buying a new boat

[ch312]

so, i like the look of the 16ft legend boats in OOD magazine. since i havent been shopping around, are those prices low, mid or high? what brands offer quality at a good price? i need something deep and at least 16ft as i want to start hitting the main lake down on erie and lake ontario as well. my 14ft tinner just aint cutting it anymore...

 

is it worth paying extra for the 4 strokes? what brands of outboards should i stay away from? any dealers have sales on right now?

[Terry]

the legend boats are among the lest expensive boats around

 

but they sell them under powered, in most cases you need to get twice the hp that comes with the boat as their starter package

[danbouck]

I bought the 16.5' Legend extreme and love it. I upgraded to the 4 stroke and I highly recommend it. A 50 was standard and I get just over 30MPH with it.

[Bernie]

If you compare quality for quality, feature for feature and horsepower for horsepower you will find that most boat brands will be very closely priced.

Lots of competition in the marketplace has made it that way. Do your shopping carefully, write down what each boat you look at has for options and standard equipment. Don't forget to ask about warranties.

Also look at the reputation of the people you buy from, you may need to have it serviced in the future.

[Fisherpete]

Just like Terry said... Legend has pretty darn competetive prices and a good selection... boats are pretty well made too, my brother has had the 14 Widebody for 5 years, it stays in the water from April to October, and it still does not leak a drop.

 

They definately sell their packages underpowered, my bud Al picked up the 16' Xcite last spring... AWESOME boat to fish from, huge front deck and virtually everything you need in a fishing boat. It is rated for a 55, came stock with a 25. He upgraded to a 30, but it is just not enough. By the time you add up the weight of a trolling motor, 2 batteries, livewell with water and fish in it and a few passengers and gear, she struggles to plane. Spend the extra money on your initial investment - it will cost you far more later down the road to upgrade, and you will have poor performance from your rig too.

 

I have had my eye on the 16 Prosport for the last few years... simple yet perfect rig for my needs. Would fly really nicely with my motor...

 

Good luck with your hunt!

Edited July 23, 2010 by Fisherpete

[smally21]

i bought my boat off ebay on a bet but before that i did the whole boat show thing and priced and spec'd a 16' with a 50 or 60 from every dealer in ontario. with a few exceptions the prices were almost identical. the legends are certainly priced attractively but you've got to throw a ton of engine upgrade onto that price. the 2stroke upgrades are way cheaper than the four stroke upgrades. everyone has their opinion but in this day of ultra efficient low polluting 2 stokes i cant see the value in paying siginificantly higher prices for a 4 stroke. in the range you're shopping in i liked the finish on the princecraft the best, priced at around 15k i think.

good luck new boat pretty exciting!!!

[asdve23rveavwa]

Love my Legend, but, as everyone says up the horsepower on the standard package!!

[Banger68]

When I was looking for my boat the Legend priced out the same when you optioned it up. I liked the look of the Legend but ended up with a Sylvan mainly because of the interior layout.

[John Bacon]

I bought a boat last fall; I ended up with a Princecraft Holiday SC DLX. I think it offered the best bang for the buck. I purchased mine from Central Outboard Marine in Markham. They seem like a good dealer.

 

If you go with Legend you will not only have to upgrade the motor but also pay extra for windshield, side bunks, etc. All these things were included with my Princecraft so the price ended up about the same. I think Princecraft is a nicer boat.

 

Regardless of which boat you buy you can expect to pay about $1,200 to $1,500 extra for freight, rigging, etc. Kind of like buying a car; the advertised price is only a starting point.

 

In financial terms, I think a 2 stroke is a better deal. You can save $2,600 + tax by buying a 50 hp 2 stroke verses a 50 hp 4 stroke. I don't think the 4 stroke will save $3k in gas or net an extra $3k at resell time. Four strokes will polute less; you can decide if it is worth paying extra for that.

[BillM]

Love our Legend as well, 15' widebody but we put the biggest motor possible on it (40hp 4stroke Honda) and even loaded to the gills it scoots for a tiller.. No complaints at all.. Extremely stable, handles the big water just fine.

Edited July 23, 2010 by BillM

[walleyejack]

I have a 16ft Lund Mr Pike, older boat, leaks nary a drop, interior is still good,not perfect but good, 75hp merc, good value i believe.

[bow slayer]

well not to be the negative one towards legend but 3 people I know personally have had problems with their legends,mostly with leaking hulls,and 2 of them complain about the fit and finish of the interior,just saying............. on another note definately max out the motor or at least as much as you can afford.I have a 16 ft s/c starcraft that came packaged with a 40 4 stroke,it is rated for a 75,in june I upgraded to a 70 hp 4-stroke,all I can say is WOW what a difference.

