Boats and Motorized Floaty Things

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Huckleberry
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In terms of boats, you want a V-shaped hull. Donzis are a good go-to since they are light and powered by small blocks.
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Huckleberry wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:34 pm
Detroit wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:26 pm
So, the all day thing.

Our neighbors will go down to the dock around 5, drop the boat in the water, cruise off for an hour or 2 and come back around sunset. Doesn't seem like a huge ordeal, but what am I missing?
Are they not cleaning and covering the boat after each use? How far of a drive is it to the water?

Also, just cruising in a boat is fucking boring. If you aren't meeting up and anchoring with a group, you're doing it wrong.
Water distance varies...for us it's a 5 minute walk out of the back of our property.

Most people have covered lifts. I've noticed they tend to do cleaning/maintenance on the weekends.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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CaleDeRoo wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:09 pm
Detroit wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:47 pm
:iono: I've never really spent time on a boat.

I'd like something smallish, nimble, and quick. Something that would be fun to go out and whip around the bay and lakes, can take friends out and chill in shallow waters for the afternoon, etc.

I really like the idea of smaller jet boats, but like Eric said, disposable jet ski engines don't interest me much.

Since I can't get another fun road going vehicle, I'm somewhat hoping to find a boat that could fill that void? Might not be doable. :iono:
I think a sundeck like this Hurricane might be a good option. They have open floorplans like pontoons but a more traditional hull design for a more nimble and fun feeling boat.

Image
This would be perfect IMO.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Huckleberry
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Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
Huckleberry wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:34 pm

Are they not cleaning and covering the boat after each use? How far of a drive is it to the water?

Also, just cruising in a boat is fucking boring. If you aren't meeting up and anchoring with a group, you're doing it wrong.
Water distance varies...for us it's a 5 minute walk out of the back of our property.

Most people have covered lifts. I've noticed they tend to do cleaning/maintenance on the weekends.
That's a big thing with a boat: you have to clean it shortly after taking it out.
For my parents, it was after every trip to the bay, which was a 45 minute drive away to begin with, and then the day was wrapped up with 2-3 hours of cleaning the god damn thing when we got home. And shit still broke all the time, which was always in the middle of the water.

So, a lot of my hatred stems from those experiences. Maybe yours will be different since you don't have an hour and half of towing bookending your excursions. Personally, I have found it to be very true that he two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.
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Huckleberry wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:25 am
Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
Water distance varies...for us it's a 5 minute walk out of the back of our property.

Most people have covered lifts. I've noticed they tend to do cleaning/maintenance on the weekends.
That's a big thing with a boat: you have to clean it shortly after taking it out.
For my parents, it was after every trip to the bay, which was a 45 minute drive away to begin with, and then the day was wrapped up with 2-3 hours of cleaning the god damn thing when we got home. And shit still broke all the time, which was always in the middle of the water.

So, a lot of my hatred stems from those experiences. Maybe yours will be different since you don't have an hour and half of towing bookending your excursions. Personally, I have found it to be very true that he two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.
Your experience is the one I expect, TBH. It's my biggest hesitation. My preference would be to make friends with our neighbors this summer and see how much we'd actually use a boat (and what's required to keep it going) before buying our own.

At the same time. If I can find the right boat, I could buy it, try it, and sell it if it didn't work out for minimal loss.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Huckleberry wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:34 pm
Detroit wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:26 pm
So, the all day thing.

Our neighbors will go down to the dock around 5, drop the boat in the water, cruise off for an hour or 2 and come back around sunset. Doesn't seem like a huge ordeal, but what am I missing?
Are they not cleaning and covering the boat after each use? How far of a drive is it to the water?

Also, just cruising in a boat is fucking boring. If you aren't meeting up and anchoring with a group, you're doing it wrong.
His wife would take care of that.
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Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
Huckleberry wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:34 pm

Are they not cleaning and covering the boat after each use? How far of a drive is it to the water?

Also, just cruising in a boat is fucking boring. If you aren't meeting up and anchoring with a group, you're doing it wrong.
Water distance varies...for us it's a 5 minute walk out of the back of our property.

Most people have covered lifts. I've noticed they tend to do cleaning/maintenance on the weekends.
This is kind of a must. Gotta take the baby out of the bathwater.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
CaleDeRoo wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:09 pm

I think a sundeck like this Hurricane might be a good option. They have open floorplans like pontoons but a more traditional hull design for a more nimble and fun feeling boat.

Image
This would be perfect IMO.
My dad's friend who has 7 figures in the bank, has a hurricane that he bought 15-20 years ago and maintenance has been minimal. It's really been a great boat and I don't think I'd hesitate getting one.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2003-hu ... k-7722470/
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Desertbreh wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:26 pm
Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
Water distance varies...for us it's a 5 minute walk out of the back of our property.

