That's not a bad idea. Could be that the pontoon boat is frustratingly slow/sluggish and would frustrate me. Or, maybe it would be fine for what I want, which is to get somewhere I can drop anchor and hang out for the afternoon.
Boat owners: Overall, do you like having a boat?
- Thread starter NDallasRuss
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The hassle. And the fact that I didn't use it enough to justify it. You think you will but then the weekend rolls around and it's "oh this one thing came up. We'll take it out tomorrow." Tomorrow turns into next week. Soon and so forth. It'll happen to you too. Guaranteed.
Sold it and installed a second driveway and a 22x15 patio. No regrets. I'll use the driveway and patio everyday
Yes we have a fishing boat and a pontoon. They sit in the machine shed 100% of the time as we moved halfway around the world. So if you plan to do that do not buy boats.
I can’t even imagine. My neighbor has a Class A motor home, 16ft boat, and snowmobiles. I’ve done minor work on all of them, so I can “use them whenever I want”.
I ain’t touching them. What if I take that RV somewhere and it drops a $2500 transmission? Who pays for that? I can only imagine the things that could go wrong with a boat.
The one constant about owning a boat is using it. Meaning, yes, things go wrong with boats just like most anything else that's gasoline powered.
You just have to adhere to simple rules. Don't use ethanol because boats don't use gas daily like a car. My rule about anything gas powered other than a car is chances are a homeowner won't be (for example) boating every day. And the worst thing I've found about ethanol is once you pass a month's time, it begins going bad. Whereas, I've used 2 year old non-ethanol in OPE without an issue.
Next, do the seasonal stuff every year. Lower unit oil changes, engine oil changes (if a 4 stroke). Make damn sure you are at the very least inspecting it monthly if parked outside for bugs/mice damage. Keep it from collecting rain/snow water. Put a battery maintainer on any batteries, and for winter storage bring them in from the cold. Your trailer wiring, know that the terminals corrode over time so plan on if the boat has sat for 6 months - a day or week prior to begin using it again hook up the trailer to test the wiring - chances are if you have for example a left turn signal out you have either harness corrosion or ground wire issues (these are almost always a $0 simple cleaning fix).
Things like that. It's not that hard really. You just have to accept you simply cannot let it sit without any attention whatsoever and then when you decide you're going to use it that everything will work perfect. Be proactive, sort the simple stuff out before you hit the water.
My current boat is going on 44 years old. Except for trailer wiring issues (corrosion from sitting outside), I haven't had an issue with anything else in a decade. The reason is because even though I may not be using it, I am still taking care of it. Last year I used it 3 times...not one single issue.
I own a boat at the Lake of the Ozarks and I love it. It sits on a hoist all year long when I'm not using it so I don't have to haul it around or launch it,
But, boating the way we do is really, really expensive. Boat, hoist, boat slip, maintenance, gas, insurance - all expensive. But, we like the Lake and we enjoy boating. Some people travel the world - we go to the Lake.
Have you looked into a Boat Club? I have a friend that belongs to one in the Twin Cities area. He writes a big check every year - like $3-$5,000, but then has several different kinds of boats to use and several lakes to choose from.
☝️This is what I came to say.
I think the biggest thing is being realistic on how much you'll use it and that's usually tied to where you live and your access to water. I live in South Texas and the nearest lake is 30 min and it's currently sitting at 5% capacity. The next closest is about an hour. There's no way in hell I'd own a boat despite growing up in Florida owning one and being an avid water skier.
Our family rents one for the day to close out each summer break. It's costs about $500 including gas which is much cheaper than the expense of owning a boat.
If I lived near a lake (or better, ON a lake), I'd definitely own a boat.
I like having friends with boats and I will buy the gas and bring the drinks.I know the common sayings:
- It's better to have a friend with a boat, than to have a boat, and
- The two best days of a boat owner's life are the day they buy the boat, and the day they sell the boat.
For people who own a boat, are these sayings true? Or do you like having a boat, and are glad you have one?
Thanks in advance!
For your trouble (and maybe some cheap likes):
In a similar situation.
If I ever get back to Florida I’m getting some kayaks. I love paddling around Florida creeks and springs, and nearshore spots in saltwater.
We've got a pontoon, upgraded from a Crownline (more recreational boat?). Much more kid friendly, and on the lake we are on, it's small enough that the pontoon works just fine. We can still pull the kids on a tube, ski's, knee board, etc.
Plus, it works pretty well for fishing. Since we have the lake house just under an hour away, we do get to use it quite frequently, and my kids absolutely love it. They've turned into little fish, and it's so fun to watch.
Plus, it works pretty well for fishing. Since we have the lake house just under an hour away, we do get to use it quite frequently, and my kids absolutely love it. They've turned into little fish, and it's so fun to watch.
Im not sure. I have the same Q but at the same time, fire on a boat.....
We agreed to get it and see if it works for us, if not, sell and get what we want.
My parents have one of these they run up and down the Peace River. It's nice for that but sucks when we take it out into Charlotte harbor if there's more than a foot or two of chop. It takes and gives out a beating. I want to be able to more comfortably go further out so here in a year or two they're getting an upgrade, they just don't know it yet. That’ll likely be a 25' bay boat of some type.That is where I started as well. Then discussions and a line on a discount for one of these.
