We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

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tymillz

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I figure its Sunday, this is the lounge, and I see so many people come to BHW for the weirdest advice so how about I try and get your opinion on something.

I recently moved into a community that has a marina so I have been thinking of buying a boat. I am not a boat person so I really don't know what I should or should not be looking at. I have went to a couple of dealerships just to look and I have been doing some online searching. I am looking to keep my cost under around $8500 so Iv'e been checking out older model boats. 20+ years old. Any of you guys into boats? Any suggestions? Is it expensive repairing and older boat? Do boats break down alot? Here are some of my requirements...

-Under $10K
- Has a cabin
- Can go pretty fast
- Noob friendly
-Not bad on the eyes

2 boats that have been standing out are the Rinker Fiesta and the Bayliner 2452

@BassTrackerBoats I would love your insight on this.
 
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First of all, congrats on the move. There is no better place to live than on the water.

A 20 year old boat is going to accentuate the common phrase, "A boat is a hole in the water into which one throws money." You'll certainly have issues with it unless it is one that a little old lady only used to drive to church on Sundays.

8,500 is not going to get you any kind of cuddy cabin or cabin that would have any curb appeal or anything that you would feel comfortable with unless you had an arrangement with Sea Tow. You'll be real unhappy with what you get for that kind of money.

I grew up not all that far from you on the Jersey Shore in Brielle and we always had a boat as we lived right near the Manasquan River and they were all all purpose open boats. We used them for fishing, water skiing and just general cruising. I have no idea what my Father paid for any of them but to replicate those it would be in the 22 - 25K range new today.

If I were in your shoes and wanted to stay close to the budget you mentioned I would be looking at an open boat with a Bimini top as opposed to a Cabin or Cuddy cabin type boat.

Brands like Mako, Boston Whaler, Cobia, Carolina Skiff are all pretty solid and you may be able to pick one of them up used at a reasonable price. They are all powered by outboards and that is something you want as they are more reliable than an inboard/outboard and easier to work on. They are attractive and easy to maintain and can be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Another option you may want to explore is a pontoon boat. I'm not sure if they are prevalent up your way but they are as versatile as a boat can be... you can bring a grill onboard, go fishing and eat the freshest fish on the eastern seaboard. The older ones look a little clunky but the newer style are very sharp and those are quite reasonable in price as well. For a guy with a family this is pretty close to a perfect boat but you are going to give up speed unless you upgrade what the typical power unit is on them. The most popular brand of pontoon is Sun Tracker and you can get a Bimini Top for those as well.

If you are dead set on a boat with a cabin, Bayliner is a decent boat as are Regal, Sea Ra, Four Winns, Grady White and Larson but your budget for a decent used one would have to be closer to 25K, and although I am sure you can afford that, you may have to buy an awful lot of flowers and candy for your Significant Other to bump it up that high.
 
Thanks @BassTrackerBoats I am going to look into some of the boats that you named. I see alot of older boats for sale but I wasn't sure how reliable they were. Glad you chimed in on that. And you hit it right on the nose with...

BassTrackerBoats said:
you may have to buy an awful lot of flowers and candy for your Significant Other to bump it up that high.
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It took me some time to get my wife to even entertain the idea of getting a boat. Her first thought was, "A boat is just a waste of money".
 
^Issa joke.

A boat sounds sick! Congratz on reaching that point in life.
I'm afraid of open seas, so I'm more into cars lol
 
Why don't you rent a boat from time to time - each time different boat? This way you will become more experienced with boats, using them and hopefully maintaining them ...

boats are in some ways like cars, the older they get, more money they require to be in perfect shape ... but, really old ones, they are worth keeping :) and such boats are often NOT fast ...
 
@tymillz - see if there is a boat club in your area as that could be an alternative that is going to get you what you want at a price point that would please your wife.

You get the benefit of a nice vessel without a lot of the headache aspects.

http://freedomboatclub.com/ is a pretty popular one.
 
mezzofanti said:
Why don't you rent a boat from time to time - each time different boat? This way you will become more experienced with boats, using them and hopefully maintaining them ...

boats are in some ways like cars, the older they get, more money they require to be in perfect shape ... but, really old ones, they are worth keeping :) and such boats are often NOT fast ...
Click to expand...

I really don't want to rent because I live right there with the marina so I want the boat to be my getaway. Like my little man cave when I need a piece of mind. If I didn't live right on the river I would probably just rent because I wouldn't plan on using the boat as much.
 
Well if you want to stay inshore on the flats go for something like a skiff. Anything under 10k is probably going to be a money sink unless you are handy with fiberglass and know your way around a motor. In your case, the motor will probably be the most expensive/important part of your purchase.

Congrats though and enjoy the water
 
RafaViQ said:
These guys talking about buying boats and I'm like: "should I order food or make my own meal to save money?".
Click to expand...

Lmao you killed this right here bro. Maybe it's a joke to you, but tbh this is me rn.
 
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