When to buy a boat?

[Ace]

I'm thinking of maybe getting a boat in the next year or two. Is there a better time to buy a boat to get the best price..maybe at the boat show, end of season..not sure when...

Any tips and advice would be great. Generally thinking about a Crestliner sport fish or Lund Tyee as a starting point.

Thanks
Ace

[JohninAB]

Buy in February at the latest cause if you wait till the boat show you could be waiting for up to 10 weeks to get your boat. Bought mine February 28 and picked it up March 24, those who waited till the boat show were looking at up to the 3rd week of June till they get their boat as dealers only stock so much inventory.

[KyleM]

I dont think Id buy one here....
If you venture to Ontario (I know, its a long hike)
You can buy new old stock at under dealer cost.

Best time to buy here would most likely be in the fall but I know
in Ontario the best time is spring.

[Winch101]

Buy a Crestliner and go to Free Spirit Marine in Edmonton .

Right now is best till July 1 , buy one they have in stock ,

See what they have then go on net and shop a few other dealers .

Their service is second to none ...

And nice people ....

[JohninAB]

I second Free Spirit Marine!

[elnino54]

Anytime is a good time to by a boat........check out the link below. You'de be amazed at the prices of used boats, especially south of the border......
http://www.yachtworld.com/

[bighorn1]

Not sure if you are dead set on a crestliner or lund but will have one for sale in the fall. It is a 17 foot smokercraft ( Sylvan Basically) with a 90h optimax, is a 2007 model and has elec trolling motor, gps, fish finder, custom trailer ( entire underside sheeted fro gravel roads) custom built tarp ( covers right down to trailer and can leave trolling motor on as well),]complete fishing tops( full enclosure ) aluminum wheels and will have around 40 hrs on it by then. I hate to sell it but have outgrown it, son has taken up wakeboarding and need something different.

Also has stainless quicksilver vengance prop.

Pm me if you are at all interested.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Not sure if you are dead set on a crestliner or lund but will have one for sale in the fall. It is a 17 foot smokercraft ( Sylvan Basically) with a 90h optimax, is a 2007 model and has elec trolling motor, gps, fish finder, custom trailer ( entire underside sheeted fro gravel roads) custom built tarp ( covers right down to trailer and can leave trolling motor on as well),]complete fishing tops( full enclosure ) aluminum wheels and will have around 40 hrs on it by then. I hate to sell it but have outgrown it, son has taken up wakeboarding and need something different.

Also has stainless quicksilver vengance prop.

Pm me if you are at all interested.

That there is a nice boat not even having to see it . I was looking at Sylvanès as a first entry size boat there really nice units , same haul as the crestliner and lund , I was talking to the crestliner rep and said that all 3 boat companys are made in the same factory just a diffrent name and paint job on them is all is differant. And for 25,000 for a 18 ft Sylvan all the toys you could hope for gps , fish finder 2 live wells a bait well , lots of storage , I got a chubby looking at the thing , to bad I still have truck payments but those are almost nearing the end. Then A Boat it is .

[JohninAB]

BBJ, Sylvan and Smokercraft are made by the same company. They are not owned by Brunswick as Lund and Crestliner are.

[Waxy]

Anytime is a good time to by a boat........check out the link below. You'de be amazed at the prices of used boats, especially south of the border......
http://www.yachtworld.com/

I'll second this.

I think anytime is the right time.

Do your homework and get a good handle on what you want, it's availability, and the average cost. Armed with that info you can look year round, and when the right deal comes up, you'll know it and be able to jump on it.

There are GREAT deals to be had south of the border on used boats. Unfortunately, the further south you go, the better the deal, so it does involve some driving and expense, but it's more than worth it. The import procedure is a breeze, so don't let that scare you. Send me a PM if you're interested, and I'll pass on the list of websites and classified pages I used to find my boat last fall.

