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Mantle107

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Hey everyone - hope you are all enjoying the holiday weekend.

So, I've been a freshwater/lake boater for quite some time now and have recently moved to long island. For the first time since I was 14years old I do not have a boat.

I'm looking at a 1998 Sea Ray 270 just to get back in the action and start exploring the water out here. If any of you have any thoughts on that boat I'd love to hear them.

Also, my biggest concern about boating is the water out here. I'm unfamiliar with the water (haven't met too many friends with boats yet) and am trying to do all the research possible even before I get a boat.

I live in the North Shore but am likely to keep it near the Great South Bay - seems like there is a lot to do there, but again, only from reading, no first hand experience.

Any thoughts, comments, places to research, marinas/beaches to check out etc would be extremely helpful.

I can't wait to get a boat and see what LI has to offer - because it seems pretty fantastic!

Thanks!

-Ev
 
Welcome, if you're boating on the south shore make sure youo have a good depth sounder. we have a lack of water here.
 
If that boat has I/O power think twice about it. If you are trailering the boat it's OK but you are most definitely in salt water here and salt water+moored boat+I/O=lots of maintenance. Been there done that here up on the North Shore. I'd re-consider and look for something newer, with outboard power, in the range of 20-22 ft. On the South Shore there are many shallow areas so a straight inboard will require more care and local knowledge of the waters. An I/O or outboard that allows you to trim up will give more flexibility but as I said the I/O will need a lot of maintenance. I can do most of the work myself so it's not a big deal for me but for a non mechanically inclined person it will become burdensome.
Long Island is a great boating area with many beautiful areas to visit and enjoy, but choosing the right boat for local conditions will make it a better experience all around.

North Shore=deeper water but rocks in shallow areas.
South Shore=many more shallow areas but no rocks mostly sandy bottoms.

Make sure you get insurance on any boat you operate and also get towing insurance as well.

Get charts of the areas you want to explore, learn how to read them, they are a good thing to have in addition to a GPS/depthfinder.

Here for moored boats bottom paint is an absolute necessity.

If you live on the North Shore I'd start out there, it will be easier to check on the boat if it's moored and there are many really nice areas to explore here....
 
North Shore Vs. South:
I've never kept a boat on the North Shore, but it looks like there are lots of nice places to go up there too. I'd love to try it for a season.
The South Shore has lots to do, I love it, but it can be shallow in a lot of spots and the traffic can get pretty heavy. Lots of inexperienced people, crazies, fools, and drunks running around down here on weekends in what can sometimes be tight channels. Just stay sober until you get back to the dock and always assume the other guy has no clue and you won't have a problem. Weekdays, early Saturday, and Sunday evening cruises are incredible though.
Holiday weekends are a little crazier. You just need to know how to time it. I was out fishing early yesterday morning with my son on one boat. We had a great time. Then we took friends of ours out on an evening dinner cruise last night with the bigger boat and it was fantastic. You won't catch me out there again until at least tomorrow night though because it isn't worth the grief.
Overall, I'd consider which location was more convenient and presented the best opportunity for dock space that would be best for your purposes. If you get a boat with all the creature comforts, then where you dock it becomes even more important. You probably want to be someplace where you can spend a little quality time on it even when you aren't planning on pulling away from the dock. A working boatyard might be fine for a center console, but a clean marina might be best for a cruiser and well worth the exstra couple of bucks.
Type of boat:
I have a 30' boat with twin I/O's and have no real complaints about maintenance. I change the impellers and oil in the drives before re-launch every spring and find it to be no big deal. Some advocate for every other year on the impellers, but they are cheap enough when I do it myself and with the sandy bottom here I think it is good insurance. You do have to keep an eye on bellows etc., but the upside is that if you wander in to shallow water you can usually avoid real trouble by lifting the drives.
I share a second boat with my uncle that is powered by a 200 HP Merc outboard. The only downside I see to the outboard (besides not knowing much about them) is the price of replacement. Those things are expensive. I have a friend with an older center console powered by twin 175 outboards that we call two time bombs. It is not worth re-powering the boat because of the cost.
I owned an inboard here on the south shore years ago. The upside to the inboard is lower maintenance than the I/O's. The potential downside is if you hit bottom you can cause some real expensive damage. If you stay between the buoys you should have no problem.
The boat you're looking at is a nice one. If you like the boat, the price is right, and it passes inspection and/or survey, go for it.
If you don't get this one, then I would just worry about getting one that fits your lifestyle best and wouldn't be too concerned with whether it's an inboard, outboard, or I/O's. The more you like the boat, the more you'll use it. That's what I think is most important.
I often tell people that, aside from fuel, the cost of owning a boat you use often is about the same as one you use rarely. If that's true, then it makes more sense to get one you'll use more often because you get more for your money.
 
Thanks for the quick responses!I'm looking into a small cabin cruiser because I would like to spend some weekends on the boat; even if its a weekend we never plan on pulling away from the dock. I think a marina is definitely the way to go in that regard. Additionally, I'm leaning towards I/O's - I have had them in the past, can do the majority of the work myself on them and like the fact that I can trim them up if need be.

It seems like a lot of people talk about the channels being narrow and shallow, but if they are marked well and I can track them it should be decent.

I plan on checking out the boat Tuesday - Need to see what kinda shape its in, if not I will just keep looking.
 
