Who's got a boat? What are the pros/cons? (1 Viewer)

justsomedude

justsomedude

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Been fishing with a buddy a few times this summer and seriously considering buying a boat.

We have the space to store it for winter, so that’s not a big concern. And with a few large bodies of water within a 25 minute drive, we can see ourselves getting quite a bit of use out of it: for fishing, pulling the kids on tubes, waterskiing, heading out to overnight camp on shore, or just mucking around the lake on a hot summer day.

Aside from storage, winterizing, sun damage to the materials, and typical motor maintenance, are there any glaring items I’m missing that should make me reconsider, or take pause?

FWIW, I’ve owned a couple motorcycles over the years and am not afraid of wrenching on motors or cleaning carbs.

Lastly… I’ve been eyeing tri-hulls for general/all-purpose lake use… any reason I should stick with this choice, or avoid it?

Thanks in advance.
 
Bust Out Another Thousand! (BOAT)

Best day for a boater, the day they sell their boat!

What’s better than owning a boat? Having a friend own a boat!

But seriously, I have had several and I think it’s worth it. But add up your expenses and make sure you will use it enough to justify. We ultimately sold our Sea Ray Express Cruiser 280 Sundancer when we only spent 6-7 weekends a year on Lake Erie. For the cost, I wanted to be able to get 10 or more. We did for about 4-5 years then it kept becoming less and less. Erie was a 2 hour drive for us so weekday boating wasn't an option.

Insurance/trailer/storage/dock slip fees/gas/rods/reels/electronics/tools/toys/maintenance.

Do you have open summer weekends? Or do you have kids with busy schedules and constant weddings, sporting commitments and graduations? Where do you live, how many months are you able to be on the water? Do you golf? Hard to fish + golf. It's a big commitment/hobby and we LOVED it.
 
Seriously though, time on the water with kids is a great thing. It's super fun for them, and the more experience in and around water, the better. Being super comfortable swimmer is an important life skill, and kids will remember their time on the lake and behind the boat, for the rest of their lives.

Others may have different experiences, but our boat has been next to no work so far (but we bought a new one, and it's only 6 years old now).
 
As a guy who lives in Miami, I can tell you it is a lot of work even in a place where they get year round use. Even more work when they need to be winterized. And boats love to be run and get temperamental when they sit.

That being said, simple lake boats with just an outboard aren't too much work. What kind of boat are we talking about?

Personally, I have always fished and really enjoyed the water. I have been holding off myself because I have several friends with boats, plus I didn't have the time to fish while my kids were young. And I need something a bit bigger for open ocean fishing and salt water boats can be more finicky. But my kids are getting old enough to enjoy and be manageable on a boat. Plus I have more time for fishing again. I am on the list for a slip at my club. So I have about four years until I pull the trigger.
 
doublebooyah85 said:
Insurance/trailer/storage/dock slip fees/gas/rods/reels/electronics/tools/toys/maintenance.

Do you have open summer weekends? Or do you have kids with busy schedules and constant weddings, sporting commitments and graduations? Where do you live, how many months are you able to be on the water? Do you golf? Hard to fish + golf. It's a big commitment/hobby and we LOVED it.
Click to expand...

Open summer weekends! Kids young enough that they still are under parent rule. :p We live in the Black Hills of SD, and I hate golf. Our main hobby right now is hiking; seeing this is in the same outdoors realm, I don't see it as being a negative as taking time away from that.

We probably have 6-7 months of solid lake use here... May to October for sure, but can start as early as April so long as the ice thaws out.

Pactola and Sheridan Lake are both under a half-hour drive. We'd probably spend the majority of our time there.
Angostura and Belle Fourche are both about an hour drive.
Deerfield is another option, but the entire lake has a no-wake rule, which is somewhat limiting for boating.

Thanks for the tip on the insurance... I need to check into that.

liftapint said:
Seriously though, time on the water with kids is a great thing. It's super fun for them, and the more experience in and around water, the better. Being super comfortable swimmer is an important life skill, and kids will remember their time on the lake and behind the boat, for the rest of their lives.

Others may have different experiences, but our boat has been next to no work so far (but we bought a new one, and it's only 6 years old now).
Click to expand...

The kids angle is what really sold the wife. Once I mentioned tubing, skiing, cliff jumping, and all the things. She started getting excited.

Eloe2000 said:
As a guy who lives in Miami, I can tell you it is a lot of work even in a place where they get year round use. Even more work when they need to be winterized. And boats love to be run and get temperamental when they sit.

That being said, simple lake boats with just an outboard aren't too much work. What kind of boat are we talking about?
Click to expand...

Eyeing a 1973 Crestliner tri-hull that appears to be in pristine condition. Has a 140HP Johnson main motor and a kicker for trolling (which is already connected to the main steering). Functioning newly installed bimini top is included as well.
 
