Bergman

What sort of issues? I’ve owned my 2004 Sundeck 240 for 13 years so I’m curious. My vinyl and carpet are going downhill quickly, and it’ll be time for new bellows finally after this season (slow leak).

As for OP question...Sea Ray builds great boats. They’re the most popular runabouts for a reason. That 1998 model will be a good boat, especially with the 5.0. $12,000 is way too high on price. That’s probably an $7-8k boat IMHO.

Try looking around on Craigslist in East TN and North GA for comparison. They are made in Knoxville so there is always a large concentration of used ones It seems.

Big E 757

Thank you all, this has been great information. I just found out it’s still available and will write down all of these things you guys mentioned checking and ask if it’s been done recently. If not, I’ll try to get it looked at soon. Again, thanks! You’ve armed me with knowledge. Will see how it shakes out.

Scoop

I had a 1999 Maxum with a Mercruiser 5.0 for 18 years and it was a great boat. Some things to consider:

Was it used in salt water or fresh water - big difference. Salt water is a much harsher environment but if it was maintained properly should not be a deal breaker.

A 19 foot boat is on the shorter end for an I/O. The shorter the boat the more poposing and also bow wandering at low speeds. This can be very annoying at no wake speeds. Another issue with a 19' I/O is bow rise upon acceleration. The bow will rise up so high you will not be able to see forward (think taildragger taxiing). This can be mostly compensated for by putting people up front or adding an aftermarket foil to your out drive. I installed the foil and it made a huge difference.

Does the boat include a bimini top or wake board tower? Shade is always in demand on a boat and a waketower will add to the water sports versatility, but is not a requirement but a nice to have option. Both will add to the value of the boat and greatly add to the "fun" level on the boat.

A 19' I/O is great for most watersports but will generally be inadequate for wakesurfing. If it still has the stock prop, most likely 19" pitch, it will struggle pulling your "larger" friends up on 1 ski. Should be no problem for kids. I switched to a 17" for better acceleration, and when at altitude in the desert would occasionally switch to a 15" for a much better "hole-shot."

I used that boat for 16 years in both fresh and salt water and 2 years of salt water only use. The last 2 years degraded it more than the first 16 - even though the motor was always flushed.

The boating market is red hot right now (sellers market) so you will be fighting headwinds. I generally wish that I opted for a 21 foot boat and have since purchased a 24' Yamaha dual jet boat which is a jack of all trades and master of none but I love it.

Good luck!

jaxsurf

I have a 2008 Chaparral 190 bow rider that has been great for wakeboarding and skiing. I/O, so no wakesurfing. Make SURE you get a compression test done. I did not, and later got one done and ended up finding out that the risers were bad and had allowed seawater into one of the cylinders. Also obviously do a sea trial, or that’s a MAJOR red flag.

I haven’t noticed any porpoising or any problems with bow rise on acceleration. I mean, the bow does rise, but quickly gets on plane. Until I just read it, I would never have guessed that’s an issue for some people’s boats. No clue, mine is perfectly fine. I do wish I had gotten something in the 21-22’ range, just because you can fit more people on board and generally larger engines (which seem to be more reliable). That being said, mine has a Volvo Penta 4.3GL and it’s been rock solid.

Thruster

Could one say the Sea Ray is the Miata of boats?

TED74

That's chicken sh1t!

fp88ren

I bought a 2000 Sea Ray 210 Bowrider new. Always kept it in enclosed storage and faithfully performed all periodic maintenance. Had to service a slipping cone clutch a few years back but otherwise have had no problems with it. 5.7 liter Merc, Bravo 3 drive (2 counter rotating stainless steel props). Pops my 6’6” 240 pound self out of the water on a slalom ski effortlessly.

If I were looking for a used boat I’d get a Sea Ray.

ridinhigh

Look for a -'94/'95, 42' and 44'.
Worked in the factory and I can tell you all boats rolling out of there in that time frame were gems, especially on Fridays.

Kidding. Nice boats.

ExAF

I had a 1998 Sea Ray 190 Bowrider. Bought it used for 12K, kept it for 5 years and sold it in 2010 for 11K. It was a great boat! It was great for skiing, fishing and cruising. Would not recommend it as a wake boat. Never had any issues with the boat. Had more issues with the trailer than the boat. 12K is way too much for a 98. What it's really worth now depends on how well it's been cared for over the last 22 years.

Al Czervik

I’d get one of these

https://www.facebook.com/SpeedSociet...07dcTRUpbIQN0c