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Bayliner 3270 / 3218 / 3288 Motor Yacht

Built 1981–1995 by Bayliner Marine

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About the Bayliner 3270 / 3218 / 3288 Motor Yacht

Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.

Bayliner 3270 / 3218 / 3288 Motor Yacht
Photo: Doug Snider, Public domain via Flickr · licence (names blurred, upscaled)
Built
1981–1995
Builder
Bayliner Marine
Length
32.08 ft
Waterline
28.83 ft
Beam
11.5 ft
Draft
2.92 ft
Displacement
12,500 lb
Hull / keel
planing
Propulsion
inboard
Fuel
200 gal
Water
89 gal
Holding
23 gal
Water heater
11 gal · AC + engine · standard
Generator
factory option
Bow thruster
not fitted
Stern thruster
not fitted
Steering
varies by year
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
  • Fuel 200 gal
    “Fuel Capacity 200 gal” — search excerpt (1987), seacoastyachts.com · “747 liters (197 US gallons)” — search excerpt, yachtdatabase.com · “Fuel Capacity 100 gal” — search excerpt (1987), globalyachtexchange.com
    The 1995 owner's manual on the owners' website gives water and holding capacities but no fuel figure. A listing and a spec database support about 200 gal; one listing's 100 gal looks like an error or a single tank.
  • Water 89 gal
    “Potable Water System Specifications: under aft berth sole ... Capacity (gallons) 89” — owner's manual (1995 (3288)), bayliner32xx.com · “Fresh Water Tank 89 gal” — search excerpt (1987 (3270)), globalyachtexchange.com · “Water Capacity 90 gal” — search excerpt (1987 (3270)), seacoastyachts.com
    Bayliner's 1995 3288 owner's manual (posted on the Bayliner 32xx owners' website) gives one 89-gal tank, and 1987 3270 listings show 89-90. Our earlier figure of 65 (from the HMY powerboat guide; the owners' site once gave 65/89) may be an early or alternate tank, but no source ties 65 to specific years.
  • Holding 23 gal
    “Holding Tank and Valve Location Table: Cap. (Gal.) 23, beneath salon stb side” — owner's manual (1995 (3288)), bayliner32xx.com · “Holding Tank Capacity 20 gal” — search excerpt (1987), globalyachtexchange.com
    The 1995 owner's manual agrees with our earlier figure.
  • Water heater 11 gal · AC + engine · standard
    “WATER HEATER-11 GAL (fresh water system parts list)” — builder (1992 (3288)), bayliner32xx.com · “Hot water heater and tank ... N/C” — brochure (3270), bayliner32xx.com · “The water heater is connected to the 110-volt power system. On those models equipped with fresh-water engine cooling, th” — owner's manual (1995 (3288)), bayliner32xx.com
    11 gal is from the 1992 3288 factory parts catalog (standard fresh-water system, not the options section). The 3270 brochure lists a water heater and tank as standard at no charge, size not given. The 1995 3288 owner's manual says it runs on 110 V, and with freshwater-cooled engines the port engine's coolant also heats the tank.

Tanks are often replaced or added on older boats — check the tank labels or a survey for yours.

Thrusters and steering — where this comes from
  • Bow thruster not fitted
    “3270 standard-equipment list and full FACTORY OPTIONS list (air conditioning, anchor winch, fender racks, cockpit cover,” — brochure (3270 (EK), undated), bayliner32xx.com · “FACTORY OPTIONS section 13 (air conditioning, fender racks, bimini, 12V anchor winch, electric heat, electric stove, gas” — builder (1992), bayliner32xx.com
    Neither the 3270 brochure nor the 1992 3288 parts catalog lists a bow thruster as standard or as a factory option; lists for 1993-95 weren't seen. One 1991 3288 shown on video has a bow thruster added later, but one boat isn't enough to call it a common addition.
  • Stern thruster not fitted
    “3270 standard-equipment list and full FACTORY OPTIONS list - no stern thruster” — brochure (3270 (EK), undated), bayliner32xx.com · “FACTORY OPTIONS section 13 - no stern thruster” — builder (1992), bayliner32xx.com
    Not a factory item in either of the two equipment lists seen. One 1991 3288 shown on video had a Sleipner stern thruster added by its owner.
  • Steering varies by year
    “Rack and pinion steering ... N/C” — brochure (3270 (EK), undated), bayliner32xx.com · “STEERING SYSTEM: HYDRAULIC STEERING FLUID; 16" WHEEL; 20" WHEEL” — builder (1992), bayliner32xx.com · “Your steering system is manual hydraulic, not power steering.” — owner's manual (1995), bayliner32xx.com · “Hydraulic fluid leaking from center of helm wheel (H-50) in flybridge. (Bayliner 3288 '89)” — search excerpt (1989), thehulltruth.com
    The early 3270 brochure lists rack-and-pinion (mechanical) steering as standard; the 1992 parts catalog and 1995 owner's manual describe manual hydraulic steering with a pressure-checked reservoir. The changeover year wasn't found. The Hynautic brand comes from one owner's forum post (an H-50 helm on a 1989 3288); builder documents name no brand.

Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.

Sources disagree on engines[gas].model, gas V8 displacement — left blank rather than guessed.

Called 3270 Explorer (1981-84), 3270 Motor Yacht (1985-87), 3218 (1988) and 3288 (1989-95); same hull throughout. Prop pockets avoid V-drives; engines sit under the cockpit and the engine space is tight. HMY says over 3,000 were reportedly sold. Transom door standard from 1992.

Engines fitted

Boats of the same model can differ — check which engines yours actually has before ordering parts.

Generator

factory option

“O-GV 4.4 KW diesel generator w/85 amp battery ... O-GO 6.5 kw gas generator (Factory Options)” — brochure (3270), bayliner32xx.com · “7.0KW GAS GENSET-110V / 8.0KW DSL GEN OPTION (Factory Options section)” — builder (1992 (3288)), bayliner32xx.com · “The AC system is energized by either shore power or the onboard generator (optional).” — owner's manual (1995 (3288)), bayliner32xx.com

A factory option throughout. The 3270 option list offers a 4.4 kW diesel or 6.5 kW gas set (make not given; one 1984 listing shows a 6.5 kW Onan). The 1992 3288 parts catalog lists a Westerbeke 7.0 kW gas or Westerbeke 8.0 kW diesel, plus a 220 V/50 Hz export package rated 6.5 kW.

Generators are often replaced or added — check the unit's own plate before ordering parts.

Manuals and brochures online

Hosted by the builder or an owners' association; they own the copyright.

Known problems for this model

1 more
  • Rolling and following-sea handling hull
    The rounded chine and prop-pocket hull roll at anchor and wander in a following sea; some owners add bolt-on chine extensions (underhulls) or hull extensions.
    bayliner32xx.com
Model sources (11)

bayliner32xx.com · bayliner32xx.com · hmy.com · baylinerownersclub.org · baylinerownersclub.org · baylinerownersclub.org · boats-from-usa.com · marineengine.com · bayliner32xx.com · bayliner32xx.com · bayliner32xx.com

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Other Bayliner models

Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.