OT: buying boat

[ladyfsu]

Lots of boat enthusiasts here on RC.

First, with the economy...is there a place where people might be dumping off/auctioning decent boats? We want warranties so I would assume new is the way to go. I don't want to put $$ into a potential problem.

Second: We ARE going to get a boat. I would like advice on what things you think I are "must haves" on boats.

We have a family of 5 and a big dog that we would like to include on trips. We want:

1. ability to go LESS THAN 2-3 miles out on calm days
2. ability to FISH, trolling included (not just park and throw a line out)
3. 10 people can sit comfortable (don't need to fish...just hang out)
4. LIVE WELL
5. some sort of potty
6. some sorty of canopy


Can a pontoon boat do this? Price will be an issue, but I do NOT want to buy something that won't do many things we want. Our kids are young. We want to be able to go "hang out" at the sandbars and bring the dog and throw the lines in sometime...our F-150 needs to be able to handle it too.

Thanks!

 

[CMcNeil]

that is alot to ask for a boat if money is an issue.a pontoon comes to mind but they really arent meant for offshore use of any kind.

 

[ladyfsu]

I just want to make it to Anclote Island and I have lots of students who just use kayaks and wave runners to get there. That's about as offshore as I want to get.

 

[Derek03]

You could look at deck boats. My in-laws have one and it will do all the things you have listed. They have a Nautic star and seem pretty happy with it. Pontoons will also do all those things but I believe the deck boat to be a little more versital.

 

[ladyfsu]

That's what my father-in-law was telling us. He's quite the salesman and penny pincher and, well, my inlaw...have had some issues regarding buying things cheaper than we should have but, *GASP*, I think he may have something here!!!

THANKS!!

I have my heart set on a center console because I want to fish hardcore all day every day but that's not fair to my family. What we need is just to have family/friends hang out and have fun (dang, fishing is secondary), minimal fishing, dog on board, anchor up at the islands, etc.

 

[CMcNeil]

the deck boat is a great option,the guy i work with has one and it is kind of nice.only thing is it may be hard to find one that seats 10 like you want.i think his sat 6 and was around 20ft.also if you can afford it get a 4 stroke motor,with gas prices at current levels you need the best fuel economy as possible.my little 16ft flats boat costs me $80 to fill and thats only a 24g tank and i only get about 100 miles off that tank.just something to think about.

 

[ladyfsu]

Believe me...with gas prices and economy overall..this is scary. We want to just huddle our $$ and not spend a cent, but at the same time, that's not fair to our kids. They are the perfect age to get out there and have some good fun.

 

[CMcNeil]

i know what you mean about huddling the money.id say just do a little research and find the best boat for the money you can spend that meets you overall needs.i dont know how much you have looked at boat prices but some of the new boats are getting really expensive,and im talking 30k for a 17ft flats boat and upwards of 100k for a new 25-27ftCC fishing boat .........ouchers.whatever you do.....dont impulse buy and good luck boat hunting

 

[rogergolf66]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12380618#post12380618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ladyfsu
Believe me...with gas prices and economy overall..this is scary. We want to just huddle our $$ and not spend a cent, but at the same time, that's not fair to our kids.

also that would not be a good way to help the economy

good luck with the boat. Im sure you kids will love what ever you get.

Roger

 

[FloridaFisher]

Just a few recommendations... Don't buy brand new, buy something a couple years old... Original owners tend to work the kinks out and it will come with alot of extras that really add up. Depreciation is really bad on a new boat! If you can , buy a higher end boat that will have a much better resale value when you decide to upgrade And if you buy used have mechanic give the engine a thorough going over. Feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions.

Brian

 

[ladyfsu]

BINGO!

Thanks Roger!

We don't have a lot of money, but we feel fairly secure in our jobs. Might take a pay cut but don't think we'll be losing our jobs (each 10yrs as teacher). First time ever I felt content in this line of work! Not really feeling content either, but you know what I mean...

I agree that the kids will love whatever we get and THAT is what we need to keep in mind. I want them to splash, play and have fun...thanks for helping me keep in perspective what matters.

 

[ladyfsu]

Brian...thanks for that input. Hadn't really seen it that way yet.

Hubby just took the day off tomorrow...though we've looked alot over the last few years...fingers crossed this works out! I've never actually seen him excited to go shopping (I've been wanting a boat for EVER but apparentlly giving him a cash limit he likes, he's just one of the girls ).