I own a fishing boat and a pontoon, both have Mercury 4 stroke outboards. I've had the fishing boat 30 years and we bought the pontoon used (it's a 2003) two years ago. Probably overpaid a little because of Covid, I don't regret it. I love to fish and really enjoy hanging out on pontoon with family etc. Skiing etc. ain't for me. We bought a cottage "up north" a couple years ago and now have a dock right behind our place. The dock is the game changer imo, no trailering or dealing with crowded launches etc. I'm now enjoying fishing off the pontoon as much as the fishing boat. I can't describe how cool it is to be able to just walk to your boat and go whenever you want.

I love our boats and consider them money well spent!
 
justsomedude said:
Open summer weekends! Kids young enough that they still are under parent rule. :p We live in the Black Hills of SD, and I hate golf. Our main hobby right now is hiking; seeing this is in the same outdoors realm, I don't see it as being a negative as taking time away from that.

We probably have 6-7 months of solid lake use here... May to October for sure, but can start as early as April so long as the ice thaws out.

Pactola and Sheridan Lake are both under a half-hour drive. We'd probably spend the majority of our time there.
Angostura and Belle Fourche are both about an hour drive.
Deerfield is another option, but the entire lake has a no-wake rule, which is somewhat limiting for boating.

Thanks for the tip on the insurance... I need to check into that.



The kids angle is what really sold the wife. Once I mentioned tubing, skiing, cliff jumping, and all the things. She started getting excited.



Eyeing a 1973 Crestliner tri-hull that appears to be in pristine condition. Has a 140HP Johnson main motor and a kicker or trolling (which is already connected to the main steering). Functioning newly installed bimini top is included as well.
Click to expand...
My dad always told me Tri-Hulls were a shit design that were the worst of all worlds. Also beware of old motors. I can tell you what is NOT worth it in boating, getting everything ready to go then the boat doesn't start. My theory is spend the money on stuff that is going to work when you want it to.
 
The motor is the most expensive aspect of it, boats are not like cars or motorcycles, everything takes longer.

Gas isn't really gas, you can't just stop at a gas station and buy it, I mean you can, but then there's an extra cost to replace hoses. Can you buy gas on the water, what time do they close?
I bought a boat, I wanted a full Benini from the jump, took over two years to get and install it.
There are 'driving' things to learn, who has the right of way when, what are the requirements to have on your boat, who do you register with.
Then you have to learn how to tie a few different knots and when to use which knots. How to properly anchor, how many anchors do you need. depending on the boat, what type of anchors or system do you want. Storage, well okay, but are you going to launch it every day and then load it back up? What type of truck do you have? What are the costs to get into the water ways, is it through a park?
Life vests, boat capacity, coolers, do you go out every week are you spending 5 to 10 bucks every week just on ICE? What type of ICE should you pick up? Average cost for tubes, what type of rope can you use to pull a tube, floating pads the kind you can fit 6 people on, whats the cost of that? Are you going to buy a grill to take with you, are you going to put a grill on your boat? If you do leave your boat on the water what are you going to do with your trailer?
Radio, do you have Bluetooth, will you get reception for FM/AM, do you have playlists, what kind of SPF do you use? (100% here)

There are a lot of things to consider.

Yep

20210704_220752.jpg
 
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mike32 said:
My dad always told me Tri-Hulls were a shit design that were the worst of all worlds. Also beware of old motors. I can tell you what is NOT worth it in boating, getting everything ready to go then the boat doesn't start. My theory is spend the money on stuff that is going to work when you want it to.
Click to expand...

Yea, from the little research I've done it seems like people figured out tri-hulls sucked and they basically disappeared by the 80s. I guess that's why the price is so attractive.

Hmmm... what would you recommend as an alternative "general use" not-so-serious-fishing/fun weekend warrior lake boat?
 
justsomedude said:
Yea, from the little research I've done it seems like people figured out tri-hulls sucked and they basically disappeared by the 80s. I guess that's why the price is so attractive.

Hmmm... what would you recommend as an alternative "general use" not-so-serious-fishing/fun weekend warrior lake boat?
Click to expand...
Depends on where you are boating, but I'd say a modern Tri-Toon is pretty damn versatile. They put big outboards on them that can pull skiers and tubers, and they are easy to fish off of. Plus (I can't emphasize this enough) if you are trailering to a lake with a family there may be nowhere to go except your boat. It is a lot more fun and comfortable hanging out and eating /drinking all day on a pontoon. They are also light and not too hard to haul. Even regular pontoons can pull tubers, I see it all the time on our lake.
 
I looked into a boat club.

Basically a $5000 investment +$300/month and you get a new boat whenever you want, as often as you want. Just pay for gas.

They take care of cleaning the boat, maintenance, etc. No storage issues, no trailering, no launching. The club I was looking at has like 50+ boats... Fishing boats, speed boats, pontoons (tri-toons).

Unlimited rental at the local club then 4 annual rentals at any other club. Vacation to Florida? Book a boat for a day. Vacation to California? Book a boat for a day.

EDIT: I checked, and the club I was looking at is not in South Dakota. :(

https://www.freedomboatclub.com/
 
I saw a bunch of folks on their pontoons this past weekend... definitely seems like a versatile family/fun boat!
 
We got a boat last year for fishing and we love having it but the costs to you is time and money.

