First boat anxiety!

[IATed]

Hi,

New to the forum although I have searched before. I am a first time boater. In the market for something that can accommodate 8-10 persons. I have 3 kids under 4 but growing. I have narrowed it down a bit. I like the deck boat concept but they are really too expensive for what they are in my opinion. Thinking about the chap H2O line or the new vortex line. Yes, I am struggling between jet or prop. I will be on the miss River and Wisconsin lakes. I am also struggling whether to go with used. I am not opposed to used but it seems that I have to go back about 15 years to realize any real value. Am I missing something here? I would love any advice anyone has on all of this. My budget really caps out around $25-30k. Thanks.

 

[thumpar]

If you go with something 2-3 years old you should be able to find a very good deal. Have you been on many boats before? To fit 8-10 comfortably you are going to need a big boat. My 20' with 8'6" beam starts to get tight with more than 6 onboard and that is with a few of them being small kids. You should probably get out on a few to see what you like.

 

[IATed]

I should have clarified: I want a size rated for 8-10. A 19-21 foot open bow or deck boat should do it.

 

[thumpar]

I think most 19-21' would be rated for that. Just don't expect to be comfortable with that many onboard is all I was trying to point out. With my layout I can fit 4+ on the back bench, 2 in the front seats and 4+ in the bow. That works if people are seated but when you have people moving around it is way to crowded. I am just trying to give you some boat tips since you seem new to them.

 

[IATed]

Thanks, the info is spot on. I have taken a look around at a boat show or two and I can't see how you could ever comfortably max out the rating capacity. Maybe to stay afloat but not to enjoy the day! Thanks again.

 

[Tnstratofam]

:welcome: I agree with thumpar We own a 20 ft bowrider, and it gets crowded with 6. If I have 8 on board there is no moving around because all the seating is occupied. Technically she is rated for 8 to 10, but when you factor in fuel, gear, and people 6 is more realistic.

 

[Chad Flaugher]

I can say the same for my older 18' Tri Hull bow rider. I have 5 kids (3 teenagers) and I sure wouldn't want a smaller boat! We do just fine though. I can pull multiple tubes/ski's and so forth. It depends alot on what you want to do with it! Ski, fish, float, or everything? A pontoon boat would be very comfortable, but many are too slow to pull a skier, and no wake for wake boarding...

 

[redneck joe]

that is a nice budget for a first boat but i really think you should be looking at 20-24 feet if you are planning to keep this thing for than a couple years. 3 kids - growing - will want to bring friends. and it gets crowded quick. Also remember you will now be the one with a boat and you will find you have a few new friends or the ones you have now will want to hang out more....

with that kind of money you should have no problem finding a good used one.

 

[Slip Away]

At the lower end of available space with this one, but a good solid boat.
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bod/4856020239.html

Another nice 20 footer.
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bod/4854431906.html

This would be my choice. at the upper end of your budget, the Cobalt 210 is a fantastic boat
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/4852133935.html

 

[tpenfield]

I usually advise people to go a bit bigger than they were thinking. Even though the smaller boats have a rating for a good number of people, the reality is different from both a space and power perspective.

If you can swing something in the 22 foot range, I'd think you will be better off. More engine/power is better and the added fuel consumption is minimal.

As far as used versus new, your money goes a lot further obviously with used, but buying them requires more research and leg-work. The problem with slightly used boats (2-5 years old) is that often the seller is looking for more money than the boat is worth, particularly if they financed the boat.

Your better bet on a used boat may be to look for a good quality and condition boat that is 7-10 years old.

Use BUCvalu.com for boat pricing as that tends to be a better guide than NADA.

 

[redneck joe]

and the key here is that as more and more people here say you should get a bigger boat the easier it is to 'prove' to your wife that is what you should do.

 

[southkogs]

Welcome aboard!

Have you tried/rented a bow rider in the 20' range to try out? It might be worth your while to burn a couple hundred bucks renting a couple times to get a feel for a couple of boats and see how they work for what y'all wanna' do.

Also, one thing that I think bites most new boat owners in the stern is not looking at the cost of ownership. If you're gonna' trailer and do your own maintenance, there's probably not much cost. If you're gonna' slip it and have someone else do the wrench turnin' ... the budget will be much different.

 

[redneck joe]

yeah second the renting a boat and if you do check the power in them its been my experience they of course use the lowest cost which usually means the least powered so when looking for yours go more power.

 

[keith2k455]

As far as storage is concerned, what's your plan there. After you rent one a few times and decide this is right for you, storage can be part of the cost if not in your garage. If you store outside, size doesn't matter, but if you use your garage, a standard door is 7' .....you should be good with a boat under 21' but any bigger you may be too tall to fit under the door. This assumes you have the length to fit it and you are OK parking outside in the winter.

 

[drrpm]

A 20 foot Bowrider would be a good start. That's what I have and it works pretty well for 6-8 people, though its rated for 10 and that is OK when pulling multiple tubes where 3-5 of them are out of the boat most of the time. I'd recommend looking for a fuel injected V8 if watersport performance is important. MIne was a 2006 bought in 2007 when the first owner decided he wanted a bigger boat and was under your budget.

 

[redneck joe]

^^^^note he stated a one year old boat sold because the PO wanted a bigger boat.

 

[MH Hawker]

For that many people your looking at a tri toon

 

[airshot]

As many others have said think bigger! I have a 22' with 6 it is comfy but anymore and it gets crowded real fast. Remember along with 8-10 people comes extra jackets, coolers (more than one for that many people) towels etc. etc. The only way you could get enough room for that many people and gear is to consider a pontoon boat. My neighbor has a 28' and even that is cramped...very cramped with 8 on board. My 22' setting on the trailer is exactly 8' tall to the top of the windshield so as mentioned consider storage problems as well as being almost 28 ft long with the trailer tongue and outdrive on back. I understand you mentioned smaller kids.....the smaller they are, the more stuff they want to bring along for the cruise. You really might want to rethink your boating requirements, good luck.