16 Cruiser

J

John D

New member
My wife and I are interested in buying a 16 foot Cruiser. The dealer in our area, Cutter Marine, does not stock any 16 footers.
Is there any one in the Annapolis, Md or Baltimore, Md area who owns a 16 Cruiser that we could look at before placing an order? We like every thing that we have read about the boat, but it would would be nice to see one.

Thank you,

John D.
 
John,

Do more than see one first - find a way to go out on one first! It says a lot for the boats that people buy them without going out on them, but it really helps to get out on one. For example, my wife and I jumped in and bought a 16, my wife had been out in one, thanks to a local C-Brat, but once the two of us spent some time on a 16, we found out it wasnt quite right for us. We had it for all of three months, before selling it and moving up to a 19 Angler. The 19 turned out to be more of what we wanted (of course we may end up in something else next year).
But - take a ride first.

Tom
 
tom&shan":2ln6i5r8 said:
Do more than see one first - find a way to go out on one first! It says a lot for the boats that people buy them without going out on them, but it really helps to get out on one.
Click to expand...

Living where we do, sea trials are commonplace, but where I moved here from (Utah) it was almost impossible. And when I bought my Hewescraft from a dealer in Mt. Vernon back in the '90s, no sea trial was available. I always thought I was slightly nuts buying the Hewescraft without a test drive, but it worked out OK.

Question for the multitudes: how many of you have bought a boat without going out on it first?

Warren

P.S. I did have a sea trial on the Tom Cat!
 
HI WARREN,
I'VE PURCHASED 8 BOATS. SEA TRIALED ALL EXCEPT A 15' CANOE, AND SHOULD HAVE SEA TRIALED THAT ONE. HAD I DONE SO I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. WASN'T A BIG DEAL, ONLY $300. SOLD IT SHORTLY AFTER. I BOUGHT THAT TO USE BY MYSELF. FOUND OUT THAT THE BOW WOULD RISE OUT OF THE WATER AND THE WIND AND CURRENT WOULD JUST CAUSE ME ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
OTHER THAN THAT ONE, ALL OFFERS WERE CONTINGENT UPON A SUCCESSFUL SEA TRIAL.
GOOD LUCK.
PAT
 
John,

I live in Ocean Pines near Ocean City, Maryland and have a 16 Cruiser. If you get down this way I would be happy to take you for a ride.

Dick
 
I have made bids and put the sale contingent on sea trial at some distance. I did buy a rinker 270 without sea trial. But I had ridden in a year older model (and the one I bought had a better hull). I was susposed to have a sea trail, but Lake Michgan froze the night before the sea trial. I rand the engine on muffs, and had a mechanic do compression--but the boat was only 3 months old, and 30 hours, so I didn't anticipate problems.

I also purchased my Force 50 without sea trail--it was an as is, where is, but again, an almost new boat.

The Cal 46 I owned, had 2 feet of growth on the bottom and no engine, so I purchased it with no seal trial (but again a really cheap price), knowing I would re-build all systems.
 
Yeah, but you had probably been on a Cal 46 and Force 50, etc. before, no? In my case there were few to no Hewescraft in Utah. I should have pressed the dealer on a sea trial, but I was too naive and ignorant then. (Not that I am a whole lot better now! :oops:)

Warren
 
I bought a whaler from a guy in Boise Idaho without ever even seeing it, other than some e-mailed pictures. Sent him a check on a monday, and met him in Boise on Saturday and hauled it away. Worked out great. If buyer and seller are both members of a site like this one (which we were in the Boise experience) it makes it much more comfortable.
 
I bought my 1981 "Hunky Dory" without a sea trial from the used boats on this site. I saw the ad, emailed him and saw it two dys later. I did the pocket knife poke around the transom, fired up the 1988 Johnson and wrote a cheque. It's been running great since.
Jimbo
 
I answered an ad placed in the for sale section of C-Brats. Talked to a fellow in Washington and sent him a deposit. Drove up and had a ride on the Columbia river. I got a good boat. The guy said he would ship me the canvas cockpit cover however and I never did receive it. I inquired twice. no answer the second time.


JT
:(
 
Want to post a big THANK YOU to Dick -- skipper of Sea Esta. He was kind enough to, on very short notice, let us visit his CD 16 in Ocean Pines MD. No sea trial but got a good idea of the boats capabilities and limitations.

Something to chew on as we travel back to Las Vegas NV.

Bill Uffelman
 
Bought my boat on the trailer. Was two months before I ever had it in the water. Not only did I buy my boat without a sea trial, I bought my last truck without ever going for a road test or even starting the engine. I did sit in it before the purchase.
________
Dave dlt.gif
 
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