Bayliner 32’s

[Browny]

I’ve been strolling TF for a few months reading everyone’s posts, on pretty much every topic. I’m looking to jump out of a runabout boat for something my young family, kids at ages 5/3/-6 months, can enjoy short jaunts on for weekend getaways in Lake Erie and Ontario through 1000 islands.

I would obviously love to jump into a forever boat but at the moment it’s not an option. Every time I read a post regarding the 30’s and 40 footer late 80’s early 90’s MY’s, everyone has generally nothing but great things to say about them. I’m sure it can’t all be pro’s so I’d like to pick your brains on any cons I may not be thinking of.

I’ve recently been looking at a freshwater 3270, 1986 with twin 135 Hino diesels, with under 1000 hours on them. I’ve read the hulls are built very well, interior layout is great bang for the buck, hino’s are all but bullet proof and very efficient, seems to have ample space for everyone sleeping and has a range enough for what we would need/want at the moment.

Anything I should be noting in regards to 3270/3288 models? Is there a 1000 hour massive Maintenance around the corner, electronic issues (plan to replace radar/AP), material/workmanship issues etc, seaworthiness are slow speeds (plus is these can cruise at 14ish),...... anything?

I understand that this isn’t a trawler but I don’t think there another platform to get raw feedback anywhere else, like you can on TF. Any input on these series of boats, positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.

 

[syjos]

I live in Bayliner country in the PNW.

The hulls are built well and they are old enough that PO's have upgraded extensively.

I believe Hino parts are getting hard to locate.

Lack of an actual shower compartment is a minus.

Around here in the PNW, the 38 Bayliners sell for only a few dollars more than the 32's.

The Bayliner 32, 38 and 45 have prop tunnels that make manuerving slightly difficult from reduced prop walk. You overcome it with lots of throttle and sometimes rudder. Or thrusters.

But you get a lot of bang for the buck. They are still very popular here.

Many 32 and 38 Bayliners around here have modified hulls to elliminate the round chines with "Underhulls". There was a company here manufacturing the "Underhulls" and installing them in the 80's and 90's. Huge improvement getting up on plane and a fairly flat trim compared to the bow high attitude of the stock hull.

 

[Ken E.]

A friend had a 32' with 150 Hinos, and really liked it. It's a nice design with lots of interior room for it's size. The engines are under the cockpit sole, which adds to the interior space. These boats are light for their size and my friend said rough conditions weren't its strong suit. Still, lots of boat for the money. Check for parts availability on the Hinos, as mentioned. Lots of these in use in the PNW.

 

[Comodave]

They are a very nice boat for the money. They are a bit rolly due to the round chines. Where can you get that much layout in a 32’ boat? Bayliner did a fairly incredible job of fitting the most usable space in a given hull size. We toured the plant in WA before it closed and didn’t see anything that would have made me nervous about buying one. The motoryachts were built better than the small runabouts. If it is in good condition then go for it. Have fun and good luck.

 

[Beaverlake]

Check out the Bayliner Owners Club. It has a very active and knowledgeable membership, right Kevin? ;-).

 

[FF]

"Still, lots of boat for the money."

This is what makes Bayliners so popular. EZ to buy , EZ to sell.

 

[Fletcher500]

We got back into boating about 10 years ago, and took the same approach as you. Our kids were in their teens, but we did get a few years on the water with them each weekend before they left. The express cruisers provide a lot of value and a good layout for hanging out on the hook. Another boat to check out is Sea Ray with the Mercruiser or Crusader engines. Run it slow, and you have a “trawler”. Good luck with your search.

 

[smitty477]

"I’ve recently been looking at a freshwater 3270, 1986 with twin 135 Hino diesels, with under 1000 hours on them. I’ve read the hulls are built very well, interior layout is great bang for the buck, hino’s are all but bullet proof and very efficient, seems to have ample space for everyone sleeping and has a range enough for what we would need/want at the moment."

Consider the 38 Bayliner as well - many with the 6 cyl 175 Hinos and they have a bunch more room for not so much more dollars.

"Anything I should be noting in regards to 3270/3288 models?"
Some wood in areas such as fly furniture, some overhangs and bulkheads and decks that need to be assessed when purchasing. IN general they are pretty well built.

