Baha cruisers

[stevietangles]

Looking for insight on late model Baha boats. I see there is one for sale on the board and just wondering if any owners on

here or previous owners can fill me in as to the overall quality, fit and finish, ride, ease of operation, construction. Does

anyone know of any faults with the Ford 351 Cleveland inboards? I have been looking at newer Sportcrafts in the 25 foot

range but all the deals seem to have gone south. I am interested in the 1989 Baha weekender for sale on the board and just

looking for your input.

-What is the mechanical advantage of having a complete inboard with transmission compared to a I/O???

-How long do fiberglass boats last if well cared for???

This boat is going on 21 years old how much life is left in her?? I would like to buy a boat and have it last for at least 5

years without loosing my shirt on it.

Its either I find a smaller newer boat like a late ninety early 2000, or buy a bigger older boat.

Im confused.

[Gray Fox]

Cant comment on the bahas but can comment as for the age of glass boats. Our Penn Yan is a 1989 and has been well cared for (indoor winter storage, regular maintenance, etc). and we had it surveyed last winter and the digital tests showed that the transom, stringers, motor mounts, etc. were all solid and in great shape. Not sure if it helped but any holes we put in the boat have been resiliconed every year and we try to keep the boat covered as much as possible when not in use.

[landingzone]

In my opinion:

351 Fords are good engines

Straight inboards are less problematic and easier to maintain than I/O's

Twin inboards are best, single inboards are sometimes a little hard to maneuver at the dock

Twin inboards are rare in a boat less than 28'

The single biggest concern in boats over 10-15 yrs. old is rot in stringers, transom, or bulkheads.

Stringer rot is common in older Baha's (as in many other boat brands).

I had a 31' Baha and learned the hard way. Just paid for a survey on a 1988 29' Penn Yan Prowler in OH, & found stringer, transom, and bulkhead rot.

Always get a survey by a competent individual before you buy!!

Dick

[Tall Tails]

I agree with Dick 150% You should have any Baha Surveyed before you purchase it. And I own one! LOL! Please PM me with any questions as I purchased an 89 that was "surveyed" and I lost my shirt on the deal. I now own a 92 28 Baha Fisherman. As far as a Baha goes if it is solid you will not find a better Hull for rough water period. And I am sure I will take flack for that comment! LOL! My guess would be if it hasnt had bulkheads and stringers done in the last 5 years its going to need them as well as a transom. I am not saying that is the specific boat you are looking at I am just saying what I know on pre 92 Baha's. Let me just say again That I love Baha's they are the best rough water boat, but you gotta know what you are purchasing. As for the 351 Clevelands they are bullet proof. It probably also had Borg-Warner transmissions which are also bullet proof.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

P.S. Older sport crafts also have Bulkhead and stringer issues. But then again pre 90 Tiara's also have bulkhead rot so it is the nature of Beast!!!!!!!!!

Brian

[W.W.IV.]

Like the others said, get a survey.I had a new Baha sport Fisherman1989 28ft. and I loved it. It was a great charter boat that would handle 8fters if you had to.It had twin Ford 302s inboards in it and never had a problem the ten years I had it. I thought it was easy on gas but gas was under $1.75 a gal. It didn't have electronic ignishion it had points, I loved that also because I didn't worry about the black box's going bad. The engines were a snap to tune and easy to change the oil.Had a servey in 99 and it was solid, know rot.I did find a drain plug behind the forward bilge pump the first time i changed the oil that I didn't know about, when I pulled it, it drained a lot of water that I think came from the rope locker. that may have started some of the rot problems. The engines were thought to be good for about 5000 hours if they were maintined properly.Hope you find a good one.

[stevietangles]

what would u guys do?

would you purchase a newer smalller boat lets say a 22-25 footer maybe a sportscraft or trophy, or would you look for a

older solid boat like a 26-31 footer like a baha or trojan.

i have always had smaller boats up to 22 feet but looking for something bigger. i like how the larger boats have inboards

leaving you more back deck compared to the I/O

jjust loking for some advice

thanks

[Pj Weber]

I have a 23' baha 230 fisherman that I bought earlier this year and I love it. There are some issues but I think that it is because it sat for 2 years before I bought it. Mine is also a 1988 but it runs great seems to be very sea worthy handled some 4 to 6 footers no problem. I would have the survey done and they tell you it's good pull the trigger!! You have to make the call yourself but I would buy another baha. Just my two cents. PJ

[times two]

I just finished my second year with a 23' Seaswirl Striper. Like any boat, there

are a few things I would do different if I could design it....like make the doors

at the transom more than 1" wider than a battery!!! But overall, its been

really great. If you go that route, let me know, I'd be happy to talk to you

about her.

John

[Ira Jones Marine Surveyor]

What ever you do hire a SAMS Marine Surveyor prior to purchasing any boat of that vintage. SAMS has a web sitte that will list all the surveyors in your area. Also, try to fing one that was not chartered.

Ira Jones AMS

http://www.Digitalmarinesurveys.com