2005 Champion Bay Champ info needed
 

I'm going to look at a 2005 Bay Champ soon and would like some info on any issues that are common to that particular boat that I should look for, thanks

I've heard nothing but good from the boat

Poor wood work at the transom left some motors lying on the ground up to 2003, even talk of one jumping into the boat and killing a guy while running - is it true, I don't know, but apparently there are some raw pictures somewhere.

I've heard of transom problems even through 2006, being that they changed their design due to the big failures previously I don't think 2 years is enough to say they got the problem licked by eliminating their shoddy wood work.

After some googling, I wiped them clean off my list of used boat possibilities when I was looking. They aren't a strong company, or a strong name anymore - too much of an investment and repair risk to roll those dice IMO.

This is before they made the changes around 2003.
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If the boat you're looking at has been on the market a while, there's a reason. I see a lot of them that don't move, so good pricing is pretty easy to get.

Sorry champion owners, I ain't hatin'. Just know not many men drop thousands of dollars and actually admit their mistake. Hell, not many men admit a mistake period, much less a BIG one.

Good luck, I'm just a guy.


Sent

Had a 1999 21 Bay Champ for 13 years and it was an awesome boat. It had an incredible ride to it and it was super dry. I had absolutely zero major issues with it but I took extremely good care of it. The last year I had it, a soft spot started to develop in the deck right in front of the console. It wasn't anything that needed immediate attention and is a common issue with 2001 and older models. This is due to moisture getting into the wood under the decks. Over time, humidity will eventually get to it. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe 2002 and newer models were made with less or no wood in the decks to address the soft spot issue. Don't quote me on that but Champion did eventually do away with wood in their construction. I would definitely check the integrity of the decks and transom on the boat you are looking at just to be sure. I had my champ for a long time and loved it. You won't find a better riding 21 foot bay boat out there. The owner who bought it from me last year recently told me that he is enjoying it and it's still going strong.

I was at the dock when wildlife and fisheries towed that one in. That happened last year for the Iberia rod and gun rodeo.The guy who owned it told me he heard a loud cracking noise from the motor area. He pulled back on the throttle and when he looked back the motor was gone! Looking where the transom was open, it looked like the transom was made with very thin plywood. Luckily he had insurance. Thats all I know.