Thinking about buying a boat, looking for feedback

In My Humble Opinion
1

I want a boat for next summer, but I’m having some trouble deciding what to buy. What do you recommend? Here are some general guidelines…

  1. Not too expensive. Ideally around $5000, maybe a couple thousand more. I dunno. That’s my ballpark figure for a budget.

  2. Must be seaworthy. Literally. I live on a peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. No lake boats.

  3. I want a motor boat, not a sailboat.

  4. I think I want something around 16’, but I’ve been told 19’ is a better size, and will allow me to really get out to sea, where a 16’ is going to limit me to staying closer to shore

I think if I get a 19’ I’ll need to moor it, so there’s some extra expense there. It’s a lot of boat, too. I’ve never really piloted a motor boat. I used to sail when I was a kid, and I’ve “steered” a motor boat a couple times, but there’s a big difference between those things and actually piloting a boat. Anyways.

I’ve got a couple buddies that both recommend 19’ boats. One of the things I told them that I left off my list here is that I’d like to be able to motor out to an island that’s about 3 nautical miles from where I’d put in (or moor). I’m wondering, though, if (as an inexperienced boater) I’d have any business going out there in the first place, so I’ve taken it out of my requirements. FWIW, I can tow up to 2000 pounds with my Jeep. I think anything that would be over 2000 would be something I’d want to moor anyhow, so maybe that’s a null data point.

I was thinking about getting the 19’ boat, mooring it, and maybe end up spending up to $10k, but that seems SO excessive. So now I’m kind of scaling back. Smaller boat, less maintenance cost, no mooring costs, take a year or two to learn the ropes in a manageable-sized boat, then re-assess in a couple years once I’ve got some experience and really have a better idea of what I want.

Thoughts? Advice? Anecdotes?

2

I once heard an adage from an ex-boater: the two best days of a boat owners life are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it. He was adamant that boats were so much trouble that nobody should buy one unless they’re on the water on a weekly basis at least. I somewhat agree, but he was from coastal FL, where apparently boats are readily rentable. I live in GA, and it’s not much of an option here.

All that said, I’ve got an old 13’ Boston Whaler and it’s a great boat. Lightweight, reliable, unsinkable and easy to clean. My FIL has a 210 Montauk that he adores, and I think it would be fantastic skiing or angling boat for the ocean. May be expensive, but you could possibly find a used one for a steal.

What do you plan on using the boat for, primarily?

3

I’d like to zip around with the family (me, my wife & our 2 kids), pontoon up offshore on Forth of July, do a little fishing and some lobstering. It would be nice to be able to get out to some of the nearby islands, but I guess not really a complete necessity.

ETA: Maybe teach the kids how to waterski

4

ISTM, from reading some of his threads/posts, Paul in Qatar is knowledgeable about boat ownership. (Sample thread: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=663928.) Check out some of his other threads on the subject or maybe PM him.

5

I do not think your 5 k is realistic.

I have a pontoon boat that I use on the river. I bought it used, with a 70 HP outboard and trailer for $8,000 and it took a year and a half to find a deal like this. In addition, I spend roughly $45.00 a day for gas/oil when I take it out, and $850 to keep it at a marina from May to October.

6

Sailing over to IMHO for opinions. From MPSIMS.

7

This is all purely anecdotal, and offered just to talk boats.

I would like to offer some encouragement. My dad bought a 20’ outboard runabout when I was a kid, and we had it until I finished college. My family lived within a 5 minute drive of the boat ramp, and we took the boat out nearly every weekend of the summer, and many weeknights. I can honestly say that my fondest family/childhood memories are from that boat and the lake!! We used the boat for water skiing, wake boarding, tubing, swimming, partying, and just relaxing. Often we just anchored in a quiet cove and watched the wildlife. In my mind, I can still hear the little waves lapping at the side of the boat. Every time we had friends out on the lake with us, they absolutely loved it…kids and adults.

Now that I am an adult I want another, but I don’t live close to a lake anymore.:frowning:

All my experience is with ‘lake boats,’ but I can’t imagine there would be a significant difference between a 16’ and 19’ boat in terms of ongoing costs, or skill required to drive it. Maybe it’s very different for an ocean boat?? IME boats aren’t very hard to drive, at least not the small boats (say 16-20’).

We had a hard time teaching people to ski on the lake with glassy conditions, I cannot imagine skiing in the ocean. :slight_smile:

One thing I would caution you is in terms of trailer weight for a boat, 2000# is not a lot. If that is truly the towing capacity of your Jeep, it is going to be hard pressed to safely pull a boat. That said, we pulled our boat with a 1988 GMC S-15 with a 4.3L V-6. I have no idea what it weighed, but it was quite a lot more than 2000#. Our little truck really too small and probably not the safest. Finally Dad bought a Silverado 1500, which was MUCH better!

I really just wanted to tell you that boat ownership is not necessarily as bad as it’s made out to be. My family LOVED our boat! If I lived somewhere near water, I would not hesitate to buy one myself.

8

FWIW there is a pretty calm tidal inlet in which people waterski. It is on the same side of the peninsula that I would put my boat in the water. It drains quite a bit at low tide, though. Upon reading my own thread here, I guess I’m subconsciously leaning toward a smaller boat in terms of weight and cost.

9

There are bargains to be had. I’m really leaning towards a smaller boat, I guess, and I really want something on the cheap side while I figure out my likes and dislikes.

