First time buyer

[Mattk1]

I am looking at buying a boat for the family something to cruise around the lake a bit of fishing and maybe tubing I’m wanting to spend no more then $10,000 cheers

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

start by reading this
https://forums.iboats.com/forum/gen...eeding-help-buying-a-boat-a-buyer-s-checklist

suggest you get an aluminum boat with an outboard for your first boat.

 

[tpenfield]

:welcome:

Read through the check list and also look through the restoration forum for folks who bought boats only to find that they needed structural repairs. It will give you a good idea of boat construction and hopefully what to look for when you are inspecting a boat for potential purchase.

Tubing will favor an inboard/outboard (sterndrive) with a swim platform. Fishing will favor an outboard with good access all-round. You will have to decide which you want to favor.

$10K should get you something decent, so start checking the advertisement listings, etc.

 

[southkogs]

Pontoons are a little tricky to learn to dock, but otherwise they're pretty decent "does a little of everything" boats. Lots of 'em will pull tubes without any real trouble.

Have you seen anything that you kinda' liked?

 

[roffey]

suggest you get an aluminum boat with an outboard for your first boat.

What Scott said. aluminum boats are way more forgiving when it comes to docking and will do every thing you need in a starter boat. 10k is a healthy budget, I would even suggest less as after you have your fist boat you will have abetter idea what you really want, fishing maybe, speeding down the lake or just cruising…

 

[Old Ironmaker]

As a 1st time boat owner I also suggest as did Scott, aluminum and an outboard for many reasons. 17' minimum. Boats get crowded fast. An aluminum and an I/O has more advantages for a novice than docking, many more from cost of maintenance to operational cost. Boats look huge on a trailer, not so big in the water. You have a healthy budget, follow the sticky on the top of this forum and shop wisely. This is the best time of the year to get a deal on a used boat, especially just before Christmas. Be prepared to match the initial cost of a boat in depreciation, maintenance and operating cost in the next 5 to 10 years depending on how much it is used.

If it were I, the name of the boat on the side of a used aluminum with an I/O boat would say StarCraft.But that's just me and many thousands of happy boat owners. When you look around you will find that there aren't many used StarCraft's on the market, wonder why?

And welcome to iboats.com. The best boating forum in the entire planet, bar none.

 

[jkust]

A couple thoughts here...pontoons are all the rage on my lake but not for the day boaters who tow their boats to the lake.
Not sure if you live on a lake or are a dayboater. As for aluminum boats, my take on them is I don't like them, they aren't sexy, they don't look cool, etc, etc but they all but assure that you won't get someone else's hidden rotten mess that they are selling to you to deal with. Also, since your salutation was 'Cheers', I am assuming you are English and so of course if you aren't in the US, this conversation may very well be a bit different.

 

[Maclin]

A couple thoughts here...pontoons are all the rage on my lake but not for the day boaters who tow their boats to the lake.
Not sure if you live on a lake or are a dayboater. As for aluminum boats, my take on them is I don't like them, they aren't sexy, they don't look cool, etc, etc but they all but assure that you won't get someone else's hidden rotten mess that they are selling to you to deal with. Also, since your salutation was 'Cheers', I am assuming you are English and so of course if you aren't in the US, this conversation may very well be a bit different.

Echoing this....

 

[briangcc]

Having purchased a few boats now I'll offer my advice....

Have the admiral onboard or all hope is lost. If she isn't happy, you isn't happy. No getting around this point.

Show the entire family some boats. Have them actually sit in them. Can you move around without tripping on eachother? I'd normally say take a trip over to the big box outdoor store and take a look at those BUT the one local to me just cleared out all its boats for Santa's Village so...head to a marina instead. You'll get an idea of what good boats look like and feature anyways.

Once you figure out what will work, now determine if you're towing it or slipping it. If you are towing it, is your vehicle up to the task? Remember to include the weight of the trailer, gas, batteries, and all other items you need to carry as part of the total package weight. Often, people see 2600lbs for the boat and assume that is fully loaded with the trailer. It isn't and all those other items add to the total weight you are towing. Once you add it up you may be over the allowed towed weight so now you are looking at a tow vehicle in addition to the boat.

As others have said...aluminum is forgiving as a first boat but having ridden in them, at least the outboard variants, they pound in small waves which makes for an unpleasant ride.


Good luck and if you want more suggestions I would humbly recommend you provide more specifics as to what exactly it is you are looking for.

