Potential new owner, looking for feedback

[Castle]

Hi everyone!

To start, I have never owned a boat before, always wanted to, and recently was able to get my wife out who enjoyed it so much that she supports the search to purchase one. With that in mind, I have searched and researched to the point of delirium to find what in my estimation is a "good" option. I say this since we are not prepared to jump into anything new with a 6 figure price tag. Long story short, I found a 2007 Air Natique 236, I am not sure if it is an LE or TE at the moment. The boat has 50 hours on it and is having an injector replaced, presumably from the lack of use. The general condition seems to be really great considering the age, there are of course some imperfections in the gel coat, and a couple of spots on the interior that I assume will require attention at some point. I have not had the opportunity to go on a water test with the dealer yet and had to commit to making an offer, it is a consignment, prior to scheduling the test. The boat has the 6.0, but not sure what pertinent details I can provide that may allow someone more educated than me to provide good insight.

I feel like I have searched exhaustively for reviews, general notes, and previous owner experience with very little success. The search did bring me to the forums here and after reading through past posts, it seems like there is a great community here, and thought I would give it a shot. I am happy to share any details but I am ultimately looking for feedback on the boat and any experiences any care to share. I should mention that our family, kids are teens, are interested in surfing, wakeboarding, and general play while my wife will be happy to stretch out and relax while the fun is happening. The pricing is at 44k and I have some pictures I can share but it has the dealers watermark on all of them and I am unsure if that is against the rules.

Thanks in advance.

[Scooter G]

Can't speak for the '07 236, but have owned boats with similar hull design. Easy to pull, fairly easy to maintain, fun for the Family. The best thing we ever did for the kids was throw a bunch of rats in a small cage in the middle of the lake and make them get along. We have pictures of our 1st daughter holding the flag up at age 2. All adults today with spouses and children, we're all best Friends, and our number one family passion still is being on the boat and playing in the water. Worth every dollar spent.
You are wise to not go with a newer boat for your 1st run, especially with kids. Build the experience and boating wisdom 1st, then junp to something else when you're ready, or keep it forever. Best of luck with your venture!

[MN Ryan]

I can't speak specifically to the 236, but we bought an '07 211 a few years ago and have loved it. Any "older" boat has the potential for issues and inevitable maintenance items, but if you know that going in, it's all good. As I told our financial guru when we decided to buy, "I know a boat is a terrible investment..." He stopped me right there and said that we need to spoil ourselves sometimes, and if you enjoy it, that's all that matters.
My wife started skiing at a young age. I started later (mid-20s) after we started dating. We went from her mom's aluminum outboard to her bro's '93 MasterCraft to his '05 MasterCraft, and shortly after he bought that last boat, the wife decided we should get an inboard, too (heck, she even found the boat!). Our kids were both sucessfully skiing by 6--though we had them both on an "EZ Ski" as soon as we were comfortable with them floating solo in a life jacket. They're 9 and 11 now and really love any time in the boat--swimming, skiing, surfing, and boarding.
So, while I'm sure you'll get some more technically-specific advice here, I can say that I echo Scooter G comments, though I'm a little earlier in life's journey than he is. I hope be that cool grandpa someday, too!

[hal2814]

You’ll find a lot more info on the 230. The 236 and 230 are the same boat marketed different ways. As such ballast is optional in the 236 and it usually comes with a higher pitch prop. I think those are the only non-cosmetic differences. Looking up the 230 can give you a starting point at researching the 236. It’s an amazing boat but really isn’t the crossover it’s marketed as. That hull really isn’t good at skiing, even recreationally. Its best use is for surfing with some extra ballast. It is also good at wakeboarding if you ride at 22+ mph.

as far the that era Nautique, they’re pretty solid. It wasn’t a great era for vinyl so that may need to be replaced soon if it hasn’t been already. The seams the piping is stitched in seems to be the first thing to go. The black bumpy anti-slip material isn’t available anymore so you’ll have to replace it with something else if it’s worn out. People usually opt for seadek. There really aren’t any glaring issues that affect the power train around that time and parts are still plentiful.

[MN Ryan]

How does a 16-year old boat only have 50 hours? That would concern me a bit.

