Thinking about a 19 SPX for Los Angeles...advice?

S

sdiddy

New Member
Jul 7, 2016
14
la
Boat Info
aaaaa
Engines
150
I'd like to get a brand new spx 19, inboard, and dont know much about boating or boats but I love the water and we have the money to buy something like this. I'd like to keep it in a wet slip in Marina Del Rey, take it out and about, maybe up to malibu on nice days.

Any advice on what I need to know about buying this? Any great dealers?
How long can it go on one tank?
How is the maintence on these?
Any idea of what monthly fees are to maintain and keep these cleaned?
How much does a tank of gas cost for these?

Anything else about this boat would be great!
 
I have the Outboard version of the 19 spx and it is a great boat. Lots of room, storage, easy to maintain. If you are going to keep in the water it would be a good idea to take a look at the outboard version as opposed to the I/O version. With the outboard you can get the engine out of the water completely and even flush the motor with it tilted up so you can greatly reduce the potential corrosion issues. I don't know the marina deal ray area but this is a relatively small boat and won't take too big a sea comfortably so if you are going to be in open ocean you are going to have to keep an eye on the weather so you don't get caught in waves too big for the boat.
 
Jeremygavin said:
I have the Outboard version of the 19 spx and it is a great boat. Lots of room, storage, easy to maintain. If you are going to keep in the water it would be a good idea to take a look at the outboard version as opposed to the I/O version. With the outboard you can get the engine out of the water completely and even flush the motor with it tilted up so you can greatly reduce the potential corrosion issues. I don't know the marina deal ray area but this is a relatively small boat and won't take too big a sea comfortably so if you are going to be in open ocean you are going to have to keep an eye on the weather so you don't get caught in waves too big for the boat.
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Thanks, what about the fuel consumption?

I looked at OB also but sort of prefer the IB. But arent motors these days protected well against corrosion with zinc or whatnot?
 
I only have about 10hrs on the boat so I Can answer about fuel consumption yet.
The corrosion protection on I/Os is much better these days, I have a 340da with I/Os that I keep in salt water with no problems but there is much more to maintenance to do than there would be with and outboard. Outboards are raised out of the water completely when not in use so you don't have to have antifouling paint on them so no repainting every year and you don't have to worry about corrosion of the lower unit becasue it isn't even in the water. Outboard motor power heads where made to be on the water so they, for the most part are more corrosion resistance than an iron block automotive engine you have in an I/O. An I/O requires monitoring of exhaust manifolds and they need to be changed every 5 years or so, not the case with outboards. So if you like the I/O then it isn't the end of the world do have wet slipped in salt water but it will be more maintenance work and money in the future than the outboard.
 
sdiddy, welcome to CSR. Jeremy has given you great advice so far and I agree on everything. First, this is a small boat. You may be expecting too much out of her. She handles the chop very well for her size. Comparable to my 220 Sundeck I owned. Not sure if this is due to the 8'4" beam or a change in the way the boat was designed but it's a great performer for her size. I am not familiar with your area but a quick Google search shows where you are planning on using her, might be all Ocean? If this is correct maybe this is not the right boat for you. This boat and most boats this size are better suited for lakes, rivers, some bays, and MAYBE a quick trip out if the weathers perfect. Are there protected areas that you can go boating in? If so, then that's where this boat would be better suited. As far as dealers...I have had luck with Marine Max but the very important thing would be if you need warranty or maintenance work done. I imagine your area is pretty popular so buying a boat from the people you want to do the maintenance/ warranty work will be important. (Good luck getting a dealer to give you priority service if you didn't buy your boat from them) As far as cost? This size boat will be about as cheap as you can get for a boat. MPG near 5 MPG at optimal cruise is pretty darn good. 30 gallon tank. To be honest the money spent (40-50 dollars) will be the least of your concerns. The cost of EVERYTHING where you live is higher.;) If maintenance and cost are a concern then, like Jeremy said, go with the OB option. You lose some space on the swim platform but gain all the space where the IO engine would be. And that's a huge area. The boat can be optioned for fishing, sports, or luxury, depending on the package you select. Very versatile boat and we absolutely love it so far. I'm sure you've seen this but here's a good link to some test results. http://www.boattest.com/review/sea-ray/3460_19-spx
Good luck with whatever you end up with. Brian
 
Hi sdiddy, I am brand new to boating myself and I just purchased a 19 SPX I/O last month and can tell you the boat has been pretty much perfect so far. Everything I hoped for. I wanted a nice first boat and I think this boat has exceeded my expectations for a first time boat owner. My boat has the 4.5L 200hp Mercrusier. I store mine in the water at a fresh water marina here in Seattle. So far there has been little issues with that. There is minor algae growth on the stern drive itself, but nothing that affects the boat, but its only been a month or so. And I don't plan to leave it in the water during the off season. As far as gas goes, it costs around $4.19 a gallon on the water here, so to fill the tank its around $100. I have only filled it twice. The tank will last me 2-3 trips out to the lake, but I don't spend a lot of time driving around the lake. Most of the days are filled with just sitting out on the lake enjoying some drinks with friends. I imagine if I did a lot of water sports for most of the day, the tank would last about 2 full days of being on the water. I don't know too much in the way of maintenance simply because I am not at that point yet. Essentially as of now, I plan to simply winterize the boat at the end of the season, and get the oil changed at the beginning of next season. This was the what the sales guy recommended. The only thing I would recommend or wish that I had was the Select Package. I don't so much care for the interior colors of that package, but would appreciate all the extra cushion and padding the package adds to the boat, especially up in the bow. It would be nice to have a fully wrapped bow interior. Best of luck in your boat purchase!
 
clearcarguy84 said:
............. I plan to simply winterize the boat at the end of the season, and get the oil changed at the beginning of next season. ...................................
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Carguy-
Welcome to CSR!You really want to change the oil at the end of the season when you winterize, not wait until the spring. You don't want to let it sit all winter with the oil full of any contaminants that it might have collected during the season. Put it to bed with fresh oil! :)

Sdiddy-
Welcome to you also! My friend bought a new 19 SPX I/O at the beginning of this season. He slips it next to mine and I'm on it often and it's a great boat. But like others have said, it's a smallish, primarily lake boat, so don't expect it to be a ocean goer!
 