 

[mrferrit]

what might be a nice option for now to see what you may like is maybe join a boat club or rent a boat they put em in the water for you clean them all you have to do is pay your membership and the fuel and your good to go.
this way it will give you experience on what you may want or may not want alot of places run hurricane deck boats for their rentals there decent boats.
if it was up to me i would get a deep V hull boat that you could take offshore if you wanted or even the ICW gets real nasty too and quick
grady white, boston whaler, are real good if i had to choose contender 36 triple 300hp suzuki outboards =)

 

[forddna]

Sounds like the boat we just sold! 21' Proline Sport. Had t-tops, live well, potty in the center console. Has a deep V hull, so it can easily go out 2-3 miles. Not a flats boat, though! Lots of comfortable seating.

It's going to be hard to find a cruising type boat that also has a live well and is easy to fish out of.

BTW, we used ours for fishing as well as going out on the lake and tubing, knee boarding, etc. The "sport" line is very versatile.

Ours was under warranty when we sold it. It was 2 years old. The motor had a longer warranty. I can't remember the details, though. The husband bought a new truck the same day, and it's all a bit fuzzy. LOL

We did upgrade the motor. Went from a 200hp Mercury 2 stroke to the Yamaha 150hp 4 stroke. Yes, that's an upgrade! If at all possible, get a 4 stroke. You'll be sooo happy you did.

I could e-mail you some pictures of it to give you a general idea if you'd like.

 

[Darth Gator]

Lady FSU,

I am in the same research phase as you, with in general the same needs. Bang for your buck, the Hurricane deck boats by Genmar are the best I have found available. They actually have a 21' or 23' Center Console Deckboat that is fishing ready, while still totally family friendly. The draft is only about 14", so good for the bay and messing around. They can certainly go offshore a bit on well picked days. Pricing is a bit expensive, but to me it is how much you get out of the experience. They are not overpriced like so many of the boatsa out there. Another good one that is more fishing oriented but also family friendly is the Sea Hunt Ultra Series. The 23' is about $50K though. Too much for me to feel like it is worth it. Good luck and keep us posted.

Josh

 

[forddna]

If it means anything, we paid $33k for ours, with Sony stereo system, Lowrance, ship-to-shore, 4 stroke motor, and t-tops added. I think the base was $28k. We just sold it for $19,500, and it had like 48 hours on it.

(we bought it new in July 2005 and sold it a couple months ago)

 

[Aqua Star]

I own two boats right now and have had a few different types in the past. Do yourself a favor and buy the boat type that "you" want, otherwise you will keep looking at those boats and wish you had one.

Most smaller boats under 24' are going to have a capacity rating for weight and persons. Ten people will be hard to come up to.

Also you might find a boat that is one to two years old. Look for one that has a transferable warranty. It cost me 100.00 to transfer the warranty on my current power boat. It saved me about 8000.00 in repairs.

In this economy you should be able to find a really good deal. Make lowball offers. Someone in need of dumping their boat might take it.

What ever you buy, find out where you can get it serviced. This will become a very big issue down the road.

 

[guntercb]

LadyFSU,

For your list, I would look at a 24' Carolina Skiff. They are rated for 18 people.

<http>http://www.carolinaskiff.com/listman/listings/l0008.html</http>

You may want to change the console to put a porti-pott in the console. We use to dive 6 people with 12 tanks going up to 8 miles up shore in the Pan Handle using a 24' Carolina Skiff. Not a smooth ride, but if you stay off plan it is not bad just takes a while.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[Acolin]

Ditto on the Hurricane deck boats by Genmar, best bang for your buck, easily holds 8-10 party goers without feeling crowded, had porta-potty with a screen, but nobody used it, they just went in the water! Organic, don’t you know. Fast, with planning triple V- hull. Easy to steer, without the deep and unwieldy pontoons. 12-year can drive it. One person can push it. Lots of deck room, bait wells and seats. Be sure to get bimini top, or people will get fried. Friend just let a 22’ go for much less than the $6K it was worth. Do not get an inboard/outboard, they are cheap for a reason. Do get a spare battery and a 5-gallon reserve gas tank, also a towing rope and a hand held search light. The difference in draft between the Hurricane and the skiff, or any other v-hull is amazing. It means the difference between swimming to shore and walking in with water up to your knees.

 

[ladyfsu]

Please tell me why we shouldn't get a pontoon.

My husband went out looking at pontoons and the fundecks today. I do NOT want a pontoon but he thinks the only reason I don't like them is because I think the pontoons are ugly. They are cheaper and easy to get into the water, but aren't we very limited with what we can do with them? Do the fundeck types go fast enough to pull a tube? I assume the pontoons can not be used for that.