Help ID this boat and advice needed

rlongfield · #1 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009

Can anyone help me ID this boats make and model?

Also what length of boat should I be looking at for day/weekend sailing on the great lakes that would be able to sleep 2 adults and 2 kids? I was thinking somewhere around 25 feet. I know this might depend on the layout of the cabin but I would like to start to focus my research.

Please let me what length of boat or even what boat you would recommend. Also I'd really like to know what type of boat is in the picture attached.

Thanks,
-Rob

Jeff_H · #2 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009

Its a little difficult to tell from this angle but that looks like a Bayliner Buccaneer 240 in one or other of its various forms. Pretty junky boats on all counts.

Jeff

rlongfield · #3 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009

Thanks Jeff for the tip. I do know the boat is 25 feet in length and it really doesn't look like the buccaneers I've seen online. Doesn't mean you are not right.
I've been searching through a bunch of pictures of 25 footers to see if I could ID it and the closest I came was an O'Day but I just stumbled on a Buccaneer 24 and it really really looks like the same boat.

Faster · #4 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009

The hull/deck joint, the striping, the rudder arrangement and the underbody all scream Buccaneer -
Step away from that boat... no matter the price you can and will do better!

jgeissinger · #5 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009

Run, do not walk away! It is a buyers market and there are a lot of really nice boats out there for bargain prices.

modul8 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009

what are you looking for in a boat? that will help us to narrow it down for you.

rlongfield · #7 (**permalink**) 05-01-2009

I knew it, found a boat at a decent price and it ends up that it wants to kill me

Thanks for all the advice, I did some further research and found a court case with a buck and the deaths of a number of people, scary stuff and something I don't want to expose my family to.

I'm looking for something that I can mainly go day sailing on with friends and family and a few weekend trips here and there while I get the family used to sailing and I get used to sailing with a family

I dream of week long get-a-ways and entire summers sailing around the great lakes and eventually a trip south to the Caribbean but those are years of experience and most likely a few boats away.

So basically something that would be good for day sailing, weekending with 2 small kids and 2 adults.

Faster · #8 (**permalink**) 05-01-2009

Look for smaller "camper" boats to start, like Catalina 22s, or the smaller Rangers and Cals, maybe a Viking 22 if you're on the Lakes, a Shark 24 is another great starter boat.

Do you want a trailerable boat? or would you rather have the boat in the water and ready to go at all times? And, of course, also important is how much you're able to spend. You might do this for a couple of grand, or $20K...

mstern · #9 (**permalink**) 05-01-2009

I had the same wish list when I went looking 10 years ago. Here is what I did:

My three main criteria: large cockpit to make daysailing comfortable and fun; maximum privacy for the head to encourage the Admiral and our friends to be comfortable out on the boat all day (we had experience with the "head in the cabin" arrangements on small boats, and there was a universal dislike of having to close up the cabin with hatchboards to get privacy); cost of less than $10,000.

Three boats made the short list: the Oday 23, Oday 25 and the Catalina 25. I wound up with the Oday 23, mostly because there was one available in my area in great shape at a good price. The Catalina 25 was a close second, but was about $3000 more. Pros of the Oday 23 (and really the 25 too, as they are very similar in design): big cockpit, head behind a real door, keel/centerboard design sturdy and simple; very handy in shallow areas where I sail. Con's: Oday is out of business; nothing less than 20 years old available. Catalina 25 pros: big cockpit, pop top models allow standing headroom for cruising, nice layout below (especially the dinette version IMHO), Catalina in business and supports model; lots of availability. Con's: door to cabin/head is flimsy; swing keel is mechanical and requires maintenance and is just too much weight swinging around for my taste (although I do like the fin keel model); pricier than Oday.

In general, I would go with the boat (whichever model) is in better shape. All other things being equal, if you really want to cruise, I would lean towards the Catalina 25. If you really think that daysailing is what you would be doing, I would lean towards the Oday 23.

Enjoy the hunt!

rlongfield · #10 (**permalink**) 05-01-2009

Thanks for all the advice what do you guys think about a Mac 25? Just curious as it was one boat that I was looking at.