Boat on a budget

[mandpeter]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the world of big boats (more than 16ft). I need a boat to mostly fish, tow tubes, take the family, and tend my layout boat. The big problem is I have a budget of about 5k (still in school).

My opptions are an angler style center console (think osprey, sea hunt, GW etc) and it seems I can get a decent used one for 5k. I really want a welded aluminum deep v side console but they're 4 times as much. I really don't want a riveted aluminum.
Any thought on whether this style will work, and any problem buying an old fiberglass boat if its in good shape (I did read the sticky). Thanks in advance

 

[jbcurt00]

Why not a riveted boat?

 

[garbageguy]

IMO the less you spend to buy a boat, the more you'll spend to get it/keep it doing what you want it to do. You know what BOAT stands for, right? I don't know where you are, but 5K for a boat you're looking for sounds a bit optimistic. Sometimes they can be found, but you may have to look very hard, be patient, and know what you're looking at. I think center consoles are generally better for fishing, fewer people aboard, and operating, while dual consoles better for more people aboard, and passenger comfort.

 

[jkust]

5k is just the price of entry into the boating world. Where are you located? How many people will usually be on board?

 

[southkogs]

Welcome aboard:

... and tend my layout boat.

^^^ what's a layout boat? I'm not familiar with the term.

 

[thumpar]

$5k is an area that has a lot of somewhat new boats that are junk or old boats that people ask way to much for. I started boat shopping a little over a year ago and hoped to spend around what you intend. I ended up looking at boats up to 2x that because I couldn't find anything but junk. Start looking at boats that are old in the $3k range and see what you can find. I paid $2600 for my last boat. We had it for 7 years and the only thing I ever had to do was normal maintenance but I did it all my self including bellows. It was a 1983 but has less hours than my 1996 I have now. After 7 years I sold it for $2700 because it was in such good shape still. 1 tip I will give you is to look at as many boats as you can. Don't fall in love with the first boat you like.

 

[Starcraft5834]

I paid $2500 for a 1987 Imperialvc200.. w 3.0 GM. pretty good shape, used it past 2 years... It was a CL buy. all I can offer u, is to be patient and make sure you check out the engine and basic structural integrity.. I paid a marine shop to give it the once over......I was told, it was in "better than average" shape, which it is.. as others have said, spend as little as possible for a sound boat, you will dump plenty of $ into it.... Unless your buying new, or not very old... condition, condition, condition...old boats that were stored well age well.. Read lots and learn how to perform basic upkeep, there's no "rocket science" here, especially with older Merc engines..if maintained, they tend to "run forever"...as Thumpar said, don't fall in love with the first boat you like... patience...

 

[ondarvr]

CC's are great if you live in a warm climate and like to fish, but as a family boat, or one to out on and lounge about with friends, or pull people around, they don't do as well. Look at an aluminum (riveted or welded) boat in the 18' range, easy to work on, easy to pull, light, will need less work, etc.

 

[garbageguy]

Welcome aboard:


^^^ what's a layout boat? I'm not familiar with the term.

I had to look that one up too. Primarily for duck hunting?

 

[64osby]

Welcome aboard:


^^^ what's a layout boat? I'm not familiar with the term.

Think Duck Hunting

CC's are great if you live in a warm climate and like to fish, but as a family boat, or one to out on and lounge about with friends, or pull people around, they don't do as well. Look at an aluminum (riveted or welded) boat in the 18' range, easy to work on, easy to pull, light, will need less work, etc.

Our 21' Starcraft is used mainly as a family boat and it does exceptionally well.

Yes it is a riveted boat, but with the exception of gas and oil it has given us 4 years of use for a total cost of less than $3,000.

Boy I wish I would have had a spare 5k when I was in school.

 

[pckeen]

For what you want, think 18-21' boat. At that price point, do a LOT of looking. You would have to be really lucky to find a welded boat - I have never seen one at that price, with the size that you want. Consider a fiberglass or older aluminum riveted boat - even boats back to the 60s - good non-leaking boats are out there, but for every one good boat, there will be 10 with real problems.

 

[airshot]

Not sure what you have against riveted alum boats? Mine is a 1983 and still going strong, been an avid boater for more than 50 yrs, nothing but riveted alum.....
well Ok yes one weak moment and bought a glass boat, dumped it after 2 yrs and went back to rivets. Neighbor had a welded alum boat and had cracking problems, had it welded many times. Rivets are easy to replace if one gets damaged. Yep, for me it is rivets all the way!!

 

[Capt. Willie]

One of the things I've learned about the Vegas boat market is that many boats are much lower in price in the winter....one man's CL ad had his listed for $3,000 and he stated in ad he'd be selling it for twice this price in late spring.

 

[southkogs]

Hey! Look at that - you can Google "layout boat" and they even have pictures ... sometimes I really wonder about myself.

I had to look that one up too. Primarily for duck hunting?

Think Duck Hunting

Thanks guys.

mandpeter: The big deal about used boats is condition. I was looking quite a bit through the fall in my area, and I was pretty convinced I could find an 18' (or so) in decent condition for about $5,500 or $6,000. I didn't spend 1/2 that much on my current boat, and it really hasn't cost me very much (more headaches than wallet aches). Patience is probably the hardest part about buying an inexpensive boat.

 

[mandpeter]

layout boats: imagine a floating flying saucer that you lay in and shoot ducks (if it sounds nuts its because it is). Im in SE Michigan and will be on lake St Clair and lake huron. I've had welded and riveted boats (all 16' and under) and my riveted boats always leaked at least a little ( hopefully that will change with my new 16ft mirrocraft project). Nothing against riveted boats, i know a few guys that have bone dry riveted boats,just a quirk of mine i guess, but i also like the thicker aluminum with a welded boat. and

southkogs: I'm ok with headaches, walletaches not so much! and I figured id give myself at least all winter while prices are low (easy time to sell for less when theres 2 feet of snow and your boat is taking up room.

64osby: the only reason i do is becuase i sold my 15ft lowe roughneck mod-v (youd be surprised how expensive welded duck boats get).

The welded boats ive seen that are at least close pricewise are the smokercraft fazer, lowe roughneck v series and ranger 207/217. anyone have something like that or know of a similar one?

 

[ondarvr]

It is very easy to fix a leaking riveted boat, glass boats can be nightmare in that price range.

 

[redneck joe]

and remember if you have $5k in your pocket you need to be looking up to $10k boats. The longer they sit the lower you can negotiate. This circles back to patience.

 

[gm280]

My only question is, is there really something called boating on a budget? Really? I mean REALLY? News to me...

 

[muskyfins]

My only question is, is there really something called boating on a budget? Really? I mean REALLY? News to me...

Sure. Kinda.

I spent $1400 on my last boat. Over the course of a year I put an additional $2000 into it. (lots of time also but not accounted for) Once she was "done" my yearly boating budget was about $100/month year round.

Storage-$60
Insurance-$5
Fuel-$20
Maint-$15

We only spent about 15 days per year on the water, so we'd save the fuel money in cash in an envelope and spend it during the season. Same for maintenance items. Not sexy, but doable.

 

[Scott Danforth]

once we accept that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into, we can enjoy it. Remember, 1 BOAT unit = $1000