Boats?

[EJB]

Anyone here into boating?

Been thinking I'd like to pick up a decent second hand boat with a trailer someday that I can use in both fresh and saltwater. Ocean is about 3 hours a way, but do have some decent fresh water bodies around (including the CT river).

Would be looking for something that could comfortably hold 6 for a daytrip/fishing. but wouldn't need any sleeping accomodations; although a place to get out of the sun or poor weather might be nice.

Anyone know what the costs are to maintain a boat? Besides the initial purchase, is their required insurance/registration fees etc like a car? Can you operate it in multiple states(like a car) or do you need a permit from each state?

What size boat would be big enough, yet easy enough to trailer around load/unload and operate?

I am starting from ground-zero on this one so any advice is welcomed.

[Bird]

I believe boats have frequently been described as "a hole in the water into which you sink your money" and I'm afraid there's a lot of truth to that. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]

I don't know about all states, but I think most require a boat registration (Parks and Wildlife Department instead of the Motor Vehicle Department in Texas), in addition to the Motor Vehicle Department trailer license plate. Most boats have their registration numbers on either side of the bow (state decides how big they have to be). Insurance? I don't personally know of a law requiring it (there may be, though), but I wouldn't have a boat without insurance. Then you are required to have certain safety equipment on board, such as life preservers for each person (under a certain age may require that they be worn at all times), lights, signalling device(s) such as flares and/or horn, anchor, maybe paddles, etc. And as far as I know (can't say for sure for all states), if the boat is properly registered in one state, you can operate it in others without additional registration.

Going to operate in salt water? Then consider an aluminum, or a galvanized trailer, (more expensive) or it'll rust out in time. Maintain the wheel bearings; repack periodically and/or use bearing buddies to grease them. Will the trailer lights be submerged when loading/unloading? If so, don't forget to disconnect the trailer lights before backing into the water or you'll probably blow a bulb when the cold water hits it. Unless light sockets and wiring are well sealed, you'll have corrosion to contend with.

What size? I have no idea; just depends on what accessories you want and the style or design of the boat. You should find a data plate on any boat you consider that tells what the maximum weight, maximum horsepower, and number of persons it is designed to handle. Pure speculation, of course, but I'd say you're looking at 18" to 22' foot boats, 100 to 150hp, and if new, well on the other side of $20k.

Generally speaking, I'd say it's a rather expensive hobby; however, there are exceptions to every rule. I bought a one year old, used bass boat in 1978, added a number of accessories, used it 5 years, and sold it for a $500 profit (if you don't count my time, labor, and the fuel and oil used). If I had bought a new one, I'd have taken a big depreciation.

[fivestring]

"comfortably hold 6 for a daytrip/fishing" Think B I G. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
"can use in both fresh and saltwater" Think galvanized [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
"place to get out of the sun or poor weather might be nice" Think cuddy cabin (with a/c). [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
"Anyone know what the costs are to maintain a boat?" Think lots of $$$$. I've owned 5; 4 bass boats, 1 fish-n-ski. Like one response was, B I G hole to throw money into. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
"Can you operate it in multiple states(like a car) or do you need a permit from each state?" Can operate in all states as long as your registration numbers are up-to-date. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
"insurance/registration fees etc like a car?" Yes. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]
"What size boat would be big enough, yet easy enough to trailer around load/unload and operate?" B I G. To accomodate 6 and have room to move around, you're looking at a minimun of 28 footer. To put in the ocean, you need B I G power -- at least 2- 150 hp outboards or 200-250 hp ib/ob.
With a boat this big, I doubt you could trailer it, would be at least 9 feet wide. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
I would consider if freshwater or saltwater would be my primary fishing and go from there. You can always charter saltwater boats for a few hundred dollars (split 6 ways). [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Then, you could get a pontoon boat (minimum 24 foot) for carrying 6, fishing, chillin', tubing, etc. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Hope I didn't burst your bubble. Just want you to know some of the details involved.

[wasabi]

We live on the coast and have a fourteen foot Boston Whaler...but even that little jobber sucks money. BTW, we found, at least here in SC, that the motor and the boat are actually registered separately.....I think it is one of those double tax deals.. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

An oft used old adage is "To enjoy the pleasures of boating, you don't have to own one....just stand in the shower and tear up hundred dollar bills" [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[EJB]

>>"a hole in the water into which you sink your money"

I have heard that before...its funny (and probably true). I guess I was hoping for a small hole that I could throw in a small amount of money; cheap as I am... [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Good thought on the galvanized trailer. I wouldn't have thought of that.

As far as using in the ocean, my explorations would likely always be relatively close to shore, exploring saltwater marshes/harbors etc. Unlikely that I would buy a boat that would be big enough for me to feel comfortable far out from shore.

$20K is WAY out of what I wanted to pay...I was hoping to pick up a small, used but well maintained boat w/trailer for around $5K..ok, maybe I'll need to settle for a boat that holds 2-3 people at a time (sure hope the wife and 1/2 of the kids don't mind [img]/forums/images/icons/ooo.gif[/img] ).

[fivestring]

"exploring saltwater marshes/harbors etc" I would go with an 18 or 19 foot, W I D E beam, flat bottom jon boat with about a 35-50 hp outboard. Flat bottom will only draft about 5-8 inches of water. 35-50 hp is enough to go faster than the waves. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] Again, be sure to get a motor with saltwater sacrificial annodes, galvanized trailer, etc.
"settle for a boat that holds 2-3 people at a time (sure hope the wife and 1/2 of the kids don't mind " Once you start catching smelly fish [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] , get smelly seaweeds all in the boat [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] , let a crab or two loose in the boat [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] , you'll be down to 2 or 3 "fishermen". [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] If you get a 35-50 hp motor, then you'll only have enough power to pull tubes [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] . Bigger motor and you might have to pull a skier. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[EJB]

>>I would go with an 18 or 19 foot, W I D E beam, flat bottom jon boat with about a 35-50 hp outboard.

Thats more along the lines of what I was thinking...and I would assume something like that would be easy enough to trailer behind a full-size pickup?

[TimSullivan]

We sold our lake home last year and therefore our boat. I would agree that many times money does flow into a boat. Your post made me think about the cost of our boat.

I bought it as a year old unit with twenty hours on the clock and saved 35% of the new price. Buying in August helped too. Not counting oil, filters and gas I put eight hundred dollars in repairs over a fourteen year period. This was a sixteen foot open bow ski boat with I/O chev engine.

When I sold it, the hour meter read 2157. The selling price was $4000 dollars. That was a little less than half of my original purchase price. The boat was clean and looked and ran very well.

It served us well and pulled skiers all day without a complaint. I even pulled a triple set up of two slalom and one on two skis.

Like any piece of equipment, if you treat it well most times it will run and last for you.

As far as what boat, go shopping and find a knowledgeable dealer who will guide you to the boat that will fit your needs. Talk to a lot of them and educate yourself. Take the time to really find out what you are going to do with the boat. The boat I bought was purchased to go out on Lake Ontario. Too small and it was traded in after the first season on a bigger boat. I used it on a much smaller body of water and it was a perfect fit.

[fivestring]

Your truck will tow it just fine.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot.... get a drive-on galvanized trailer. Drive-on trailers are so easy....
Good luck and good fishing!!

[MountainBoy]

I have also heard that the two happiest days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]