Sdiddy,
You are looking at a great boat. I just bought the 19SPX OB this spring and can tell you the 150 4 stroke Mercury engine is great. It is very quiet, sips gas, and will be much easier to maintain in salt water conditions. We still have plenty of space on the swim platform. It is bigger than it looks in the pictures. One big benefit is the huge storage under the sun pad where the I/O engine would be. We can fit everything in there. Good luck with your boat search.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
 
thanks all for your advice. and to answer you, yes this would be for the ocean, though I probably would not stray too far from the coast. I'm surprised to hear that many of you are saying its not really for the ocean, when I have seen a fair amount of these in our marina here. Perhaps all those guys also are fearless or something??? How do you check ocean conditions before you go out?
 
Wrong post
 
BurgundyS24 said:
Wrong post
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think you responded to my other post lol but thats fine. My question was about whether the 19 SPX can handle the ocean or not...multiple people here say no, but I see a fair amount of similar boats in marina del rey.
 
sdiddy said:
thanks all for your advice. and to answer you, yes this would be for the ocean, though I probably would not stray too far from the coast. I'm surprised to hear that many of you are saying its not really for the ocean, when I have seen a fair amount of these in our marina here. Perhaps all those guys also are fearless or something??? How do you check ocean conditions before you go out?
Click to expand...

I am not saying it can't be done. I have had numerous smaller boats in the past and spent many hours on the open water in them growing up. We made it ok most of the time and I can only think of 1 time when I was thinking at the time "I really shouldn't be out here right now in this boat", now that is different than thinking I really wish I wasn't out here in this boat right now. That time that I shouldn't have been out there we were in my 18ft Monterey coming back from Martha's Vineyard in 4-5ft seas taking on water over the bow and stern. I had go really slow making only a few knots with the trim up just so we wouldn't swamp. When we left for the vineyard that morning it was sunny and 1ft seas, in a boat that size in the open ocean the weather can change very quickly. You have to very careful about when you go, how far you go and what the forecast looks like. There are other times it is just uncomfortable but not long as you are careful then it is a fine boat and can handle a good amount of sea.
 
The thing about a boat like this is that it does not self drain. Any water that comes in has to be pumped out. The 21' will be more comfortable in a chop but realistically won't be much safer in heavy seas.

You may check into dual console boats. They have many of the amenities and the seating of a runabout but are better suited to coastal ocean boating.
 
strange, all the SeaRay reps said its fine for the ocean (as long as its a calm day of course). I wouldnt be venturing out very far or in any kind of rough waters. But you guys got me nervous about it now.

If you had 40k to spend and wanted a nice day boat to entertain some friends, what would you buy???

Also, this is probably a dumb question too, but if youre in the ocean, can a boat like this be taken close to shore to anchor right in the shallow water near a beach? Or do you risk getting stuck?
 
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MTM said:
Sdiddy,
You are looking at a great boat. I just bought the 19SPX OB this spring and can tell you the 150 4 stroke Mercury engine is great. It is very quiet, sips gas, and will be much easier to maintain in salt water conditions. We still have plenty of space on the swim platform. It is bigger than it looks in the pictures. One big benefit is the huge storage under the sun pad where the I/O engine would be. We can fit everything in there. Good luck with your boat search.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

sdiddy said:
strange, all the SeaRay reps said its fine for the ocean (as long as its a calm day of course). I wouldnt be venturing out very far or in any kind of rough waters. But you guys got me nervous about it now.

If you had 40k to spend and wanted a nice day boat to entertain some friends, what would you buy???

Also, this is probably a dumb question too, but if youre in the ocean, can a boat like this be taken close to shore to anchor right in the shallow water near a beach? Or do you risk getting stuck?
Click to expand...

I take my 205 off shore up to 25 miles. That doesn't mean the boat was designed to handle it. The main thing is to never get caught out there if the weather kicks up. You certainly seem aware enough to stay in on rough or uncertain days.

If you really like the SeaRay then just be okay with not having your boating window open quite as wide. There's nothing wrong with using a runabout on the ocean when it's calm. Just respect the sea, and be prepared.

As far as other options, Boston Whaler Dauntless models are comfortable family boats which are better suited to coastal boating. There are many different builders. These days most boats built are of good quality and the difference comes down to fit and finish or amenities.
 
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Sdiddy- You keep mentioning that others are doing it, the dealer says you can do it, etc. etc. Sounds to me like you've already made your decision and are looking for validation. Most of us here tend to err on the safe and cautious side with our boating activities. As a group, we are here because we want to know more about our boats than most other boat owners do. That includes understanding and sharing risk with fellow members.

On a calm day, you can go 25 miles offshore in a jon boat. The problem with a boat like the 19 (or 21) SPX is you have much less margin for error if the weather does change. I've always said that weathermen have the only job where you can be wrong everyday and it's OK. I just wouldn't want them to be wrong the day I decide to take my 20 footer offshore. Only you can decide how much of a safety factor or margin of error you want to have in your boating adventures. Remember, mechanical failures happen even on new boats. Understand the risks and boat how you see fit, but be smart and safe about it!
 
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