Re: Looking for insight on my first boat, Tell me what you think of this one
Thanks for the welcome!
I was considering a cuddy as well for longer trips down/up the Hudson, staying on the lake etc.
Total number of friends...hard to say....more will probably come out of the wood work when I actually have a boat ;-)
For right now it is my fianc? me and our 9mo medium sized pup. And possibly friends could include her sister, husband, and 2 kids.
Or a handful of younger friends possible as well, to it would vary trip to trip.
There are some used ones at the same dealer if you follow my link and look at the pre-owed inventory let me know if there is anything that jumps out as a good deal
I am hoping one day we will utilize the cuddy other than storage, but I have yet to find a good excuse. It isn't so bad to open up the front hatch, sit on a cooler and cast the line off the bow. Some times I wish I had an open bow, but in any case I am still pleased with the condition and setup of my boat. You can always use the bow as a sunpad at anchor.
I was suprised with my friends after I got a boat. Some of them are glued to their computer/tv, others are married w/ young kids and have no time, and lastly the only people who are about my age at work are Indians and none of them know how to swim ><. I am going to teach a couple of the interested ones how to swim. Already tought 1 how to drive a car.
If you want to save on money and get a newer boat going with a 19-20ft w/ a 4.3L it might be a good option to consider. Who knows when gas prices are going to be coming down and boats LOVE gas!
I can fit comfortable fit 4 adults and 2 children in my cuddy, any more and they would have to be in the cuddy (which I don't think would be fun). The kids might also enjoy the open boy a little more, I loved it when I was a kid. Though they also might like to get out of the sun for a few inside of the cuddy. Last season 90% of the time it was me and my g/f and we would go out 1 to 2 times a week and just relax in our own little floating island.
I checked the site and everything seems to be old, large, and expensive. I got mine off craigslist, it looks like the dealers sell things with about 15-30% markup over craigslist.
Also, as your friends suggested, I wouldn't go new. After I bought my boat, I had to drive around 5mph for the first few times before my g/f felt comfotable lol...she actually felt so anxious she started crying ><. I then wondered if I would have to get rid of the g/f or the boat. She eventually warmed upped to it and really enjoys it. Though in any case go used, that way if something comes up you can get rid of it quicker and you feel bad about selling it for $10k less than you bought it for a 2-3 yeas ago, even though you only used it the first two years. If you still use it a lot and still use it after you start making babies, then it it is a good idea to start looking new and larger. Between my job and g/f I manage to get time to myself after a friend has a kid, I don't see them to often anymore.
