What do you give up to own a boat?

[baileys]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

i think lifes to short to worry about the cost of liesure time ive seen too many people die early including my parents and inlaws and a good friend so get out there and enjoy it i worked for 22 years then suddenly no job now i have loads of time but summers are very short and sweet in the uk anyway i got my 17.5ft boat for 1200 quid with part of my redundancy money best thing i done cost abit more to make it safe for the water though now i want abigger engine but there is limittations now my wife has found that we have more time she wants a motor home whats going on ? if we do this wheres my boating time going have to split it up i suppose no sign of ajob ethier always wanted aboat eversince my dad took us on his rayal navy frigate now i have aboat i will never get rid of it ,its cheap to maintain and fun for all stuff the stress of driving sooner be onthe sea any gives you something to look forward to after winter, wont gabble any more

 

[lenny2113]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

I rented 2 garages on the same block. I sublease 2 parking spots in one, keep my car and boat items in the other. Too bad the boat does not fit into the garage. Otherwise I would eliminate storage payments. <br /><br />Chris, <br />I think it is obvious - if you give up your boat and quit boating all together not only will you truly miss boating days, but you will also miss out on interacting with IBOATS community members. <br />I had a motorcycle about 10 years ago. Sold it and up to this day I miss it. As soon as I see someone on the bike, I get thoughts about getting a bike. My wife is against bikes. She gave me a choice either boat or bike. I can't imagine myself not owning a boat. Now, that I am 31 and in good physical shape to take care of the boat, I choose to have a boat. Who knows, maybe by the time I am close to my retirement age I will not be in such a good health for boating, fishing, skiing... Why should I regret not doing something I could have done?... <br /><br />If the gas prices will rise to $4 per gallon, I will sell my 26' boat with twin 350's and get something small. <br />There is no shame in downsizing on the boat. Any boat is better then no boat. <br />Good luck to you and your family with the final decision!!!<br />- You are a model parent in my book.

 

[Israel Hands]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

Keep your boat and start brainwashing the children that they can only pick a state college in your home state. <br /><br />Israel Hands

 

[mtrainTurbo]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

I am a little unique from the rest of you.<br /><br />I grew up around boats in the 1000 Islands. My parents divorced in 1991 and we lost the boat we had. I knew that as soon as I could possibly afford it, I was buying a boat. Not a fancy boat, but a modest one that could do anything I needed it to. I didn't need (or want) flash, complexity, or a large price. As I live in a condo, a fixer upper was out of the question as well. It needed to be new.<br /><br />So at a young 23 years old, I went to the Bayliner dealer and bought a shiny new 2000 Bayliner 1850 Capri with all the options boxes checked and the biggest engine installed. Yeah, its not the fanciest thing in the world, but dammit at 23 its something I was particularly proud of. <br /><br />Through the recession we just went through, its been a living hell to keep it....sometimes just paying what I could afford to send a month. But keep it I did, and I am about halfway through the note now. Its $175 a month, and I can't even get a new car for that payment. It requires gas and maintenance, yes, but not nearly as much as the larger more expensive boats people brag about. It still does 57 mph. It can do everything I can possibly ask a boat to do....and its doing it reliably and efficiently.<br /><br />Stupid? Maybe. There are fiscally wiser decisions I could have made, like investing, or simply saving for a house.<br /><br />I give up a lot. I am a car enthusiast and I live to smell leather fumes....but I drive a GMC with 200K miles on it. I can't buy neat electronic toys. Hell, I can't even buy clothes or CDs anymore. I have to watch literally every single cent I spend and spend it wisely. Sometimes I can't spend it at all because it has to go to the boat or rent.<br /><br />But what I bought was cooler than anything a 20something person could possibly do. Now when my friends and I go out, its not to the bar....its to the lake. I show them a great time out on the water, we sightsee, we cruise, we explore, we tube, we ski, we fish...we rave about how much fun we are having. Its magic, really, what a boat can do for you.<br /><br />So what really do I give up? Nothing. Because I am so wiped out after a day on the water I am good for nothing else. What I give up by having a boat is not nearly as much as what i would give up by NOT having a boat.