Good Luck with the boat search...........remember its a BUYERS market.........there are plenty of boats for sale so don't feel any pressure. The season may seem short......but there's always the next one.
 
I/Os can work here but as I said there are some differences from fresh water areas:
1)Closed cooling is recommended here, open (raw water) cooling can work but overall you will have a longer lasting engine with closed cooling, in fresh water it's a non-issue
2) Exhaust manifolds/risers need to be checked and likely replaced every 5 seasons, this can cost from 600-800 just for parts, again, it's a non-issue in freshwater.
3) You need to have the drive, and transom mount painted with anti fouling paint for aluminum, if you are in a heavy fouling area, you need to put on at least 2 good coats of Trilux or else you will have a mass of barnacles in and around the pivot housing by August, again a non issue in most fresh water regions. Not all of LI is a bad fouling area, but where I am sure is...
4) If you are in a marina with stray currents, an I/O can get eaten up in no time. You have to pay close attention to your anodes and make sure you replace em when necessary. I have not had this issue because I am on a mooring, no docks with shorepower nearby...

just wanted to pass along the issues in running I/Os here in salt water, very different than freshwater...
 
DD Thanks for the heads up. Seems to be many more issues regarding saltwater. I figured it would definitely be more corrosive and lead the boat to more repairs, but knowing what to look for is half the battle, so thank you. (especially never thought about the tides at the marina, very good point)

As far as my boat search goes it is definitely is a buyers market, so I'm going to keep a very keen eye and be extra particular. I assume if I bought a boat tomorrow I wouldn't have it in the water until at least the end of July, leaving only a few months (max) of the season. Part of me wants to buy one tomorrow, and the other side of me says hold out through the winter and truly to steal one after season. I guess it all depends on what is available/for sale.

In terms of navigation, I assume it to be similar to a large lake - Mark the buoys coordinates so if fog/weather/darkness occur you can travel back relatively blind? Also, any particular charts you reccommend?
 
Probably if you visit marinas where you are thinking of keeping the boat, people there can give more specific information. Like what bottom paint works best, what type of trailer works on their ramps, etc. As far as navigation, there are standard charts you can buy at anyplace that sells boating stuff, West Marine, Boaters World, etc. Keep in mind what the water depth change is with the tides. It's different for the different parts of LI. Here on the North Shore, the water depth changes 6-7 feet between high and low tide. High tides are usually 12 hrs apart. So if your slip has 10 feet at high tide it may only have 3-4 at low. I've had mooring spots shallow enough that I had to leave the drive trimmed all the way up to keep the skeg out of the mud at low tide.
It's different on the South Shore but I'm not familiar with the tides and water depth changes there. Get a good depthfinder and pay close attention to it. GPS is good of course, and you need to have a VHF radio in case you need to call for help....
 
Hi Mantle107,
Welcome to Lawn Guyland.
I've never had the kind of boat you're looking at, can't help you there.
Hope that you enjoy your stay.
 
One of the beautiful things about Long Island is you are not restricted to one or the other. You can try the South shore one year and the North shore another.
 
I would rather hit a sandy bottom on the south shore than a boulder on the north shore, besides, there are many islands on the south shore to explore and anchor off of. Follow your GPS and the markers and your all set. I only have issues with shallow water when I go exploring, then I trim it up.. Good luck and welcome to L.I. where their really is alot to do! Must be why so many people live there..
 
Thanks everyone for the well wishes and fantastic advice.

I'm currently scouting marinas on the south shore and still looking for 'the' boat. For all of you with boats in the water now ENJOY the weather and hopefully take some time off - except Double D --> who appears to now be eternally off!

Otherwise, going to pick up some charts tonight and just get familiar with them. Seems that between them, GPS, and a good depthfinder I should be alright. I like exploring a lot, but being new water it will all be exploring at first.
 
....recent retired.....but boatless.

If you havent checked out Blue Marlin boat sales on Merrick Road in Seaford........they have some nice stuff..........Good Luck
 
DoubleD: Congratulations, must feel nice either way - I'm on the upswing of working...got a few strong years ahead of me yet.

Thank you for info. Going to swing by there this week and see what they have. Are you looking for a boat or just taking a little break from it all. If too public a forum to answer no worries at all.
 
No.....I recently sold my 37' Sea Ray .......We're trying a different road.......we bought a 36' motorhome....and are liquidating ALL our " stuff "....and plan to fulltime in the M/H.

Once I get to Florida ( our winter address )....Im planing on getting a small 18'-19' C/C type boat ....on a trailer ...just for some R&R. Thats what caught my eye today when I passed by Blue Marlin....he has a few nice C/C packages. :)
 
Blue marlin has a TON of small center consoles. I just dumped probably 4 grand into an older center console, and could have picked up a nice newer one from BM
 
Hey everyone, just wanted to say thanks for all the good advice....

So, aside from work being crazy the last few weeks, I did manage to pick up a boat - and am heading to the DMV tomorrow morning and will have her in the water this week! Been a long time coming and I'm very excited to start learning the waters out here. Going to keep here on the South Shore (Seaford - b/c its right down the 135 and about the quickest trip to the water!)

Anyway, thanks again - and see you out there.
 
Hey captain - we picked up a 2003 four winns 268. Think she'll be registered and in the water tomorrow over at treasure island in seaford. Where are you in merrick? We looked there first but weren't able to find a place that had room for the trailer. It'd be great to catch up on the water! Let us know your plans for the weekend!
 
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