[spincast]

Hey ch312

I see you live in my neck of the woods. I looked around all winter and spring, ended up buying a used starcraft from proctor marine. These guys have been great, and they have an unusual approach to selling. They just tell it like it is and let you decide. No pressure, no gimmicks - and they know their stuff. They are an agent for Princecraft among others. Not sure what your budget is but they got a real nice looking 2009 17 footer for sale right now:My link

Good luck with that search,and let us kn ow what you come up with

[ch312]

thanks for all the info so far

 

im having trouble deciding on which length to get now. i figure i am going to spend the money so i might as well get the boat that i'll likely have for the next 20 years unless i start having problems with it. i've had my 14 foot tinner out on lake erie a few times in 3-4ft waves and i dont think its too bad. but, the rough ride and nervous passengers make me want to get a boat suited for the job. i also want to get riggers and start going after bows and walleye rather than sticking to perch and bass. so, 16, 17, or 18ft?

 

i've been searching and there arent too many used boats out there that have what i want. ill choose that route if i find exactly what i want, but it doesnt look promising.

[dave524]

I deliberated on the 16 vs. 18 footer years ago. I had the boat narrowed down to a Sylvan Rodmaster but the price jump held me back, then I found a dealer that had a last years demo model V4 Johnson tilt and trim that he would let go with warranty for the same price as a new 3 banger 70hp, so I powered the 18' with that instead of a 16' with a 70hp. Everytime I went out on the water, Salmon on Ontario or Erie Eyes I was glad I had the 18, ran it for 20 years, I'm sure if I had the 16' I would have upgraded at some point.

 

I see on the link that Spincast posted a Starcraft 19 Fishmaster with a 2007 115hp Etec, the price didn't look too bad, unforunately it is sold. IMHO that would be a sweet rig for what you want, think you be very happy with a rig in that class. I launched solo most of the time and no problems with that size of rig.

[Fish Farmer]

Just don't buy a CRACKER!!

[danbouck]

If it's just for Erie and big lakes, I would go for a 19 - 20 footer that is DEEP. Starcraft makes some big hulls that would be perfect for Erie.

 

http://www.starcraftmarine.com/Showroom/Specifications.aspx?TypeId=18&SeriesId=130&ModelId=1092&Type=Aluminum&Series=Fishmaster&Model=196

[Guest Johnny Bass]

My bro's been shopping for a boat too. No deals out there.

 

There was one last November but its hard buying a boat and having it sit in the garage for 7 months.Plus it was all the way in Windsor.

 

Was a 16 foot Lowe 2 fishfinders, GPS, swim ladder, trolling motor, built in tank,75 hp 4 stroke Yamaha(2001/3). Full windshield(If I'm not mistaken)and much much more $9,999. Should have grabbed it!

 

The next boat I get must be a 4 stroke and preferably with a bow or floor rod holder. I wonder if the built in tanks are good or bad. I was thinking of a trolling motor with auto pilot, but I hear they are headaches and a lowrance/GPS fishfinder. With enough room at the back so a partner can fish comfortably.Many boats come with this one thin strip right across the back. Bass boats have a big platform on back but not enough floor space for all my tackle.

 

Apparently there are all kinds of deals in the states but its a gamble.

[bow slayer]

check out these guys http://www.pier74.com/inventory.php?cat=fishing they did have a nice selection of bigger fishing boats. I hummed and hahwed over the 1850 Fishawk before deciding to buy a new motor for my boat. I believe he still has the 18 ft Lowe with a yammy.They are located just outside London.

[Pigeontroller]

Go to Bay City Marine in Hamilton, check out the Alumacraft line.

 

4 Stroke.

 

If you are planning on Great Lakes fishing, bigger is better. 18-20 feet.

 

DO NOT get an under powered boat for the Great Lakes, your life mnay depend on getting the hell off the water fast!!!

[cityfisher]

well not to be the negative one towards legend but 3 people I know personally have had problems with their legends,mostly with leaking hulls,and 2 of them complain about the fit and finish of the interior,just saying............. on another note definately max out the motor or at least as much as you can afford.I have a 16 ft s/c starcraft that came packaged with a 40 4 stroke,it is rated for a 75,in june I upgraded to a 70 hp 4-stroke,all I can say is WOW what a difference.

 

+1 .. my bro has a Legend and it leaks all the time and needs to fixed up with putty every year or so.. Note he has had it for 8 years and under pretty heavy usage... on the other hand the 25 hp 4 stroke has been amazing...it is underpowered thought.. but MERC reliability is impressive