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Bowriders are among the easiest boats to maintain, but the maintenance you skip is exactly the maintenance that becomes expensive.
A practical maintenance schedule for bowrider boats: engine servicing, drive care, upholstery, trailer maintenance and annual costs.
Flush the engine if you have been in salt water, hose the hull, deck and trailer, and open every locker to dry. Wipe upholstery down and never leave it wet under a closed cover, which is how mould starts.
Outboards: engine oil and filter, gear oil, spark plugs, water pump impeller every two to three years, anodes checked. Stern drives: engine oil, drive oil, bellows inspection, gimbal bearing grease, anodes, and impeller.
Budget roughly 1-3 percent of the boat's value per year for routine servicing on a well-kept boat.
In salt water the trailer usually fails before the boat. Grease bearings annually, check brake lines and wiring, inspect the winch strap, and replace rusted rollers before they mark the hull.
In order of frequency: dead batteries, seized or corroded trailer components, cracked upholstery from UV, water in the bilge from a failed drain plug or bellows, and fuel problems from stale petrol. Almost all of it is prevented by covering the boat and using it regularly.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best selling bowrider size, Light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
15.5 ft fibreglass Bayliner bowrider with stern drive power — entry level pricing and a classic convertible bowrider layout.
US$26,000 - US$34,000 new
Buying & Owning
The Costs of Owning a Bowrider Boat
Engines & Drives
Bowriders with Stern Drives
Buying & Owning
Second Hand Bowrider Boats
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Bowrider Boats for Families
How You'll Use It
Bowrider Boats for Fishing
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Bowrider Boats for Water Ski
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Bowrider Boats for Leisure
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How Do Bowrider Boats Ride?
Featured Boat of the 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
On the Water
The layout is the whole point of a bowrider. Open the bow, seat people where the view is best, and the same hull becomes a picnic boat, a swim platform, a ski boat and a fishing boat. Here is what each area does and what to look for. Two facing lounges run forward from the windscreen, usually seating two to four people, with backrests moulded into the hull sides and cushions over deep storage lockers. Longer lounges are worth seeking out because they allow adults to stretch out and double as sun beds at anchor. Good bow areas include filler cushions that turn the whole space into a single sun pad, an insert table for picnics, drink holders, speakers, a bow ladder or step-through gate, and a cover or tonneau for towing and rougher water. Check the depth of the bow sides too — shallow sides feel exposed at speed. The helm seat should adjust fore and aft, offer a flip-up bolster for standing, and give a clear sightline over the bow when the boat is planing. A dash with room for a chartplotter, clean switch layout and readable gauges makes every trip easier. Opposite it, the companion seat may be a simple bucket, a…
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