"Is there a 1000 hour massive Maintenance around the corner,"
What do the maintenance records show so far? Injectors, timing, head retourque, manicooler, X-changer, elbows, turbos, etc?

"seaworthiness are slow speeds (plus is these can cruise at 14ish),...... anything?"
These 32's have a flat after section and do roll a bunch in most larger sea states. The 135 Hino's are just barely able to maintain a planning hull with a light load and salty seas - how heavily will yo be loaded?

Disclosure - we really like the Bayliners and the Hino engines , have had a bunch of these combinations in the past.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

If the price is right, see my standard comment at the end of this post.

As for the engines, a 30 year old diesel really should have more hours on it. It is an endless discussion, much like anchors, single vs twin, etc. Certainly don't be afraid of the engines.

Yes, you will be looking at some engine expense when you buy the boat. It has nothing to do with 1,000 being a magic number of hours, more like the engines now have a new owner. Change the filters, change the fluids, polish the fuel, evaluate the batteries, etc.

Bayliners are nice boats. Not great but nice.

You don't have to own a TRAWLER to be a "trawler"

I tell boaters new to larger boats, "it will cost you about $500.00 per month to own and use"
This includes storage, dockage, fuel, insurance, transient dockage, minor repairs and upkeep. It will cost about twice that for the first year or two of ownership as you make the boat yours.

Go For It

pete

 

[ksanders]

Check out the Bayliner Owners Club. It has a very active and knowledgeable membership, right Kevin? ;-).

Yes! TF is THE source for a great many things, and the Bayliner Owners Club is The source for all things Bayliner!

I would say that many of us frequent both sites. I come to TF because I get much more large boat discussion, and I go to the BOC for Bayliner centric stuff.

 

[Browny]

"I’ve recently been looking at a freshwater 3270, 1986 with twin 135 Hino diesels, with under 1000 hours on them. I’ve read the hulls are built very well, interior layout is great bang for the buck, hino’s are all but bullet proof and very efficient, seems to have ample space for everyone sleeping and has a range enough for what we would need/want at the moment."

Consider the 38 Bayliner as well - many with the 6 cyl 175 Hinos and they have a bunch more room for not so much more dollars.

"Anything I should be noting in regards to 3270/3288 models?"
Some wood in areas such as fly furniture, some overhangs and bulkheads and decks that need to be assessed when purchasing. IN general they are pretty well built.

"Is there a 1000 hour massive Maintenance around the corner,"
What do the maintenance records show so far? Injectors, timing, head retourque, manicooler, X-changer, elbows, turbos, etc?

"seaworthiness are slow speeds (plus is these can cruise at 14ish),...... anything?"
These 32's have a flat after section and do roll a bunch in most larger sea states. The 135 Hino's are just barely able to maintain a planning hull with a light load and salty seas - how heavily will yo be loaded?

Disclosure - we really like the Bayliners and the Hino engines , have had a bunch of these combinations in the past.

As much as the 38' would offer more room, I (almost) prefer the v-berth in the front as we could make them a sort of separate bunks for our two oldest at the moment. I understand that its short term as they grow but feel the this layout would work for now at a pretty low price point.

What would you consider to be "larger seas", Lake Ontario can be very ocean like, with swells and large waves, but honestly we would avoid as much questionable weather as possible at first. Lake Erie can be a real B*#ch with large chop seemingly stacked on top of each other. We likely wouldn't be too heavy as this would be more for days trips, or weekend trips for now.

The plan is to upgrade to a larger boat...."later", whatever that means!

 

[Browny]

If the price is right, see my standard comment at the end of this post.

As for the engines, a 30 year old diesel really should have more hours on it. It is an endless discussion, much like anchors, single vs twin, etc. Certainly don't be afraid of the engines.

Yes, you will be looking at some engine expense when you buy the boat. It has nothing to do with 1,000 being a magic number of hours, more like the engines now have a new owner. Change the filters, change the fluids, polish the fuel, evaluate the batteries, etc.

Bayliners are nice boats. Not great but nice.

You don't have to own a TRAWLER to be a "trawler"

I tell boaters new to larger boats, "it will cost you about $500.00 per month to own and use"
This includes storage, dockage, fuel, insurance, transient dockage, minor repairs and upkeep. It will cost about twice that for the first year or two of ownership as you make the boat yours.

