Tell Me about Boats

[Rich Riddle]

At times I ponder getting a small fishing boat with a small motor. Friends have warned me about boats though saying it means Break Out Another Thousand. How much would a small fishing boat cost? Any advice?

[David Weaver]

Find a jon boat that already leaks and get a trolling motor for it after you fix the leaks. Should be cheap.

If you want more than that, you can tell yourself "it'll probably be a waste of money and nobody will want to give me anything for it when I decide to sell it".

[Rich Riddle]

Find a jon boat that already leaks and get a trolling motor for it after you fix the leaks. Should be cheap.

If you want more than that, you can tell yourself "it'll probably be a waste of money and nobody will want to give me anything for it when I decide to sell it".
I don't want anything more than that, just an old boat you can put in the water and pull out. One friend pays thousands a year in marina fees to keep his boat in the water.....it's a pontoon.

[Mike Henderson]

Yep, there's an old saying that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.

Another one is that there are two happy days in the life of a boat owner - the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

Mike

[ray hampton]

YOU forgot to mention the body of water that your boat will be on, small lakes or ponds will handle a paddle boat or kayak and maybe you can spent less than 5 hundred

[Art Mann]

I have a lot of experience with boats, having owned several and for most of my life. Before anyone can advise you on what kind of boat you might consider and how much it might cost, you need to tell us where you will be using it. Some of the places I go are safe enough with a 12 foot rowboat. A couple of nearby lakes I have boated on are several miles wide and require a much more seaworthy vessel. Length and even weight capacity are not good indicators of safety on large bodies of water.

[Michael Mahan]

Yep, there's an old saying that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.

Another one is that there are two happy days in the life of a boat owner - the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

Mike This is what I was gonna post :eek: L O L

[Bill Cunningham]

there are two happy days in the life of a boat owner - the day you buy it and the day you sell it.
Mike

Nope the day you sell it is MUCH better

[Kev Williams]

Did someone mention boats???
This my signature on Iboats...

http://www.engraver1.com/boat-ing/sig.jpg


As you can see, I don't know much about that 2nd happiest day, I usually just keep 'em! ;)

As for small fishing boats, seriously-- they're not that big a hole to throw money into!

[Rich Riddle]

Kev, before your post, I was going running the opposite direction of any boat. Thanks.

[Rich Engelhardt]

You're either a boat person or you're not a boat person.

If you aren't a boat person, make friends with one.
If you are a boat person, get ready for a few new friends!

If you want to be the world's next billionaire, the best way to do it is to invent a set of boat trailer lights that work......
On your first venture out in the Spring, get ready to spend it trying to get the trailer lights to work in the pre dawn darkness, then well into the morning instead fo spending that time on the water fishing. That's a given each and every year.
I don't care how much time and effort you put in the day before making sure the lights work, they are guaranteed to not work @ 4:30am the first morning you actually want to take the boat to a launch ramp.

Speaking of launch ramps...
I'm of the opinion that murder should be a legal activity at public launch ramps.
You should be able to buy a permit and have a daily bag limit of two idiots.

Fishing boat eh?
I had one. I used to love fishing. It was a passion of mine.
Then I got a fishing boat. The first season was heaven.
Then, after the first Spring experience of getting the boat ready for the season - and the trailer - and the light, things went downhill.

I felt obligated to take the boat out each and every time I went fishing.
Instead of just tossing a pole in the trunk, hitting a small pond for a couple of hours , I felt obligated to struggle with the trailer lights for a few hours - usually in the pitch dark & more than a few times in the pitch dark on the side of a highway - and take the boat out...

Now I have a friend that has a boat.
I arrange to meet him just before sunrise @ the launch ramp.
A lot of times, I get the pleasure of fishing the shore by the ramp for a couple of hours, watching the mayhem and laughing at the goof balls,,,,,,while HE struggles with the non working tailor lights... :D.

Oh yeah - someone else here said it far better than I ever could...
If it flies, floats or fools around - rent it!

[John Coloccia]

Us airplane people sit around talking about boat people, and we say to ourselves, "Now THOSE guys must be really crazy!" Think about that for a second. :)

[Frederick Skelly]

+1 on the jon boat or an old wooden 12-14 footer. With a 10 horse motor, you can fish a lot on the lake of your choice.
I never found the maintenance/cost of either to be onerous.

Edit: I didnt have problems with trailer lights. YMMV.

Fred

[Leo Graywacz]

Boat

definition:

A hole in the water where you throw your money into.




2 Best days of a boat owners life.

The day you buy it and the day you sell it.



They are fun though.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I think the bad boat feedback comes from out of whack expectations. It's a machine, they all take maintenence, they all cost money, and they all break down when you least want them too. BUT, some of my happiest days have been spent chasing bass with my girls, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Where are you fishing and what for? That answers the boat question. I fish smaller shallow lakes for panfish and bass generally, but we get clobbered by storms regularly that can make even smaller lakes quite rough. I picked an 18' aluminum boat with a pretty big motor and tall sides so it won't get swamped easily and can get off the water quickly if needed.

