I am all about the Carver yachts. Being solo the smaller sink/closets don't bother me at all. My 'home' now is a travel trailer. And yes, I want the sundeck with the enclosure. I have 7 grandchildren, and would use every inch of space when they're with me. I prefer the aft cabin set up as well. I know once I really begin to shop brokers will try to steer me into something they think I should want. Good tips here, thanks you guys. Long time sub and have always enjoyed your in depth and informative videos.
Yeah believe it or not, my husband is a boat mechanic and we actually scored a FREE boat and after $1,500 in parts and a little cleaning up, we are cruising! Tonight was our first night sleeping on the boat and its AWESOME!!! Its a 1988 34-footer. We need to update the inside a little, but it FLIES!!! THANK U FOR THE INFORMATIVE VIDEO Cruz we need all the help we can get.
Great , i love that you are willing to share all the financial info with us. You have no idea how that helps when I am just in the planning stage. Nobody else shares the numbers. That's what we all need to know. I am so glad you took the bay liner. I do think they are undervalued and like you if you hunt you can find a great one. Its hard because you don't know what you need until you need it. How much do you think you will spend on upgrades .
Thanks.. glad the sharing is helpful. We'll spend on upgrades what we're comfortable spending (which means, we don't know yet.. but we'll share after we have ;) ).
Really like the financial disclosure part. So many people are shy or afraid to discuss actual costs involved but that discussion is so helpful for folks who are trying to make up their minds on big decisions. Nice Job on the Boat!!
Thank you very much for the info, Cherie & Chris. This is helpful to us, as we are just beginning our search for our first boat. Looking forward to more videos on your journey through the Great Loop. Safe and happy travels!
Hard to beat a 4788 for that size of boat. When they rebranded to Meridian, the 4788 is the only boay they didn't redesign... must be a reason for that :)
I always liked Bayliners because you get a lot of boat for your money. I think you made a great choice. Wouldn't want to go blue water boating but for you it is great.
So much about the Bayliner 4788 is fantastic but the below-decks quarters are claustrophobic for me and other people I have known. If you are okay with the accommodations then it is a home run great boat and you are lucky. There is so much to love about the design especially for the price. BTW I have had three Bayliners including two command bridge models and I would not hesitate to have another more recent model. There was a time in the 70' and early 80's when Bayliner had a huge lineup and churned boats out like street tacos and the very early larger models were a bit flimsy though just fine for protected waters but when they noticed they were having problems the entire line underwent a complete makeover in design and materials that stiffened and strengthened everything. Bayliners from the 90's on are so much better and well made that they almost should have changed their name. My first command bridge was awesome and I loved it and never had any problem and ran the daylights out of it but it would squeek and rattle a bit in a heavy chop. My newer larger one was confidence inspiring and incredibly stiff and solid even in horrific seas. Just watching this video and seeing the details of the 4788 is such a pleasure. I feel almost ashamed to say I felt claustrophobic below decks because I would buy a 4788 in a heartbeat. I have been aboard about 4 or 5 of these including the very first hull and I think you made an excellent choice.
We haven't found the below deck quarters to be an issue at all for us.. the front stateroom is far bigger than our RV :) And we spend most our time in the salon, which is wide open.
Fantastic video. Really enjoyed this one, hearing your thought processes and the evolution of your decision making process. Looks like you're setting yourselves up to have a very happy adventure!
Interesting story about how you decided on the Bayliner Pilothouse. Actually it’s a very sizable solid boat that may not have the pizazz some of the higher end boats do but they will get the job done. I’ve always like the Bayliner Pilothouse boats and with planning on 3 years doing the loop the space will be nice to have. I’ve been a live aboard since 2003 and love it. No plans to move a shoe anytime soon. I don’t know how old this video is but I hope all has gone well and you’re living your dream.
Thanks... nearly four years later, and we love our 4788 (and have only done 1000 mile of the loop, but who's counting?). Loving the cruising life in general.
Really enjoy all your videos. Really excited you're taking to water for a while. Hurry up...get going! Saw your video where you are separating your channels and somewhere I think I heard you say you weren't really going to make it a travelogue. That's a shame if true. Half the reason a lot of us watch videos like yours is we can get a little sense of the adventure along with you. I wish you would take a single camera, mount it up top and just let it run every day. Maybe pause when not underway but I love watching a trip on water in real time. No dialogue, no tour guide, just experiencing the ride as if there. I know bandwidth is expensive and time consuming to upload, but just shoot and save. Minimal editing to save time. You may be glad you did down the road. And I would watch every minute, every bend in the waterway, every boring shoreline ugly power plant, everything. Please give it a thought. Again, time to get underway!
Oh gosh.. not sure there would be many tuning in for that :) And would be a bear to manage bandwidth, time and storage wise. We are going to do our best to capture some video along the way and integrate in some travelogue stuff of each leg... but our focus has always been more the whys, hows and philosophy behind travel. Hopefully with our slower pace of travel we can find a balance to do both. But this is our hobby, not our job :)
I understand perfectly. Oh wait...I could come along, watch over the camera, i'd bring my own bandwidth, sleep on the salon couch, would I need to bring my own food? Seriously, will be watching what ever you post. Have dreamed about doing the great loop myself when retired, but surprisingly my first mate is not enthralled by the idea. So I settle for other's videos. GOOD LUCK.
Really impressed with the intelligence you applied to the selection, search, financing, and purchase aspects of your project. I have been an owner of power- and sailboats for pretty much my whole life and my approach is exactly like yours. I see so many people just randomly flailing around in the sea of choices, making poor, anti-economic decisions. Just the fact that you applied actual mathematical analysis to your financing decision is, frankly, amazing. It seems obvious, doesn't it? But I've run in to too many people that are firmly convinced they're better off spending every last penny to pay cash for the thing, leaving them with nothing in reserve, and nothing invested earning a rate of return that in today's market conditions will quite likely stay ahead of the cost of financing. Best wishes to you both on your trip!
