Boating Newbie with questions

Long story short my wife and I have had the boating bug from a few weekends on the water with friends, but we never had the impetus to go buy a boat. We just happen to be buying a house now that is about 300 yards from our neighborhood?s private boat slip. With that we thought we would be silly not to buy one.

We are mostly looking for a boat that will pull a skier or two and will hold at least 6+ people. I've spoken to a friend who is adamant about getting a V8 and says Sea Ray is the way to go. Our friend is about to buy a $350K 40ft+ boat so I'm taking is opinion with a grain of salt. Having never owned a boat we don't want to get too far in over our heads if we don't like it as much as we think we will so our budget is about $10,000. We are going to be on a river/lake (Chickamauga Lake in Chattanooga, TN) that is behind a dam and is relatively choppy water from what I can tell.

To sum up we are looking a day boat that will pull a few skiers, will hold a few of our friends and won't cost all that much to maintain. I can work on an engine, but I've never worked on a boat and I'm willing to do as much as I can and learn.

What suggestions do you have as far as brand, length, type (bow rider, deck boat, etc)?
Also, what should I expect as far as maintenance cost?
Is there a brand/type that I should stay away from?

Thanks a head of time.

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

I would look at 18-22 foot used boats, perhaps a bow rider. IMHO SeaRay is a very good brand, I know several people who own one, but they aren't the only game in town. Probably more important since you would be looking at a used boat is to look for a well maintained boat, have it professionally surveryed, engine checked out by a qualified mechanic, and get a sea trial before closing the deal. And take a boating safety course (check out USPS.org for a course near you), there is a lot to know when owning and operating a boat.

To give you an idea of what is out there go to Yachtworld.com. You can fine tune your boat search by price, size, location etc.

Best of luck!

Edit: You can do the same searching here at iboats classified . . . QC

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

jhill7000 said:

the boating bug

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Get's the best of us . . .

jhill7000 said:

I've spoken to a friend who is adamant about getting a V8 and says Sea Ray is the way to go.

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V8 maybe a good plan. SeaRay also, but there are many, many good brands and good boats. What we most often say is we'd rather have a well cared for used Tahoe than an abused SeaRay.

jhill7000 said:

Having never owned a boat we don't want to get too far in over our heads if we don't like it as much as we think we will so our budget is about $10,000.

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Good thinking!!!! You will not know exactly what you want, and you will learn some lessons that are really hard to take when a boat is brand new. Think about giving a 14 year old a brand new car and that is somewhat similar to an inexperienced boater owning a brand new boat. Some lessons are expensive, but many are simply dings and dents that are easier to take with a used ride . . .

jhill7000 said:

We are going to be on a river/lake (Chickamauga Lake in Chattanooga, TN) that is behind a dam and is relatively choppy water from what I can tell.

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20 degrees of deadrise (angle of V) is my minimum for comfort on rough water.

jhill7000 said:

To sum up we are looking a day boat that will pull a few skiers, will hold a few of our friends

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18 - 20 ft. and V6 or V8. Ultimately I like 22 - 23 ft. but almost everything is easier to learn on a smaller boat. Again, you will not know exactly what you and your wife really want until you have some 'sperience

jhill7000 said:

won't cost all that much to maintain. I can work on an engine, but I've never worked on a boat and I'm willing to do as much as I can and learn.

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If you buy smart and maintain well you MIGHT be able to meet this requirement . . .

jhill7000 said:

What suggestions do you have as far as brand, length, type (bow rider, deck boat, etc)

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Bow rider if getting out of the weather is not a serious concern. Full bow cover can mitigate most of the weather issue.

jhill7000 said:

Also, what should I expect as far as maintenance cost?

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Do a lot of searching in the I/O section and you will learn a lot . . .

jhill7000 said:

Is there a brand/type that I should stay away from?

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See SeaRay comment above . . . this question gets a lot of action here, not all of it accurate. Tough topic.

jhill7000 said:

Thanks a head of time.

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You're welcome and glad to have you aboard!!!

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

The key item in your list of requirements seems to be "won't cost much to maintain.". Sir -- you will own a boat. It requires maintenance and the more attention you pay to it the better it will serve you and the less expense you will incur with "preventive maintenance." If you buy an I/O the engine will be a 4, 6, or V8 more than likely from GM but there are some Ford and Chrysler powered boats but generally older. So if you can work an auto engine you can work on the boat engine. But boats even a few years old will be carbureted so if you are young enough to have never owned a carbureted car, you will have a new experience with a carbureted boat. Now that the warnings are out of the way, if you intend to frequently pull skiers you were given good advice about V8 power. As for type of boat and brand, any 18 - 20 foot bow rider or deck boat would serve your needs and still provide some elbow room. You will be looking for a used boat and must ignore model year to a point because when buying used, a newer boat all beat up is of much less value than an older boat that has been well taken care of. On water tests are required and service receipts are certainly desired. If you are unable to assess the condition of a boat, pay a surveyor (not one from the dealership or recommended by the seller) to do it for you. It will be money well spent.

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

I appreciate the responses and of course that generates a few more questions.

I realize, through forum reading, that maintaining a boat isn't like maintaining a car. My wife and I are trying to see how it will affect our budget. We arn't expecting to just put gas in it and go. I've read some boats require more maintenance costs than others, just like in cars; but the level of maintenence is more. How much more? How many hours will I be spending in upkeep relative to the hours on the water?