 

[TyeeMan]

If this is your very first boat I would give another thumbs up on an aluminum boat. However, I own an aluminum boat with an I/O, I would highly suggest that a first time boat owner purchase a boat with an outboard motor.

If you are new to boat maintenance and doing it yourself an outboard will be much easier.

Also from a visual, learning standpoint, with an outboard it's easy to simply turn around and see what your motor is doing. How high is it trimmed, where is it turning, etc.

A boat with an outboard will be a little lighter and easier to maneuver at launch, retrieval, etc.

As previously said, 17' minimum, 18' better. Minimum h.p of 100, 125 or 150 h.p would be better for the water sports part of things.

If you plan on doing your own maintenance and are mechanically inclined, then perhaps look for an I/O as they do require a little more maintenance. Do your research here on owning an I/O. Don't let what you read freak you out, not everybody has the problems that you read about in various posts.
I found iboats after I bought my first I/O. I was reading in the Mercruiser engines and drives section and thought holy crap what did I get myself into??!! That went away the more familiar I got with my rig.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I wrote I/O should read O/B, sorry.

 

[QBhoy]

What Scott said. aluminum boats are way more forgiving when it comes to docking and will do every thing you need in a starter boat. 10k is a healthy budget, I would even suggest less as after you have your fist boat you will have abetter idea what you really want, fishing maybe, speeding down the lake or just cruising…

Just on a comical note...aluminium boats might be less forgiving to the grp boat he runs into when docking, haha.

 

[Tassie 1]

Also, since your salutation was 'Cheers', I am assuming you are English and so of course if you aren't in the US, this conversation may very well be a bit different. [

Not necessarily British,
Cheers is also used a lot in Australia, New Zealand and probably elsewhere as well,

just a comment about alloy boats ( tinnies etc ) they do take hard dockings better than fibreglass but being lighter than a equivalent size fibreglass boat ( all things being equal ) they also bounce, pound and list more in choppy conditions or swell,

they can even become uncomfortable at anchor for tender stomachs unused to bumpy conditions,
meaning family members may not enjoy going out in the boat after a couple of unpleasant trips

heavier fibreglass boats aren't affected as much by those conditions, ( all things being equal or as close to it lol )

Cheers from Tasmania, the boating capital of Australia, ( according to gubberment stats.)

 

[roffey]

Just on a comical note...aluminium boats might be less forgiving to the grp boat he runs into when docking, haha.

.. speaking of running into boats. I was sitting at the dock waiting to get gassed up. A new boater came into dock with a brand new wakeboard Moomba (way to much power for a new boater). He hit the dock so hard I could feel it and left a gash in the side of his boat about a foot long. He then reversed out and docked it in a slip meant for two boats, with two already docked in their slips. He got out of his boat and walked across one of the boats to the dock and on to the marina shop and never even looked back. Tin or not if you did that to my boat we would have a unpleasant discussion...

now back to the OP. Make sure you tell us what you get... pictures are always welcome...

 

[QBhoy]

.. speaking of running into boats. I was sitting at the dock waiting to get gassed up. A new boater came into dock with a brand new wakeboard Moomba (way to much power for a new boater). He hit the dock so hard I could feel it and left a gash in the side of his boat about a foot long. He then reversed out and docked it in a slip meant for two boats, with two already docked in their slips. He got out of his boat and walked across one of the boats to the dock and on to the marina shop and never even looked back. Tin or not if you did that to my boat we would have a unpleasant discussion...

now back to the OP. Make sure you tell us what you get... pictures are always welcome...

Ouch.

 

[jkust]

Also, since your salutation was 'Cheers', I am assuming you are English and so of course if you aren't in the US, this conversation may very well be a bit different. [

Not necessarily British,
Cheers is also used a lot in Australia, New Zealand and probably elsewhere as well,

just a comment about alloy boats ( tinnies etc ) they do take hard dockings better than fibreglass but being lighter than a equivalent size fibreglass boat ( all things being equal ) they also bounce, pound and list more in choppy conditions or swell,

they can even become uncomfortable at anchor for tender stomachs unused to bumpy conditions,
meaning family members may not enjoy going out in the boat after a couple of unpleasant trips

heavier fibreglass boats aren't affected as much by those conditions, ( all things being equal or as close to it lol )

Cheers from Tasmania, the boating capital of Australia, ( according to gubberment stats.)

Good point, I forgot that I have a client from South Africa and he uses Cheers as well.