newbie here. Teach me!

[Bondcustomknives]

Newbie here. really want to buy a wakeboarding boat. I have only a few grand downpayment but i have great credit... don't want a lemon that i have to keep dumping money into(although i keep hearing that boats will cause that) should i get a v8 or v6? What are some things to look out for? What are good questions to ask? What should i look at on the boat(engine)? What are good reliable brands to buy? And what should i stay away from? Thanks so much guys..

 

[Scott Danforth]

first, start with your budget

then see what is available in your budget

are you looking at a dedicated wake board boat, or are you looking at a run-about with a wake board tower. there is a difference.

dont buy anything over 10 years old (boats do not last forever, much like a car or a toaster. as they age, they cost more and more money to maintain. plus you wont get financing. if you are financing, get something newer.

brands mean nothing on a used boat, only maintenance and condition does.

read the boat buying sticky at the top of the forum.

 

[H20Rat]

dont buy anything over 10 years old (boats do not last forever, much like a car or a toaster. as they age, they cost more and more money to maintain. plus you wont get financing. if you are financing, get something newer.

There is a caveat to that, especially for boats in the northern states. I've owned a bunch of boats, none of them have been newer than 15 years old when I bought it. My current boat (2001) was purchased in 2018, and was in like-new condition.

Condition/maintenance is everything.

Why do you want a wakeboard boat? Wakeboats also have lots of drawbacks, so are you sure you absolutely need one? Depending on your skill level, you might better be served by a different boat that is better as an all-around runabout.

 

[CaptainSteveo]

Newbie here. really want to buy a wakeboarding boat. I have only a few grand downpayment but i have great credit... don't want a lemon that i have to keep dumping money into(although i keep hearing that boats will cause that) should i get a v8 or v6? What are some things to look out for? What are good questions to ask? What should i look at on the boat(engine)? What are good reliable brands to buy? And what should i stay away from? Thanks so much guys..

1) What is your budget? Dedicated wake boats are typically very expensive. Most push around 100k new and 10 year old or less usually run around 40 to 60k. They are the only thing you wake surf safely with. They are generally heavy V8 boats that require good tow vehicles. This means added expense for fuel and such. They also have lots of added complexity with pumps to fill water tanks and such to help create large wakes. This adds more stuff to fail.

2) They are usually direct drive which means the motor is in the center of the boat and prop is under the boat for better handling and safety for people around the boat. But that means you can't go in shallow water or beach them.

3) A normal runabout with wake tower is much more multi purpose and simpler. They are much cheaper and depending on size and power run around 15k to 50k for something less then 10 years old. You can't wake surf safely and won't be as good as a wake boat for wake boarding, but just as good for ski and towables. They can be had with a wider variety of engines and will typically be inboard/outboard with motor to the rear of boat and outdrive on the outside of stern.

4) For used boats how it's been maintained is the most important thing. Way more important then particular brands. You want to find a boat that has been taken care of and maintained. Best is lite but consistent usage. You don't want something that has sat for a long time or been neglected. Better to get a cheap brand that is well maintained then a high end boat that has been abused.

 

[Bondcustomknives]

Thanks guys. Ya maybe i just want a runabout boat then.. Something to pull tubes behind and also get a wakeboard up? I can do a couple hundred a month.. that should get me a decent boat right? Aren't finance terms for boats and other rec vehicles like 15-20 years?

 

[briangcc]

Depends on the boat as to what financing you can get. When I bought mine in 2017 the cutoff was 50k....anything 50k or beyond I could get a 20yr loan on. Anything below that and I could get 15yrs. This is on a NEW boat, not used. Talk to your lender/marina about your particular situation and potential purchase to see what they will do for you.

 

[CaptainSteveo]

Thanks guys. Ya maybe i just want a runabout boat then.. Something to pull tubes behind and also get a wakeboard up? I can do a couple hundred a month.. that should get me a decent boat right? Aren't finance terms for boats and other rec vehicles like 15-20 years?

If you are just looking to do some wake boarding and pull tubes I would definitely recommend a runabout. You will want a 4.3 V6 or V8. That should be good for getting a wakeboard or ski out of the hole. You should be able to find plenty around 10 years old in the 15k to 20k area.

Personally I would try to avoid financing if possible. The last thing you want is to have a couple hundred dollar payment and then have to pay for repairs on top of that. I believe those long term loans are only for new boats, but you would need to check with your lender.

