Looking At Boats Tomorrow ... If You Have A Boat What Do You Have And Why Do You Like It?
 

Do you have a boat? If so what kind and why do you love it if you do have one? My dad and I are going looking tomorrow morning here in North Carolina as he's in town before my trip to Jamaica.

I have been hunting for almost a year and really want a Sea Ray Sundancer. My dad is here from California to help me shop. He has sailed and fished on the west coast and east coast for years as a pro fisherman. He likes the center console boats. If you have one let me know what type and why you like the model you have. I want a boat I can sleep on and fish off with plenty of room. It needs an onboard bathroom and small kitchen. If you have one what kind and what features do you recommend? If you have pics of it please post them.

We are looking at this one at 10am

http://www.zuzanadesigns.com/gfy/newboat2010/01.jpg

http://www.zuzanadesigns.com/gfy/newboat2010/02.jpg

http://www.zuzanadesigns.com/gfy/newboat2010/03.jpg

http://www.zuzanadesigns.com/gfy/newboat2010/04.jpg

a boat is a hole in the water you pour money into:1orglaugh
Good luck with your shopping:thumbsup

You sound like my Dad lol. He said the same thing when I bought my RV (Mini Me) 3 years ago. I have traveled 40k miles in it and have not spend a dime besides oil changes and one set of front brakes. I really take care of all my investments, but I have heard a boat is a money pit. I'm hoping to stray from that. That's why I'm asking for opinions.

I have a small 18' century bowrider. Nothing the size of what you are looking for. I haven't stopped putting money into the damn thing since i bought it. I am out on it at least twice a week though. I take great care of it, but everyone is right when they say it's a money pit.

Ski boat is the way to go, It always attracts some hotties...

talk to your accountant, a boat can be a "porthole loophole" (possible tax write-off)

I had a 28 footer years ago... and yes be prepared to dump your money into it.

Thats a nice boat by the way and its big, be prepared to dump a lot of money into it.

Good-luck despite all of that, I wish I still had mine. You're going to love it.

The 2 happiest days in a boat owners life...

The day you buy the boat...

The day you sell the boat...

That being said... I'm more of a river rat, and would love a scarab...

Sums it up really well :)

Never by used boats

I had a 36' twin engine Carver for a few years...had a blast with it. Ex got it in the divorce and I got the loan. I had always been the one at the helm so he never really learned to get it around at slower speeds and dock it. I didn.t want it with just the boys and I cause I didn't want either one of them jumping off the transom to tie up...I had visions of the falling in the water as i'm backing and under one of the props. Anywhoooo, after he sat on it a year. He needed case and decided to sell it. I'd slowed down on paying off the loan cause the interest benefited me for taxes (could be considered a 2nd home because it was moored year-round and u could live on it).

boat was named CyberCat and had my logo on it

http://www.pk.com/pktemp/cybercat2.jpg

http://www.pk.com/pktemp/cybercat1.jpg

http://www.pk.com/pktemp/cybercat5.jpg

that looks expensive!

I had a 6 meter gladstron, with 85hp outboard, cost me a small fortune in mooring fees, gas and repairs etc so got rid of it. I love boating though might get another one one day :)

Boats are for kids. Get a yacht.

no idea not fond of boats...lol!

We used to have a 26 ft sailboat....one of happiest days of my life was when we bought her and the best day of my life was when we sold it.

I wish you luck, be prepared to fork out money :2 cents:

if it flies, floats or fucks it's cheaper to rent :2 cents:

I will never understand boating...

Hmmm..
 

I have 2 boats.... oh and a submarine.... oh and not forgetting ducky who I play with in the bath too !

That boat looks really nice :)
We have a 18 ft Bayliner with 185HP, use it for skiing and wakeboarding

Those cabin cruisers are pretty comfortable and fun to party on as long as you have a generator to keep the cabin cool.

What the fuck Skarky!!!!!! I didn't know you had a boat.. Fucking holding out on me man!

Im partial to submarines

Agree fully. :-)

Which is why I highly recommend you join a boat club like this one instead of buying your own boat.

http://freedomboatclub.com/locations/state/NC

You show up, the boat is ready to go. You don't have to get there 2 hours early to make sure everything is good. You don't have to tell your friends to wait on the dock for an hour while you go buy a new battery. You don't have to clean it. You don't have to repair it. You don't have to pay slip fees. You don't have to have room for a trailer. You don't have to wait in line for two hours to get your boat in the water on a Saturday morning. You don't have to winterize it. You don't have to store it. Fuck, you don't even have to gas it. They'll do that for you at the same price gas costs anyway, no upcharge. And you can take out a different boat every time. Most places have 30-50 different boats.