Most people have covered lifts. I've noticed they tend to do cleaning/maintenance on the weekends.
This is kind of a must. Gotta take the baby out of the bathwater.
A lift is a requirement to use the slip. HOA pulls them all out with a crane for the winter and stores them off the road, so it's really no hassle. Lifts only appear to be a few grand anyway.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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CaleDeRoo wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 1:17 pm
Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
This would be perfect IMO.
My dad's friend who has 7 figures in the bank, has a hurricane that he bought 15-20 years ago and maintenance has been minimal. It's really been a great boat and I don't think I'd hesitate getting one.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2003-hu ... k-7722470/
Oh shit this looks like fun. Honestly an ideal blend of fun and party. I'm not far from Wisconsin...
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 2:39 pm
CaleDeRoo wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 1:17 pm

My dad's friend who has 7 figures in the bank, has a hurricane that he bought 15-20 years ago and maintenance has been minimal. It's really been a great boat and I don't think I'd hesitate getting one.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2003-hu ... k-7722470/
Oh shit this looks like fun. Honestly an ideal blend of fun and party. I'm not far from Wisconsin...
His 200hp outboard goes 55mph with one or two people in it. This boat might hit 55-60mph which feels like 100 on the water.
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Huckleberry wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:25 am
Detroit wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:36 am
Water distance varies...for us it's a 5 minute walk out of the back of our property.

Most people have covered lifts. I've noticed they tend to do cleaning/maintenance on the weekends.
That's a big thing with a boat: you have to clean it shortly after taking it out.
For my parents, it was after every trip to the bay, which was a 45 minute drive away to begin with, and then the day was wrapped up with 2-3 hours of cleaning the god damn thing when we got home. And shit still broke all the time, which was always in the middle of the water.

So, a lot of my hatred stems from those experiences. Maybe yours will be different since you don't have an hour and half of towing bookending your excursions. Personally, I have found it to be very true that he two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.
Owning a boat when you’re 45 minutes from the water seems like choosing skiing as a hobby as a Floridian or owning a Miata in Dallas.

I feel like if you don’t have the lifestyle to just go out on a whim on the boat it’s a :nope:

That said, your experience mirrors what I’ve always heard.

Are boat sales booming due to covid like bikes and Jeeps and everything? I bet come next winter there will be epic boat deals as many seek to find that second best day in a boat owner’s life.
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D Griff wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:19 am
Huckleberry wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:25 am

That's a big thing with a boat: you have to clean it shortly after taking it out.
For my parents, it was after every trip to the bay, which was a 45 minute drive away to begin with, and then the day was wrapped up with 2-3 hours of cleaning the god damn thing when we got home. And shit still broke all the time, which was always in the middle of the water.

So, a lot of my hatred stems from those experiences. Maybe yours will be different since you don't have an hour and half of towing bookending your excursions. Personally, I have found it to be very true that he two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.
Owning a boat when you’re 45 minutes from the water seems like choosing skiing as a hobby as a Floridian or owning a Miata in Dallas.

I feel like if you don’t have the lifestyle to just go out on a whim on the boat it’s a :nope:

That said, your experience mirrors what I’ve always heard.

Are boat sales booming due to covid like bikes and Jeeps and everything? I bet come next winter there will be epic boat deals as many seek to find that second best day in a boat owner’s life.
Boat sales here went :fullretard: this past summer. Numerous HUGE :dillerman: closed with big "sold out till winter" signs out front. Very wild. RVs were the same.

I've been saying that in a year or two if things return to some bit of normal, people will be trying to dump boats for pennies on the dollar when they discover that they haven't used them as much as they thought and they're sick of making the payment on them. Things are still :fullretard: as I've hit up a few listings on FB marketplace and keep getting I KNOW WHAT I HAVE or THIS IS WORTH DOUBLE IN THE SPRING type responses. COVID jacked the market on everything, it's probably best to just wait.

That said, I'm trying to convince the wife to sell the glamper in the spring to free up garage space and cash in on the stupidity. I don't think we're going to camp nearly as much as we used to since everyday can feel like camping here.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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D Griff wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:19 am Are boat sales booming due to covid like bikes and Jeeps and everything? I bet come next winter there will be epic boat deals as many seek to find that second best day in a boat owner’s life.
Apparently, it is very tough to get new boats right now. I was able to sell my mom's boat on Craigslist in a week, and the people bought it sight unseen in cash.
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D Griff wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:19 am
Huckleberry wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:25 am

That's a big thing with a boat: you have to clean it shortly after taking it out.
For my parents, it was after every trip to the bay, which was a 45 minute drive away to begin with, and then the day was wrapped up with 2-3 hours of cleaning the god damn thing when we got home. And shit still broke all the time, which was always in the middle of the water.

So, a lot of my hatred stems from those experiences. Maybe yours will be different since you don't have an hour and half of towing bookending your excursions. Personally, I have found it to be very true that he two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.
Owning a boat when you’re 45 minutes from the water seems like choosing skiing as a hobby as a Floridian or owning a Miata in Dallas.

I feel like if you don’t have the lifestyle to just go out on a whim on the boat it’s a :nope:

That said, your experience mirrors what I’ve always heard.

