Need help in choosing my first boat!

[Dbl0Kevin]

Hey guys I've been wanting to buy a boat for several years now and I'm finally starting to get serious. I grew up in South Jersey spending summers down the shore while usually going out on a friend's 30" cabin cruiser fishing in the bay and ocean. I've since moved to Upstate South Carolina and have been trying to figure out the best and most economical way to get the most usage out of my boat while living 3 1/2 hours from the ocean. I don't like freshwater boating so that option is out, and the idea of trailering a boat 230 some odd miles each way is not very appealing. I've lately been toying with the idea of getting a boat to keep in a marina so that we can take weekend trips down and stay on the boat to minimize the driving.

My other half is in favor of this idea, however, it has forced me to reconsider the type and size boat that I may end up buying. My main purposes for the boat will be saltwater fishing, general cruising, and some scuba diving. I was originally interested in the Triumph boats as their relatively maintenance free hull seemed quite appealing, but with wanting to spend weekends on the boat now I need something with a sleeper berth. I'd ideally like to spend somewhere in the range of $10-15K for a boat though I suppose I could go a bit higher if necessary. I'd appreciate any advice you guys or gals may have on boat types, sizes, and makes that I should look at. In doing research I've somewhat figured out that I'll likely need either a Cuddy Cabin, Sport Fisherman, or Walkaround but my head is spinning looking at all the different years makes and models. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[oops!]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

wow....some serious questions....

welocme to iboats.... !

lots of help here

they type of boat you want depends on your personal taste.

but i might add....that is an expencive proposition you are talking about.....consider 500 mo for the slip. ....and you are in salt....so maintenence is more money....then the fuel.....

i would personally suggest to rent a boat for your tours.....as you wont be there every weekend, and at that amount of money per month for the slip.....renting at first could help with your decision.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Welcome aboard!

I agree with Oops - especially adding in the fact that you're considering staying on board for a weekend at a time. A cuddy or walk-around is going to get REAL cramped REAL quick. For that kind of time on board, I would think you want at least a 28' footer with good cabin space and amenities ... getting a seaworthy boat of that caliber is going to eat up $10 - $15k pretty quickly.

Out of curiosity - why is fresh water boating on the "nuh-uh" list?

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Thanks for the welcome and the quick replies! I've done some research on slip fees in the Charleston, SC area and depending on boat size (around 18-22') most of the marinas are charging between $11-13 a foot which would be around $250 a month. I was actually kind of surprised at that price which is what made me consider the marina option unless there are fees that I am overlooking. Some of those places even included drydocking where they pull your boat out of the water and will have it ready for you at an hour's notice.

I share those concerns with feeling cramped in a cuddy cabin for a weekend but I'm also concerned with getting into a boat that is much larger and having to pay for gas an upkeep on it. I'm trying to find the right balance between comfort and economy with the size of the boat.

As for freshwater, lakes just really don't appeal to me. I love being out on the open ocean and prefer saltwater fishing to freshwater. I've been to the lakes around here for scuba diving many times and it just bores me as there is only so much you can do.

Quite the situation I find myself in eh?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

on the south Carolina coast you won't be sleeping much in a small cabin. figure out this cost: 19-21' boat on a dry slip (trailer at the marina w/ a ramp) plus a motel room.

19-21 gets you out in the coastal marshes and creeks, where it can get shallow, and thus gives you more range and ease of handling, plus it's fine to go offshore on the right days.

OR do the boat club. It is a great deal for your situation. You can rent cabins or opens.

 

[Philster]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Dbk0Kevin, no need to explain -- I understand. I boated all over South Jersey (Philly guy who always headed 'down the shore'), tearing up everything from Cape May up to Ocean City. You need salt. You need to be in bodies of water and waterways that are connected to the oceans of the world. Me too. Dolphins swimming by, old wrecks off shore, shoals for fishing for dinner... and salt... ah, the feel of it.

I have friends that drive two hours and weekend on a 26' Sea Ray with their dog (black Lab) and it's pretty good, because their marina has a gorgeous pool, big bath house and clubhouse amenities. Many marinas do this. The 'bath house' is beautiful. Heck, you get to weekend on your boat, have great benefits like bath houses and pools and you sleep on the boat.

They have A/C, shore power, TV, etc.... and if they are hanging around the boat, there is always someone offering a cocktail or telling a fish-that-got-away story, etc.

I would say your options are best if the marina kicks butt. It's very common: A marina with great amenities. The showers and bathrooms in many are clean and private. A pool is nice to jump into; many have barbeques, weekend parties, etc.

It makes the experience 10x better. I don't think all the boat weekenders I know would enjoy it much unless they were in 30+ feet of boat if the marina had nothing to offer.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

As for freshwater, lakes just really don't appeal to me. I love being out on the open ocean and prefer saltwater fishing to freshwater.