Go For It

pete

Great advice, thanks. Pretty much what we expect a larger boat to cost, but we would get far more use out of something like this vs. our current runabout (no place for naps or kids to get out of the sun if needed).

I agree that the hours are low but its a great lakes boat, so limited season perhaps. I cant say much, we've put exactly 83 hours on our current boat in 8 years, 47 or which we tacked on the first year we owned it.

 

[Browny]

Yes! TF is THE source for a great many things, and the Bayliner Owners Club is The source for all things Bayliner!

I would say that many of us frequent both sites. I come to TF because I get much more large boat discussion, and I go to the BOC for Bayliner centric stuff.

Thank you, starting to look through the BOC forum as well. Its actually been a lot of your post which lead me to even consider looking at a bigger Bayliner. I understand there not the builds as some of the larger "trawler" names, but before reading through your posts, I wouldn't have even clicked on the sales ad.

This is truly a great platform.

 

[smitty477]

As much as the 38' would offer more room, I (almost) prefer the v-berth in the front as we could make them a sort of separate bunks for our two oldest at the moment. I understand that its short term as they grow but feel the this layout would work for now at a pretty low price point.

What would you consider to be "larger seas", Lake Ontario can be very ocean like, with swells and large waves, but honestly we would avoid as much questionable weather as possible at first. Lake Erie can be a real B*#ch with large chop seemingly stacked on top of each other. We likely wouldn't be too heavy as this would be more for days trips, or weekend trips for now.

The plan is to upgrade to a larger boat...."later", whatever that means!

"I (almost) prefer the v-berth in the front as we could make them a sort of separate bunks for our two oldest at the moment. I understand that its short term as they grow but feel the this layout would work for now at a pretty low price point.
I think you will find the bathroom/shower to be the largest problem to get around with a 32 with a few folks on the boat - the mid berth in the 38 is very large and the dinette converts for even more space. The 38 has two bathrooms one has a separate shower/tub area.


"What would you consider to be "larger seas", Lake Ontario can be very ocean like, with swells and large waves, but honestly we would avoid as much questionable weather as possible at first.
I was on Ontario but it was not rough - the shorter seas with 3-5' will get the 32 rolling quite a bit dependent upon the direction.
With the 135's and the smaller footprint of the 32 you may not be able to maintain a planning attitude so you might be restricted to hull speeds.
The 38 will do 14-16 knots cruise with larger loads on board.
We have cruised alongside a few 32's on numerous trips but only one as a diesel.
FWIW - we have found that the "cheapest" boats we bought were the ones we held onto the longest. One other thought is to check out your needs/desires for a genset onboard and the tankage on each (fuel/water/waste).
YMMV

 

[JoePNW]

I just sold my 3288. Love that boat. only issues for us... no walk around bed (but that king size bed was pretty amazing).. a little small for 4 adults, totally fine for a day trip or an overnight though. perfect for a family. It had the 150 hinos. 8-10 knots was very efficient.. 12-14 ...fully loaded with kids... top speed was 16-17.. empty boat was 18+.
Here in the pacific NW, you will see a lot of these boats crossing the straight in pretty rough weather.. I've been in some nasty stuff with her.. it can take it.. following sea is not the greatest just like any boat of that speed. Easy to dock.
The hinos are getting old and stock replacement parts are harder to find. Lots of aftermarket support. I found stainless risers out of Texas for less than originals.
Problem areas. If there is no upper enclosure, the deck under the captains chair on the flybridge can get soft, check for moisture/flexing. .. visibility from the lower helm is not good. Plan to drive at the upper helm. Access to the area under the lower helm is problematic.. my boat had a large access hatch installed (common addition).. look for that. Its worth having.
FUEL TANKS! Make sure they have been replaced or be certain they are not leaking.. a factory defect , I think a screw head or a staple rubs on the tanks causing a leak. Most 32xx have had them replaced by now.. BIG job.. pull engines.. yeah..

People love these 32xx bayliner yachts.
Everywhere we would go, someone would stop by and tell us how
they used to have a 32xx and they loved it.. there is not a better boat in that size for family cruising. Period.