Your opinion please on a first boat, cheap one or spend more?

[Blind Date]

So I'll be the devil's advocate. Search around (try out at least 6 different boats if possible), and when you find the one you like, buy it, learn to drive it, and enjoy it, whatever size it is.

I'll concur 100%! Not a big fan of outboards or aluminum boats so trying to learn "boating" with one would turn me "off" to it immediately. No thanks!........LOL

BTW my oldest son was driving the Sundancer on the trailer for dad helping him load it when he was 11 years old. They're not that tough to pilot. Especially with an outdrive that has counter rotating props.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

@Maklin, I hope you are feeling better now. The biggest thing that keeps me off the water, besides weather is my health. Going on 64 I just don't have the energy some days to bother. Regardless if trailering or in her slip. It can be a struggle to get the mooring cover on and off believe it or not. If I had to snap down a cover I wouldn't be able to myself. If you told me that 10 years ago I'd say your daft. Fishing buddies have a tendency to disappear once you hit land, not all just most. You will be amazed at how many friends you have once you get a nice boat, just like a new swimming pool neighbours become your best friends.

 

[Maclin]

Old Ironmaker Thanks, yes! I was very lucky, no lingering effects. Just normal-ish old timer stuff kicking in now and then.

 

[82rude]

OLD IRONMAKER snakes don't bug me much ,I have a pic somewhere showing me and a 13 foot 150lbs python wrapped around me.A friend of mine bought a 26 or so foot Tiaria (sp) in Fla and brought it up to Wawa ONT ,whilst working on the motor he came face to many eyeballs to a huge spider.Talk about an illegal alien!It filled up the bottom of a big coolwhip container.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

82rude, make sure that thing stays in Wawa, please. Every time I see a big snake (that has no business in Canada) I think back to that tragedy a few years ago out east where 1 killed the 2 little boys as they slept. Sorry about the hi-jacking.

 

[82rude]

Not my snake .Personally if I was the op id go for the gusto as you never know what life will through at you.

 

[alanmoor]

Wave24 and I are similar in that I'm in my 50s, have a few kids, and want a boat to explore new places on weekend or longer trips. However, I've been boating/sailing all my life, starting with a 19' sailboat. After that I went to a 23' sailboat, then, got a 26' sailboat mostly because of the aft cabin - I got tired of being cramped while I was sleeping. We then moved to a 27' cabin cruiser and got it because of the layout and the aft cabin.

I tow this boat every time I use it. It's big but towing/launching/retrieving is not that big of a deal. With 4 of us I'm not sure I'd want anything smaller. Frankly the few times that just my wife and I have spent a weekend on it I was glad to have the space. Lately we boat for the same reasons you do - to spend weekends out. I wouldn't be satisfied with a runabout (we had one years ago and got rid of it pretty quickly), and if I had a cuddy I'd want canvas to make better use of the topside.

I went cheap ($5K for a 27' 1985) when I bought mine, mostly because I wasn't sure we really wanted a power boat. I'm still not sure, but regardless of that I've dumped in another $8K redoing the engine (twice) and out drive. The first time around I paid someone to do it, but since they screwed it up I did it myself the second time. The end result is a boat that I know REALLY WELL that is not under-powered. Would I have done the same had I to do it again? Probably not, but I'm not unhappy with what I have now.

I'd take a pretty close look at that 2355, that's a lot less boat than I have and I suspect I'd be happy with it. It's great that you already have boating friends - offer to take them out several times!!!

Even with my experience the 27' can be a bear to maneuver (especially with any wind). The key is GO SLOW (but fast enough to have way on) and have a boat hook! I also always take the time to brief the crew on exactly what I expect of them before we start. Mostly that's "sit down and don't do anything unless I ask you to".

 

[Wave34]

Again, thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experience with boats.

What strikes me, is all the messages about health issues members, or member's friend have. I also know some people getting sick quite young. That alone, is a big GO for me.

I know that many forum members are into fishing and aluminum boats with less comfort do the job perfectly, but I'm not a fisherman, and the wife and I would prefer some comfort for some weekends here and there.
So, I will look for a small cruiser and hopefully everything will work ok.

Funny thing, last week, a friend of mine who bought a condo in Fort Pierce Fl. some years ago invited me to visit him since I never had the time to go before. I had a week vacation left so I took the plane and went meet him alone. It was just to take a break from the canadien winter and at the same time, I visited 5 marinas from Fort Pierce to St-Lucie to Holliwood to take a look.
What stoke me is that a 26' boat is a toy there LOL, Everybody have BIG boats!.
Anyway, one day it is something I would like to do, bring the boat there for a month of vacation, live aboard, and navigate the canals, and may be the ocean close to the shore if the water is calm. But that's another subject.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the east coast of florida has large boats because the Atlantic is unforgiving. if your out there in boats under 30' and the wind picks up, many times your on the news and a search and rescue party is being dispatched for survivors. take a look at some of the webcams and youtube vids showing St Lucie inlet at incoming tide. average 3-4' seas, however often 15' seas.....no thanks. (We service many of the large sport fishers out of the East Coast of Florida. there is a reason that everything forward of the helm must be submersion resistant

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=st+lucie+inlet

West coast (Gulf Side) is a whole lot more forgiving most of the time.