Berger.... Moving Up ?????

captkevin · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:17 am

Another possibility

http://loz.craigslist.org/boa/3127657316.html

Berger · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:58 am

thanks for looking for me. However, I am capping my search to a PowerQuest 280, since I do not want the added expense of 2 motors. All 290s and up have twins...

I'm taking out a guy on a test run for my boat tonight, which should seal the deal to sell it. However, I am totally reluctant to let it go considering I spent the past 5 days looking on-line for a nice 240, 260 or 280 PowerQuest. I don't want anything older then 2003. The search has been extremely irritating as so many adds are either outdated, the boat is sold or the seller changed their mind about selling.

I'm still holding out some hope that the 2006 240 Ultra will become available once that guy returns from vacation next week. I just need to stall on my buyers to wait it out...

ric · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:04 am

Finding a boat you want is hard, especially when you have set criteria. I'm kinda hoping I don't find a cuddy cabin that I want so at least 2-3 months go by where I have enough to just buy an express cruiser.

Berger · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:32 am

Just an update to my boat sale and purchase. As of this morning, I received a full offer on my boat and must inform my potential buyer whether or not I'm ready to make the move. Given I did receive the full asking price, I will let him know today and will soon be boatless. It's a hard decision, but my boating needs have changed and a cuddy that can handle the larger water of Lake Michigan is what I need now. My 210 is awesome, but it just "slaps" the water too hard in anything over 2 footers that makes for a poor ride.

Regarding the PowerQuest, which started this whole debacle, I received an email from the seller last night that he is 90% ready to sell, given I offered him his full asking price last Friday. However, he is on his way with the boat to Traverse City for the week. He will have his final decision made upon his return.

Since the CL add was pulled, here are some pics:

ric · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:00 am

Wow all show, no go with that baby. Your current boat is faster.

Berger · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:06 am

Maybe on a very calm day, but not on a typical Lake Michigan day. He did say the 350 does move the boat past 50 mph. That engine did concern me initially as well, but the fuel economy savings and the fact it will still hit north of 50 with a 4 blade prop, I'm not too concerned. I'm more concerned over him deciding to keep it.

My buyer accepted my counter offer, so by the middle of next week, I will have no boat with only one prospect that I have found so far. Not a great feeling at all.

ric · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:15 am

Nope, not a good feeling. Missed aquapalooza yesterday and Sunday Funday now consists of.. nothing. I want to buy a cheap early 2000's jet ski but my fear is that the $2k I spend on that the next day my dream boat will appear forsale and I'll come up 1-2k short. I mass search all classifieds almost constantly. Plenty of smokin deals on bowriders..... Was seriously considering a 2006 regal 2200 bowrider that was white/black with a 5.7gxi DP that some older couple was dumping for 19k. Absolutely beautiful boat but would have given me no more utility over my H180 except speed (and baller status).

The guy won't budge from 21k for his 2002 boat that's been under a tree for 2 years that's only NADA valued at 16k. For that god awful price at least replace the broken snap in cover, wax it, and clean the leaves out.

Berger · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 12:48 pm

Every free minute I get I've been checking the classifieds as well. At this point in time, no boat is too far away if it fits the bill. Unfortunetely, PowerQuests are just to far and few between unless I could live with twins. Any PQ 290 and up ar twins and they are everywhere. I would consider a 280, but really want a 240 or 260 to keep the operating costs down.

I just got back from my storage unit to clean out my boat. Pretty depressing task to do when I don't have a replacement yet. For the first time in 5 years, I'll not be rafting up my own boat at the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven this coming Friday. I guess the good news is that I can drink a heck of a lot more by not having to worry about navigating my boat back home...

Berger · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:52 am

Well, I watched my boat drive away yesterday attached to someone else's truck. Horrible feeling, but I think I did the right thing in the long run. I was able to get $300 over my original asking price, so I had to take the deal.

Update on my search: the 240 PowerQuest is still up in Traverse City and I should have an answer no later then Tuesday, August 7th. However, I really do not believe the seller is going to follow through and will end up keeping her.

So I have been searching constently for alternative choices and ran across this one last night:

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/3175605313.html

I just sent my list of questions to the seller, so hopefully I'll have a better idea this afternoon if this one is worth looking at or not.

Does anyone know anything about the Merc 402 MAG? I have never seen that engine choice in one of these boats and I am concerned that it is not even Fuel Injected. The 396 or 496 MPI are generally the powerplants in these 260's, so this is a big concern to me. Any feedback on that engine would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

ric · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:54 am

ZING!!

http://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/3176402093.html

RotaryRacer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:12 am

Berger wrote:

Does anyone know anything about the Merc 402 MAG?

Maybe a typo 502 MAG?

Berger · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:18 am

Called on the 260 and it's powered by a 6.2 MPI 320 HP. He said it still gets up on plain really quickly and will run in the high 50's on the big lake. That is good enough considering the fuel savings vs. a big block.

Hours are only 274, so I am going to look at it tonight and hopefully take it out since it's in rack storage in Grand Haven. The boat sounds to be in mint condition and he is only selling because his family wants to move up to a cruiser.

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:25 am

Interesting...I almost moved up 2 years ago when I was looking at a 1989 Steiger Craft 23' with a Volvo 290 outdrive and a new engine. The boat looked great for an '89 and the engine was a new crate motor with closed cooling. The drive was original to the boat and the tilt function did not work. In the end I would have paid to store it and storage is very expensive here in LI. So I stuck with the little 20' and since I live so close to the water I can easily pick my days for going out when it's calm. But that Steiger would have been a perfect boat for LI Sound.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:26 am

The 260 is a very solid boat. I think you will be happier on the Big lake with the added length and weight that the 260 has over the 240. I have seen that boat in Muskegon before, looks and sounds very nice.

Berger · **Posted:** Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:36 am

Thanks Cap'n. I think you are right about the added size will handle the big lake better and woudl be the smarter move pending it shows as nice as the 2006 240. I believe I have seen this boat before out in GH as well. It seems like it was listed last year and then he gave up. I guess the exhaust baffles have been removed, but he has them still in the event it's just too loud for my wife and kid. No captains choice on this one, but I guess I could always add that later if necessary as well. I'm actually getting pretty excited about this now....

www.iFourWinns.com

Berger.... Moving Up ?????

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