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Buying Advice
Choosing Your First Bowrider Boat
Your first boat teaches you what you actually want in your second. The trick is to make that lesson cheap. A first bowrider should be easy to launch, easy to drive, cheap to keep and simple to sell — everything else is a bonus.
Start with the right size
For most first-time buyers, 4.8-5.8 m (16-19 ft) is the sweet spot. Boats this size tow behind ordinary vehicles, fit in a standard garage or side yard, launch single-handed, and carry four to six people comfortably. They are also forgiving to dock, because you can push them off a pontoon by hand.
Resist the urge to buy 7 m as a first boat. Bigger boats cost more to store, need more capable tow vehicles and heavier trailers, and are far less relaxing to manoeuvre while you are still learning. Plenty of owners upsize later; almost nobody regrets starting smaller.
Power and drive for a first boat
A single modern four-stroke outboard is the easiest introduction to boat ownership. It starts reliably, services simply, tilts clear at the ramp and can be flushed in minutes. Aim for a mid-range engine option rather than the smallest one offered — an underpowered boat struggles to plane with a full load, which is when boats feel worst.
Sterndrives are perfectly good boats but ask more of a first-time owner, and older carburetted engines ask more still. If you buy a sterndrive, budget for a proper inspection of bellows, drive and transom before you hand over money.
New, used, or nearly new
Buying two to four years old is the value sweet spot: the steepest depreciation has happened, the boat is still under or near warranty, and modern reliability means little has worn out. Buying new buys peace of mind and dealer support at a premium.
Buying older than about fifteen years means you must inspect properly. Soft floors, spongy transoms, damp stringers, corroded wiring and cracked upholstery are the expensive faults, and none of them show up on a five-minute test drive. Pay for a survey if the boat costs more than a used car.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
The three most common are buying too big, buying too complex, and forgetting the trailer. A tired trailer with seized bearings and perished tyres will ruin more weekends than any engine, and it is the cheapest thing on the package to fix before you buy.
Also budget beyond the boat: safety gear, covers, fenders, ropes, a service, registration and a first fill of fuel add up quickly. Keep ten per cent of your budget aside for setting up properly, take a boat handling course, practise docking on a quiet weekday, and you will enjoy your first season instead of surviving it.
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Featured Boat of the Week
Bayliner Bayliner DX2000 — Our Featured Bowrider This Week
This week we are putting the Bayliner Bayliner DX2000 in the spotlight, and it earns the spot. At 20 ft 2 in (6.16 m) long on a 8 ft (2.44 m) beam, this is a bowrider that reads the water well and still feels roomy enough for a full day out. A 20-foot deck-boat-width bowrider with outboard power and a huge social cockpit. Power comes from 115-150 hp mercury fourstroke outboard through a outboard package, and the fibreglass hull keeps the ride settled when the afternoon breeze puts a chop on the surface.
Seating is rated for 8 people, so there is space for family, friends, towels, eskies and the tow rope without anyone climbing over gear. Owners tend to buy it for family, water ski, leisure — which is exactly where it shines. Fuel is 30 us gal (114 l), and on the second-hand and new market you should expect to land somewhere around US$42,000 - US$58,000 new depending on hours, trailer and options.
Our full deep dive covers the layout in detail: bow lounge comfort, helm ergonomics, the rear entertaining area, storage that actually swallows a weekend, plus standard features, popular options and honest notes on where the boat compromises. If the Bayliner DX2000 is on your shortlist, start there — and check back next week, because the featured boat changes every week as we complete more full model reviews.
Featured Bowrider Article
Bowrider Accessories Worth Buying
Ownership
Every boat comes with an options list twice as long as it needs to be. After a season on the water, owners tend to agree strongly about which extras earn their keep and which never leave the locker. Here is where the money is well spent. A properly fitted cover is the highest-value accessory in boating. It protects upholstery, keeps rain out of the bilge, slows gelcoat fade and preserves resale. A supported travel cover that suits both towing and storage is worth paying extra for. Next, a bimini top. Shade turns a hot afternoon into a full day out, especially with children aboard, and modern quick-fold or powered biminis stow neatly. Then a good boarding ladder if the standard one is short, and quality lifejackets that people will actually wear rather than tolerate. Beyond the legal minimum, the gear that genuinely matters is a reliable anchor with adequate chain and rope for your water, a second battery with an isolator, a handheld VHF, a decent hand bilge pump, a torch, a basic tool and spares kit, and a fuel filter you can change. For coastal use add an EPIRB or PLB and a chartplotter with sonar. Being able to see depth, mark a ramp…
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