 

[John Carpenter]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

I guarantee you that you can have just as much fun in a 4,000 dollar boat as you can in one costing ten times as much. Ditch the big boat along with the payment. There are tons of boats out there for less than five thousand bucks that are good reliable platforms from which to enjoy a day on the water with your family. No need to go in debt.

 

[nightstalker]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

You have a very tough decision to make. I had the exact same problem many years ago when my two kids were young. I ended up selling the boat and buying a much smaller one for 1/5th the price. It wasn't as nice, and it certainly couldn't do all the things my first one could, but it served the purpose and gave me the extra $ I needed for other things.<br />Stalker

 

[Straightup]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

Great thread. I can relate somewhat, but on a much smaller scale. <br /><br />Spent $4500 on braces last year. My brother in law was going through some hard times and wanted to sell his '84 excellent condition Rinker V153 to me as he knew I had boats in the past. Didn't really have the $, but couldn't pass up a boat that age with less than 30 hours on it and never sat outside a day of its life. So I borrowed the $ for it. My girls are 12 and 13 so I don't have as much time with them home as some of you with the younger kids. I think I did the right thing... Oh, it looks REALLY good in the garage!<br /><br />Jeff

 

[baileys]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

everyone seems happy with what ever thevev got i just want a bit more power not only for fun but safty aswell my wife is now coming around to my way of thinking hehehe and the iboats gang

 

[geaz]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

i would have to agree with most, i fihure that if you're asking this (original) question...it's a good start. personally i would never get a new boat anyhow. all that i have seen (friends and family) that have got them...have problemns. although not major, still problems. i should hope that your family would support you either way. my uncle has had boats his hole life always smaller and used. finally he got a new one. 2003 hurricane, 200 hp yamaha 4 stroke. he complains about the payments sometimes... but EVERY time i have seen him in it he is so happy he forgets about it all. and his kids and wife love it as well. and he tells me not to wait until i am 40 to get one that i want. so i took his advise and got one for 1200. ran it for a year and it blew...but i got a 97 115 rude rebuilt with a 1 yr warr. for 2300. couldn't be happier...unless i was in it right now <br /><br />geaz

 

[sergioy]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

in early 2003 I bought the only boat I could afford, 1965 Mark Twain for $600. Three months later I sold that boat for $800 and purchased a newer Mark Twain for $600. Two months later I parted out that Mark Twain on eBay for approximately $2200. And Purchased the Mark Twain I have now, which cost $1500. Its no hot rod, but last year alone me and my kids put over 200 hours on the water; skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, fishing, or listening to music while just relaxing.<br /><br />All this while still keeping the kids in soccer, dance, track and field, football and whatever other after school activities showed up. with a family of eight (yes 8) we cannot afford to make payments on a boat, but we sure can enjoy the heck out of a boat.<br /><br />Sounds like you've got the right idea about your kids. Now figure out that whole boating thing, whatever it may be (used boat, cheaper boat, rent a boat). <br /><br />I was even unemployed for one year in the short amount of time i've had my boat, but since it was such a cheap boat, it has never been any kind of financial burden to my family (cheap fun). I can now afford alot more boat, but choose to stick with the one I have. Cause if things get tough again, the boat will not be an issue.

 

[jddenham]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

Good Reading !!

 

[dcg9381]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

Like any toy, I give up a fair amount of time to maintaining it.
I give up a decent amount of blood to learning to maintain it... But it helps keep me flexible by forcing me to get into places where normal sized humans were not made to operate.

I'm lucky - I intentionally moved to a water-centric community without an HOA. I have enough income to not really let the $200 per fill up gas bill cause other problems.

 

[oops!]

Re: What do you give up to own a boat?

OLD THREAD

but still.....as said...good reading