And then I read your other site and discovered that we're both in the tech industry. I've been in the IT/Engineering field my whole life. I find it to be effective in paying for the boats :). So yeah, now I definitely get it. BTW the issue of the age of the vessel and ability to obtain financing is a crucial one that I suspect pops up as a nasty surprise to many people. As you said, At 20+ it becomes harder to find, and at 30+ it's probably nearly non-existent. What are your thoughts about this for the future when you are ready to sell? Difficulty in obtaining financing can narrow your audience of potential buyers, effectively forcing the resale price downwards in discontinuous steps at those age points. I'm thinking about this a lot as I plan my future boat which will likely be in the 20+ bracket when I buy, and 30+ when I sell.
Just all part of the cost of owning a boat, and a consideration in the price we were willing to pay. Same thing happens to RVs, except they generally age out of being able to be financed at 10 years old.
I've owned several boats over the years starting off with Bowriders and working my way through Cuddy Cruisers, fast cruisers, 30 plus foot Trawlers and next month I pick up a 2014 Beneteau Swift Trawler 50 in Turkey. A couple of my earlier boats were Bayliners and having lived in Canada and California, I've often heard them referred to as Binliners. And you know what? It's usually jealous idiots who've never stepped foot aboard a boat in their life or at most, had a 30 year old Bowrider who call them Binliners. They may not have all the bells and whistles and luxury teak fittings coming out of their ying yang of other more expensive models. But they let many more people get into the joys of boating, represent great value for money and in the case of yours, you get one helluva lot of boat for your money. Your little little ship is a beauty and I'm glad you guys stuck to your gunwales (guns lol) I wish you both many years of safe & exciting boating adventures. Happy New Year!
For someone with no "boat experience or connections", this video was very interesting and informative. Thank you for all the details and personal perspective.
I would say the journey of acquiring their boat highlights the difference between the average "joe" and "entrepreneurs" (which they said they both were self-employed). There is a core 'spirit' that shines through in this video. This couple "has it"!
I watched this when it was originally posted but I decided to watch it again today. It is one of the best videos of its type that I have seen, extraordinarily informative. It is also very well presented, one of your better productions. I'm still a bit hung up on how convenient it will be to "de-mast" in order to handle those low clearances after solar panels are installed. It's so easy now with the modified arch. I guess anything is possible and I look forward to seeing your solution.
Aww.. thanks. The solar install will be done with the same ease of taking down as the current biminis. They have to come down to get the arch down anyway.
I am a full time RV er i have a Newmar King Air 2014 I had been looking for a Yachet for a year . So i went to the west coasr Man there she was 74 ft Darling marine grade Alum. It was 2002 . It had stablixation Upgrsde electfonics I am in the process of finalizing the purechase
I always liked the Pilothouse layout for entertaining but we are fishermen /divers and wanted walk around decks. So we spent 22 years with a 42' Californian aft cabin trawler. My kids lived on the sundeck. Your pilothouse will work out better for your trip. You will love the bow thruster every time you maneuver with cross winds! Fair Winds.
Walk around decks for the Great Loop are a plus too, given the 100+ locks you go through. We were impressed with how accessible the exterior of the this particular boat is (compared to others we looked at).
As an older Bayliner owner, I would never had paid that much for so many up grades. Even though their boats were built better before 1985. They give you a lot of bang for you buck on the interior at the cost of the haul. Following waves will toss you like a toy. I had my '83 fly-bridge in 11 to 13 swells on long island sound. The waves were only 4 to 6 feet when we left. As we headed west they just kept getting bigger as the sound got tighter. We were going into the waves so no turning back. We got back going slow and just riding the waves up and down. When you go down a swell and see a wave coming at you over your head, well just scary. Anyway, I went to a boat show back then and the over 40 foot Bayliner's would tip when my over 200 lb frame walked on. Carvers were not much better build but the haul was better and just tip a bit. My favorite aft-cabin was the 40 ft Trojan aft cabin. Too bad Carver bought them out and then went bankrupt a few years later. Nice that the arch lowers. I live near canals and that would be useful. What is the beam on that 40 footer? I found them shorter than any other MFG. Good luck and keep out of large seas!
Bayliners have carried such a negative reputation because of boats built in the 80's and even early 90's. Beyond that they are solid boats that have gotten a lot of people into boating for a reasonable price. My first boat was a little 2004 Bayliner 18' bowrider that was reliable as a stone. You've got an excellent boat there, enjoy!
Great video and very informative. I had to do a double take because @ 6:05 as my actual boat was in the background and might I mention that it also is a Bayliner. I have been boating for close to 20 years and this is my 3rd Bayliner. I have to say if they are well cared for and any time after the late 90's then it is a solid boat! Just remember that the parent company for Bayliner is Brunswick, same as Maxum, Boston Whaler and Sea Ray just to name a few. I believe they even built Hatteras as well and a long list of others. Although, the Bayliner has a much cheaper cost then most. In my personal experience they are a great boat and you can't go wrong with one. I hope you are happy w/ your new one and congrats!
But... they are a cheaper layup. Everyone always makes the same bayliner argument, but how many times have you actually gotten into the actual structure and layup? They are not solid boats.
We will be looping in about 5 years, I will include the loop into my circumnavigation of the world which is underway. I’m currently in New Zealand and as I say “ on my way to Georgian Bay” Cheers My RUclips is a called Off the Starboard Hull.
I'd like to see a segment on the maintenance for the boat. Water getting in through any deck penetrations where the caulking isn't periodically renewed can be a concern as a boat ages. Sometimes the sources of leaks can be difficult to track down.
Bayliner changes to Meridian after the Sea Ray parent company Brunswick bought them. They change the name to Meridian on the 35 plus foot boats to try and shake the stigma of low end low quality attached to the Bayliner. I’ve owned a couple Bayliners and had a lot of fun with them. Don’t ever think the quality of a Bayliner comes close to Sea Ray , Carver , Regal , Cruisers etc. the fit and finish and materials are much higher end. Now the bigger Original Bayliner boats are no longer produced and the Meridian which is a mid level cruiser no longer uses any of the old Bayliner designs and the quality of construction has greatly improved. What’s left of Bayliner is now built in one of the several plants Brunswick has in Tennessee where the smaller Sea Rays and Meridians are built. With that being said even though the Bayliners have the low end reputation the bigger ones like yours have been a great value for someone to have a very comfortable boat without spending a fortune. The older ones built in Washington were rugged and very popular for coastal cruising on the Pacific coast. This boat should absolutely be a great loop boat and provide you hours of enjoyment. Since your post is old I’m sure you’ve already had a lot of memorable times on it.
