What should I get for a first boat?

[RandyKnight]

Hi All,

Just getting started looking at boats and glad to have found this forum. Thougt I'd introduce myself and tell you all a bit about what we want to do and get some guidance on what to look for in a first boat.

Family / Background:
I grew up in Southern Califonia and spent a lot of my teenage years boating on local lakes and the ocean, mainly with friends and their families. So boating is not completely foregin to me but I still consider myself a newbie. My wife has never been around boats at all but is game to learn and thinks it looks like a lot of fun. We have 4 daughters, ages 11, 9, 6, and 4. We live in Rockwall, TX (suburb of Dallas).

Type of boating:
We'd like to get something big enough for our family of 6 and a few friends to go cruising, watersports (mostly tubing at first I'd imagine), maybe a bit of fishing, though I don't know how into that my daughters will be. Not to mention all my experience is salt water growing up so I'm pretty clueless about fishing locally.

Location:
We plan to keep the boat at a local marina on Lake Ray Hubbard, just east of Dallas. We live about 5 minutes from the lake and it just makes sense to me that if you kept it there you'd use it a ton more. That said, we have an RV and like to travel so something towable would be nice as well.

Towing:
I tow a 35' travel trailer with a 3/4 ton vehicle so I'm not too concerned about this overall. However, we also have a 1/2 ton pickup and being able to take both the boat and trailer camping would be nice as well. Interested in the cutoff in terms of size of boat to tow with the 1/2 ton vs. 3/4 ton.

Question:
Given that background, what type(s) of boats would you all recommend? Budget is pretty open right now. A lot of that depends on if we decide to get an inexpensive "first boat" to learn the ropes and then upgrade or just go for it to start with.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jevery]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

Personally I'd go with a deck boat for your requirements. Better suited to watersports than the pontoons. More floor space than the bowriders. Many have a head, which you'll need. Family of six plus friends would necessitate a 23 -25 ft boat. That would be a lot of boat for your first. How soon will you buy? I spent over a year contemplating the purchase of my second boat. Hit all the boat shows and did extensive research and was very happy with my final decision, a 21 ft Bryant. Good Luck!

 

[dtherrien]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

You should consider a fish and ski boat if you think you will be doing any fishing at all. There are many brand names to choose from and will range from 18'-21'. Most are outboard motors that would range about 115hp to 250hp.

 

[KCook]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

.... big enough for our family of 6 and a few friends ....

Welcome to iboats Randy d

A boat that big will likely be too big for the 1/2 ton truck. The one exception might be a simple pontoon. Which would rule out all water sports but pulling tubes.

Kelly Cook

 

[RandyKnight]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

Personally I'd go with a deck boat for your requirements. Better suited to watersports than the pontoons. More floor space than the bowriders. Many have a head, which you'll need. Family of six plus friends would necessitate a 23 -25 ft boat. That would be a lot of boat for your first. How soon will you buy? I spent over a year contemplating the purchase of my second boat. Hit all the boat shows and did extensive research and was very happy with my final decision, a 21 ft Bryant. Good Luck!

Not sure how soon we'll buy. I do want to do plenty of homework ... otoh it might be best to find something used / inexpensive and just go for it sooner. No education like experience.

We looked at a lot of deck boats at the boat show and are leaning that way for the reasons you mentioned. Saw a really nice 24' Azure (Bennington) that was pretty sweet ... big $$ though.

How do deck boats compare to bowriders / traditional ski boats in terms of handling, etc.?

Also, would a smallish cruiser make sense for us? The amenties of a cruiser (including A/C here in TX) are appealing to us.

 

[RandyKnight]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

.... big enough for our family of 6 and a few friends ....

Welcome to iboats Randy d

A boat that big will likely be too big for the 1/2 ton truck. The one exception might be a simple pontoon. Which would rule out all water sports but pulling tubes.

Kelly Cook

That's kind of what I figured. sounds like we may have to decide between getting something bigger to keep in the marina at the local lake with all the features we want or something smaller to take camping with us. I suppose with a bigger boat we could still take it places ... just in lieu of the travel trailer. Which may be the case anyway since I don't know how successful I'll be in getting my wife to tow

 

[jevery]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

How do deck boats compare to bowriders / traditional ski boats in terms of handling, etc.?