Money to fix anything and everything associated with the boat. Small leaks, pumps going out, electronics needing replacement, engine maintenance and tune ups, equipment costs, insurance, gas, etc. Also if you don't already have a vehicle equipped to tow the size and weight of your boat that's another cost.

Time is a big factor. You are spending time to keep the boat in good condition, prep it prior to going out, clean it after a trip and storage. When fishing, we usually get up before dawn and head to our fishing location. After you're done fishing you go home and clean everything out properly before storage.

Is it worth it? Absolutely.
 
justsomedude said:
Open summer weekends! Kids young enough that they still are under parent rule. :p We live in the Black Hills of SD, and I hate golf. Our main hobby right now is hiking; seeing this is in the same outdoors realm, I don't see it as being a negative as taking time away from that.

We probably have 6-7 months of solid lake use here... May to October for sure, but can start as early as April so long as the ice thaws out.

Pactola and Sheridan Lake are both under a half-hour drive. We'd probably spend the majority of our time there.
Angostura and Belle Fourche are both about an hour drive.
Deerfield is another option, but the entire lake has a no-wake rule, which is somewhat limiting for boating.

Thanks for the tip on the insurance... I need to check into that.



The kids angle is what really sold the wife. Once I mentioned tubing, skiing, cliff jumping, and all the things. She started getting excited.



Eyeing a 1973 Crestliner tri-hull that appears to be in pristine condition. Has a 140HP Johnson main motor and a kicker for trolling (which is already connected to the main steering). Functioning newly installed bimini top is included as well.
Click to expand...
I grew up with a boat on the James River in VA, and to @liftapint earlier post. I was a young kid and can attest to everything she said.

I was around 7 or 8 when we got it and learned to water ski, swim, drive a boat, etc. Those memories are still there and you’d be surprised, 40+ years later, I still remember basic boat safety I learned back then.

Boat time with the kids is huge! (I don’t have a boat, but if I had a lake/river house, I 100% would!

Advise from boat owner friends when buying a used boat is to have it looked at by someone that really knows boats before buying. People sell “problems”, so getting it inspected (or whatever you do for a boat) is worth it.
 
Budha said:
I grew up with a boat on the James River in VA, and to @liftapint earlier post. I was a young kid and can attest to everything she said.

I was around 7 or 8 when we got it and learned to water ski, swim, drive a boat, etc. Those memories are still there and you’d be surprised, 40+ years later, I still remember basic boat safety I learned back then.

Boat time with the kids is huge!
Click to expand...

Wow. Thank you for sharing this. I'm showing your and @liftapint's posts to my wife.
 
I don't know your budget, but if you are considering new, take a look at a Bayliner Element E18. It has a pretty open design, so you can walk from the front of the boat to the back easily giving it a pontoon "feel", in a much smaller package, and still could hold up to 9 people (6 VERY comfortably). If you're going to be doing a lot of trailering (we pull our boat in and out of the water ever time we use it, because there are no places to dock a boat on our lake), this is a nice size boat to haul around, not too big. And it's a pretty low profile for storage. We wanted a pontoon originally, looked at a ton of them, but ultimately, it was bigger than we wanted to store. A little Bayliner-type lake boat can do everything you want. Floor plan is everything when it comes to enjoyability of your time on the water, so consider that carefully. We have a Mercury 4-stroke outboard and only put it in fresh water. Super easy to maintain, no problems so far.

Lake days are the best days. You won't regret it.
 
liftapint said:
I don't know your budget, but if you are considering new, take a look at a Bayliner Element E18. It has a pretty open design, so you can walk from the front of the boat to the back easily giving it a pontoon "feel", in a much smaller package, and still could hold up to 9 people (6 VERY comfortably). If you're going to be doing a lot of trailering (we pull our boat in and out of the water ever time we use it, because there are no places to dock a boat on our lake), this is a nice size boat to haul around, not too big. And it's a pretty low profile for storage. We wanted a pontoon originally, looked at a ton of them, but ultimately, it was bigger than we wanted to store. A little Bayliner-type lake boat can do everything you want. Floor plan is everything when it comes to enjoyability of your time on the water, so consider that carefully. We have a Mercury 4-stroke outboard and only put it in fresh water. Super easy to maintain, no problems so far.

Lake days are the best days. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...

I love those tri-toons, but know we don't have the space for it right now.

And yes, we'll be trailering to/from, which isn't totally terrible... lake crowds here are essentially non-existant outside of Independence/Labor Day weekends, so launch waits are fortunately not a thing.

Bayliner looks like it checks a lot of boxes, and it would fit in our garage. Thank you for the recommendation... now I need to do some research!
 
Depending on how big your garage is, if it's a tight fit, know that they have boat trailers with a folding tongue. Saves a couple of feet, which made the difference for us, fitting versus not.
 
liftapint said:
Depending on how big your garage is, if it's a tight fit, know that they have boat trailers with a folding tongue. Saves a couple of feet, which made the difference for us, fitting versus not.
Click to expand...

Another huge thank you!

Right now the trailer is what's causing the problem on length. This is good to know!!
 

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