Here’s a link to Craigslist filtered for boats less than $5000

10

I have a perfect boat for you… it’s just that it’s thousands of miles away.

The perfect boat in SE Alaska would be around a 19 ft welded aluminum boat with a larger main motor and a small (10HP) “kicker”. We pretty much don’t go out on the ocean without two working motors.

11

Ah, the old “good news, bad news routine”, eh? :wink:

Our seas aren’t quite as ferocious as yours, but I certainly wouldn’t go out without (at a minimum) a paddle and a life jacket.

12

I wouldnt buy anyhting less than a 20’ - if you have a putin/putout location (aka “ramp”) nearby that is easily trailorable.

I also think 5k is a bit light on the budget - 10-15k is more reasonable.

as for “piloting” - assume it has has normal steering controls - will be just like driving a car in that respect - none of this “tiller steering” from the back of the boat for what you want to do.

I would not buy from craigslist unless you are handy inthe ways of mechanics - you want some support especially if this is your first real boat.

As for towing - if you are towing with a smaller jeep/truck - make sure the trailer has brakes - I have towed 20’ bass boats with Jeep Cherokees and Dodge Dakotas - but there is a world of difference with brakes on the trailer in those cases

13

If I’m going 20’ I don’t think trailering is even an option. I drive a Jeep Wrangler. Points to ponder. Most of the boats over 19’ that I was looking at were in the range you mention - $10-15k.

14

Are you a boating n00b? I highly recommend a coast guard boating safety course - most auxliaries offer them at reasonable prices. Operating a boat is not like driving a car and talking on the marine radio is not like using a CB. I say this as a nearly lifetime boater who has heard and seen some unbelievable idiocy on the water. Channel markers mean something. There are rules about right of way and operation around other boats. You are responsible for any damage your wake does, tho in the size boat you’re looking at, that’ll probably never be an issue.

Also if you’re new at this, take a friend who knows boats when you shop - you can learn a lot. We used to go with friends of ours when they were considering boats and we were able to educate them about things to look for and questions to ask.

Sorry to sound preachy or naggy, but the amount of stupidity out there is terrifying.

FWIW, we had a 3500# sailboat that we towed with an Aerostar. I’d have liked a more powerful vehicle, but it worked for us for years.

15

I sailed a lot when I was growing up, so I have a healthy and well-ingrained respect for the water and understanding of the dangers. Nonetheless, I intend to take a boating safety course before I go out on the water. I’m also pretty good friends with the Harbor Master of the next town over, and he offered to spend an afternoon with me on the water, once I actually get my boat, to show me the ropes. So, good background, good plan, and good support system. He (my Harbor Master friend) also recommended that I spend some time on the water without my wife and kids, to really get to know my boat and figure out what I’m doing out there. He’s a good guy, and I’m lucky to have friends like him.

ETA: I guess I’m sort of a noob at boating, inasmuch as I’ve never owned my own boat, but I’m pretty familiar with the conventions of boating, the general meaning of bouys, courtesy, etc.

EATA: Actually, I owned a sailfish (tiny sailboat) when I was a kid. Does that count??

~No, it doesn’t count. :wink:

16

Wheel bas has a LOT to do with towing capacity. My Wrangler has a really, really short wheelbase. I don’t think the danger is that I wouldn’t be able to pull the boat (I could probably pull a house off it’s foundation if I had enough chain). I think if you have a short wheelbase, you don’t have enough leverage to control the trailer, particularly when attempting to stop.

My Honda Odyssee has a towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

17

Yeah, a 6 cylinder Wrangler has the power and drivetrain to pull 5-6000 pounds. It’s the wheelbase that can get you in trouble when you pull a heavy load.

18

This - and stopping - its not fun to be pushed by your trailer - been there, done that, let alone being pulled backwards if launching at a ramp with any degree of incline.

I would not recomend much of any ‘real’ boat to be towed with a wrangler, period - you might get away with wha us inlanders call a “john boat”, but that is not what you want based on what you described wanting to do. While the sticker may say it has the power/drive train to do it (and no doubt it does) , part of that capacity is taken by the jeep and passengers themselves, and I would simply not feel safe towing something that was close to (or equal) to the wieght of the tow vehicle.

(true story - when we bought our first boat , we did not have a tow vehicle at all, it was a 17’ bass boat and we were trying to figure out how to tow it with our Dodge Spirit, We ended up with a Jeep Cherokee towing it and the two boats after that, until we got pushed thru a stop light on ‘barely wet roads’ , that was the incident that proved to us how important trailer breaks were - after that we upgraded to Dodge Dakotas and Finally our Toyota Tundra - I fear no boat or ramp at this point, but the early days were quite an adventure).

19

If you’re on the water, you already have access to more boats than us land-locked souls, but here is a searchon Boat Trader for anything under 6k.

Do your own search with more criteria to help you find something in your area.

20

You have a lot of choices of boats, and the boat won’t matter that much. You’ll be spending your money on a motor and a trailer and accessories. Figure in the cost of an overhaul on that motor yearly, the water tow service, radio, depth/fish finder, fishing gear, fuel tanks, automatic bailer, trailer tires, brakes, and lights, taxes, licenses, marine paint, life preservers, and all that other stuff. My boats cost me nothing but food and drinks, they belong to my friends.