Used Bayliner Ciera buying guide: is a budget cruiser a good buy?

The Bayliner Ciera brought cabin cruising within reach of ordinary families, and that's still its appeal: an express cruiser with a cabin, a galley and a head for about the price of a used pickup truck. Bayliner was bought by Brunswick in 1986, at the same time as Sea Ray,¹ and the boats share a huge network of dealers and parts.

Bayliners were built to a price, and that's not a sin. A dry, well-maintained Ciera with a healthy drive is a fine first cruiser for a lake, a river or a protected bay. A wet, tired one isn't worth fixing.

Bayliner Ciera at a glance

Is a Ciera right for you?

A good fit if you want the cheapest way into a cabin cruiser, you'll use her on protected water, and you can do much of the maintenance yourself.

Think twice if you want heavy construction for rough water, you can't tell a good sterndrive from a tired one (and won't pay someone who can), or you're paying near the top of the range for an average boat.

What to check

The sterndrive and engine

The drive and the engine are where most of a Ciera's value, and most of its risk, live.

• Bellows, gimbal bearing and U-joints: when were they last done?
• Gear oil: milky oil means water in the drive
• Exhaust manifolds and risers, especially on saltwater boats
• A compression test on the gas engine: cylinders within about 10 percent of each other²
• Smooth, positive shifting in forward and reverse

Our sterndrive buying guide has the full list for MerCruiser and Volvo Penta drives.

Transom, stringers and floors

Older Cieras used wood inside the structure, and water gets in. Push hard on the cockpit floor and around the helm, look for cracks where the floor meets the hull sides, and look at the inside of the transom around the drive opening for water stains and soft spots. A rotten transom on an inexpensive boat can cost more to fix than the boat is worth. See fiberglass boat problems.

Decks and the windshield

Walk the deck with your full weight, especially around cleats, rails and hatches, and check the windshield frame for leaks and loose fasteners.

The cabin

Look for leaks, mildew and a sagging headliner. Sniff before you look: a strong mildew smell means water has been getting in, or the boat sat closed up for a long time.

The trailer

Many Cieras come with a trailer. Check the bearings, tires (look at the date codes), brakes, lights and frame rust, and make sure the trailer's title comes with the sale.

Questions to ask the seller

• How old are the bellows, gimbal bearing and risers? Any receipts?
• Fresh water or salt? Where has she been stored over winter?
• Has the transom or any floor ever been repaired?
• Where does the cabin leak?
• How many hours, and when was she last run?

Is a cheap Ciera a bargain?

With so many on the market, you can take your time and walk past the tired ones. The good buys look like this: a popular model with clean paperwork, a healthy drive with receipts, a dry transom and floors, and problems that are cosmetic or that you can fix yourself. If the price is low because the drive is tired and the transom is soft, it isn't a bargain; it's a project. See first-time boat buyer mistakes.

Common questions

Are Bayliner Cieras good boats?

For protected water and a budget, a well-kept one can be a very good first cruiser. They're not built for rough offshore water, and condition varies widely, so inspect carefully.

What is the biggest problem on old Bayliners?

Water in wood-cored structure, such as transoms, stringers and floors, and deferred sterndrive maintenance. Check both before you make an offer.

How many hours is too many on a Ciera?

Sterndrives are commonly figured at about 1,000 to 1,500 hours of life with good care.³ Service records and a compression test tell you more than the number. See boat engine hours.