Oh, and also, I fuck. So if you want to rent me, I'm available by the hour. Reasonable rates.

The best boat by far is a friend's boat...:winkwink:

:thumbsup

In my experience, when you first start shopping for boats it all seems so perfect. The great get away vehicle. Weekends on the water. Then you find out, more times than not, you have friends who get motion sick, the friends you take with you don't want to do any work toward helping out when the boat is underway, and when it comes time to clean or do any maintenance, you are more than likely all on your own.

Boats are different. You will spend a ton of money on them. Watercraft have this odd habit of getting gunk build up below the waterline...thus monthly bottom cleanings are needed by a dive service. Haul outs to paint or seal ( i had a fiberglass boat and a wood boat at one time) the hull every XX months. Rust, corrosion, weather wear and tear, it's all a lot worse with boats. Slip rents, boat insurance, are expensive. Engines are tough to work on, water pumps go bad, etc. I had a sailboat for several years and the addage is very true, they are holes in which you throw your money.

I'm not totally negative on boats, although reading the above might sound like it, they just have their drawbacks and for me, it would take some serious soul searching to make sure I wanted that responsibility again.

Good luck though. They are fun if you have the money, the time, the patience, and a good set of friends who will not only help you enjoy it but help out so it's not all on you when they do.

The boat is one of the greatest inventions. The earth's surface is 2 thirds water and 1 third earth. The ancient Egyptians invented the boat and ship. Toronto's harbour front has 100s of beautiful ships to look at. It also has Canada's largest sailing ship and you can come close to take a look at it.

haha no shit huh :thumbsup

That looks pretty nice Zuzana!

im guessing your taking your man. this isnt a female task just have dinner ready when he returns. j/k

Let's just say Miami Vice changed my life:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/...9cb4a3cb_o.jpg

HAhaha! Don't get me wrong... I love big boats and I love motor boats but there is just something about small racing sailboats that I love (ie lazers, jy15s, etc.) So I bought a JY15, used it like 10 times and then thats that lol... since then I actually rented one somewhere as I just didn't have mine at the right place at the right time. Right now I have it in storage up in NY since I don't live near the water anymore, I would so use it right now but sadly cannot.

If anyones interested, hit me up... good deal on it! Comes with trailer :thumbsup

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For big boats, if you want to go the sail route, I would check out catamarans. Most people don't think to even consider them but they are sweet rides for sure! Tons of deck and cabin space and they don't tilt over anything like sailboats plus they are faster.

hahahaha!! :1orglaugh thats colorful is that a rainbow :helpme

Best thing is to have friends with boats.
Its a waste of money.. But fun to ride.

I have a 27 foot wellcraft cuddy cabin at the moment, which I use for Diving, and general cruisin' & boozin', and I've been boating all my life, mostly on the ocean.

If you are looking for a boat to fish off of, then the one you you are looking at to buy is a bad choice. That is a cruiser, and built for comfort, not fishing. If you want a boat that you can fish off of, but still sleep aboard, then a 32 foot Walk-Around Pro-Line would be good for this. It is build for fishing and yet it has a comfy cabin with a head, and a small side galley

The problems with the boat your looking at is...
It doesn't do well in bad weather on the open ocean, things break in rough seas on those boats, and I/O engines are harder to fix.
It is not a self-bailing cockpit, so it's VERY difficult to wash the blood and scales out of it.
The cockpit is too enclosed and when a fish runs around the front of the boat you can't stay with it,
There are no live bait wells or places to clean the fish.

be aware that any boat in the 25 to 35 foot range will run you 15 to 25+ gallons per hour at cruising speed, and with all the maintenance, you are looking at a pretty big nut every month. Having said that, the ironic thing is that the more you use a boat, the less you have to work on it. (The more lube is getting pushed through the engines, the more electricity is burning the corrosion off of the wiring, etc...) I put about 40 hours a month on my boat.

Also... you should ABSOLUTELY buy a copy of "Chapman's Piloting", and read it from cover to cover. This is the bible for boats, and every boater should know it.


Have fun!