Also, would a smallish cruiser make sense for us? The amenties of a cruiser (including A/C here in TX) are appealing to us.

Deck boats ride and handle similar to bowriders. Similar V hull and similar wind profile. I really considered deck boats too. Seems they would be very versitile and all the space is appealing with platforms front and rear. Perfect swim platform and fishing is possible in a pinch. I looked at Godfrey Hurricaines and Chaparrels. Both nice boats, but kinda expensive. My capacity needs are not as great as yours so I went with a bowrider.
Cruisers? I don't know much about them so I won't comment, but I'm feeling the heat here in Oklahoma City. I should have AC for what I paid for my boat.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

personally if you want a/c stay at home. my sister , significant other, and i just bought a 1999 23' Chris Craft Deckboat. 5.7 liter volvo penta. rated for 13 people. handles like a bowrider, smooth riding likes rough water. sink, head, cooler, shower on swim platform, hatches on the gunnels, so you can step from dock to boat easily. it is a very heavy boat 3axle trainer, and a bugger to tow, and we tow with a Surburban. we bought it for the combined familes to use together, i have 3 other boats we take also. all going to the FL. Keys for August.

 

[KCook]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

A deckboat will be better at fishing and water sports than a cruiser. Not quite as fast as a bowrider. Here is another deckboat thread -

http://www.iboats.com/bbboard/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=1;gtid=620250

Kelly

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

there will be a lot of used boats coming on the market, around Oct. thru Apr. right now the used boat maket is slow, people that didn't sell last year decide to use them this season, it's a customary cycle. they want to upgrade or down size. but can't with out selling the existing boat. the south Florida area is a great place to look, people retire and buy a boat, usually to big for them to handle,and they get tired of it, or the become ill, we found ours in Naples, FL. it was a $40,000 boat new in '99, had less than 11 hours on it. got it for $12,000. plus trailer $3,200

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

Here is something smaller you can go camping with ......

 

[RandyKnight]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

Here is something smaller you can go camping with ......

That actually ocurred to me ... minus the trailer so we can just stow it in the travel trailer and not have to take 2 vehicles.

How much could I get a decent inflatable for?

 

[RandyKnight]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

there will be a lot of used boats coming on the market, around Oct. thru Apr. right now the used boat maket is slow, people that didn't sell last year decide to use them this season, it's a customary cycle. they want to upgrade or down size. but can't with out selling the existing boat. the south Florida area is a great place to look, people retire and buy a boat, usually to big for them to handle,and they get tired of it, or the become ill, we found ours in Naples, FL. it was a $40,000 boat new in '99, had less than 11 hours on it. got it for $12,000. plus trailer $3,200

Good info on the seasonality of used sales. Been looking online for used deck boats based on the comments here and what we saw at the boat show and they seem to be few and far between. Maybe I'll wait until the fall / winter.

The Florida thing is interesting ... I guess if it was a good enough deal it would be worth a trip to go get it. I'll expand my search a bit. Feel like being my boat buyer in Florida?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

you can also check craigslist. miami, ft.lauderdale. make a vacation to pickup a new boat.

 

[RandyKnight]

How does this look?

How does this look?

you can also check craigslist. miami, ft.lauderdale. make a vacation to pickup a new boat.

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/6/8/84555868.htm

 

[bamadave]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

I vote for a Chaparral Sunesta 232 Deckboat. You don't even need to look at a boat that doesn't have a head with 5 girls on your boat or you'll end up knowing where every restroom on the lake is.

 

[jake069]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

I wouldnt count pontoons out for watersports, My parents have a 02 24" playbouy with a 125 on the back, She pulls 2 skiers, granted we arnt barefooting, but you wont be either. It also holds coolers of brew and a grill quite nicely......

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What should I get for a first boat?

a1999 Chris Craft identical to the one in mentioned just sold on ebay for $19,100 said it only had 56 hours, all freshwater.