Smaller but stable with a flatter profile. Easier to manveur and tow since I won't keep it in a lake. Can still tow a skier / tube / knee board. Less party barge but more cruising. Who knows. Hurricane Sundeck Sport. I'd wear a blue shirt.
Just do it! Waiting for the kids to be older just means you're going to miss out on the experiences with them in it now. I regret not having one for about 8 years, though we had access when we went on vacation.Someday I'm going to get myself a fishing boat.
Maybe when all the kids get out of high school, which is about 4 more years.
Something like this:
Pontoon boats don't HAVE to be slow/sluggish - it just depends on how much money you want to spend for more power.
I boated as a kid, then went about 40+ years without access to one. But I always kinda wanted one. Retired, bought a condo at Lake of the Ozarks and a boat - it's been great.
When I shopped for my 1st boat, I turned up my nose at a pontoon. I didn't think I was ready for the nursing home yet! So, I bought a bowrider. Loved it, But it was dam hard for my wife (no pics) and I get to get in and out of in our 60's.
So, shopped and bought a tri-toon and have never looked back. Easy in/out, easier to dock, maneuverable, handles waves better than my bowrider, quieter, more storage, holds more people - a no-brainer for me.
Tritoons were where i was looking as well due to easier ability to ski behind, etc etc. But as folks have mentioned, but what works for where you live / go. A tritoon was very appealing, but newer and will cost a bit more. But hey, it's only money......
Sure, makes sense to buy for the env. We have no swells here! Also means I can't salt water fish (which I miss) but my use doesn't dictate chop considerations.
I've seen pontoons in the open water and that seems sketchy as hell. Pretty sure thats not what OP is concerned about either. Im more worried about how to boat the Mississippi and avoid barges.....
It's shocking to me how much a "newer" (less than 10 years old) with decent power (250+) can cost. But these days, a nice boat will hold it's value or even increase. A new one is out of sight.
Living in Iowa, I really like a good friend and/or a close relative to have a boat. That way I can pay for gas, bring snacks and drinks, help when needed (like when a family of racoons found it a great place to ride out the winter one year). Fun to go boating, but really nice not owning it.
We have this Deck boat and we love it. Got it right after the covid shutdown. First couple years we took it out on Saylorville Res every weekend with our three boys and their friends. Pulled the tube around then would just float and swim. It was kind of a hassle to drive the 45 minutes each way with a truck full of kids then the loading and unloading was a pain with all the other angry boaters.
The kids like everything else got sick of it and would bitch and moan everytime we went out so the wife and I started taking it to a no wake lake by our house where we could walk out our door and be on the water 15 min with no issues. We go fishing 2-3 nights a week and floating and swimming on the weekends. Instead of the kids it's my wifes girlfriends from work. It's always a great time.
Since we started going to the no wake lake we hardly use any gas and no maintenance. We did however get screwed by the guy we bought it from. Turned out he didn't winterize it and we started getting oil leaks. We paid $16K cash for it and when we went to get it winterized they noticed the leaks and it cost us $6K to repair (yes we showed it to other places) The storage fee is about $600 a month for an indoor spot but I also keep all my work samples in there so it's a write off Jerry.
Wife told me she thinks we should sell it in the spring so we'll see. I still really enjoy it. Not much of a hassle and it's fun.
Agree. Especially a boat. What happens when the other guy is operating it some weekend and he destroys the lower unit from running it in the shallows like an idiot?
Or what happens if just out of shear bad luck the same guy happens to be the one driving it when shit breaks everytime? Even if its legit not his fault? (Because that happens with boating).
Just seems like a good way to lose some friends to me. I do not recommend co-ownership of a boat
We did the same thing. Have had a condo and bought a new tritoon at the Lake of the Ozarks a little over 6 years ago. Have absolutely loved the experience and friends made there over the years, but now the problem is we haven’t been down there enough. Kids now out of college and living in different states. Everything’s paid for but we still spend over $1K/month on condo fees, taxes, ins, etc. for a boat and place we now just don’t use enough anymore.
We will see how the spring/early summer go, but we may end up selling later this year since we’ve been traveling more lately, and feel like if we want to spend a few days at the lake in the future we could rent a place and boat for a lot less.
If your condo allows it, consider renting it. Or, consider getting a different one. We've rented ours since day 1 and we've made more than our expenses every year. We don't go down a ton, and we avoid the popular times like the Holidays or the hottest summer months. With a property manager it's easy.
A friend of mine just sold their condo and listed their boat for the same reason as you - just now enough usage and the expenses mount up. I suggested the same thing to them.
Vacation home/rental property - maybe the smartest decision I've ever made. Condo prices have doubled in 9 years and the market still seems bullish.
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I love the Toona Schoona.I know the common sayings:
- It's better to have a friend with a boat, than to have a boat, and
- The two best days of a boat owner's life are the day they buy the boat, and the day they sell the boat.
For people who own a boat, are these sayings true? Or do you like having a boat, and are glad you have one?
Thanks in advance!
For your trouble (and maybe some cheap likes):
She’s a fabulous ship.