...and remember, BOAT stands for Break Out Another Thousand. :-)


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LOL Hadn't heard that one before but so so true. :)

Look man if you're gonna go out on the lake you gotta peacock it.

i was looking at a used sportsfisher aka yacht, 38 ft twin diesel. perfect for fishing and vacationing.. walk around deck, fresh and raw water systems, generator, shower, kitchec etc etc.
did all the surveys on both hull and engines and decided there were too many issues for me to deal with..
i was gonna buy cash but that might not make sense if there is a tax advantage to finance?

Oh Hello Sperb I would like to extend personal VIP invite to you on my Floatilla party in the Meeami area

sounds great! I'll bring the beer, and a whole bunch of weapons and ammo!!


:thumbsup:thumbsup:




.:1orglaugh


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Halimah like you

Are you kidding me? Not a single person chimed in with this?

http://101tees.com/blog/wp-content/u...09/05/boat.jpg

yeah :pimp

Really great advise :thumbsup

Assuming the boat will be in NC it probably won't get used year round due to weather so that plays into your " less used means more work " point. It's really hard to find a boat that does everything well. If you want to fish well you will have to sacrifice comfort for fishing features and vice versa.

The boat in the pictures looks like something you would take out on calm day with a group of people that just want to be on a boat and don't really care about actually catching a fish or going fast or getting wet and the owner is willing to pay some crew to clean it up afterwards.

I've never owned a boat but I'm lucky to have many friends with all kinds of boats so I've had some really great experiences courtesy of them. I would have to be filthy rich before I would buy one. The kind of person that fits owning a boat is one that will get a LOT of use out of it. As many have already testified to it amounts to being just a hole in the ocean so you need to think really hard as to whether the expense is worth the experience.

I have a center console fishing boat (23' hydra sport bay boat). Bought it 8 years ago slightly used and got a great deal on it, it is still worth about the same now as it was when I bought it. I don't need the cabins and shit, I just want something I can fish off of .

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/jpg...ay-bol-10w.jpg

Couple things you need to know about boats. Don't ever buy new. Pretty sure this is the same in all states, if you by used you just pay taxes on the trailer, if you buy new you pay taxes on the boat, motor and trailer. Also in this economy you can pick up steals on used boats from people who bought a boat that they really couldn't afford the payments on. Also when people buy boats new they usually spring f or all the extra's (gps, trolling motor, etc..) and you not only get a good deal on a used boat but you get all of the extras tossed in. So you don't have to pay thousands for all of that extra stuff like you do with a new one.

The other thing I would mention don't finance a boat. If you can't afford to pay cash then you don't need a boat. While I bought a boat, mine was under 20K you not talking a lot of money. If you going to drop 60 - 100K on a boat and then finance it that would be a huge mistake. You will wind up paying a ton of money on interest. Not to mention the bigger the boat the bigger the money pit it is. You need to pay for a slip, insurance, etc... In my case I don't need a slip as I can trailer it around easily, I don't need insurance as it isn't worth THAT much to make it worth it, and I didn't finance and I didn't pay a lot of money. I've been lucky and had no major repairs. I would never buy new or drop a lot of money on a boat unless I had millions in the bank and had a lot of money to blow.

LOL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER buy New boats. ALWAYS buy USED. ALWAYS. Buy one that is 1-5 years old, I wouldn't go over 5 years and ALWAYS get it checked out from top to bottom.

Nothing deprecates faster than a new boat. Nothing. Not to mention there are MILLIONS of deals out there. People buy cars they can't afford all the time but they need transportation so most people find a way to make it work. The people who buy big ass expensive boats then lose their jobs, the boat is the first thing to go, not the house or the car. There is always steals out there on great used boats.

Not to mention the tax savings on used (if that is the same in all states - not 100% sure).

oh and I forgot to mention if you live in an area where there is a HUGE OIL SPILL THEN YOU CAN"T GO FISHING..... fucking BP!!!

Awesome boat PK.. Sucks you lost it to the ex. From what I hear they are just a money pit :(

I have been looking the last couple weeks and I'm waiting till I go to Tennessee the first week of August to make up my mind. My dad and I are going to a boat show to look around and it gives me more time to think about what I want and what size will fit me and my family.

I may just do the rent a boat and save myself the trouble like many say here. I'm looking at a couple tomorrow locally in NC but promised my Dad I would wait till after the boat show in Nashville.

Can you take me on a fishing trip when you get one?

It depends on where you live and what size boat I get :) But to stay optimistic I will say "yes let's fish"