Used Boats are getting cheaper........

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Sounds like a lot of fun. The issue here is that water where I could use one like that is 2 hours away so it's not really practical. The river is 20 minutes, but too shallow most days for anything much over 14 feet. With last year's drought even kayaks were running aground some places.

I have 10 lakes within 30 minutes of me, and Lake Michigan is about 30 minutes away from me. I spent hundreds of hours fishing on Lake Michigan in all kinds of weather, from calm to 6-7 foot whitecaps, and I know the virtues of a deep V designed hull.

Also, I want to go on Lake Winnebago sometimes, it's a shallow lake that can go from calm to 5 footers in a half hour.........

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude I'm looking at 17-19 foot Deep V, with a motor between 115 and 150hp, with room for four. I would love to find a used Lund around, but they carry a premium price new and have high resale. Almuacraft and Lowe also make nice ones. I want one I can take on inland lakes, trailer, but also big enough to go on Lake Michigan on a calm day. I don't want a 25-28 foot beast that is tough to trailer............

I think you'll be on inland lakes almost exclusively. I've been a boater for over 30 years, last 15 on Lake Mich, near Chicago. A Deep V will help some, but a 17-19 foot boat is just too small for open water on Lake Mich most of the season. On sunny calm days, mostly very hot in July & Aug you'll be able to go out a lot - whether you want to or not especially midday may be another matter (due to heat, flies and no breeze). Unless you're ER in which case your schedule is more flexible - May, June, Sept, Oct you'll spend many days on land wishing you could go out like the "25-28 foot beasts." I am not a big fisherman, but I think the fishing is often best early in the season when the weather is variable and can be far too rough for a 17-19 footer. Best of luck whatever you decide, it is a buyers market right now (although Apr-May it will be harder to deal) for new or used...

[Marquette]

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Originally Posted by yakers May add a kayak to our current fleet of three. Just misses great sale on a used one@$500.

Man, you're making me miss my kayak.... didn't get up to big lakes enough so we sold it.

Perception Eclipse touring kayak... gobs of storage and tracked so smoothly.

[Texarkandy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude So, since DW gave me the "go-ahead" to buy a fishing boat, I have been looking around a little. I found a couple that look intriguing, and went to see them. The most interesting thing about them was NOT the boats, but WHY the owners were selling them...........and it was their ARM adjusting, and needing to save money. So the folks that bought homes they couldn't afford also bought boats they couldn't afford......... Just proves LBYM is not a universal behavior........

I sold my 20' pontoon w/50 hp evinrude (bought new in 96) a couple years ago to pay for a bathroom addition I built on my house - I liked the pontoon (and still miss it sometimes) but it wouldn't fit in my garage (too tall) and I got tired of taking the cover on and off everytime I wanted to fool with it - I was also looking for a smaller boat that trailered easeir & with a troll motor I could take up into the thick stumps to fish

So I sold the pontoon for 10K, took the leftover money & found a sweet well cared for 1989 18' fish-n-ski w/90 hp evinrude - He was asking $3500, but I knew he needed the dough so I lowballed him for $3000 (his problem not mine) - he took it

It does 45 mph on calm water with two persons (seats 5), plenty fast enough as long as you are not a dead-serious tournament fisherman - cheap insurance, ok gas mileage, & paid for!. Haven't spent much on it ($150 for a tow-bar; $80 for four mounted rod-holders; $90 for new updated fish-finder, a few other misc) - good all-around for fishing, skiing, tubing, scuba, etc. - probably going to have to spend a couple hundred for new steering cables this year. (note: if you don't know about this, steering cables can be a major safety factor on an old boat, losing steering at 40 mph can be seriously dangerous)

Bear in mind gas mileage when contemplating engine size - it becomes a factor over a two or three day weekend. (note: your prop and how you drive the boat can significantly effect gas mileage regardless of engine size - with the right prop & driven modestly a 150 can get better mileage than a 90)

Some of the things you want to look for in a used bass/ski type boat is:
1. Always garaged/covered - look at the upholstery, amount of fade on the gel-coat, overall condition - if it doesn't look sharp you wont be proud of it (& likely neither was the previous owner)
2. Query the current owner to ascertain if he/she "knows" boats & how to take care of them, maintenance, etc
3. Inspect bottom thoroughly for damage (a little scuffing on the center of the keel caused by the boat having been beached in shallow water, while not desirable, is ok, and can be covered over with an after-market keel-protector) gouges & cracks in the bottom gel-coat are Not OK.
4. Check the transom for weakness and/or cracks - there should be none
5. Ideally you'll want to find a motor with low hours - moderate hours can be ok too though - check compression on all cylinders if possible - they should be within 10% of each other - (it's probably more important that the compression is relatively even - than how far below specs it is)
6. Always lake test the boat before you buy - if there are any mechanical/electrical or starting problems on the lake test you probably want to shy away - indicates to me the owner did not care enough about the boat to keep maintenance/operability up to snuff

Keep looking and have a little patience till you find one you feel good about buying - there's always great used boats coming on the market at good prices -

personally, I will never buy a "new" boat again, they depreciate too fast the first three years

and, as I always like to say:
Any boat is better than No boat (but that's just me)

[Texarkandy]

A couple more pieces of advice - boats need to be kept inside or under cover (preferably inside) - it will protect it & you can do maintenance at your leisure - boats deteriorate fast if left out in the weather - so clear a space in your garage or, if getting a pontoon plan to build a tall shed.

Learn to do all of your routine maintenance & most repairs yourself (maybe with the exception of the powerhead, hydraulics, & electronics - you should be able to basic electrical yourself) - boat mechanic shop are outrageous - most of it is easily doable yourself - do a little research on the internet, lots of DIY forums & advice columns out there on boat maintenance/repair

When looking at used boats - watch out for the hydraulic tilt/trim units on the motors - make sure they are functioning & strong - these are extremely expensive to replace & dicey to repair (I have a friend had to put a new one on a $2500 boat he bought - it cost $1100 !!! )

[FinallyRetired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Inflatable kayaks...

