New & Used Cruisers Boats Dealership & Sales in Michigan City, IN
Family owned on Trail Creek since 1953. Sea Ray, Navan, Formula and brokerage cruisers, with financing, service, slips and indoor storage on one property.
A cruiser is the boat you stop trailering and start staying aboard. Cabin, berth, enclosed head, galley, and enough freeboard to take Lake Michigan seriously on an afternoon when the day boats head in. Our current cruiser inventory runs from roughly 23 to 40 feet in both gas and diesel, spread across Michigan City, New Buffalo and St. Joseph. Visit the showroom at 31 Lake Shore Drive, or browse what is on the lot right now.
- 73+ Years in Business
- Sea Ray & Navan Dealer
- Top 100 Marine Dealer
- NMMA 5-Star Certified Dealer
What separates a cruiser from a day boat
A cruiser is defined by what sits below the deck rather than what sits on it. Under the foredeck you get a cabin with a proper berth, and in most models from about 27 feet up you also get an enclosed head, a galley with a refrigerator, and shore power so the boat can run air conditioning at the dock. Larger models add a mid-cabin berth and a generator. That is the whole idea: a boat you can sleep on, cook on, and stay out on past dark.
The hull is different too. Cruisers carry a deeper vee and considerably more weight than a bowrider of the same length, which is what you want when the wind swings northwest across the open lake. The trade-off is that a cruiser is not a trailer boat in any practical sense. From about 30 feet up, these boats live in a slip, get hauled by a travel lift, and winter on a stand or under cover. That changes the ownership math, and it is the first thing we walk buyers through.
B&E Marine has been selling and servicing boats on Trail Creek since 1953, and cruisers have been part of that from the beginning. We are a Top 100 marine dealer, a Brunswick Ambassador Dealer, and an NMMA Marine Industry 5-Star Certified Dealer, and our service department works on gas sterndrive, diesel inboard and outboard-powered cruisers year round rather than seasonally. There is more on our history on the About Us page and our certifications and awards.
Find the right cruiser for how you will use it
The cruiser category on our lot spans compact weekenders in the low 20s up to 40-foot express models. Here is how it breaks down based on what our customers actually buy and why.
23 to 27 ft Weekenders
Cuddy cabins and compact pilothouse models with a berth, a head and outboard power. The easiest entry point into overnighting, and still manageable to move.
30 to 32 ft Express Cruisers
The volume seller on Lake Michigan. Mid-cabin layouts, air conditioning, twin sterndrive power and enough hull to make the run to New Buffalo comfortable.
34 to 38 ft Cruisers
Two sleeping areas, a full galley, a separate shower stall and a generator. This is where a weekend on the hook stops feeling like camping.
40 ft and Up
Sport yacht territory, with joystick docking, larger fuel capacity and the range to cross to Michigan and back without watching the gauge.
Sea Ray Sundancer Models
The Sundancer line is the best known express cruiser on this lake, and we stock both current model year boats and clean pre-owned examples.
Stepping Up to a Yacht?
Plenty of buyers cross-shop a large cruiser against a small yacht. Browse both categories side by side before you commit to a length.
Considering other styles? We also stock center consoles, bowriders and deck boats, jet boats, and pontoons, or browse our complete inventory.
Cruiser or day boat, an honest comparison
This is the question we field most often from buyers moving up from a 21 or 25-footer, and the answer depends almost entirely on how you plan to spend your weekends.
Where Cruisers Win
You can sleep aboard, use a real head, run air conditioning on shore power, and keep going when the lake gets lumpy. A cruiser opens up overnight runs to New Buffalo, St. Joseph or Chicago, and holds resale better than most day boats when the service history is clean. Weather that ends a bowrider afternoon is often just a slower ride home in a 32-footer.
