Finally put a deposit on my first boat!

[Whitaker201]

Good luck and Congrats!

[Casslaw]

That’s a great looking rig! Congrats, I’m sure you will catch many fish out of that boat! You’re gonna feel very proud driving to the lake with your own boat on the back, good for you.

Start on smaller bodies of water, get a routine down and have fun!

[Ththomp2]

Congrats! And you did it the right way by working and paying for it yourself. If there is one thing I have learned is when you spend your own money the appreciation factor is much greater.

[Nailbender8]

Congratulations on the new boat and hope you get to enjoy it for years to come.

[The Arch]

Shoulda posted a little earlier and maybe a BBC member could have swung by the dealer and gave you an unbiased review of the boat... Oh well... Good luck, and welcome to the BBC... Dan

Did Dan just say bbc and “unbiased” in the same
sentence lol jk

[Spanky06]

Congrats, that is a very clean looking rig, remember, its all about the motor, if the motor is solid you will be good to go. Good luck and enjoy!!

Spanky

[WVBullet]

Welcome to BBC and good luck with the new boat! Be safe!!

[yandeltx]

Looks like a very clean rig. Enjoy!!!

[printman71]

Very clean.
Enjoy.
Take your time and don't worry about getting in anyone's way at the ramp. Take it slowly and get more comfortable with it as you go.

[crawdadking]

Nice looking rig! Congrats and enjoy

[larryhyco]

There are several around the lake I live. Very nice boats. Congrats to you.

[Guntucky]

Good looking rig. hope you catch some bigguns in it.

[Phoenix20]

Good looking boat! Congrats

[93 Ragin Cajun]

Congratulations on the new Boat!

[Highcentered]

Prepare yourself for heartbreak!
Seriously though, congrats. I remember going to pick up my first bass boat, its exciting!

After my experience with my first boat being that deal I couldn't pass up on a creampuff I have the same feelings. What lies beneath the shiny gel can be ugly.

Look over the bottom of the boat really close to check for fiberglass damage and stress cracks. Also, INSIST on a lake test before you give them the rest of the money. Not sure how much you put down for a deposit but better to be out the deposit and walk away than to be stuck with a turd that was priced low for a reason. Not trying to poop on your party but I'm just trying to prepare you for what might be a reality even though most likely that boat and motor is just fine. Hopefully you have a few grand left over to put into it just in case there's something not quite right with it but not obvious at the time. It's easy to let emotions control you so need to keep your head clear and hopefully your dad will be your rock in this adventure.

Otherwise, congratulations. Should be a great first boat if all checks out.

[Big J Mac]

[David g]

I bought a used Ranger that had been unused for over ten years now on it's third season with me. First things first, have your motor checked out and most likely change out the water pump impeller. If it has a water pressure gauge, watch what it reads on your lake test. Look under the hull to get a good idea if there is any damage to the bottom. Make sure to test everything electrical such as your live wells, bilge pump, graphs, etc. Also when on the lake, turn on the bilge pump and see if there is any water discharging, also check in the transom for leaks in case your bilge pumps aren't working. Lastly, check you trailer brake master cylinder if it has one as well as the tires. A good idea to jack up each wheel and do a spin test and the wiggle test to see if your bearings are grinding or loose.

I had to do a lot of resealing in the bilge when I bought my Ranger as nearly every fitting was leaking. I changed the impeller, plugs, and thermostats. The PO had already gotten the motor to run. I also had to completely replace my master cylinder for the brakes. Everything works on my boat now and it is always dry. That Triton is a good boat as it appears and even if it has some issues, if the fiberglass is good, carpet, seats are good and especially if the motor is ok, you should be good to go.

[Pilgrim]

Nice! Looks like it has been taken care of. Have fun and be safe.

[Koma]

Congrats! Your miles ahead of where I was at your age and should be proud of yourself! Looks like a nice clean boat from the pics! Hope it’s all it appears to be

[Angler103]

My first glass bass boat was a Triton 17x explorer with a 75 HP Opti. Looked identical to this boat. I really enjoyed that boat. Im trying to recall if I had any issues with the actual boat and could not think of any besides a few stress cracks. The trailer is not the best but it worked fine for me as I only took it on one long road trip and it did fine. Look it over really well, take a flash light with you so you can see in the bilge and anything that may be hidden. Absolutely require a water test and if possible get another marina to check out the opti for you. Enjoy the boat, I had a lot of fun in mine.