Its never perfect!

[FreddyTT]

As I said...."To each his own". What I take from some posters in this thread is that SOME of us really don't care what their boats look like, and that their excuse for not maintaining is really just being lazy. Remember I said some.

For me a slip is not feasible. Just too much of a hassle. The cost of adding a little garage space is far cheaper than years and years of dockage fees. My son's boat is larger than mine and wouldn't fit in a standard garage, so he built a pole barn - another economical alternative when you consider that you could get 30+ years out of a boat. Fiberglass should last forever if you don't let the stringers rot.

My buddy's boat sits outside year round and he just found out that the 5 year old new stringers and deck are rotten again. He says he can't afford a shelter, but they just spent 100 grand for a new kitchen and sunroom for the wife. All depends where your priorities are. My wife is a boater and she supports the lifestyle, and after 45 years she's a real keeper...

Ha! I have Vinyl Sauce at a hands reach while on the lake. I simply clean as I go. I woke up this morning after sleeping out on the lake last night along a dock at a boat only accessible campground. There were racoon paw marks all over my sundeck. I wiped that off as soon as I saw it. I have white seats so I am anal about it. if I pull anchor, i wipe the gel coat down real quick before casting off so to speak. I cover the seats with sheets when I park it and then the cover. I got a small hand held vacuum so I can vacuum the carpet before I leave, once on the trailer at the end of the lake day. I wipe my boat down after each trip to the lake in the parking lot to eliminate hard water spots and scum from building up. If I take the extra time to do all that before I leave the lake, so its ready for next time. I never let anything go un repaired. I get a lot of people approaching me at the lake who can't believe its an '88. Their '96-99's are often in much worse shape both inside and out.

 

[JimS123]

I wipe my boat down after each trip to the lake in the parking lot to eliminate hard water spots and scum from building up. If I take the extra time to do all that before I leave the lake, so its ready for next time. I never let anything go un repaired. I get a lot of people approaching me at the lake who can't believe its an '88. Their '96-99's are often in much worse shape both inside and out.

I do the same thing. Once a guy told me when the boat isn't new any more I won't bother with all that trouble. He said i was lying when I told him the boat was 32 years old.

As far as the kitchen goes, let me paraphrase a story I read a few years ago....

"Mom decided she wanted a new kitchen but Dad said since the son was young and wanted to go fishing they should get a boat. So, they took the saved up kitchen money and bought the boat. Year after year the kitchen had to wait because they needed a new motor, or a new trailer, yada, yada. Every year the saved up money went toward the boat. In later years their grandkids went boating too. Finally, they got too old to handle the boat and decided to sell it and finally get the kitchen. The son was devistated and said if you must sell it please sell it to him. But it would have to be on payments because he couldn't afford it at that time. As they were waiting for him to come pick it up Mom was looking at the photo album and thinking about all the wonderful times they had, how the son grew up to be a good man, and how the grandkids were on their way as well. She said to Dad: "GIVE him the boat. After all these years I don't really need a new kitches any way."

 

[79_banshee]

Jims123 priceless lol

 

[Patfromny]

But your buddy has both.

 

[FreddyTT]

My boat isn't just recreation. Its my escape, my stress release, how I want to live when Im not working. Im not married and have no kids, so the kitchen means absolutely nothing to me LOL. Im only home long enough to sleep, eat and maybe watch some TV. Id much rather be at the lake camping with friends than sitting at home looking at new granite counter tops! Living to me is seeing new places, being out enjoying the natural forests and lakes and being with friends. I had to start over post 9/11 so I dont have a home. I figure I can spend the next 5 years (I started over 6 years ago) saving and buying a home, but since Im 45 now, I want to enjoy my life. The boat trumps!

 

[Patfromny]

9/11 did that to alot of folks. Glad to hear your back on your feet and buying nice boats. Whatever blows Your hair back is my philosophy. For me: wife, Kid, house...kitchen lol.

 

[drrnjnr]

I been saving for years to buy my boat and trailer, now I've got them, I take good care of them and it has to be 100% mechanically sound, There are two reasons I bought a second hand boat- The first is that I can't afford a new one:facepalm:. The second is if/WHEN I scratch it, it's not going to break my heart. Just so happened the first time I took it out.......... Will it all matter 50 years from now?? I don't think so............a bit laughable really:lol:.

 

[Patfromny]

Well, I wouldn't say laughable, everyone has their thing. If you want to keep your boat as nice as when it is new I have no problem with that. It is a major investment. I think what this thread is is a difference of opinions. It's nice to see we're not all alike. Life would be pretty boring if everyone was the same. It boils down to tolerance or even better, understanding. It seems that those who keep their boats pristine almost look down their noses at us lazier folk and vise versa. It really doesn't bother me that some of you are spending copious amounts of time keeping your rig clean and perfect. More power to you. I chose to use mine and clean it when I have the time. That's not to say that I have a layer of beer cans and old bait on my floor. Just that it doesn't get hosed out and waxed each time I put the cover on it. I leave my boat in the water all year on a lake far away from my home. If I trailered it I would for sure wash it off inside and out quick after each use but I don't have the drive to set everything back to new each time nor would I if trailered. I do the super clean in the fall and then make it right again in the spring. That's it. I get nothing but complements about my boat whenever I have it out. My mechanic even told me everyone that came by when he was putting the new engine on it was impressed with the boat. It has a bottle of stabil in a side cubby and other things I use often around in the open. I don't sweat it when people drink red wine or spill beer. I built it to withstand such things. It is as water proof as I could make it and with the vinyl flooring, spills and fish guts etc are easily wiped up.

It may not last as long as someone who spends hours after each use cleaning it but it will look good for a very long time none the less. I built it with my cleaning habits in mind. I will say that you should be fanatical about mechanical maintenence. Ascetics is a great thing to keep on top of but not my cup of tea. My brother is on the other end of the spectrum from me. He is always cleaning his pontoon. It is amazing the lengths he goes to to keep his boat like new. I don't understand it until I get on board. It really is nice to use a well maintained boat. Everything works, everything is fresh and clean. The down side is that the kids are terrified to even get on the boat. Forget bringing snacks aboard. I think this is excessive for a boat but it isn't mine and I follow the rules. I've never mentioned it to him because it is his boat. Snack time is on my boat. Not too bad a compromise. Live and let live. Don't climb a ladder to look over your neighbors fence just so you can judge him. Keep your priorities in your own yard. To each his own I think was said a bit back. That is how I live. With the shameful yard too :facepalm:

 

[drrnjnr]

Well, I wouldn't say laughable,

:joyous: I meant to so laughable that I scratched it first time out!! Not this thread or how peeps maintain their boats, I'm trying to get used to this forum game:lol:. Each to is own- just like you said Patfromny.

 

[Patfromny]

I scratched my brand new paint a half hour after I got it home from the body shop. Putting the engine back on:facepalm:. I then scratched it pretty badly taking her out after that season. I didn't have the trailer far enough in the water and the boat hit the trailer and scratched both sides. I just can't have nice things I guess.:blue: I laughed about the first one. The second...not so much. It is on my list of repairs for the winter.

 

[drrnjnr]

I just can't have nice things I guess.:blue:

Same here, man, same here.