Let's say for the sake of argument that we'll be using it 10x a year. Including gas, what would be our yearly cost to run the boat? This includes EVERYTHING but the payments (which we hope to not have very long).

Again, I'm a newbie so I have no clue about anything. I'm assuming that marine gas is the same as automotive, but you know what assuming does.

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

Quick answer to marine gas...it costs 50 -75 cents more per gallon where I boat, Long Island, NY.

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

The maintenance cost question is tough . . . If you do everything yourself and there are no failures (there will be) figure $200 - $300 a year. Where are you BTW? Changes some answers. First year you'll probably eat a prop and find something bad. Winterizing mistake could be $2K. Insurance will cover lots of impact mistakes . . .

Fuel is interesting. I have used 60 gallons in a weekend, but that is with extended cruising. Your application, you could come in less than 10 or 20 gallons if you stay close to the dock and tie up some . . .

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

We're in Chattanooga, TN.

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

The cost is dependent on how much you use the boat and how much of the maintenance you do yourself. On a typical outing I burn most of a tank of fuel. Your cost will depend on the size of the tank. If you're trailering the boat, the cost per gallon will be he same as for your car.

Much, or all depending on your skill and willingness to buy special tools, of the routine and annual maintenance can be done by yourself. Figure the cost of oil, filter, lubes, wax, polish, etc, and then parts that need to be replaced regularly such as other filters, water pump impeller, plugs, etc. And then factor in your time for prepping the boat for each outing, cleaning it up and putting it away when you get home, doing routine and annual maintenance, and fixing things when they break.

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

Hey jhill! We are neighbors! Dottie and I will be glad to help you in any way possible. We keep our boat at Erwin Marina; right at the dam.

Boat selection/review is a key. I can't tell if you know you will have up to 6 adults on your boat or if that is just a rough potential wanting to be ready for the worst case. You also indicated wanting to pull 2-3 skiers at a time. That is not realistic. Perhaps you meant there would be up to 2 or 3 taking turns skiing.

With the assumptions in place, your $10K will get you a nice boat around here. There are many bow riders and wake boarding boats in our area that could handle the 4-6 adults and power you well for skiing. Go with the V8, fuel injected if you can find one, and not less than 200 HP. You may be happier with a 220-250+ HP.

Which boat brand.... hmmmm. Sea Ray is great as well as many others. Letting Dottie and me help you, along with all of us on the iboats forum will be your best bet. Find something you like and come back to us with all the information. You will get good help regarding the motor, outdrive, electronics, hull, etc.

As for gas, don't get too scared. You mention your neighbor has a private ramp, so I assume you will be able to use it. Thus, you will be trailering your boat. Take it to the gas station yourself and not pay the higher price on the lake; which, btw, Erwin marina has gas for $3.19 a gallon. That's about $0.50+ higher than at the car pumps - remember to put in the 89 octane.

As for maintenance fees. If you truly only go out 10x per year, there will be little expense. Less than $500. Do the oils and winterizing yourself and maybe spend less than $200. The main thing is proper PM.. sounds like you don't mind checking things regularly, so you should be good. Neglecting your boat can be costly.

We are out at least 20-30 times per season and love to stay out overnight. Our maintenance cost is less than $1,000

Now for the best part......

Once we have you on the water, Dottie and I would be happy to "show you around" 'our' lake. There are many great places to go and just a few areas to really be careful of (the hidden stumps and sand bars). Not the obvious things like the dam, shores and other boats!

Welcome to iBoats and we look forward to helping you any way you allow!

Re: Boating Newbie with questions

jhill7000 said:

I appreciate the responses and of course that generates a few more questions.

I realize, through forum reading, that maintaining a boat isn't like maintaining a car. My wife and I are trying to see how it will affect our budget. We arn't expecting to just put gas in it and go. I've read some boats require more maintenance costs than others, just like in cars; but the level of maintenence is more. How much more? How many hours will I be spending in upkeep relative to the hours on the water?

Let's say for the sake of argument that we'll be using it 10x a year. Including gas, what would be our yearly cost to run the boat? This includes EVERYTHING but the payments (which we hope to not have very long).

Again, I'm a newbie so I have no clue about anything. I'm assuming that marine gas is the same as automotive, but you know what assuming does.

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What you need to bear in mind is that fuel may be the least of your expenses. Whether you use the boat 10 times a season, or 100, maintenance needs to be done on a regular time basis basis in order to maintain reliability. Things like outdrive bellows and engine manifolds and risers, are periodic expenses (say, every 5 years or so) that can get pricey if a mechanic needs to do them.

Every year, you'll need to winterize the motor and change all lubricants, remove the outdrive, inspect and grease everything.

Every couple of seasons you'll want to do a full tune-up and replace drive belts and water pump impeller. You've got cooling hoses to keep an eye on, too.

In between times you'll have the electrical stuff that mysteriously stops working, deck fittings and rails that loosen up, props that need to be refurbished or replaced. The list goes on and on.

I'm really not trying to scare you off, but I'd recommend you start a fund for yourself so you don't get torpedoed when the big expenses crop up.

Water + constant bouncing around = a tough environment for mechanical and electrical components.