Best toy I ever bought ... a 17 foot Innova Solar inflatable kayak, good for lakes and ocean kayaking near shore. I've used that 4-5 times more than any boat I've ever owned. I paid around $700 for it about 5-6 years ago, and the Solar is no longer made, but wonder if those prices have come down. It was made in Checkoslovakia (is that still a country?), so maybe the dollar being down has kept the price up.

[JPatrick]

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Originally Posted by Texarkandy A couple more pieces of advice - boats need to be kept inside or under cover (preferably inside) - it will protect it & you can do maintenance at your leisure - boats deteriorate fast if left out in the weather - so clear a space in your garage or, if getting a pontoon plan to build a tall shed. Learn to do all of your routine maintenance & most repairs yourself (maybe with the exception of the powerhead, hydraulics, & electronics - you should be able to basic electrical yourself) - boat mechanic shop are outrageous - most of it is easily doable yourself - do a little research on the internet, lots of DIY forums & advice columns out there on boat maintenance/repair When looking at used boats - watch out for the hydraulic tilt/trim units on the motors - make sure they are functioning & strong - these are extremely expensive to replace & dicey to repair (I have a friend had to put a new one on a $2500 boat he bought - it cost $1100 !!! )

What would you consider to be moderate hours on the motor? Unfortunately I find many used boats where no hour gauge exists and the owner is guessing.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack A Deep V will help some, but a 17-19 foot boat is just too small for open water on Lake Mich most of the season. On sunny calm days, mostly very hot in July & Aug you'll be able to go out a lot - whether you want to or not especially midday may be another matter (due to heat, flies and no breeze). Unless you're ER in which case your schedule is more flexible - May, June, Sept, Oct you'll spend many days on land wishing you could go out like the "25-28 foot beasts." I am not a big fisherman, but I think the fishing is often best early in the season when the weather is variable and can be far too rough for a 17-19 footer. Best of luck whatever you decide, it is a buyers market right now (although Apr-May it will be harder to deal) for new or used...

I spent a TON of "quality time" on Lake Michigan in my youth, so I have a lot of respect on the Big Pond. In addition, my dad and I rescued several boaters that decided and oversized duck skiff was the perfect boat to go out 3 miles in.............

I live halfway between Port Washington and Milwaukee, about 30 minutes from Lake Michigan. On a nice summer day, you can stay inside the breakwater, and almost ANY boat is fine. Going outside the breakwater, I am not going to do that unless the waves are calm to 2 feet.

My friend has a 21 foot cuddy cabin with a 300HP inboard. We're going out on it this summer, it may not be huge but it can handle normal conditions in the Big Pond.

My dad's first boat was a 20 foot WOOD Thompson. We were out in heavy seas several times,and that boat handled it well.

[Texarkandy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPatrick What would you consider to be moderate hours on the motor? Unfortunately I find many used boats where no hour gauge exists and the owner is guessing.

That is unfortunately the case with many boats - about all you can do there is rely on your assessment of the owner & what he/she is telling you & then if you get more serious about buying the boat - do the aforementioned compression checks if you can

When I first looked at the boat, liked it, felt good about it, & felt postive about being able to negotiate price - I scheduled with the guy to go out to the lake the next weekend for a lake test - before I left, i wrote down all the info on the motor - then went home & researched on the internet to get the cylinder compression #'s for that particular motor

I then contacted a local auto repair guy & asked him if I could bring a boat by Sat afternoon if he would do a compression check for me. (I've not done compression checks myself before, but I'm told it's not that hard if you have a guage)

I met the guy at the lake on Sat, drove the boat around a bit - everything seemed good - then stopped by the mechanics shop on the way back & he checked the compression on each cylinder - they were a little bit below factory specs, but all within 10% of each other.

[TargaDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude I'm looking at 17-19 foot Deep V, with a motor between 115 and 150hp, with room for four. I would love to find a used Lund around, but they carry a premium price new and have high resale. Almuacraft and Lowe also make nice ones. I want one I can take on inland lakes, trailer, but also big enough to go on Lake Michigan on a calm day. I don't want a 25-28 foot beast that is tough to trailer............

1998 21' Carolina Skiff "Sea Chaser roll gunnel" with a 120 Nissan (actually 140 with restricter removed but don't tell). No frills, direct injection gas sipping 2 stroke, no wood, hard chines, reasonably high gunnel and transom, deepish keel right to the stern for decent "bay level" rough water handling, less than 2,000# fully rigged. Found on internet. Paid $7,500, including galvanized trailer but excluding moody blond teenager. No issues at all in the last 4 years (with the boat, not the teenager).

Dude, Good luck in your search

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargaDave 1998 21' Carolina Skiff "Sea Chaser roll gunnel" with a 120 Nissan (actually 140 with restricter removed but don't tell). No frills, direct injection gas sipping 2 stroke, no wood, hard chines, reasonably high gunnel and transom, deepish keel right to the stern for decent "bay level" rough water handling, less than 2,000# fully rigged. Found on internet. Paid $7,500, including galvanized trailer but excluding moody blond teenager. No issues at all in the last 4 years (of the boat, not the teenager). Dude, Good luck in your search

Looks sweet.......the BOAT I mean! Reminds me of a Boston Whaler............

I'll bet she handles rough seas well........

I found a 2025 Lund Pro Angler out there, but it's a 98 and the guy thinks it's a 2005............

[HFWR]

If the boat is rockin'...

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude Looks sweet.......the BOAT I mean!

What boat? I didn't notice one.....