Are boat sales booming due to covid like bikes and Jeeps and everything? I bet come next winter there will be epic boat deals as many seek to find that second best day in a boat owner’s life.
Yeah buddy, there are many, many Muricans who disagree with you............and I mean by HOURS of disagreement. The stream of El Lay lifted diesel trucks, toy haulers and boats that make the four hour weekend run to the Colorado River every Friday-Sunday is staggering. Many midwest folks literally see a weekend choice between being country clubbers or lake people. If you live in a significant number of states, QUALITY water, not some shitty mudhole resevoir, is HOURS away. I don't get it either, but 45 minutes is waterfront by many people's thought process. Ha, I built a waterfront vacation home 4 hours away.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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45 min seems reasonable to me as well.
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45min drive time, wait in line at the launch for another 45min, then wait 20-30min at the launch to put the boat back on the trailer? If I'm that far from the water I'd go the route of make friends with someone who has a boat. I'd I have a slip at home like Chris I'd be more likely to own one myself. *coming from someone who grew up with a boat*
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If I didn't have a slip on lake michigan that's a 5 minute WALK from the house included with the house, I wouldn't even consider this at all.

Even then, I'm :notsure: the right deal is going to have to come up.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:21 pm If I didn't have a slip on lake michigan that's a 5 minute WALK from the house included with the house, I wouldn't even consider this at all.

Even then, I'm :notsure: the right deal is going to have to come up.
I still recommend a couple of PWCs. Can get a pair with a trailer for less than $10k.
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CaleDeRoo wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:43 pm
Detroit wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:21 pm If I didn't have a slip on lake michigan that's a 5 minute WALK from the house included with the house, I wouldn't even consider this at all.

Even then, I'm :notsure: the right deal is going to have to come up.
I still recommend a couple of PWCs. Can get a pair with a trailer for less than $10k.
Nah, the point is to go out on the bay with the wife and friends and chill with some wine over sunset. Or go out on a nice day and play for a bit then chill in a bay.

A hurricane is really ideal, I'm keeping an eye out for one.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:38 am Anyone know anything about boats and other floaty things with a motor? I have no idea, but pressure from the wife has me thinking more about them. We have a boat slip on a bay in Lake MI and I can admit that it would be cool to go out on the water in the summer. I've always viewed them as a waste of money, but a buddy mentioned that a $10k boat is almost always a $10k boat, and they're similar to maintain as a vehicle...just some extra winter storage prep required.

A fast one is probably more fun and usable than a fast car because of the vastness and relative lawlessness in big open water. Would like to seat 4 people comfortably, so nothing huge. It looks like marine engines are mostly car engines, but :iono:
Maybe reach out to Eric, I can give you his email.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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D Griff wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:19 am Owning a boat when you’re 45 minutes from the water seems like choosing skiing as a hobby as a Floridian or owning a Miata in Dallas.
You've described 90% of Baton Rouge boat owners.

Granted, most have bass boats and the good spots are down on the bayou.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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Desertbreh wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:15 am
D Griff wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:19 am

Owning a boat when you’re 45 minutes from the water seems like choosing skiing as a hobby as a Floridian or owning a Miata in Dallas.

I feel like if you don’t have the lifestyle to just go out on a whim on the boat it’s a :nope:

That said, your experience mirrors what I’ve always heard.

Are boat sales booming due to covid like bikes and Jeeps and everything? I bet come next winter there will be epic boat deals as many seek to find that second best day in a boat owner’s life.
Yeah buddy, there are many, many Muricans who disagree with you............and I mean by HOURS of disagreement. The stream of El Lay lifted diesel trucks, toy haulers and boats that make the four hour weekend run to the Colorado River every Friday-Sunday is staggering. Many midwest folks literally see a weekend choice between being country clubbers or lake people. If you live in a significant number of states, QUALITY water, not some shitty mudhole resevoir, is HOURS away. I don't get it either, but 45 minutes is waterfront by many people's thought process. Ha, I built a waterfront vacation home 4 hours away.
I get it... but this is also why I would never own a dedicated race car like spec Miata or something... I just can't see paying five figures a year, taking up a shit load of space at my house, spending hundreds of hours annually on maintenance, etc. on anything I'm not using/enjoying at least ever week.
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D Griff wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:07 am
Desertbreh wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:15 am

Yeah buddy, there are many, many Muricans who disagree with you............and I mean by HOURS of disagreement. The stream of El Lay lifted diesel trucks, toy haulers and boats that make the four hour weekend run to the Colorado River every Friday-Sunday is staggering. Many midwest folks literally see a weekend choice between being country clubbers or lake people. If you live in a significant number of states, QUALITY water, not some shitty mudhole resevoir, is HOURS away. I don't get it either, but 45 minutes is waterfront by many people's thought process. Ha, I built a waterfront vacation home 4 hours away.
I get it... but this is also why I would never own a dedicated race car like spec Miata or something... I just can't see paying five figures a year, taking up a shit load of space at my house, spending hundreds of hours annually on maintenance, etc. on anything I'm not using/enjoying at least ever week.
*Looks at the two BMW's in the garage that barely get driven*
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4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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I get the sentiment 100% doe.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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