What is your location? Are you planning on using it on fresh water lakes or are you thinking of bay or ocean use? Those can also be big factors.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks guys. Ya maybe i just want a runabout boat then.. Something to pull tubes behind and also get a wakeboard up? I can do a couple hundred a month.. that should get me a decent boat right? Aren't finance terms for boats and other rec vehicles like 15-20 years?

you can pull tubes behind a 14 foot fishing boat with a 40 hp.

you can pull skiers behind the same fishing boat.

wakeboards...., you will need more power and a tower to get the anchor point higher. However a good ski pylon would work

you do not want to pull a tube from a wakeboard tower.

check with your lender, most boats can only be financed if under 10 years of age unless the value is higher..... Unlike an RV, boats require significantly more maintenance to remain valuable.

 

[JimS123]

Thanks guys. Ya maybe i just want a runabout boat then.. Something to pull tubes behind and also get a wakeboard up? I can do a couple hundred a month.. that should get me a decent boat right? Aren't finance terms for boats and other rec vehicles like 15-20 years?

That's a naive way to look at it. You need to talk to long time boat owners.

After 3 years the boat will be worth less than your mortgage. You will be sorry you took out a 15 year loan.

After 5 years you will probably be get sick of it and your kids will move you on to some other hobby.

After 7 years (of non-use) the boat will need expensive maintenance to get it running again, and you'll find that selling it won't even come close to the rest of your loan.

Dad always said to me if you can't pay cash for a toy, wait until you can. His second advice was never take out a loan on anything that depreciates over time.

 

[KD4UPL]

If this is a first boat then I would certainly steer you toward an open bow runabout type of boat rather than a dedicated wakeboard boat. I would look for something around 20' with a V8. If you've never owned anything with a carburetor on it you might want to stick with a fuel injected engine. In case you aren't aware of the some of the other cost of boating here's some things to keep in mind for your budget. A professional winterization procedure for most sterndrive boats is around $400 each fall. Boat insurance is going to be between maybe $300 and $600 per year. If the boat doesn't come with life jackets you'll need one for everyone on board even if they aren't wearing them. If you are going to drive around for 5 to 8 hours a day on the boat you may burn 20 gallons of gas or more. Buying gas at a marina is really expensive so I try to always fill my boat at a regular gas station that sells non-ethanol fuel. I burn around $40 of gas a day with my boat plus about another $40 in my tow vehicle getting to and from the lake. There's also the cost of a ramp pass at a marina each time you launch. Around here in VA it's about $10 each time. Some marinas may offer season passes at a discount if you will be launching there a lot.
The boat registration costs vary by state, so do personal property taxes on the boat and trailer. You will likely need tags and possible insurance and inspection on the trailer. At least that's the way it is in VA.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I 1st started looking for my boat in 1989, right after I got a nice size cheque from my divorce settlement. I finally bought the boat in 2010. When I think about how little I really knew about boats when shopping it makes me kring. I knew more in the first month having a boat than I did in the 20 some odd years shopping for one. Educate yourself before you buy as well as you can. Asking here is a fantastic start. There wasn't an internet when I started shopping. There was Boat Trader and that's about it. Based on your questions about long term financing a boat in my opinion you can not afford one. Until you learn how to winterize a boat and get it back in the water and doing some of the maintainance yourself a rule of thumb is that a boat will cost you on average $3000.00 a year to keep it full of fuel and in tip top condition then there is the interest on the loan. If they wrote on the tag they put on cars and boats the actual cost including interest no one in their right mind would buy one. It took me 20 years to buy the boat because that's when I had the 15 grand cash to buy one.

Depending on how many freinds you are going to pull behind that boat at zero cost to your guests 3 grand isn't enough. As soon as you start asking for guests to chip in for fuel to cover the 150 bucks a day they are no longer interested in tubing etc.

Good luck, you will need it.

 

[Leardriver]

Buy the toy that you can pay cash for. Otherwise, a lot of ulcers during economic uncertainty.

 

[gm280]

My two cents worth. Whatever USED boat you will buy WILL have issues with something. Bank on it. Usually people just don't sell off perfectly good boats for no reason. Yes, there are those very few exceptions to that statement. Some just got tired of the boat or want to upgrade, or just need money for some other reason. But those are certainly not the norm by any stretch! JMHO

 

[Bondcustomknives]

Well this is discouraging.. I'm 27 years old and only getting older and it doesn't look like I'll ever be owning one..

 

[CaptainSteveo]

Well this is discouraging.. I'm 27 years old and only getting older and it doesn't look like I'll ever be owning one..

I don’t think you should be discouraged, but rather you probably just need to rethink how you approach boat ownership

If I was in your situation I would probably try to find a 15 to 20 year old basic bowrider boat that was maintained and is in good condition for around 6 to 10k. I would buy it with the down payment money and then plan on using the money I would use on payments towards repairs, or if everything goes well, maybe some upgrades.