I love my 96 Cuddy with twin force's. I have replaced all the gauges and every bit of plastic/zamak with stainless and any thing for new if necessary. I have noticed the bias but none of the people owned a boat not even a Bayliner. It is a sweet boat and affordable. Maybe they got better.
BS......I had a 1989 Cuddy and it was a darn good boat.....The Force 125 ran like a top and never left me stranded.. My opinion is people bought Bayliners and then didn't take care or didn't know how to do maintenance.
Thanks for the financial details. Looks like the lender was looking at about a 50% equity position on the part of the borrower, from their underwriting perspective. This financing structure could have been challenging if the lender required "hold backs" for essential repairs. Looks like you selected a boat within that lender's "appetite". Nice deal and good luck.
Meridian cut all pilothouse models and switched to all sedan bridges we have a 391sb 07'. When they moved to sedan bridges they switched to sea ray factories and not bayliner. Now I think bayliner only makes day boats.
Loved your video!!! bayliner 4788 is such a pretty boat, I'm so excited to see your great loop adventure. On the weekends I used to grow up on a 2004 sea ray 460 Sundancer but I much like the aft cabin layout better!!! Hope you too have a great boating experience!!!
I really appreciate your perspective, this was a valuable video for me and worthwhile for you to do, thank you! Question, in your search did you ever consider any of the tugs or trawlers, like Ranger or Nordic? If not why, or if you did why did you decide against that version of your floating lifestyle? Thanks again!
You guys are great you did a really good job on this video and extremely helpful in decision-making I have two questions number one if you had to do it all over again would you make the same decision? Second why did you choose a mono haul over a catamaran
Quick answers: 1) Yes 2) Catamarans at this size are wider than most slips. You can catch up with our more current coverage of the boat at www.technomadia.com/y-not.
Love this overview of your purchase process. It answered so many questions, still I have one more: how many years is the loan? Thanks for demystifying your search, ready to tag along on the trip (no guest room required). Happy looping.
Hi, I have just started subscribing to your channel. I fell in love with Bayliner 4588 as a child, but now that I can afford they are a bit old. I could think of a well-upgraded 4788 or a meridian 490, because I still like the layout! But for the time being, I have to have my Bayliner 3288 that I made many and big modifications.
Bayliner got a bad reputation in the 70's and 80's based on their own bad decisions, but came out of it in the 90's. I just sold my '94 2855 after owning it since '04 and it was a very great dependable boat. The original owners kept it in a slip on Lake Union Seattle, and I kept it in a slip on the Puget Sound.
Convince us WHY you would WANT to do the Great Loop. What are the major attractions other than just making the journey? What's so great to see along the way? We're living on Activated Eau and mostly cruising the Bahamas and Keys, mostly diving and kayaking. Just trying to get my head around why one would want to be Looping.
It's all your own personal choice. Do what inspires you. We're not here to convince anyone of anything, or prove anything about the choices we make. This video was about choosing our boat, we have dozens of videos about our Loop adventure.
@@Technomadia bayliner has good and bad points,,, the good, is decent quality running gear,, yours came with hino or cummins ,, then they usually use westerbeke gensets that are a nightmare ! the engine room layout is terrible when you have to do repairs{ marine tech for 25 years}... but they do have a generous amount of fiberglass in the hull. living and working in a world class resort ,I see and work on 300 + vessels a year, I see them all,,, even got to work on the serengetti... johnny carsons old boat. people say bayliner is a lower end yacht,, cheaper basically because they built more vessels than other companies...volume . when it comes to boats, THEY ARE ALL JUNK!!!!! I would just love to meet the designer for sea ray... and wrap my fingers around his neck and strangle him till he stops wiggling!!!! my best advise to you is, change your racor filters religiously,,, get a stockpile of 30 microns and it wont hurt to pull the cap off and inspect them after you run 20 hours. after 100 hours, mine are just starting to discolor...my tanks are spotless, your boat has sat more than it ran, so your tanks are probably dirty from stagnant fuel..safe boating and enjoy boat life!!!
Wow! I'm wondering how your fuel burn is working out? Though the boat will do 22 kt, her hull speed will be around 8 kt. Anything over that is just going to suck fuel. That fuel cost may end up being a huge expense compared to a single screw full displacement boat. Hope you enjoy your Great Loop trip. David
Hi guys! Very informative video, but 1 question... I love that folding arch idea, was that a factory option or some custom job? If custom, is the shop that did it still around? (Ok, ok, TWO questions) ;)
As we shared, we paid $152k for ours, and it was listed at $199 originally. Which is the going price range for one in good-great shape. During our search, several game up in the $100-150k range too, but were in much rougher condition.
Thank you so much for this video! We are pretty much in the same boat as you are (see what I did there?) We are currently looking for a live aboard and have not been able to budge off the Carver 396's (yet). One thing that I have heard from a broker, is that our local credit union WILL finance a boat over 20 years old. They will give you a 15 year balloon loan. Then after the 15 years you can either make a balloon payment on the remainder of the note or sell the boat and pay off the loan. He stated it was rare for anyone to hold onto a boat for 15 years anyway, and one would have moved onto their next boat before the balloon payment was ever due. Not sure I would advise this, but it IS an option. Just an FYI. In your financing journey, do you think debt to income ratio or residence verification was the greater challenge? You stated that financiers want to see home ownership. We are planning on selling our house and then moving into an apartment while shopping for the boat. Based on your video this does not should like a good plan. Thoughts? Thanks again for the video.
For us, the challenge was using our boat as a primary residence because we don't own a sticks-n-bricks home. It's just rare for a bank to go through the paperwork to be set up for that under the Dodd-Frank Reform. Since we had no debts before this loan, that wasn't an issue at all for us.
