To Boat Or Not To Boat

[KiotiKowboy]

Dropped into the local boat show this afternoon, just for something to do on a lazy day. We no more than made 10 feet when the wife looked at me and said - Let's buy a boat today!

We live within 5 miles of the lake and have talked about getting on the water many times. Till now, we've concentrated on farm toys and have house plans in the works. The boat idea has taken a back seat for quite a while, so I was surprised by her suggestion .... but, you just gotta love her

I've always been of the mind that boats were a money pit and are generally seldom used. Now, being retired, my thinking has moderated a bit. I wouldn't want to go hog wild on a boat but I see where it might be nice to spend a little time relaxing on the water from time-to-time.

Both of us prefer the choice of a pontoon boat. Since it will usually just be the two of us, we opted for a smaller size and focused on a Sun Tracker 18' Party Barge. With 40hp motor and trailer, this comes to just shy of $18K. They make a 16' version but, for the savings, it isn't worth the downsizing. We'll be making a decision to purchase or not in the next week or two.

Just curious what people thought of owning a boat / owning a pontoon boat / Sun Tracker vs another brand. One of the reasons we landed on the Sun Tracker was the excellent warranty.

 

[davesl708]

I own a 26ft cruiser. Divide the cost by the hours on the water. Mine runs me about $3000.00 per year (slip, ins.). About the same amount of maintenance as a motor home. Difference is when it breaks down you don't walk home. Bigger is more stable on the water. Three pontoons is more stable that two. If you really get into it the 30ft pontoons with a cabin are great and you don't need hotels to stay the night.

Several of my friends have Sun Trackers. They love them.

 

[dave1949]

Getting out on the water is relaxing, couldn't hurt.

We have several small lakes nearby with public launches and I often think about getting a small outboard. I think a pontoon boat would be most useful if you can rent a slip/dock space.

 

[themichelob]

Been a boat owner for forty+ years--It's a part of who I am, and wouldn't have it any other way. If properly maintained and used safely and smartly, the upkeep costs are not that great. Looking forward to another great year on the water....Good luck an have fun, Mike

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Getting out on the water is relaxing, couldn't hurt.

We have several small lakes nearby with public launches and I often think about getting a small outboard. I think a pontoon boat would be most useful if you can rent a slip/dock space.

As I mentioned above, we're about 5 miles off the water. The launch is free. If I could rent a slip for just 6 months of the year, I'd be interested in doing so. I believe most slip rentals are yearly???? I'd have to check on this. The alternative is to use one of my 3 barn bays, and this would keep the boat out of the weather.

 

[Buppies]

If the lake is large the bigger the better within reason. Three pontoons will be more stable and ride better than two. Wind can make handling difficult when docking. Have you considered a deck type boat?

 

[Depmandog]

If the lake is large the bigger the better within reason. Three pontoons will be more stable and ride better than two. Wind can make handling difficult when docking. Have you considered a deck type boat?

I have a boat...hasn't been used in 8 years...

Last summer my boss offered us the use of very nice three pontoon unit slipped at Table Rock. We drove across the lake to a cove and tubed for several hours, making lazy circles around the cove. I hit a submerged stick-up and gashed a pontoon. Had it not been for the three pontoon design, we could not have made it back to the dock. As it was it had a severe starboard list when we docked. We had our year old grandson on board...very thankful it wasn't a two pontoon system.

 

[coobie]

You are correct boats are a money pit but they are a lot of fun.We live by a lake about 1/4 mile from our house.We have a 20 ft.pontoon 50 hp. motor & space dock there.I retired last year so yes we use the pontoon more so now than ever.The only thing I would not want to do if it were me is tow and have to put the pontoon in and out of the water every time I used as they are big and bulky.I would try to rent some dock space at a local lake or I would buy a 18ft boat with a outboard motor.We bought are pontoon used in the fall and saved a bundle of money.

 

[Looking4new]

BOAT, Break Out Another Thousand! :laughing:That being said, I have a 26' Carver 260hp cruiser that I love. It is real relaxing to sit on the water on a hot day and do nothing. I really like sleeping on a boat. Mine is in a covered slip which costs me $3600.oo/year and that includes hydro in summer and lift/launch and store in the slip through the winter. I have had three boats in my lifetime, two 16' runabouts and the Carver. I always wanted a boat I could sleep on, now I got one. I bought her used in 2010 for 10G's and sunk another 5G's into her in upgrades and tune ups.

 

[Code54]

My advise- look used. You can save a bundle. We get out some but not everyday by any means so we didn't want to invest a fortune. Looked at small Bass Boats for a bit over 11K then found a used one in darn near perfect shape for 4K. Been using it for over two years and very glad we got it!