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Looking at 247 or 23 LSV


Bcool

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I am curious to get some veteran's feedback on a conundrum that I am facing. I am looking for a large water sports boat for my family. My wife and I have 4 kids, 8 to 2. We live by a lake and would like to get a boat for family/friends. I found 2 decent boats both 247's. I will break down the pro's and cons of both and I'd like to see what you guys think. Both are sub $40K.

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The first is a 2007 with the 6.3L hammerhead with 454 hours. Has most if not all the options, bimini needs to be repaired, fabric is fraying on one corner. The upholstery looks decent, one area where the stitching is coming undone. They also had a coating put on the upholstery that is starting to peal, looks kinda bad but not that big of deal to me. The last negative is that I looked under the boat and it looks as though there was a small hull repair, maybe 6"x4". There is a spot where the finish is noticeably different then the rest, a little raised and the finish is matte. Also, one of the shark fins appears to have been repaired. This is a bigger issue for me.

Positives are the low hours and I like the colors much more that the second.

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Second boat is a 2006 with the 8.1L, 551 hours. It too has most if not all of the options available. Here are the cons with this boat. I don't love the paint scheme. The upholstery has much more sun damage on the swim deck and other areas of the boat that the first one. Didn't see any stitching issues. There appears to be fluid on the ground under the boat (i think it is antifreeze, slightly viscous but no odor, pink and clearish fluid) can't tell where it came from and definitely wasn't oil. One of the trailer hubs has some grease on it. It appears that there probably is a bearing seal going. The owner in general didn't dust the boat or clean out his storage items, that is somewhat of a turn off.

Positives are the trailer wheels look cooler and the larger engine. No rips on the bimini are also a plus but I didn't open it up to confirm.

I am indecisive in general so this has been a really tough decision. I looked at x45's/245's before I looked at these. I think they are both great deals and would like some help with this decision. Also, if there are better deals that I should be looking at please feel free to send them my way!

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I owned a 2010 Malibu 247 until August of this year. It was an awesome boat. I had no problems with the boat nor the 450 LS3 motor. We put 403 hours on it, but that doesn't tell the whole story. It is a great boat for large families and for hanging out. We'd often beach the boat or float in a cove for hours. There is plenty of room in the boat for people to sit, socialize and eat. Because of its size, we always had enough room for anyone who wanted to go plus room to spare.

Cons - It is a little big and I often was not thrilled about driving it across the lake. Also, it doesn't have surfgate, so we had to list it for surfing. It has three internal ballast tanks, but needed more weight for a good wake.

Great boat, great size and people seldom feel crowded.

http://www.boulderboats.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=4406834

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I owned a 2010 Malibu 247 until August of this year. It was an awesome boat. I had no problems with the boat nor the 450 LS3 motor. We put 403 hours on it, but that doesn't tell the whole story. It is a great boat for large families and for hanging out. We'd often beach the boat or float in a cove for hours. There is plenty of room in the boat for people to sit, socialize and eat. Because of its size, we always had enough room for anyone who wanted to go plus room to spare.

Cons - It is a little big and I often was not thrilled about driving it across the lake. Also, it doesn't have surfgate, so we had to list it for surfing. It has three internal ballast tanks, but needed more weight for a good wake.

Great boat, great size and people seldom feel crowded.

http://www.boulderboats.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=4406834

Really nice boat, I assume that it will be quite a bit more than what I am looking at. I appreciate the feedback on the overall boat experience. That sounds exactly what we are looking at buying the boat for. On a side note, did you ever try a home brew surf gate? Those look pretty interesting.

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At sub 40 pricing you can't go wrong with either considering the minor flaws each has and a marine mechanic would deem them sea worthy. I do see your dilemma though, if I had it to do all over again I'd put more weight on the 8.1 over the HH. The HH isn't a bad performer, just has some quirks that I'm not comfortable with. BTW, those tiny pics don't count, we need more and better!!

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both seem like fairly good deals, I've heard that the 8.1 is preferred but I too would have trouble with the colors on a boat if they were not my thing. Unfortunately the colors and engine are not easily changed or replaced like vinyl or trailer wheels. Good luck!

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If you are not thrilled about either, i would keep searching.

At what price would either of those make you forget about your concerns?

The problem I have is that these are the only 2 that are even close to my price range. All the other 247's are in the 50's!

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Not sure where you're located but I've noticed that 247s don't seem to move as quickly as 23 LSVs on the west coast, even at lower comparable prices for the 247. I don't know if that's a regional thing due to more trailering vs. more boat lifts in other regions. The 247 fits in fewer garages too, so that's something to think about for resale if you're considering both models.

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The blue one needs all new vinyl. The peeling might not matter to you now, but it will matter when you try to sell the boat. The second boat is the better deal with the 8.1L, but there is the same issue with the vinyl. These boats were not well cared for. I would not touch either. This time of year you can find a good deal on a nice boat that needs nothing.

I have owned lots of Malibu boats. Mostly new 23 LSV's. My current boat is a 2006 247 with the 8.1L. The 247 is my favorite by far. This is my first 8.1L. I HIGHLY recommend the big engine. There is so much power I can't feel it when the speed control makes adjustments. Skiers cannot pull the boat off track due to the massive size and power. The ski handle does not pull back and forth when the boat hits rollers. I don't need all of the space of a 247, but there is much more to it than that. My boat is incredibly nimble with a very tight turning circle. It does not feel like I am driving a big boat.

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About the price...............my boat is a well optioned 2006 with 97 hours. Condition is similar to the two in your first post.......rode hard and put away wet. I paid 34K four months ago. The deals are out there.

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Maybe I'm a size snob since I have a 247 but with atleast 6 people on board at all times, 247 for sure!! Lets say he has to replace all the interior and fix a wheel hub. He pays 38k and has 6k in repairs. An 8.1 06 247 is worth 44k all day long!!! The colors are not horrible (although I'm a UM fan :innocent:), just not as good as the 07 with updated graphics right beside it. The hours on either are a non-issue, barely broke in.

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About the price...............my boat is a well optioned 2006 with 97 hours. Condition is similar to the two in your first post.......rode hard and put away wet. I paid 34K four months ago. The deals are out there.

Are the deals you get available to the general public?

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Not sure where you're located but I've noticed that 247s don't seem to move as quickly as 23 LSVs on the west coast, even at lower comparable prices for the 247. I don't know if that's a regional thing due to more trailering vs. more boat lifts in other regions. The 247 fits in fewer garages too, so that's something to think about for resale if you're considering both models.

Thanks, I am pretty much decided on the 247, we both have big families and with 4 kids ourselves, I would like the biggest boat I can afford.

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Not sure where you are located but this is recent at my dealer. Looks very clean and low hours.

http://www.stateamind.com/view_boats.php?ccode=144743291238196&startitem=10&startpage=1&endpage=3&current=2&category=&make=&model=&conditions=

I am in Idaho but will drive to get the right one, I like it but it's still over 10g's more than I was planning on shelling out.

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On a side note, did you ever try a home brew surf gate? Those look pretty interesting.

Lots of threads here on that. Search the site. Everything from Velcro stuck on wedges to aftermarket trim tab systems systems (Wakemakers) to DIY systems (with martinarcher's controller) that are essentially the same as OEM.

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