[srock]

Watch out for analysis paralysis. It is a great boat and if the mechanical all checks out and the boat is clean I would jump on it and get your feet wet...so to speak. What's the worst thing that can happen? Your downside is somewhat fixed.

[Castle]

Can't speak for the '07 236, but have owned boats with similar hull design. Easy to pull, fairly easy to maintain, fun for the Family. The best thing we ever did for the kids was throw a bunch of rats in a small cage in the middle of the lake and make them get along. We have pictures of our 1st daughter holding the flag up at age 2. All adults today with spouses and children, we're all best Friends, and our number one family passion still is being on the boat and playing in the water. Worth every dollar spent.
You are wise to not go with a newer boat for your 1st run, especially with kids. Build the experience and boating wisdom 1st, then junp to something else when you're ready, or keep it forever. Best of luck with your venture!

Thanks for the response and sorry for the big delay, I was out of town for work. My kids are older teens, I think our intent is to have a boat that we enjoy that also serves the family to do the things on it that they enjoy and hopefully have this develop into a long-term hobby/passion.


BTW: I am assuming this is the boat in the picture?

2007 Nautique 220 TEAM - NXTLVL Marine

[Castle]

How does a 16-year old boat only have 50 hours? That would concern me a bit.

Im not sure, other than according to the dealer that is selling, the owner bought it new and didn't have time/forgot about it. I have similar concerns, I equate it to the old barn find, which seems great on the surface, but the long downtime potentially leads to dried out seals and other potentially problematic items. As far as I know at this point, the only issue I have been told is a bad injector, I suppose that it is one of these pull the trigger and hope for the best and address issues as they arise.

[Castle]

Watch out for analysis paralysis. It is a great boat and if the mechanical all checks out and the boat is clean I would jump on it and get your feet wet...so to speak. What's the worst thing that can happen? Your downside is somewhat fixed.

Fair points all the way around. I am probably suffering from paralysis currently, I hate to make a misstep, and with my minimal knowledge of what features would be relevant to us, how many hours is too many, brand advantages/disadvantages, etc. It has been a hectic couple of weeks, to say the least.

[Castle]

You’ll find a lot more info on the 230. The 236 and 230 are the same boat marketed different ways. As such ballast is optional in the 236 and it usually comes with a higher pitch prop. I think those are the only non-cosmetic differences. Looking up the 230 can give you a starting point at researching the 236. It’s an amazing boat but really isn’t the crossover it’s marketed as. That hull really isn’t good at skiing, even recreationally. Its best use is for surfing with some extra ballast. It is also good at wakeboarding if you ride at 22+ mph.

as far the that era Nautique, they’re pretty solid. It wasn’t a great era for vinyl so that may need to be replaced soon if it hasn’t been already. The seams the piping is stitched in seems to be the first thing to go. The black bumpy anti-slip material isn’t available anymore so you’ll have to replace it with something else if it’s worn out. People usually opt for seadek. There really aren’t any glaring issues that affect the power train around that time and parts are still plentiful.

The ability to ski is not a concern. We are more interested in being able to surf and wakeboard. Good info on the 230 as a reference and will dig into it some more, what does the crossover reference?

[hal2814]

Crossover means it’s multi-purpose. A crossover boat is meant to be used skiing, wakeboarding, whatever. This is compared to a ski boat that is purely built to ski or a wakeboat purely built for wake sports like surfing and wakeboarding.

[Scooter G]

Hey Castle, I poked around Fort Worth (sometimes I get bored), and that was the only '07 that I saw, for sale, close to you at one of the local dealers. Thought maybe that was the one you had your eye on...

[Castle]

Scooter G - I figured. I spoke with them regarding that boat, I may be wrong but I felt they were being a little proud on the boat. The one I was referring to in my original post is on consignment and isn't on the company's website.

[Castle]

Scooter G - I know I am being a pest on this thread but incase anyone is invested at this point! I think we are going to move forward with this one. We are going into knowing we need to get the seats redone but feel like it may be a good starting point. We are going in at 32k, feels like the best we have been able to find and will at least allow us to decide if this is the best route and possibly upgrade in the future.

Used 2006 Nautique Super Air Nautique 220 For Sale Lewisville, TX | Buxton Marine

[hal2814]

Buxton is a great dealership to go with, especially if you’re thinking you may upgrade one day. Congrats and good luck with the boat.