Any buying advice for a used Rinker 232

[mmurphy384]

I'm in the market for a used Rinker 232.  While I grew up with boats, I never had to care for one, and this will be my first boat.  I'm primarily using it for local cruising with my family (wife + 2 young kids) and some wakeboarding/tubing/waterskiing.

Most of the boats I'm looking at (that I can afford) are in the 1997-2001 year range.  Is there anything particularly good/bad about those years. 

The "newer" (to me) models sometimes come with the fuel injection option.  Is that worth the extra money and is there added maintenance?

The dual prop drives seem really cool (Bravo III?), but are they worth the money?

What type of major maintenance would a good boat owner perform on a 10 year old boat.  Risers? Exhaust Manifold???

If any of you are looking to sell something in the Maryland area, I'd love to have a look. I also travel to Long Island frequently.

Many thanks for any info.

Mike

[puttin]

Mike, I have an '04 Cuddy.  It's not for sale, but I have some advice.   Buy as new as you can afford.  I paid 22k but I feel it's worth it.  Look for one that's only been in fresh water if possible.- That way, the exhaust and risers are less of an issue.  Try to get the biggest engine you can.  Prior to about '01 that was the 454....after that, the 350 Mag (300 hp) was more common.  I got lucky and got the 6.2 (320 hp) with the B-3 drive.  The dual prop drives plane a little quicker and don't exhibit the slow-running side-to-side characteristic that the single prop drives have.  If you buy an older used one- try to look for something that has less than 500 hrs.  In general, boats that have more than this tend to be ready for some internal engine work...of course this is very general, and if a boat has been used gently- it could go on longer.  Remember, price is not everything- your enjoyment, peace of mind, and the dependability of the boat you buy can be priceless things as well.  The 232 was one of the most popular models Rinker ever produced- they had a ten-year production run from '95 to '05, and the last year they were available- the Volvo engines and drives were offered...they had some strong points, but I don't think they were superior to Mercury- only an alternative. Mike, I wish you luck in your search for the perfect boat...take your time, and don't hesitate to ask more questions- there are many boat-smart people on this site.

Drew

[Gene]

Where do you live, altitude will have a little to do with engine choice, I suggest the biggest stock engine you can find and a carb model. I love my 1997 232 Cuddy 454 B3. I added a swim plattform, it's like a whole new boat. 270 hours and very little problems that werent owner induced.

[Proper_Channels]

I have a 2000 232 BR and just love it.  We bought in in 2007 and other than regular oil changes and winterizing there has been no significant maintenance costs to date.  Additional suggestions that I would pass along include trying getting as many options as possible (swim platform, bow filler cusions, full canvas etc)  and getting a set of fresh batteries (starting and deep cycle).

Hope it works out!