I bought a 20 year old Glastron SX 175 with V6 for $5000. I chose the Glastron because it had an all fiber glass hull, the right motor, and seating we wanted. I knew it needed some repairs and spent about $700 getting a new water pump, empeller, and some other minor stuff fixed. I also did some minor stuff myself. So for under $6000 I was on the water. I know I will likely have other repairs soon, but I don’t have payments and can afford to do them. If she doesn’t give me any trouble I can upgrade the stereo, get a GPS, or do other upgrades.

In my opinion the worst thing you can do is spend a lot of money on a fancy used boat with payments and then have something break and struggle to pay for the repairs, or worse yet not be able to pay for them.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I don't think anyone means to do this just to discourage you. It's just that many people get into boating (or want to) without understanding the upfront costs and the annual costs. If you look hard (and get lucky), you probably find a decent boat under $15K, but it's likely to be older, most likely an I/O bowrider, and it's going to need more upkeep than a new boat. There are also the usage costs, like gas, launch fees if you trailer (although many of us live places with free boat ramps), purchase of lifejackets, skis/tubes, and that sort of thing. If you plan to keep the boat in a slip or dry storage, there are costs associated with that. And in almost all cases, you have to have a place to store the boat in winter (if that happens where you live); there may or may not be costs associated with that. And then there is insurance, too.

We see lots of folks who buy boats and don't look past the initial purchase price and wind up with back breaking expenses they never anticipated. Nobody here wants to see anyone fall into that.

I think we got into boating pretty inexpensively. We got our boat (19' I/O bowrider) for about $7000. It was probably about 15 years old, and within a year I found out I had to rebuild the transom/decking, add brakes to the trailer (and a controller to my truck), buy a new prop to replace the one I damaged on a wing dam, etc. If I wasn't sufficiently handy to restore the boat myself (with the generous help of the iBoats crew), the boat would have become entirely too expensive for me and my family. I do almost all my own maintenance, and save several hundred dollars annually that way.

Better to know what you're getting into. We've had a ton of fun in our boat and I have never regretted it. But as others have said, it's not cheap, and you're better served knowing that before you go deeply into debt and grow to resent your boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Don't be discouraged, a prime example is me. I shopped for a boat for decades not months. There was always a reason not to buy, like owning a home, having a family, life stuff that costs $$, sometimes big money. Putting a roof over your head before you are 30 is a good start. I have no idea what type of income you make. You and only you are in control of your own destiny. Is jointly owning a boat with a family member or freind an option. That old thing about not doing business with freinds or family is bunk. Ford, Firestone, Johnson and Johnson, DuPont chemical, the list is long of sucessfull family businesses. Don't make enough money to have a better quality of life? Well get a second job and go to night school and take courses that will get you ahead in what you are doing. When I looked at a resume and see a person has 2 jobs and is taking night or weekend courses I was impressed and often hired them ahead of a grad. If you aren't willing to doall that to be able to afford luxury toys well there's not much I can say.

There is a boat out there for you, just not yet.

 

[JimS123]

Well this is discouraging.. I'm 27 years old and only getting older and it doesn't look like I'll ever be owning one..

My Dad bought his first boat when he was 17. He used it for awhile and then Grandpa took care of it while he was on sabbatical in the Pacific. When he came back he met Mom and they courted on the boat.

I bought my first boat when I was 19. Since I was in college and had almost zero money I built the boat out of plywood, at the huge expense of $165. Met the wife shortly afterwards and courted her on the high seas as well.

When I had to buy a motor for it, I had to get a second job to pay for it. Tuition and car insurance were a real drag.

Both of us didn't start with a fancy V8 wakeboard boat, but we moved up as the family grew and the finances permitted. Most of us didn't start out a Vice President level. We started out as technicians and were happy to grow with the company and accept well-deserved promotions.

You won't even have a clue about getting older until you hit 70.....LOL.

 

[Bondcustomknives]

Thanks guys i appreciate the words of inspiration. I'll keep yall posted when i get a boat! (Even if it is a kayak lol)

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Based on your handle here on iboats, Bondcustomknives I am going to go out on a limb here and say you make knives, actually custom knives. Get out there and make some great Bond Custom Knives, sell them, make more, sell them, raise the prices and repeat. Before you know it people are clambering to get a Bond custom knife and you go out and get yourself that boat you have always wanted to park in the driveway of the Bond home. By the time I was 28 I was on my 3rd home. I flipped houses until I got a mortgage free home. No matter what they say about employment and better opportunities in the 70's and 80's it was still tough at 17.9% interest rates. Let us know how you are doing, don't be a stranger. You never know when someone offers you a boat for free, it doesn't happen everyday but it has happened. When I was 17 a pal of my Dad gave me a car. 50 years later I gave a guy a 12 foot inflatable boat, passed it on. I wasn't to happy to see it for sale a month later though. Grrrrrrrrr!!