Waxy

[Chris K]

Sylvan, Smokercraft, and Legend are all the same hulls. The Legends are made in indiana right next to the Sylvan's and Smokers, then the Legend hulls are shipped to Dewar and Duhammel in Sudbury and finished at the Legend factory. John, the hulls are not the same as a Lund on the models you mentioned. They may have been the same or similar looking many years ago, but with Lund's IPS and IPS 2 hulls, there are very large differences in performance and handling. As well with functional useable interior layout and space, there are many differences as well (smaller livewells, less storage, construction). Compare apples to apples when looking at different boats and manufacturers and when you do that pricing is not that different. Typically buying a boat at a boat show you get the best factory incentives from the manufacturer on boats and outboards. Keep in mind that boat model years uaually run from July to July, so the 2009's will be out soon. Or the dealer might have a non current with full warranty at a blow out price. Take time and shop for deals, and compare apples to apples on everything you look at. No matter what fits your budget and your needs, remember that it's a lot cheaper to spend a little more at first than it is to upgrade later to what you wish you would have had. Chris K

[JohninAB]

Chris has hit the nail squarely on the head BBJ. Must admit though, earlier models of the Lunds I have been in always seemed to have such small livewells but they have addressed that now in their newer models.

As for hull design, big differences in hulls designs from one make to the other. Can have variable degree deadrise, to reverse chine etc. Another overlooked factor that makes a huge difference in performance is the width of your boat at the transom. A wider width here will give you a boat that will get up on plane faster and usually be more fuel efficient.

As for the boat show, the package we got at the end of February was supposed to be the boat show special price, but at the boat show, the price was $500 more for the same package. Go figure.

[hogsmoker]

Hey Bigbadjohn

The sylvan hulls are not the same as the crestliners or lunds, I've owned both and they are different. The sylvan is a lighter hull weight than the crestliner or lund. I owned a Legend and which I believe is the same hull as the sylvan and I owned a crestliner. The legend was no comparison to the crestliner in rough water. Your ribs would take a beating in any kind of chop with the legend. My recommendation would be is look at hull weights before you purchase your boat.

[Buckhead]

There are so many different models made by each company that one cannot really say which make of boats have the best hulls until you look at the specific models you are interested in. Aluminum hull weights can vary a lot depending on the boat length and model etc.

For instance Sylvan and Smokercraft have some boats with substantially heavier hulls than Lund in a comparable length and style of boat. One need to do a bit of research on the web and makers brochures to decide. And there is nothing like crawling around boats in the showroom.

Deciding if you want a good boat in rough water is the easy part. Rough water handling is almost totally dependent on hull shape. For big lakes, big waves you want the biggest, deepest Vee hull you can handle(or afford). Rough water capability goes down from there - the flatter the hull the worse it will be in the rough stuff.

As to when you should buy - now is as good a time as any. With the US dollar valued the way it is you can get some smokin' deals on boat packages right now. Maybe not in Edmonton where the boat dealers are gouging people as much as they can.

In fact, I priced out Crestliners in Manitoba and they are about $5K cheaper than in Edmonton. Imagine that.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

BBJ, Sylvan and Smokercraft are made by the same company. They are not owned by Brunswick as Lund and Crestliner are.

I wont disagree as I dont know can only go by what the crestliner rep had told me , that was at the sportsmen show .

[crudedude]

Check out Craigslist.com.I imported a 2001 Crestliner Superhawk 17ft with a 115hp Merc and 5.5hp kicker both four strokes it was purchased in a package in 2003 the boat and motors are like brand new.No hassle at the border had all my ducks in a row.I paid a little over 10 large.Check out craigs list.com Kelowna for a beautiful Crestliner.:)

[stubblejumper]

I was looking at Sylvanès as a first entry size boat there really nice units , same haul as the crestliner and lund , I was talking to the crestliner rep and said that all 3 boat companys are made in the same factory just a diffrent name and paint job on them is all is differant

Your information is wrong because Crestliner hulls and Lund hulls are manufactured using an entirely different process.Most Crestliner hulls,including the higher end models are welded while all Lund aluminum hulls are riveted.

As for a dealer to buy from,I highly recommend Lac La Biche Sporting Goods.

[Ace]

Thanks for all the info guys. I would have thought the time for a super deal was the boat show. But from the sounds of it, delivery after the sale could be an issue.

Does anybody have any info on quality/service for G3 boats?

Thanks
Ace