Brand new boats depreciate stupidly fast, if you don't plan on keeping it for a long time, by used. Inversely, a new boat set up how you want it can be a great long term investment in quality of life. This is why I bought a new one, and wouldn't trade it for anything:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Ug-C7MV_ZZOmrBcdYrKxnFJpv02k8lMEpqkuj6pZzIA=w407-h229-p-no

[Joe Tilson]

My neighbor has had a boat for three years. I have never seen it leave his back yard. I believe he has just to say he has one.
Total waste to me!

[Peter Kelly]

http://nwboatschool.org

Learn how to build your own one!

[David Weaver]

My neighbor has had a boat for three years. I have never seen it leave his back yard. I believe he has just to say he has one.
Total waste to me!

I think you might live on the other side of my neighbor! It cost money to leave it somewhere and if you don't have somewhere to leave it, you have to have somewhere to take it, which is a bigger effort.

that's why I think the small jon boat and the small motor or trolling motor is a good idea. You can fit your lunch on it and go fishing, and take a buddy with you when you're done, and it's no big deal to move it around. When you decide you don't want it any longer, it doesn't cost much to get rid of.

I've been on a lot of other peoples' boats, and can't say I've ever had any more fun that I had with a buddy just sitting on a jon boat fishing. Low cost and no hassle.

[Ole Anderson]

I fall into the camp of being a boat person. Great times when my dad first bought a canoe. We lived walking distance from a lake and we would fly fish for panfish often. Then he bought a small speedboat and I learned to ski, then he moved onto a lake and bought an 18' I/O which we used skiing and for salmon fishing on lake Michigan. My girlfriend, now my wife, well her dad had one on a nearby lake and we would go fishing with him on Lake Nipissing in Ontario. He gave his old boat to us after we got married and moved onto a canal to an inland lake only 10 miles from where we grew up. We still live there and no intention of ever leaving. Sold that boat and 4 boats later we settled on a new 1989 Malibu Skier. Had it ever since. My 2 boys grew up on boats too, and one of them bought and still has a ski boat. I drifted away from fishing, concentrating on towing the grandkids on tubes during the summer, although I did barefoot 2 years ago when I turned 65. Then we bought a tandem kayak, mainly for use up north on crystal clear (Pure Michigan...) steams and we took it to FL for 3 months in the fall/spring. Then in FL we bought a used 19' center console tee top fishing boat as we stay in an RV park on the gulf intercoastal. Now I put as many hours on that boat as I do on the ski boat at home. Just yesterday, as Anne knitted in her covered deck chair, I fished 3 miles out in the Gulf for 5 hours, just enjoying the 70 degree temps. Got 5 snappers, a small grouper and inadvertently hooked a giant sea turtle, battled him for an hour before I finally broke the line and set him free.

That, my friends, is why I am a boat person and always will be. And Rich, once you get your first boat it can be a very slippery slope indeed. Or like that nice Lie-Neilson, it might just sit on the shelf if you aren't motivated to see what it can do..

[Pat Barry]

I'm right now looking for a new, bigger boat. I have 16ft aluminum fishin boat with18 horse motor, trolling motor, depth finder, live well, 4 swivel seats. Its OK but I want to get a bigger boat to get out on bigger water. Loking to find a 22ft pontoon boat set up for fishing with a 50 horse

[Val Kosmider]

OP, it really depends on what sort of use you have for the boat.

I have owned several, from a car topper to a major vessel.

If you want to fish on smaller lakes and rivers, get a 12 or 14 foot used aluminum boat with a small Yamaha outboard. The whole deal used won't cost you a thousand bucks, and will last forever. Very little maintenance required, and not many other expenses either.

Now, if you want to step up.....get out your wallet. But truly, there is no need. You can have a LOT of enjoyment with a small outboard and a simple fishing pole.

[Justin Ludwig]

Wow there's a lot of "nah sayers" of boats. I had no idea! We've had boats all our life and never experience any of the aforementioned problems. A little mechanical and electrical inclination and the boat can be maintained on the cheap.

My father and I purchased a 18' bass buggy pontoon for $500. It had been rotting for 5 years. We stripped it to nothing and put new decking and carpet, reupholstered the seats, had a new canopy sewn, and put in new carburetor kits. The motor and power transit alone were worth $1500 together. All said and told, we invested a total of $1800 (including initial purchase) and now have a fine summer fun water vessel. If we wanted to sell it, the local market would fetch $5k+.

To the OP: find a boat that fits your needs. If you can work on engines and own a rivet gun or can do fiber glass work, get a fixer upper. I wouldn't buy a boat from someone trying to get rid of one because they don't know how to maintain one.