Buy the boat, then sell the house. The cost of financing for some period of time between the two shouldn't be too burdensome. Kind of like moving houses. Or you could use your house as a rental prop and gain some recurring income against the costs. Income always looks good to banks. Banks like to see that you're fairly well attached to things that you aren't going to bail out and leave them stuck with the bill, and a boat is an excellent way to skip town! I was just thinking about typical ownership periods for recreational boats. Probably true that few stay in them for 15 or 20 years, although my previous mooring neighbor has owned his sailboat for around 30 years. I was in my first sailboat for 7 years, my current one for 7 years now and probably will sell it in about 3 more years. Thing is, you can find - with more difficulty or restrictions or higher cost - loans for 20+ old boats, but you start in on one that's already say 25 years old, now you've got only 5 years before the next magic number at 30 when financing becomes nearly impossible. So who's going to buy it from you at that point when they can't get a loan. Someone will, but there will be far fewer buyers out there that can and will do it, so the resale value gets depressed. Basic laws of economics.
Thanks for the advice! We had not discussed the possibility of owning the house and boat at the same time. I was thinking debt to income would be prohibitive. I am probably overthinking it.
Find yourself a really reputable loan specialist to work the financing with. For example here in the northeast we have Sterling Associates People like this will find lenders to do the deal with, and will have answers to all your questions about D/I and the other factors that have an impact. I've done business with Sterling since we moved here and bought our current boat. Find a reputable boat broker to act as your buyer agent. That person, or firm, should have good contacts in the lending and insurance businesses. if not, move on. What you're trying to do is get yourself in the room with everyone else who does this all day, every day, and does it well. Takes all the guessing out of the equation.
We did initially look at Grand Banks.. but one in our price range would have been older than we were comfortable with, and a newer one out of the budget. They are awesome however.
When you were looking for a boat There was a 58 ft Hatteras i mean in great shape under 200 it was in philly . Owned by Yiutuber Cjannell is Trying not to sink I would have bought her but i wanted someth more icean rea
mrjl barrett: that 58 Hat is certainly more robust, far better better build quality, substantially more seaworthy, and no doubt would maintain its value better, but I suspect it might not of met their maximum height requirement of 15.5 feet above the waterline. I suspect I might have a deeper draft that they were looking for too I haven’t looked up specs but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the mid 1980s Hat 58 MY weighs 40% more than the Bayliner 4788, so I’m guessing minimum draft on that Hat to be about 4.5 feet.
Great info, thanks for being so detailed. One thing I didn't understand was the 63K, it looks like cash you guys deposited in a savings account to guaranty the bank the payments are there, is that right? If that's the case you had to fork a huge down payment so I don't get when you said that you are around the 100K you had aimed for. I don't mean to pride, but since you guys opened up to the financials I'd like to understand it. Thanks and congrats, It's a beautiful boat, I wish you guys the best.
No.. it was not a requirement of the bank, they don't even know about it (other than it's figured as part of our personal assets statement we sent them to qualify for the loan). The downpayment required by the bank was just the 20% of purchase price. Totally our choice to set aside the rest of our original $100k boat buying funds for the payments so it doesn't feel like it's coming out of our monthly budget.
Congrats on the new home. I am looking for a loop boat myself. some people say a sail boat some people say power ( Aft cabin, or trawler). I am lost, I have no idea what boat. But I have a question though, now that you bought your dream boat, and I know you stated that you own your own business, what do you recommend on how to calculate your operating budget for someone who doesn't have a home base business?
I'm not sure how having a business or not would impact a boat's operating costs? It's going to cost you the same in fuel, maintenance and marina fees regardless. The AGLCA (www.greatloop.org) membership provides a Great Loop cost calculator for helping folks budget their expenses based on their specific type of boat. Since this is "just life" for us - we move at a pace that fits our comfortable monthly living expenses budget. Which is one reason our Great Loop journey will be over multiple years. We'll be limiting our monthly mileage and taking advantage of monthly marina rates for extended stays.
did you scrap the old ray 215 vhf and the RL70 pathfinder unit? curious as to what your choice of upgraded electronics are. (I am a marine electrician)
I love the way you two can interrupt each other with a continuous conversation to the camera.
My wife would have KILLED me if I interrupted her.
LOL
We really don't look at it as interrupting it each other.. more like we share a brain and are just containing to train of thought :D
I am all about the Carver yachts. Being solo the smaller sink/closets don't bother me at all. My 'home' now is a travel trailer. And yes, I want the sundeck with the enclosure. I have 7 grandchildren, and would use every inch of space when they're with me. I prefer the aft cabin set up as well. I know once I really begin to shop brokers will try to steer me into something they think I should want. Good tips here, thanks you guys. Long time sub and have always enjoyed your in depth and informative videos.
Yeah believe it or not, my husband is a boat mechanic and we actually scored a FREE boat and after $1,500 in parts and a little cleaning up, we are cruising! Tonight was our first night sleeping on the boat and its AWESOME!!! Its a 1988 34-footer. We need to update the inside a little, but it FLIES!!! THANK U FOR THE INFORMATIVE VIDEO Cruz we need all the help we can get.
I used to build bayliner boats. I always loved those boats.
Awesome.. did you work on the motor yacht line at all?
Great , i love that you are willing to share all the financial info with us. You have no idea how that helps when I am just in the planning stage. Nobody else shares the numbers. That's what we all need to know. I am so glad you took the bay liner. I do think they are undervalued and like you if you hunt you can find a great one. Its hard because you don't know what you need until you need it. How much do you think you will spend on upgrades .
Thanks.. glad the sharing is helpful.
We'll spend on upgrades what we're comfortable spending (which means, we don't know yet.. but we'll share after we have ;) ).
Fantastically clear, thoughtful and informative video. Thanks y'all!
Really like the financial disclosure part. So many people are shy or afraid to discuss actual costs involved but that discussion is so helpful for folks who are trying to make up their minds on big decisions. Nice Job on the Boat!!
I first learned about the great loop from one of your videos quite awhile ago. I am starting to look at boats and plan on doing the loop. 👍
Thank you very much for the info, Cherie & Chris. This is helpful to us, as we are just beginning our search for our first boat. Looking forward to more videos on your journey through the Great Loop. Safe and happy travels!
Happy boat shopping... so many options out there!
NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY BAYLINERS,,👌🍻
Hard to beat a 4788 for that size of boat. When they rebranded to Meridian, the 4788 is the only boay they didn't redesign... must be a reason for that :)
Ohhh the back story. That makes the boat that much better. Awesome
I always liked Bayliners because you get a lot of boat for your money. I think you made a great choice. Wouldn't want to go blue water boating but for you it is great.
