Well.....I finally sold my aluminum boat and am looking to upgrade to a glass boat that I can take my 4 year old son fishing on. I know there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum and several of the members have already given me great advice that has keptme from making some Huge mistakes!! (thanks for that BTW)

So I'm considering two boats and was hoping someone could share their thoughts with me on them.

1st is a 1998 Champion 187 DC Elite with a 175hp Merc EFI - looks clean and well maintained

2nd is also a 1998 Champion but it's a 181 DC Elite with a 150 Mariner EFI that's pretty clean also.

I'm not aware of the differences between the 181 and the 187 and wanted to get people's opinions on both.

All comments are appreciated!

about 6 in. i would go w 187 and the bigger motor, better ride and room AND SAFTY FOR THE YOUNG MAN

I would have the transom checked to make sure it is 100% solid.

Check the transom for sure not to mention a compression check on the motors.
The 6" will not make that much difference in the long run, IMO.
Not a fan of the Mariner engine though as that is what was originally on my Champion and had lots of problems with it due to design issues they had. Replaced it with a Yamaha in 2004 and no problems since.

As stated above check the transom. You can do it fairly easy by trimming the motor all the way down to were the skegg hits the pavement, watch the ends of the transom for movement,,most will have cracks,,also get up under and check for hidden damage,,you would be surprised what can be hidden under the bunks and off to the sides. That 175 is a beast of a motor,get the compression check, also take a screw driver and check the lower unit oil,if clean i would check it again after test draining boat. I have had 7 different Champion and had few problems with any of them.

Pat Goff is the Champion guru here,not taking anything away from the other Champion owners here, all gave good advise,you cant go wrong with a Champion. If it was well maintained I would go with the bigger boat. I have a 1996 181 dc and love it.

187 is really a nice ride, the 181 is more "sporty" The bigger boat rides like a 20 foot anything else.

As suggested, carefully inspect the hull, even better take it to a professional and spend a little for piece of mind.

Mariner/Mercury is exactly the same motor, don't let anyone tell you different.

Pat is spot on with the boats.

I had a 181 and its a great boat but would go with the bigger boat.

If you ever think of resale the Merc is the way to go.

Thanks for the posts. The 187 is my preference but he wants a little more than I wanna spend and isn't answering my emails right now. I'm also looking at a 95' Stratos 201XL with a Evinrude 225 that is much more in line with what I want to spend - it's a rough decision getting your first (real) boat!! I'm partial to Champs cause I that's what my friend had when I started fishing but trying to be open to all deals out ther...to many decisions though!,

If you buy the champ you won't be dissappointed. The 187 is a nice nimble boat. I've got an 04 and it does everything I need. The 175 is a great power choice. I only have 150 . If you do a compression test on any boat you consider don't skimp on a leakdown test. That will be a valuable bit of info for you. Some boats might pass the compression test but fail the leakdown test.

Good to know - the 187 may be sold actually - it was higher than I wanted to spend anyway. Now have to decide between the champ 181 and a 1995 Stratos 201XL loaded with electronics for a third the price of the Champ...

I think the Champion has the best rough water ride on the market prior to Genmar buying out the company....The three I have owned have gotten me out of harms way more then once....I have owned a 1987 201, 1994 190 DCX and a 1999 203....The 94 and 87 were both top notch.

I have a 2000 181/2006 Opti 150, and I absolutely love it.
It's been to the big ponds on bad days, and peformed great.
There are faster boats to be sure, but it pizzes em' off
when you set down in their wake after a crooked run down
a Fork lane. Get Steve at Fork to help you with the set-up,
and you won't be sorry. Enjoy.
Jim
Go to Bass Boat Central and read Pat's story of Champion.
You will enjoy, and learn.