Speaking of launch ramps...
I'm of the opinion that murder should be a legal activity at public launch ramps.
You should be able to buy a permit and have a daily bag limit of two idiots.

HEAR HEAR! Amen.

[Justin Ludwig]

If you're feeling salty, you may want to get one of these:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRGFdmj2fOo

[Shawn Pixley]

There is a serious commitment required if you want to go out in the big blue. Oceans are not to be trifled with. You can get away with having a 16' car-topable skiff on lakes (including the great lakes in good weather). If you want a boat for the ocean, it is a serious committment. If not money, it is time intensive. I had a 1970 24' Skipjack flying bridge that I bought used. I fixed it up (nothing like 1970's technology!) and went ount on the big blue fishing weekly for years. It would be a the small end of what I would consider prudent on the ocean. Sure, given optimum conditions, a smaller boat can go out and make it back. But I can tell you, 25 knot winds and a 6-8 following sea would be a tense trip in through the strait and shipping lanes. I sheparded more people in their bass boats back to shore than I care to count. Don't get me going about drunken boaters.

I miss my boat, but I don't miss the constant maintenance. Even if you don't go out there is work to do cleaning, bottom cleaning & paint, engine maintenance, etc... Gas was expensive as well. It was 70-100$ for a day trip to the islands 40 - 50 miles RT and I had an efficient boat! My boat stayed in the water as I had no vehicle to trailer it. It was 7,000 lbs dryweight so it would need to be a beast of a vehicle. I'd love a boat again if someone else would maintain it.

[Brian Kent]

For a year I had a "free" catamaran with a free place to park it. It cost me more per hour of sailing than if I drove to the marina and rented a fully maintained, in the water, faster and newer catamaran.
:)

[Larry Edgerton]

. Oceans are not to be trifled with. You can get away with having a 16' car-topable skiff on lakes (including the great lakes in good weather). ..

The bottom of Lake Superior is littered with the boats and bodies of people that thought that way.

Larry

[Jim Creech]

As others have asked..... Where do you intend to use it? How many people. I have owned as small as 10' and as large as 36' power boats and sailboats up to my current ( probably last) 27'. The 10' was overpowered with a 6 hp outboard but a lot of fun.
For a small fishing boat on well protected water a jon boat would be acceptable however I am not a fan of lightweight weight flat bottom boats (good initial stability, poor final stability). Were it me, I would find or build a Vee bottom boat (better final stability) approx 12'-15'. Outboard motor- 6 hp should be more than enough for protected water fishing although I would be just as happy with an electric trolling motor for this application. Nice and quiet, no gas fumes. If you want some exercise, a good set of oars would also be appropriate. You should have them anyway in the event of engine failure. Hope this helps.

P.S. In Va anyway, some smaller lakes are also resevoirs and use of gas motors are prohibited.

"There is absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats"

[Kev Williams]

"Tell me about boats"

--ask your kids what they did last Thursday. Chances are they couldn't tell you...


http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/kids1.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/kids2.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/kids3.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/kids4.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/kids5.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/kids6.jpg


--- ask my kids or THEIR kids about going boating with grandma & grandpa, and they'll talk your ear off!

This is the stuff they remember. :)

[Brett Luna]

One of these days, I might get a boat to run some rivers for salmon and big bows but for now, I'm content to fish small water from my float tube.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

"Tell me about boats"

--ask your kids what they did last Thursday. Chances are they couldn't tell you...

--- ask my kids or THEIR kids about going boating with grandma & grandpa, and they'll talk your ear off!

This is the stuff they remember. :)

Exactly, looks like yours had a blast too!

[Ben Hatcher]

ask my kids or THEIR kids about going boating with grandma & grandpa, and they'll talk your ear off!

This is the stuff they remember.

AMEN!
My fondest memories growing up were spent boating.

My first boat was a small fixer-upper. I spend more than I paid for the boat trying to make a 4 cyl bow-rider into a passable wakeboard boat. Lesson learned: think about what you might want to use the boat for a few years down the road and buy one that meets that purpose. This includes things like trolling motors, live wells, stereo/navigation equip. If you think about it, you're basically buying all of these items used if you buy a used boat with them. Fixer-uppers are fine, but understand that just about every DIY project on a boat costs about twice what a similar car project might be. This is especially true of electrical and engine components. It may help to have a wish list that includes the cost of items you want, including the cost of getting the one you’re looking at into the condition you want. This is how that “great buy” ends up being that hole in the water you throw money into.

The first dent/scratch in a new boat will break your heart. Subsequent dents/scratches, especially if you didn't repair the first one, hurt a lot less. If you want to spend hours cleaning and waxing a boat, buy a shiny one. If you want to use the boat to have fun, buy one that already has dock rash. It takes me about 3 minutes from when the boat leaves the water until it is tied down, cleared of gear, waterline wiped down, and on the road.

