bayliner 185

[O2VW1.8T]

So I really would like a wake boarding boat but they are 50k used. My parents have a bayliner 185 2007 I believe with the 4.3 engine. Is it possible to turn it into a somewhat wake boarding boat?

[P0G0]

You can wake board behind anything. A normal runnabout wont have the shaped wake of a dedicated wakeboard boat, but depending on your skill level, its more than enough to get you up and having fun. You can get a universal tower from anywhere between $1000 to $3000 plus accessories. If you want a bigger wake down the line and your motor can handle it think about adding a fat sack ballast.
Check out http://diywake.com theyre a good place to start for what you need. I added a tower to my monterey recently. I went local for the tower but I got the racks and a mirror from here. And a friend of mine bought 4 of the tower speakers. Everything is extremely nice and high quality.

[case sensitive]

what ^ said. I've wakeboarded behind everything from a 9.9hp row boat to a 32' long pontoon boat to a 80k pro model wakeboard boat. Your bayliner should be fine. If you can get a tower on your bayliner, that'll help you get higher out of the water.

[GolfVIDriver]

The 18 foot Bayliner has been around in various forms for years, and for 5 wonderful years I owned a 2000 1850 Capri with the 4.3 - the exact same boat you are talking about.

You are getting good advice here. In so far as a wakeboard boat, it won't give you the wake of an inboard V Drive Boat, but it will give you plenty of wake to have fun with. You can get a tower on them or have a universal one put on.

But the bigger point is if this is your first boat, they don't get much easier, more reliable, or good performing. Baylner is known for having good performing hulls, and keeping it covered and cared for means it will outlast you. The 4.3 should push that thing over 55 mph with a SS prop, and you can cruise all weekend on a tank of gas. We even have a really solid owners group willing to help you with anything from advice to scheduled service:

www.baylinerownersclub.com

The Bayliner 185 is a very versitile boat. You can fish out of it, ski behind it, tube behind it, cruise with it and use it as an adventure machine, and the best part is they are affordable enough that any normal person can afford to buy and run one - which is important if the gas spikes again.

In short, 2 thumbs up. THe compromise you make in wake shape is MORE than made up by all the other good points a 185 brings to the table.

Just make sure you maintain it, keep it clean and covered when you aren't using it (don't leave the interior open to the elements - that's how these boats die an early death).

Any questions, just ask. Like I said, I ran one for 5 years and pretty much only had to put gas and oil changes into it.

[P0G0]

This was my fil's boat behind my truck. Its a bayliner with the tower and was a blast. My wife learned to board off that boat and i learned to drive. All around fun boat.