Gotcha'. That makes sense. I asked because I grew up on the Great Lakes but moved away about 15 years ago. I've been on freshwater inland lakes ever since, but have found that I still enjoy them. I do enjoy when I get out on the open waters, and miss sailing (you just don't get a good "sail" here in TN).

I share those concerns with feeling cramped in a cuddy cabin for a weekend but I'm also concerned with getting into a boat that is much larger and having to pay for gas an upkeep on it.

I like like the idea of the boat club for you. At least for a year or so while you get an idea of boat size and see what kind of details pop up. I've got family and friends who own a vacation home, and there is a lot of effort and work in owning two homes (as well as shifting "life" back and forth each weekend). I can't imagine a weekend boat being too much different. The rental option allows you to get a feel for boats, marinas, areas, etc. while you figure out what works best.

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Dbk0Kevin, no need to explain -- I understand. I boated all over South Jersey (Philly guy who always headed 'down the shore'), tearing up everything from Cape May up to Ocean City. You need salt. You need to be in bodies of water and waterways that are connected to the oceans of the world. Me too. Dolphins swimming by, old wrecks off shore, shoals for fishing for dinner... and salt... ah, the feel of it.

That about sums it up right there! Man I miss those days!

I was looking on boattrader for quite a while and found a boat that I would just love to get:
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1973-Bertram-Sport-Fish-97869160/?zmc=stf

Not only is the the same model of boat that I went out on many times back when I was growing up, but it seems to be about the right size to comfortably spend a weekend on. It's also surprisingly in the price range and exactly where I'm looking to dock at! I only balk at it because it seems like a huge commitment for a first boat as I've always heard how much it costs for maintenance and upkeep on a boat this size. On the other hand I've learned many times before that I should have gotten what I really wanted first instead of doing something "smaller" or "cheaper" to try it out as it will end up costing more to switch when I'm unhappy with the entry level. My other concern is as much as I know I love boating and being on the water I've never had to deal with the ownership hassles. I keep hearing all my friends who've owned boats saying "it's just a huge money pit."

I counter that in my head with the fact that I think this is the right move for me because as many times as I've thought about it and put it off, the idea of getting a boat never goes away. My other half and I have been saying for a while now we need to find another pastime since we don't like going out to bars or any of the other "night life" activities. We have no kids, no debt other than our mortgage, and 3 paid off cars, so I really think we can do this it's just a big leap.

Also I've never heard of a Boat Club where you rent different boats like some of you suggested. Any idea what the average costs are for something like that and how it works? It may be a good idea to start but I really think I'd like to have my own eventually as there just comes a special pride with ownership.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

http://www.carefreeboats.com/charleston/boats


The 26-32' old cabin cruisers are a dime a dozen here and our market is probably the same as Charleston's. I would certainly not buy an old one unless I lived within 5 miles of it, or hired a full-time care taker. You do not want to spend the first 4 hours of each and every trip fixing something, after driving down for the weekend, while your wife hangs out boredor, worse, goes shopping in Charleston.

As a new boater you should pay for reliability. If you go cheap, you and your wife will not have confidence in the boat, and if you don;t have confidence, it will not be fun (I have had plenty of boats in which I lacked confidence. I used them anyway because I had to for transportation--but the trips were not "fun")

You want a wealk-on/walk-off arrangement--and all that takes is money.

Also, those boats are too big for casual fishing; do you want to commit to off-shore?

and consider your scuba needs, too.

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Home Cookin',

Thanks for the insights. I looked into the Carefreeboats in Charleston before you posted and after finding some horror stories and reviews by former members I'm not too keen on the idea. Plus the prices seem a bit high for using a rented boat.

I just finished making a spreadsheet of possible options as the thought occurred to me that it may be cheaper to get the smaller boat that I had originally intended and just either board it seasonally or trailer it down while staying in a hotel for the weekend. I came up with four options pretty much. The first three involved getting a smaller boat and either boarding seasonally, annually, or trailering while staying in a hotel. The fourth option was to get the larger cabin cruiser as I talked about earlier, board annually and stay on the boat. I was kind of shocked by the results that I came up with.

Even factoring modest hotel fees of $80 a night which are likely low for boating season. Most of the smaller boat options came in either higher or only moderately lower than getting the large boat. The only one significantly lower was the option to trailer the small boat down each time, but now I'm back to the very idea that I was trying to get away from at the onset!

Bottom line is I really hate living this far away from the ocean but that's where work is and I'll either just have to suck it up and find a method that works for me or put off the boat until retirement....which I REALLY don't want to do.