Regarding trailer lights: Buy a good set of sealed LED trailer lights with new wires to replace the garbage that it probably came with. Drill a new ground, sand the paint away and seal the new connection with liquid electrical tape or exterior silicone. Don't forget to keep your vehicle port clean, covered, and lubed with dielectric grease.

KY has so many beautiful rivers and lakes, most of which have rocky bottoms and steep banks. If you're going to try to fish shallow water, expect to drop a few hundred in props and prop repair every year. There are plastic props with replaceable fins, but I have no experience regarding their quality.

[Shawn Pixley]

Agreed! My experience with a skiff on Lake Superior was trolling for lake trout about 50-100 feet offshore in good weather off of Grand Marais. Big water salt or fresh has inherent danger.

The ocean always wins! As a boater, the best thing that you can hope for is a tie - you making it safely to shore. A 4-6' sea at 21 seconds - easy ride. A 4-6' sea at a four second period, you'll work to get back to land. It will be a slow, bumpy ride back to avoid broaching. Add two different swells and a gusty wind, you'll feel like you are in a blender.

[Larry Edgerton]

I kept a 28' Trawler in Grand Marias. Wonderful area, I still go there whenever I can. Even in a seaworthy boat such as that I was always on my toes. One day the weather forecast was wrong and I was lucky to make it back to harbor. No more Lake superior for me. The water is so cold if you go in you are done.

I live in an area with lots of people that work on and captain ore freighters. They are all very respectful of that lake. You can hear it in their voice.

It can have waves as big as in the ocean, but the spacing is closer. It sets up a vibration that breaks up big ships, and the way they are going in every direction makes it hard to keep it on the correct heading in smaller craft. That was my biggest problem, my boat would only do 12 knots and the cross waves kept throwing me off course. Luckily my boat was pretty much self bailing or I would never have made it back. When I saw it coming I closed the doors and hatches, turned on the pump, switched to the inside motor intake and headed for harbor.

I have sailed Michigan and Huron, but never had the fear that I always had when on Lake Superior. Bad water.

Larry

[Patrick Grady]

Started to write stuff about boats and shop tools and fast cars and houses and just stopped. Boats occupy a place in our brains where visions (and yes,'dreams') get tickled. Water is powerful and mysterious and invites us to visit. It is a romance and if you feel the pull, then buy or build the boat that attracts you and take it from there. I have a number of boats, bigger and smaller, and still love them all. Earlier today I cut 8 degree scarfs into twelve sections of ash to replace gunwales on my 1991 Mad River Canoe. The deal about boats is when you push off the dock or pull the anchor, then it's 'on'. And that's where we pay to go.

[Ole Anderson]

Just today we gassed up our 19' center console ($225 at $5.25 per gallon, ouch) and headed out into the Gulf for 5 hours, never more than 3 miles off shore. Waves less than 2', clear day, winds 5 knots air and water temp 75 degrees. Water off Anna Maria key is a beautiful blend of blues. Fed the little bait stealers for a few hours, moved 4 miles and tried another spot and caught and released a few small Gag Groupers. Then we anchored 40' off shore on Egmont key at a beautiful white sand beach, waded in and took a stroll looking for shells. Just another day in paradise livin' the dream. Until next week when we head home and tackle the yard work.

[Dave Verstraete]

The bottom of Lake Superior is littered with the boats and bodies of people that thought that way.

Larry

X2 to that. On the Great Lakes with a 16' open bow boat, you should stay very close to the channel or launch ramp that you came out of. Storms come up very quick and will ruin your day.

[Kevin Bourque]

I've owned about 10 or so sailboats at one time or another. The price of the boat is secondary to the cost of the boat slip, registration fees, the trailer that moves it around, off season storage, cleaning, insurance, and other general maintenance. It adds up real fast.

At least I was smart enough not to buy a "reasonably priced" airplane when it was offered to me. Renting is soooo much easier.

[Shawn Pixley]

Yes the reach on Lake Superior is so short that the wave period is very short which makes for challenging water. That water temperature reminds me of fishing in Alaska. Cold, cold, cold...

I haven't been to Grand Marais for 25 years. Maybe I should go back.

[Larry Edgerton]

It hasn't changed.....

Larry

[Myk Rian]

At times I ponder getting a small fishing boat with a small motor. Friends have warned me about boats though saying it means Break Out Another Thousand. How much would a small fishing boat cost? Any advice?
I have a 12' Meyers with a 6hp Johnson on it. An electric motor for moving around a little. I've had it on lakes as big as Black Lake in northern Michigan. 16 sq. miles.
Good for 2 people. I used to have a 14' flat bottom John boat, but the kids used it as a diving platform, and loosened all the rivets in it. Could have wrung some necks.