Thanks for bringing us along on your adventure 🌞
A great story well told , articulate and the right amount of passion i think bodes well for the exciting adventure ahead . Good luck and best wishes .
Very helpful information
So much about the Bayliner 4788 is fantastic but the below-decks quarters are claustrophobic for me and other people I have known. If you are okay with the accommodations then it is a home run great boat and you are lucky. There is so much to love about the design especially for the price. BTW I have had three Bayliners including two command bridge models and I would not hesitate to have another more recent model. There was a time in the 70' and early 80's when Bayliner had a huge lineup and churned boats out like street tacos and the very early larger models were a bit flimsy though just fine for protected waters but when they noticed they were having problems the entire line underwent a complete makeover in design and materials that stiffened and strengthened everything.
Bayliners from the 90's on are so much better and well made that they almost should have changed their name. My first command bridge was awesome and I loved it and never had any problem and ran the daylights out of it but it would squeek and rattle a bit in a heavy chop. My newer larger one was confidence inspiring and incredibly stiff and solid even in horrific seas. Just watching this video and seeing the details of the 4788 is such a pleasure. I feel almost ashamed to say I felt claustrophobic below decks because I would buy a 4788 in a heartbeat. I have been aboard about 4 or 5 of these including the very first hull and I think you made an excellent choice.
We haven't found the below deck quarters to be an issue at all for us.. the front stateroom is far bigger than our RV :) And we spend most our time in the salon, which is wide open.
Oh my gosh, this is so so good. You really excel at presenting thorough information! I was so curious about prices and practicality. Thanks so much.
Fantastic video. Really enjoyed this one, hearing your thought processes and the evolution of your decision making process. Looks like you're setting yourselves up to have a very happy adventure!
Wow I had no idea you could take a boat around the entire East coast. That's insane!
The Viking did that trip and many before them.
Interesting story about how you decided on the Bayliner Pilothouse. Actually it’s a very sizable solid boat that may not have the pizazz some of the higher end boats do but they will get the job done. I’ve always like the Bayliner Pilothouse boats and with planning on 3 years doing the loop the space will be nice to have. I’ve been a live aboard since 2003 and love it. No plans to move a shoe anytime soon. I don’t know how old this video is but I hope all has gone well and you’re living your dream.
Thanks... nearly four years later, and we love our 4788 (and have only done 1000 mile of the loop, but who's counting?). Loving the cruising life in general.
You guys are great! Please keep the awesome videos coming.
The candor is great! Thanks guys.
Really enjoy all your videos. Really excited you're taking to water for a while. Hurry up...get going! Saw your video where you are separating your channels and somewhere I think I heard you say you weren't really going to make it a travelogue. That's a shame if true. Half the reason a lot of us watch videos like yours is we can get a little sense of the adventure along with you. I wish you would take a single camera, mount it up top and just let it run every day. Maybe pause when not underway but I love watching a trip on water in real time. No dialogue, no tour guide, just experiencing the ride as if there. I know bandwidth is expensive and time consuming to upload, but just shoot and save. Minimal editing to save time. You may be glad you did down the road. And I would watch every minute, every bend in the waterway, every boring shoreline ugly power plant, everything. Please give it a thought. Again, time to get underway!
Oh gosh.. not sure there would be many tuning in for that :) And would be a bear to manage bandwidth, time and storage wise. We are going to do our best to capture some video along the way and integrate in some travelogue stuff of each leg... but our focus has always been more the whys, hows and philosophy behind travel. Hopefully with our slower pace of travel we can find a balance to do both. But this is our hobby, not our job :)
I understand perfectly. Oh wait...I could come along, watch over the camera, i'd bring my own bandwidth, sleep on the salon couch, would I need to bring my own food? Seriously, will be watching what ever you post. Have dreamed about doing the great loop myself when retired, but surprisingly my first mate is not enthralled by the idea. So I settle for other's videos. GOOD LUCK.
Thanks for your very informative videos. Your post have been the main source of research for my retirement.
Really impressed with the intelligence you applied to the selection, search, financing, and purchase aspects of your project. I have been an owner of power- and sailboats for pretty much my whole life and my approach is exactly like yours. I see so many people just randomly flailing around in the sea of choices, making poor, anti-economic decisions. Just the fact that you applied actual mathematical analysis to your financing decision is, frankly, amazing. It seems obvious, doesn't it? But I've run in to too many people that are firmly convinced they're better off spending every last penny to pay cash for the thing, leaving them with nothing in reserve, and nothing invested earning a rate of return that in today's market conditions will quite likely stay ahead of the cost of financing. Best wishes to you both on your trip!
Awww.. thanks. Really appreciate this comment and how you "get" our decisions :) Truly, thank you!
And then I read your other site and discovered that we're both in the tech industry. I've been in the IT/Engineering field my whole life. I find it to be effective in paying for the boats :). So yeah, now I definitely get it. BTW the issue of the age of the vessel and ability to obtain financing is a crucial one that I suspect pops up as a nasty surprise to many people. As you said, At 20+ it becomes harder to find, and at 30+ it's probably nearly non-existent. What are your thoughts about this for the future when you are ready to sell? Difficulty in obtaining financing can narrow your audience of potential buyers, effectively forcing the resale price downwards in discontinuous steps at those age points. I'm thinking about this a lot as I plan my future boat which will likely be in the 20+ bracket when I buy, and 30+ when I sell.
Just all part of the cost of owning a boat, and a consideration in the price we were willing to pay. Same thing happens to RVs, except they generally age out of being able to be financed at 10 years old.
That’s what we got. A 2001 Bayliner 4788!
I've owned several boats over the years starting off with Bowriders and working my way through Cuddy Cruisers, fast cruisers, 30 plus foot Trawlers and next month I pick up a 2014 Beneteau Swift Trawler 50 in Turkey. A couple of my earlier boats were Bayliners and having lived in Canada and California, I've often heard them referred to as Binliners. And you know what? It's usually jealous idiots who've never stepped foot aboard a boat in their life or at most, had a 30 year old Bowrider who call them Binliners. They may not have all the bells and whistles and luxury teak fittings coming out of their ying yang of other more expensive models. But they let many more people get into the joys of boating, represent great value for money and in the case of yours, you get one helluva lot of boat for your money. Your little little ship is a beauty and I'm glad you guys stuck to your gunwales (guns lol) I wish you both many years of safe & exciting boating adventures. Happy New Year!