Where Day Boats Win
Lower purchase price, lower annual cost, and no slip required if you have a driveway and a tow vehicle. Day boats seat more people per foot and skip generator service, holding tank pump-outs and shrink wrap entirely. If your boating is four-hour afternoons with a big group, a deck boat or bowrider serves you better.
Weighing specific brands? Our team has published detailed comparisons including Sea Ray vs. Regal, Sea Ray vs. Cobalt and Sea Ray vs. Chaparral, plus a broader look at boat brands compared around Chicago.
Cruiser brands at B&E Marine
Sea Ray is the backbone of our cruiser business, and the Sundancer and DA Coupe models make up most of what moves through here in the 30 to 40 foot range. Navan is the newer name on the list and has drawn real attention with the C30 and C38, which pair a Scandinavian layout with a walkaround deck older express cruisers cannot match. Our brokerage side regularly brings in Formula, Jeanneau, Quicksilver and Hewescraft cruisers from owners in the area, which is where a lot of the value buying happens.
We are also the Sea Ray dealer serving the Chicago area and a Brunswick Ambassador Dealer.
New or brokerage, which makes more sense?
Cruisers depreciate hardest in the first few seasons and then flatten out, which means the used market is where a lot of smart money goes. Both paths work, and here is how we frame the trade-off.
Buying New
Full factory warranty on hull and engines, joystick docking and digital helm systems that change how the boat handles in a crosswind, and the ability to spec canvas, upholstery, audio and hardtop the way you want them. A new boat docks more easily than a ten-year-old equivalent of the same length. Check our current inventory for factory incentives, which change through the season.
Buying Used or Brokerage
A well-kept pre-owned cruiser is often the best value on the lot, but the survey matters more here than on any other boat type. Ask about engine hours, whether the boat was stored indoors, when the bellows and risers were last replaced, and whether the canvas and isinglass have been renewed. Our brokerage program lists boats from owners we usually know by name, and our used and brokerage listings are the place to start.
Moving up from your current boat? Our trade-in program applies its value straight to the purchase, We Want Your Boat gives you a number even if you are not buying this season, and our MLS listing service puts your boat in front of brokers nationwide.
What cruiser ownership actually involves
After decades of selling and servicing this category on Lake Michigan, these are the points we make sure every buyer understands before they take delivery.
Slip, Not Driveway
Above roughly 28 feet, a cruiser stays in the water for the season. Budget for a slip with power and water, and reserve it early because the good ones on Trail Creek go quickly.
Systems Beyond the Engine
Air conditioning, a generator, a water heater, a holding tank and a shore power system all need annual attention. This is the real difference in service cost against a day boat.
Gas or Diesel
Gas sterndrives dominate the 30 to 38 foot range and cost less up front. Diesel inboards burn less, last longer and cost more to buy and repair. Hours and usage decide it.
Docking a Larger Boat
Twin engines make a cruiser easier to handle than most people expect, and joystick systems on newer models remove the guesswork. We run a handling session at delivery.
Haul-Out and Layup
Winterization covers engines, the freshwater system, the head and the holding tank. We handle haul-out, shrink wrap or indoor storage, and spring commissioning.
Fuel and Range Planning
A cruiser is most efficient just above planing speed, not at wide open throttle. Knowing that cruise RPM changes a season’s fuel bill more than anything else you do.
Everything that comes after the sale
A cruiser needs a dealer with a travel lift, a service department and somewhere to put the boat in November. All of that is on one property here.
Boat Financing
Multiple marine lenders and longer terms suited to cruiser pricing, with a calculator to run the numbers before you apply.
Explore Financing OptionsTrade-In Valuation
A straightforward number on your current boat, applied directly toward the cruiser you are moving up to.
Start a Trade-InBoat Insurance
Marine-specific coverage quoted through partners who understand agreed value, layup periods and navigation limits.
Request an Insurance QuoteCruiser Service
Engine and drive service, generator and air conditioning work, canvas, gelcoat, commissioning and winter layup.
