Deal Wiggle Room, Engine Size, and Seaworthiness

BoatTEST.com has over 30,000 visitors a day and not surprisingly generates a pile of mail each week asking about all sorts of things from how to get a better deal to which engine to buy and whether or not brand X is better than brand Y. From questions about PWCs to megayachts, BoatTEST.com staff answers them all, and enjoys doing it because it keeps our fingers on the pulse of the boat-buying public. It is one of the ways that we can see future trends as they develop.

Every week mail rolls in from readers all over the world covering a variety of questions, and each one receives a personal answer, usually within 24-48 hours.

Wiggle Room?

I am considering purchasing a new 26' sportboat. I want some advice. What/how much could I expect for my 24' trade in? I have an MSRP for the new 26' and was wondering if you knew how much wiggle room I would have when dickering for a purchase price. Thanks, --D. K.

It is well known in the industry that if a dealer in the size range you have mentioned does not receive a 20% margin on new boat sales he probably is not going to make any net profit and stay in business. So the "wiggle room" you speak of would be the difference between that 20% and the MSRP. In some cases with some brands the dealer may only have a 20% margin in which case he really has little wiggle room. In other cases he might have as much as 15% margin over the 20%, making the total margin about 35% in this size range, giving him more "wiggle room."

The trouble is since you are asking the dealer to take your 24' boat in trade, now he must guess not only how much he might be able to sell your boat for, but also when it might sell. No matter what price you pay for your new boat, the dealer stands a good chance to lose most if not all of his margin on your new boat on the trade, when eventually it sells. Many dealers who took trades in 2007 at prices they felt were safe ended up underwater on the complete transaction when they finally sold the boat in 2008, 9 or 10. –Ed

Handle 3' to 5' Seas?

I am planning to buy a new 22' walkaround with hardtop and full isinglass from a well-known manufacturer. How seaworthy will that be in the 3' to 5' conditions I plan to use it in, which will be off the New Jersey coast? --W.P.

The boat you referred to is designed to handle offshore conditions with 3' to 5' seas so you should be fine so long as the boat is properly loaded and you don't do something dangerous such as anchoring from the stern. No matter what boat you buy you must always match the sea conditions to the size and capabilities of your boat, and you must handle it properly in sloppy conditions. --Ed.

Importing to Sydney

I'm looking to purchase either a Crownline 19SS or Four Winns H190, (may look at Glastron GLS 195), and import to Sydney, Australia. I have noted the MSRP on the boats but being in Australia it is difficult to get a real gauge on the market. Any dealers on the West Coast (cheaper freight) that you would recommend for either brand and which builder would give me the best deal? --D.J.

Our experience is that U.S. boat builders will support their international dealers and not aid you in your attempt to go around them. They want both you and your local dealer to be happy. No matter which brand you choose, you will want the local dealer to commission and service your boat. And, have you thought of what your local dealer will say to you when you want him to help you out with a problem if you bought the boat from a U.S. dealer? We don't know how Australian dealers might react, but we can tell you that most American dealers would not be thrilled. – Ed

3.0L or 5.0L? -- That is the Question

I live in Thailand. I have been talking to the local dealer for an American brand about their 17' sportboat. The dealer also represents a Thai company that offers a slightly larger (21+ foot) runabout with a MerCruiser 220 (vs. the 135 on the American 17-footer). The dealer says that the locally-built boat powered by the 220-hp MerCruiser gets only slightly worse fuel economy than the 17-footer with the MerCruiser 135. Could that be true and which boat should I buy? --J.C.

We are concerned that the 135-hp (3.0 L) engine may not enough poop for the boat in question, depending on how you want to use it. If you want to waterski/wakeboard, or want to have the boat full of people, you may be happier with a larger engine.

Go to our test page on the MerCruiser 3.0L 135-hp tests (http://www.boattest.com/engines/Engine-Test.aspx?ID=111#TestResult)
and you will see that virtually all of the boats tested weigh from 2000 lbs. (909 kgs.) to 2300 lbs. (1045 kgs.) and had a best cruise speed at 3500 rpms of from 28 to 30 mph, in nearly every case with two people aboard. If that is how you plan to go boating and you like that cruising speed then you have your answer. Yes, at any given speed the fuel consumption will be about the same between the 3.0 L and the 5.0 L if the boats are similar in weight because the smaller engine has to work harder. --Ed.