For someone with no "boat experience or connections", this video was very interesting and informative. Thank you for all the details and personal perspective.
Glad this was interesting even to non-boaters!
I would say the journey of acquiring their boat highlights the difference between the average "joe" and "entrepreneurs" (which they said they both were self-employed). There is a core 'spirit' that shines through in this video. This couple "has it"!
Great story !!!!
I watched this when it was originally posted but I decided to watch it again today. It is one of the best videos of its type that I have seen, extraordinarily informative. It is also very well presented, one of your better productions.
I'm still a bit hung up on how convenient it will be to "de-mast" in order to handle those low clearances after solar panels are installed. It's so easy now with the modified arch. I guess anything is possible and I look forward to seeing your solution.
Aww.. thanks. The solar install will be done with the same ease of taking down as the current biminis. They have to come down to get the arch down anyway.
great information.) Cheers.)
👍 Love being on this journey with you guys. 💞
I am loving your approach to the loop to life to each other....fun series thanks
Looks like a lovely looper and an excellent deal to boot! Best of luck and Happy Travels!!
Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to more of your adventures!
Just love your channel!!! Thank you for being up front with cost and budget. Keep up the great work!
I am a full time RV er i have a Newmar King Air 2014
I had been looking for a Yachet for a year . So i went to the west coasr
Man there she was
74 ft Darling marine grade Alum. It was 2002 .
It had stablixation
Upgrsde electfonics
I am in the process of finalizing the purechase
I can read english fine .
I ended up with a 72 ft 1998 Fleming
The Darling had some problems
I always liked the Pilothouse layout for entertaining but we are fishermen /divers and wanted walk around decks. So we spent 22 years with a 42' Californian aft cabin trawler. My kids lived on the sundeck. Your pilothouse will work out better for your trip. You will love the bow thruster every time you maneuver with cross winds! Fair Winds.
Walk around decks for the Great Loop are a plus too, given the 100+ locks you go through. We were impressed with how accessible the exterior of the this particular boat is (compared to others we looked at).
Nice tub
As an older Bayliner owner, I would never had paid that much for so many up grades. Even though their boats were built better before 1985. They give you a lot of bang for you buck on the interior at the cost of the haul. Following waves will toss you like a toy.
I had my '83 fly-bridge in 11 to 13 swells on long island sound. The waves were only 4 to 6 feet when we left. As we headed west they just kept getting bigger as the sound got tighter. We were going into the waves so no turning back. We got back going slow and just riding the waves up and down. When you go down a swell and see a wave coming at you over your head, well just scary.
Anyway, I went to a boat show back then and the over 40 foot Bayliner's would tip when my over 200 lb frame walked on. Carvers were not much better build but the haul was better and just tip a bit. My favorite aft-cabin was the 40 ft Trojan aft cabin. Too bad Carver bought them out and then went bankrupt a few years later.
Nice that the arch lowers. I live near canals and that would be useful.
What is the beam on that 40 footer? I found them shorter than any other MFG.
Good luck and keep out of large seas!
Our's is actually a 47', not 40'. LOA is 54'. Our beam is just under 15'.
You guys are so awesome. Thanks very much for sharing the story
Great informative video. Enjoy it and keep having fun!
Looking forward to seeing you do The Great Loop. I never had heard of it until on your video.
Thank you for posting this. Incredible content here.
Great video. Informative and fun. Good luck!
Bayliners have carried such a negative reputation because of boats built in the 80's and even early 90's. Beyond that they are solid boats that have gotten a lot of people into boating for a reasonable price. My first boat was a little 2004 Bayliner 18' bowrider that was reliable as a stone. You've got an excellent boat there, enjoy!
Hope you two are happy! Cheers
Beautiful craft ⚓ Enjoy.
I enjoyed your story, best of luck with your travels!
Very good video of a smart and informative purchase.
Thank you for the info! I am working to one day hopefully own one of these!
Great video and very informative. I had to do a double take because @ 6:05 as my actual boat was in the background and might I mention that it also is a Bayliner. I have been boating for close to 20 years and this is my 3rd Bayliner. I have to say if they are well cared for and any time after the late 90's then it is a solid boat! Just remember that the parent company for Bayliner is Brunswick, same as Maxum, Boston Whaler and Sea Ray just to name a few. I believe they even built Hatteras as well and a long list of others. Although, the Bayliner has a much cheaper cost then most. In my personal experience they are a great boat and you can't go wrong with one. I hope you are happy w/ your new one and congrats!
But... they are a cheaper layup. Everyone always makes the same bayliner argument, but how many times have you actually gotten into the actual structure and layup? They are not solid boats.
50,000 to 150,000 is a bit of a jump !
We will be looping in about 5 years, I will include the loop into my circumnavigation of the world which is underway.
I’m currently in New Zealand and as I say “ on my way to Georgian Bay”
Cheers
My RUclips is a called Off the Starboard Hull.
I'd like to see a segment on the maintenance for the boat. Water getting in through any deck penetrations where the caulking isn't periodically renewed can be a concern as a boat ages. Sometimes the sources of leaks can be difficult to track down.
+eb1888 Once we have more exexperience to share.:)
Bayliner changes to Meridian after the Sea Ray parent company Brunswick bought them. They change the name to Meridian on the 35 plus foot boats to try and shake the stigma of low end low quality attached to the Bayliner. I’ve owned a couple Bayliners and had a lot of fun with them. Don’t ever think the quality of a Bayliner comes close to Sea Ray , Carver , Regal , Cruisers etc. the fit and finish and materials are much higher end. Now the bigger Original Bayliner boats are no longer produced and the Meridian which is a mid level cruiser no longer uses any of the old Bayliner designs and the quality of construction has greatly improved. What’s left of Bayliner is now built in one of the several plants Brunswick has in Tennessee where the smaller Sea Rays and Meridians are built. With that being said even though the Bayliners have the low end reputation the bigger ones like yours have been a great value for someone to have a very comfortable boat without spending a fortune. The older ones built in Washington were rugged and very popular for coastal cruising on the Pacific coast. This boat should absolutely be a great loop boat and provide you hours of enjoyment. Since your post is old I’m sure you’ve already had a lot of memorable times on it.