Edit: BTW why do you say the Bertram is no good for casual fishing trips? We used to take my friend's out in the bay for day trips all the time back home. Guess I'm not sure what your definition of casual fishing is.

Also another factor is we have a friend that is a boat mechanic that recently moved to Charleston. I may see about talking to him if he is interested in looking after it in exchange for using it when we are not in town since he doesn't have a boat right now.

 

[Shabah 182]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Just my 2 cents here, but I have to agree with Philster on his recommendation. Find a nice, fun marina with good amenities. Buy yourself a nice 24 -26 footer with ac and shore power. That size will keep you in the single engine boats, much cheaper to operate and take care of. Sea Ray, Chapparal, Four Winns, Regal, Doral, Monterey, Rink and mant more companies offer this type of boat. Good luck!

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Southkogs:

Come a little south to the Tennessee River. We're on a very deep, wide lake, and have a very active sailing club. It may not be Lake Superior, but it's more than satisfying.

Pickwick and Wheeler are also good lakes for sailboats.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Kevin: Greenville and surrounding counties are very nice societies. Golf communities are being built in the mountains north and west of you--incredible developments with palatial rustic mansions. You are very fortunate to live in such a nice region.

The towns of Clemson and Seneca are surrounded by large mountain lakes with very nice marinas. Lake Hartwell is also closeby, on the GA/SC state line. Lakes + Mountains = Great Living. Too bad your heart is not in such beautiful lakes.

If you have a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel pickup truck, you have a vehicle large enough to tow a saltwater fishing boat. The problem is that you're just too far away to tow a boat more than once over and once back per year. Find a mini-storage facility around Myrtle Beach or Georgetown where you can store your boat in a locked, fenced lot. Then, go back and forth as you please. Storage lots are much less expensive than a marina.

As far as buying a boat: You're 120 miles from Atlanta's Lake Lanier--home of the biggest supply of used boats in the inland U.S. It's a buyer's market since Lake Lanier's now 12' below normal pool--and not likely to be full anytime soon.

Lanier Marine Liquidators is a very large boat salvage yard--where bargains can be found for a handyman(--or someone with a boat mechanic friend.) See LanierMarine.com. Boattrader.com is the best overall place to look for boats in your retail market.

Good luck!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Southkogs:

Come a little south to the Tennessee River. We're on a very deep, wide lake, and have a very active sailing club. It may not be Lake Superior, but it's more than satisfying.

Pickwick and Wheeler are also good lakes for sailboats.

They sail 'em on Priest up here too, but it doesn't look like they get quite enough wind for a good run. I've been tempted to get a small sloop and try it out though - If I do, I'll have to head down that way. I want to do some exploring on the Tennessee River even if it's under power.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Bertrams are good boats--but any old boat is an old boat. You can fish from anything, but smaller boats can get you to more inshore fishing , under bridges, shallow water and are easier for landing fish. Big boats are better for big water fishing for big fish.

I like the idea of sharing the boat with someone, but a lot of people in this forum will disagree.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Bertrams are good boats--but any old boat is an old boat. You can fish from anything, but smaller boats can get you to more inshore fishing , under bridges, shallow water and are easier for landing fish. Big boats are better for big water fishing for big fish.

I like the idea of sharing the boat with someone, but a lot of people in this forum will disagree.

That Bertram is AWESOME! They do make a really solid boat and that one looks to be in fine condition. How about a center console with a cuddy? or a walkaround... something like chrischraft254's boat (iboats member) I think it's called a seahawk. I'd also want an OB for storing in salt + maintenance costs - a nice 22" CC or walkaround would do you well.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

I like the idea of sharing the boat with someone, but a lot of people in this forum will disagree.

Normally, I'd advise against it ... but it's that 3 1/2 hour drive of yours that's got me leaning the other way. My parents live about 2 hours from their lake house and I know how hard it is for them keeping up two houses. A boat is just as much maintenance (if not more).

Two things I've caught from different posts - you've got a pal in the area who would use the boat in trade for keepin' up with it when you're not around, and you're within 150 miles of Lanier Marine Liquidators. If rentals and club usage don't work out, take a look at used boats that you can park over there. If you're buddy will act as caretaker for you in exchange for use privileges, that's not too bad a deal (almost like it better than the club idea).

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

Re: Need help in choosing my first boat!

Well after running the numbers and talking it over with a few boater friends and the wife we are going to take a drive down to Charleston tomorrow to check out the Bertram and some of the area marinas. I think we will be able to make a better decision having checked out everything in person so we are more informed. You guys have all been such a help and I'll be sure to give details about the boat once I see her. From speaking with the broker he said it's mostly original with an engine rebuild in the 90's, not real sure on the hours after the rebuild. Is there anything in particular on this model that I should be looking at when we go? Thanks again!