta account for the boats fuel, people in the car, gear, etc... I ended up towing my new to me sea doo 18ft with my 4cyl Subaru outback. Rated for ~1000lbs over what my boat and trailer weigh, and i FEEL it back there.... Keep in mind that a full tank of fuel on a boat (120 L for mine anyway) weighs about 200 lbs...

But everyone else has pretty much hit the nail on the head... Buy your second (or third of you can afford it) boat first. Mine is a similar size to the Yamaha 19ft and it gets crowded fast.. rated for 8 people, but anything over 6 is going to be an uncomfortable time. With peoples shoes, towels, bags... it gets filled up fast. When they say "rated for 8 people" what they mean is 5 people with their gear, or 8 people, naked no questions asked. Single engine gets under powered pretty quickly when you start loading it up with people. Not that you're going to be running at WOT the entire time, but having a second engine would add a little bit more peace of mind in case anything happened out on the water with one of the engines.

I personally think anything in the 21ft range is ideal. Bigger than the 19'ers but wont drain the bank with fuel like the 24'ers. But thats just coming from a kid who cant quite afford a 24'er yet


PS: we are on lake ontario as well!! docked in Niagara on the Lake! Blue Sea Doo Challenger 180! we make some trips out to Lake Erie, Muskoka, Collingwood.. If you see us on the water, say hi!!

Great advice! Thanks y'all!

How is the Seadoo Challenger, for reliability, cost of maintenance, and overall ride? I've been looking at those too, used. Finding them in the $15k range. Very affordable compared to the $60 to $100k price tag of a new Yamaha.

 

[Miitch]

Great advice! Thanks y'all!

How is the Seadoo Challenger, for reliability, cost of maintenance, and overall ride? I've been looking at those too, used. Finding them in the $15k range. Very affordable compared to the $60 to $100k price tag of a new Yamaha.

No issues so far! Aside from the supercharger maintenance (~300$/ engine every 200 hours 2010 model year and up, if you do it yourself) id say they're pretty cost friendly. Their engines are more or less the same as their jet ski engines, so part wise you shouldnt have too much trouble. Id go with anything 2011 or newer just for peace of mind. 180 challenger is great but 18 feet gets small quick. I would have picked up a 210sp if i they were available. Those boats age well let me tell you - not a bad angle on them, plenty of power, and i am IN LOVE with the 210 specific rear facing fold away seats! why nobody has picked up on those is beyond me..

 

[Rendered]

Great advice, Thank you!!

What do you guys think of Scarab jet boats? Essentially BRP product? How do they compare to Yamaha?

 

[OrangeTJ]

I don't know much about the Scarab boats but if I were going other than Yamaha for a jet I'd be heading toward Chaparral. My recommendation is to take your time - look at as many different types and brands of boats as you can. Keep in mind that outside of Yamaha and Chaparral, most boat prices are highly negotiable down from list (15 - 20% is not uncommon at all). Look at jets, outboards, stern drives traditional and forward drives, and V-drives. Think about how you think you'll use the boat and what else you might ultimately want to be able to do with it down the line. Consider not only where you'll seat passengers but also where you'll store all of your gear - it's amazing how much stuff you can end up with on a boat and it all needs a home. Look at the materials used in the construction of the boat and all of its bits and pieces (pay attention through-hull fittings) - do they look like they'll last or wear out. Sit on the seats - are they firm or soft (soft sometimes seems more luxurious but it will NOT be when you are out on the water). In truth you can have fun on just about any boat but it is a major purchase and it makes sense to take it seriously. Little things add up and can considerably impact your enjoyment over time.

 

[jgourlie]

Great advice, Thank you!!

What do you guys think of Scarab jet boats? Essentially BRP product? How do they compare to Yamaha?

@Rendered i believe a rumour is going around that chaparral is no longer making jet boats. So that only leaves you with scarab and Yamaha for brand new. The scarab’s are a sweet boat and you can get the 300hp engine even in dual engines for 600hp. The 300 is quite a bit more than the Yamaha Svho.

i went Yamaha because I bought used, there aren’t too many used scarabs out there yet.

hope that helps,

 

[Tjw961]

I bought my Yamaha about a year ago after looking for many months for a 21' one. Went with a 242 and so glad I did. I agree with nearly everything that's being said here. Buy you're second boat first, stereo upgrade can be a fun project later and/or as you go (I did that), and don't forget the right towing vehicle if you aren't going to park it at one location. And if you get a low hour used one it can come with extras that you can find out if you like or not without buying yourself cause boat stuff adds up for sure. Rent any boat If you're not 150% about taking the plunge... ever if it's not a jet boat. A lot cheaper to find out it's not for you without seeing it sitting in your driveway or garage if you catch my meaning. Good luck!

 

[Robconn]

Buy your second boat first. I was looking at a AR190 but settled on an AR240 because of that advice.

Agreed. Don’t be me! (Lol ) determined to go bigger

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Amazing response. Thank you!! You've touched on some things I never even thought of....having twin motors in case one dies, offers the ability to limp back to the marina just in case. Brilliant thinking... Are the standard 1.8 litre enough power? They are 2 stroke or 4 stroke?

Seems like Yamaha are the most reliable sought after brand to buy these days and I shouldn't really consider anything else right?

I can barely find any resale preowned in my area so I may be forced to do new. I was going to pay cash, but their open loan financing offers do look attractive... Keep my cash free to use for other investments....

Do these boats depreciate much? Should I wait for a 2 to 4 year old to reduce the depreciation shock? An AR240 up here is around $111,000 taxes in CAD dollars... seems high to me...

Late to this comment - but jet boats - Yamaha in particular, depreciate very little where I live (central/east Canada). As for particular boat if not twin engine then, in my opinion, get a supercharged package. I have never heard anyone complain of having too much horsepower. I bought a 2020 SX 195. Plenty of power for anything. It would be super comfortable for 4 adults and 2 children and fine for 4 "regular" sized adults and two smaller adults. Yamaha is known for massive storage. because how an engine is treated in its first 20 hours determines its longevity and service needs I always buy new. An alternative would be to have the engine history downloaded to see how it was treated. Yamaha may still have $1,000.00 discount from factory or decent financing. As well, ask the dealer for any options you want - like cockpit and bow mooring covers at his cost. most will do that. Good luck. Cheers MT

 

[BlkGS]

I’ll answer your tow vehicle inquiry, I doubt a 3 series BMW, even a diesel, would have the capacity to tow a 4,000 lb boat/trailer. I think that’s probably low end for a 19’ ready to hit the water. Even if it did have the rating, that will be a prime example of the tail wagging the dog. You’ll need at minimum a mid size SUV for a 19’ to be safe (in my opinion). So factor that in to your decision.

Totally agree. That BMW isn't pulling any of these boats, at least not safely.

You need to start with a budget for a tow vehicle (forget Tacoma and probably cayenne, you're talking full size to HD truck or very large SUV), and the boat you want. To me, reading the delivery horror stories, buying a new boat isn't like a new car, it's more like a new home. Your inspection WILL come back with stuff broken and not working that needs fixed. I wouldn't pay a premium for that "pleasure".

I don't know I've ever heard someone say "I really wish my 23-24 door boat was 19'. I hear people wish for bigger all the time. When we get 6 adults and all their snacks on sometimes I wish our 23 was bigger...

 

[Robconn]

Have 192, two is a pleasure, 4 is not compliant with social distancing. Although seating capacity states fits 8. Certainly not in Merica. Especially with cooler, and gear.