Great well presented info! Thanks!
Interesting story. Thanks
thanks for sharing so much detail fascinating
interesting. i remember the bayliners in the 1980's with the force outboard motors which were i think the worst of the worst.
I love my 96 Cuddy with twin force's. I have replaced all the gauges and every bit of plastic/zamak with stainless and any thing for new if necessary. I have noticed the bias but none of the people owned a boat not even a Bayliner. It is a sweet boat and affordable. Maybe they got better.
BS......I had a 1989 Cuddy and it was a darn good boat.....The Force 125 ran like a top and never left me stranded..
My opinion is people bought Bayliners and then didn't take care or didn't know how to do maintenance.
Congratulations and very informative video. New subscriber
So looking forward to following your Great Loop adventures. Such a beautiful boat. Safe travels
Nice video, thanks, you two are alright...
Thanks for the financial details. Looks like the lender was looking at about a 50% equity position on the part of the borrower, from their underwriting perspective. This financing structure could have been challenging if the lender required "hold backs" for essential repairs. Looks like you selected a boat within that lender's "appetite". Nice deal and good luck.
I've seen this video many times. If I had the money.....I'd.take it to the Caribbean for charters
good for you. I always find the asking price then add 10%.I never learn just like my spelling.
Hard Cap 50k high max - 2 min later. Quarter million dollar yachts 😊
Thank you for the frank talk
Nice Venture. Had a few friends do this same trip. I am to poor lol. Good luck and Glad i found this Venture. New Sub
We know people doing this trip on a paddle board :)
Sounds like you will have Great Time. Good Karma for The Trip. Watching from Wisconsin
Great info, thanks.
Thanks for the great info video.
👍Very helpful info. Thank you for sharing. 💞
Meridian cut all pilothouse models and switched to all sedan bridges we have a 391sb 07'. When they moved to sedan bridges they switched to sea ray factories and not bayliner. Now I think bayliner only makes day boats.
tks for sharing this!. pretty cool
Thank you for spelling it out? I was so curious. Love you guys!
Brilliant video!
Loved your video!!! bayliner 4788 is such a pretty boat, I'm so excited to see your great loop adventure. On the weekends I used to grow up on a 2004 sea ray 460 Sundancer but I much like the aft cabin layout better!!! Hope you too have a great boating experience!!!
You used to grow up? was your growth stunted? Joking..... My dad had a smaller Sea Ray.
Great way to grow up water skiing and fishing.
I really appreciate your perspective, this was a valuable video for me and worthwhile for you to do, thank you! Question, in your search did you ever consider any of the tugs or trawlers, like Ranger or Nordic? If not why, or if you did why did you decide against that version of your floating lifestyle? Thanks again!
No.. we didn't consider them. Out of our price range, and too small for our extending cruising desires.
You guys are awesome.. Take me with you
You guys are great you did a really good job on this video and extremely helpful in decision-making I have two questions number one if you had to do it all over again would you make the same decision? Second why did you choose a mono haul over a catamaran
Quick answers: 1) Yes 2) Catamarans at this size are wider than most slips.
You can catch up with our more current coverage of the boat at www.technomadia.com/y-not.
Love this overview of your purchase process. It answered so many questions, still I have one more: how many years is the loan? Thanks for demystifying your search, ready to tag along on the trip (no guest room required). Happy looping.
It's a 15-year loan.
Did I hear a barn owl at the 10:46 mark? Or should I say "serendipitously" hear...
It wouldn't do for me to be a rich man. I'd have so many toys. Get you a jetski to tow along with your bayliner lol
What year is the boat?
1999
Hi, I have just started subscribing to your channel.
I fell in love with Bayliner 4588 as a child, but now that I can afford they are a bit old. I could think of a well-upgraded 4788 or a meridian 490, because I still like the layout!
But for the time being, I have to have my Bayliner 3288 that I made many and big modifications.
One thing about Bayliner, they make a great hull and the 4788 is a great boat. Thinking of getting one in my soon approaching retirement.
We think so too... ours just survived Hurricane Irma in the Keys.
Bayliner got a bad reputation in the 70's and 80's based on their own bad decisions, but came out of it in the 90's. I just sold my '94 2855 after owning it since '04 and it was a very great dependable boat. The original owners kept it in a slip on Lake Union Seattle, and I kept it in a slip on the Puget Sound.
Convince us WHY you would WANT to do the Great Loop. What are the major attractions other than just making the journey? What's so great to see along the way?
We're living on Activated Eau and mostly cruising the Bahamas and Keys, mostly diving and kayaking. Just trying to get my head around why one would want to be Looping.
It's all your own personal choice. Do what inspires you. We're not here to convince anyone of anything, or prove anything about the choices we make. This video was about choosing our boat, we have dozens of videos about our Loop adventure.
@@Technomadia bayliner has good and bad points,,, the good, is decent quality running gear,, yours came with hino or cummins ,, then they usually use westerbeke gensets that are a nightmare ! the engine room layout is terrible when you have to do repairs{ marine tech for 25 years}... but they do have a generous amount of fiberglass in the hull. living and working in a world class resort ,I see and work on 300 + vessels a year, I see them all,,, even got to work on the serengetti... johnny carsons old boat. people say bayliner is a lower end yacht,, cheaper basically because they built more vessels than other companies...volume . when it comes to boats, THEY ARE ALL JUNK!!!!! I would just love to meet the designer for sea ray... and wrap my fingers around his neck and strangle him till he stops wiggling!!!! my best advise to you is, change your racor filters religiously,,, get a stockpile of 30 microns and it wont hurt to pull the cap off and inspect them after you run 20 hours. after 100 hours, mine are just starting to discolor...my tanks are spotless, your boat has sat more than it ran, so your tanks are probably dirty from stagnant fuel..safe boating and enjoy boat life!!!
Wow! I'm wondering how your fuel burn is working out? Though the boat will do 22 kt, her hull speed will be around 8 kt. Anything over that is just going to suck fuel. That fuel cost may end up being a huge expense compared to a single screw full displacement boat.
Hope you enjoy your Great Loop trip.
David
Check our '1 Year Loopiversary' video we put out back in April with a recap of that sort of stuff after a year.