Schedule Service OnlineSlips and Dockage
Private slips on Trail Creek with drive-up access, plus a seasonal fuel dock, pool, bathhouse and laundry.
See Slip AvailabilityIndoor Winter Storage
Heated and cold indoor storage that protects gelcoat, canvas and upholstery far better than shrink wrap alone.
See Storage OptionsOwners also use our Ship’s Store for parts and gear, the dockside pump-out service, and the Vantage Protection System for extended coverage.
Serving cruiser buyers across Northwest Indiana
Our showroom and marina sit on Trail Creek in Michigan City, and our cruiser customers come from across Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area. Here is how we support each community.
Cruisers for East Chicago, IN
East Chicago buyers make the drive to Michigan City for cruiser selection they cannot match closer to home, and for a service department that works on generators, air conditioning and diesel inboards rather than sending the boat out. Financing, trade-in and slip questions get answered in one visit.
See how B&E Marine serves East Chicago boatersCruisers for Gary, Indiana
With direct Lake Michigan access, Gary owners get the most out of a cruiser’s cabin and deeper hull on longer runs along the shoreline and across to Michigan. We stock the 30 to 38 foot express models that suit those conditions and keep them running all season.
Learn more about our services for Gary, Indiana boatersCruisers for Hammond, IN
For Hammond buyers we offer real depth across new and brokerage cruisers, plus the chance to compare a Sundancer and a Navan back to back on the same lot. Our Ship’s Store, slips and winter storage cover you well past the purchase.
See what we offer Hammond boatersCruisers for Valparaiso, IN
Valparaiso families have made B&E Marine a regular stop for cruiser shopping, seasonal dockage and spring commissioning. Buy the boat, slip it, and service it here without heading into Chicago for dealership support.
Explore our services for Valparaiso, Indiana boatersComing from farther out? We also maintain pages for boats for sale near Chicago, Northern Indiana, Southwest Michigan, and 24 to 30 foot boats near Chicago.
Come walk them on Trail Creek
Cruiser photos never convey the cabin. Step down into a 32-foot express and the headroom, the berth length and the size of the head are either right for your family or they are not, and ten seconds aboard tells you more than an hour of listings. Our Michigan City showroom and docks let you compare current model year boats against clean brokerage examples in the same afternoon.
We are on Trail Creek, minutes from Lake Michigan and roughly 38 miles from downtown Chicago by water. The marina offers private slips up to 60 feet with drive-up access, a seasonal fuel dock, pool, bathhouse and laundry, so you can keep the boat where you bought it.
Planning a visit? Use our quickest route tool for directions, check current fuel prices, meet the people you will be working with on our sales team page, or contact our team ahead of time so we can have specific cruisers open and ready to walk.
What cruiser owners say about B&E Marine
The real test of a dealership is whether customers come back for their second and third boat. Here is a sample of what ours have shared.
“We went from a 24-foot bowrider to a 32 and I was nervous about handling it. They spent an hour with me at the dock at delivery and I have not thought about it since.”
M. Alvarez, cruiser owner“Third boat we have bought from B&E. Same service department, same people, same honest communication every time we bring it in.”
D. Kowalski, boat owner“They talked us out of a bigger boat than we needed and into the right one. That is why we came back when we actually were ready to move up.”
T. Reyes, cruiser ownerFrequently asked questions
What is a cruiser boat?
What is the difference between a cruiser and a yacht?
How much does a cruiser boat cost?
Can you sleep on a cruiser boat?
What cruiser brands does B&E Marine carry?
Is a cruiser hard to dock?
What maintenance does a cruiser need?
Do I need a slip for a cruiser, or can I trailer it?
Can I finance or trade in toward a cruiser?
Where is B&E Marine located?
Ready to find your cruiser?
Browse current inventory online, or come walk the docks at our Michigan City showroom. Our team will compare new against brokerage honestly, talk financing and slip availability, and give you a real number on your trade.
