Boating for fun, work or fishing

That is sadly good advice. Granted I have spent way too much time aboard vessels or building them, but know that maintenance alone accounts for 10% of the purchase price of the boat. It does not matter if it is a $20,000 boat or a 20 million dollar yacht, about 10% will be spent on storage, maintenance, depreciation, dock fees, etc.

But the other aspect is days enjoying it.

Granted this is Maine, but here we just do not get enough summer. With only 4 months a year to really use a boat, that is only 16 weekends for the average working family. Inevitably there is going to be some weekends where it rains, then the weekends where a person must work overtime, then a few family functions, and soon the cost of the boat must be deduced down to just a few available weekends a year. Add in the cost of ownership by the number of times it is actually used, and a boat becomes a very big hole in the ocean or lake to throw money into...as the saying goes.

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I knew a guy one time that did not factor all this in. He bought a boat to go fishing, but then needed a new tuck to haul it. The long and short of it was, he ended up working tons of overtime to pay for everything, so in the end he had no time to enjoy what he was working so hard to pay for. To me it kind of seemed silly.

 

10% is a rather conservative number in my experience!

 

Yeah you are probably right. I have known some yacht owners that dump some pretty heavy cash on their boats. I am glad they do though, I know a lot of friends and church members that work for them rebuilding their yachts. It is a HUGE industry here. I can think of dozens of yachting firms and a major yacht builder that hires several hundred people. They are a big employer here.

 

Here's the pics

 

Now we just have to name her! Any suggestions?

 

Im familiar with boats.
been around them most of my life.
We had a house on a lake here in Illinois for about 13 years, had atleast 2 boats out of i think 10 of those 12 years.

I wont buy one unless its what i want.
Seems like what i am wanting is looking like its going to cost anywhere from 10 to 15 k.

Time will tell, i'll find us a boat.

I'd prefer I/O to have trim options but ive been looking at a few nautique boats also.

 

Cruising, skiing, tubing, watersports stuff, joy rides and what not.

 

Beautiful ! I’d have a heck of a time with the white!

 

The white is actually easier to keep clean than darker colors. The hard water stains don't show as much on white. We always wipe her down with a water/vinegar solution after use, if you don't the hard water stains are really hard to get off !

 

Good luck, should be able to find an older (late 90's early 2000) in good shap with lower hours in that price range. Will just need some patients, and of course depends on how far you are willing to travel for the right boat.

 

Here's 3 ive inquired about.

The 2006 220 is quite a bit more then what im wanting to spend but i'll buy anything that we like.
What ive been looking at within the last hour or so has all been more then what i had planned on spending, like i said though, i'll buy it if i like it.
Just bought a new 2018 truck a few months ago.

Nice 2000 Cobalt 25ft open bow with the 454!
2001 Cobalt 246
2006 Cobalt Boats 220

 

If you want to ski or do any watersports, you want a real ski boat. If you go for a nautique, get a 1992 or newer as they are fully composite construction. You really want that.

 

Those are big boats. Those are really no fun to ski behind. Are you going to be close to lake Michigan? Or is there a large lake where you are moving?

 

Drift Wood or how about Sea Saw

 

Crownlines and cobalts!

This is all wrong. reminds me of a truck thread.

Volvo Penta 300c is the 5.3 it's "factory"

I've been hehind a few boats that aren't"competition ski boat" that throw a really nice wave for not only skiing -wake boarding but smooth for barefoot.

The cobalts (among others)have the 5.3 and are really nice boats.

The 5.3 makes more power and low end tq than 5.7s or 5.8s (and most 454s) before it while getting better economy and smoothness.

 

I like your tbinking, but I don't think I could get that by my wife!!

 

That's interesting? I've never seen a 5.3 boat, and I've looked at a lot of boats. Only 5.0 and 5.7. The 5.7 efi is 300 hp.

 

You must like the Cobalts. They are definitely the Cadillacs of boats, but you also paying the premium for the brand. For similar quality boats you could pay $1000's less, but of course Cobalts hold their value better. Of the boats you posted I would do with the 220 no doubt! The bigger boats are not as versital as the 220, and harder to trailer and store.

 

"Real competition" ski boats are in a whole nother category than the Op was talking about. They are either way more expensive, or way less versital than a bow rider. I agree, I wouldn't want to ski on anything bigger than 22'. I slalom on my 214 no problem, but of course would like a smaller wake if I had the $$$

 

Took my lad to Bridlington , he were off fishing on the east coast of yorkshire uk,
Me and her indoors were sat in room and I gets a phone call .
Bring ya camera .
He caught 4 dogfish within a hour of so , took some pics of 1 a them