Looks like you will have a lot of fun!!!!! Thanks for the video.
Hi guys! Very informative video, but 1 question... I love that folding arch idea, was that a factory option or some custom job? If custom, is the shop that did it still around? (Ok, ok, TWO questions) ;)
It was done by the prior owner many years ago.. no idea by whom.
Were are you getting a Bayliner 4788 for a 100 grand? 150-200K seems to be the avereage price right now.
As we shared, we paid $152k for ours, and it was listed at $199 originally. Which is the going price range for one in good-great shape. During our search, several game up in the $100-150k range too, but were in much rougher condition.
Thank you so much for this video! We are pretty much in the same boat as you are (see what I did there?)
We are currently looking for a live aboard and have not been able to budge off the Carver 396's (yet). One thing that I have heard from a broker, is that our local credit union WILL finance a boat over 20 years old. They will give you a 15 year balloon loan. Then after the 15 years you can either make a balloon payment on the remainder of the note or sell the boat and pay off the loan. He stated it was rare for anyone to hold onto a boat for 15 years anyway, and one would have moved onto their next boat before the balloon payment was ever due.
Not sure I would advise this, but it IS an option. Just an FYI.
In your financing journey, do you think debt to income ratio or residence verification was the greater challenge? You stated that financiers want to see home ownership. We are planning on selling our house and then moving into an apartment while shopping for the boat. Based on your video this does not should like a good plan.
Thoughts?
Thanks again for the video.
For us, the challenge was using our boat as a primary residence because we don't own a sticks-n-bricks home. It's just rare for a bank to go through the paperwork to be set up for that under the Dodd-Frank Reform.
Since we had no debts before this loan, that wasn't an issue at all for us.
Buy the boat, then sell the house. The cost of financing for some period of time between the two shouldn't be too burdensome. Kind of like moving houses. Or you could use your house as a rental prop and gain some recurring income against the costs. Income always looks good to banks. Banks like to see that you're fairly well attached to things that you aren't going to bail out and leave them stuck with the bill, and a boat is an excellent way to skip town! I was just thinking about typical ownership periods for recreational boats. Probably true that few stay in them for 15 or 20 years, although my previous mooring neighbor has owned his sailboat for around 30 years. I was in my first sailboat for 7 years, my current one for 7 years now and probably will sell it in about 3 more years. Thing is, you can find - with more difficulty or restrictions or higher cost - loans for 20+ old boats, but you start in on one that's already say 25 years old, now you've got only 5 years before the next magic number at 30 when financing becomes nearly impossible. So who's going to buy it from you at that point when they can't get a loan. Someone will, but there will be far fewer buyers out there that can and will do it, so the resale value gets depressed. Basic laws of economics.
sorry, this belongs one level up.
Thanks for the advice! We had not discussed the possibility of owning the house and boat at the same time. I was thinking debt to income would be prohibitive. I am probably overthinking it.
Find yourself a really reputable loan specialist to work the financing with. For example here in the northeast we have Sterling Associates People like this will find lenders to do the deal with, and will have answers to all your questions about D/I and the other factors that have an impact. I've done business with Sterling since we moved here and bought our current boat. Find a reputable boat broker to act as your buyer agent. That person, or firm, should have good contacts in the lending and insurance businesses. if not, move on. What you're trying to do is get yourself in the room with everyone else who does this all day, every day, and does it well. Takes all the guessing out of the equation.
did you consider the grand banks 36 or 42? they looks like a good loop boat, and seem to hold their value when it comes time to sell.
We did initially look at Grand Banks.. but one in our price range would have been older than we were comfortable with, and a newer one out of the budget. They are awesome however.
Great discussion. Thanks.
When you were looking for a boat
There was a 58 ft Hatteras i mean in great shape under 200 it was in philly .
Owned by Yiutuber
Cjannell is
Trying not to sink
I would have bought her but i wanted someth more icean rea
mrjl barrett: that 58 Hat is certainly more robust, far better better build quality, substantially more seaworthy, and no doubt would maintain its value better, but I suspect it might not of met their maximum height requirement of 15.5 feet above the waterline. I suspect I might have a deeper draft that they were looking for too I haven’t looked up specs but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the mid 1980s Hat 58 MY weighs 40% more than the Bayliner 4788, so I’m guessing minimum draft on that Hat to be about 4.5 feet.
Great info, thanks for being so detailed. One thing I didn't understand was the 63K, it looks like cash you guys deposited in a savings account to guaranty the bank the payments are there, is that right? If that's the case you had to fork a huge down payment so I don't get when you said that you are around the 100K you had aimed for. I don't mean to pride, but since you guys opened up to the financials I'd like to understand it. Thanks and congrats, It's a beautiful boat, I wish you guys the best.
No.. it was not a requirement of the bank, they don't even know about it (other than it's figured as part of our personal assets statement we sent them to qualify for the loan). The downpayment required by the bank was just the 20% of purchase price. Totally our choice to set aside the rest of our original $100k boat buying funds for the payments so it doesn't feel like it's coming out of our monthly budget.
Thanks for explaining to me, I wish you guys the best of travels.
Bayliner, lines the bay.
Congrats on the new home. I am looking for a loop boat myself. some people say a sail boat some people say power ( Aft cabin, or trawler). I am lost, I have no idea what boat. But I have a question though, now that you bought your dream boat, and I know you stated that you own your own business, what do you recommend on how to calculate your operating budget for someone who doesn't have a home base business?
I'm not sure how having a business or not would impact a boat's operating costs? It's going to cost you the same in fuel, maintenance and marina fees regardless. The AGLCA (www.greatloop.org) membership provides a Great Loop cost calculator for helping folks budget their expenses based on their specific type of boat.
Since this is "just life" for us - we move at a pace that fits our comfortable monthly living expenses budget. Which is one reason our Great Loop journey will be over multiple years. We'll be limiting our monthly mileage and taking advantage of monthly marina rates for extended stays.
Well I didn't mean it in a bad way, i ment you have an income still. when I start my trip, I am leaving with what I have in my pockets or bank.
did you scrap the old ray 215 vhf and the RL70 pathfinder unit? curious as to what your choice of upgraded electronics are. (I am a marine electrician)
We installed all Garmin late last year. Someday we'll find time to video it.