I'm thinking about buying a boat.
It will have a semi-permanent home on Lake Erie.

I'm looking at 25-35 footers, under $15000.

Anyone have boat knowledge they'd like to share ?

Anyone want to share pics or stories about their boat or boating ?

I'm a boat-noobie, lay it on me.

The only thing I know about boats is I've heard the maintenence can end up being expensive and that they take a lot of upkeep with regular use. That said I'd love to have a boat if I had the extra cash.

(07-16-2016, 11:08 PM)treee Wrote: The only thing I know about boats is I've heard the maintenence can end up being expensive and that they take a lot of upkeep with regular use. That said I'd love to have a boat if I had the extra cash.

That's what I'm hearing, too.
I'm considering letting my nephew use it, if he agrees on taking care of the upkeep.

Oh, Mods !!
Please fix my typo in the thread title, if you would please ?

(07-16-2016, 11:22 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Oh, Mods !!
Please fix my typo in the thread title, if you would please ?

You can do that yourself. 

As to the OP: Get a pontoon. 

The two best days in a boat owners life are:
1. the day they buy a boat
2. when they sell that boat
All kidding aside, you need lots of free time to get pleasurable use from the boat,money,-every thing is expensive associated with boating-fuel,maintenance,docking fees,repair,taxes.
Good Luck

(07-17-2016, 03:26 AM)bfine32 Wrote: You can do that yourself. 

As to the OP: Get a pontoon. 

Well...darn.
The title didn't show the last time I tried to edit.
I was tired though, so I might have missed it.
Thanks to whoever took care of it for me.

Pontoons don't seem to fair all that well, on Lake Erie.
I also want a cabin to sleep in.
I plan on docking at Put in Bay, many weekends.

(07-17-2016, 04:50 AM)Sabretooth Wrote: The two best days in a boat owners life are:
1. the day they buy a boat
2. when they sell that boat
All kidding aside, you need lots of free time to get pleasurable use from the boat,money,-every thing is expensive associated with boating-fuel,maintenance,docking fees,repair,taxes.
Good Luck

I plan on swinging a deal with some relatives that live near the lake (I live 2 hours away) to have them take care of the upkeep and docking fees, for use of the boat.
They are seasoned boatmen (laid gill-nets, ect..) who know waaaay more than I do about boats.

Anyone know what insurance rates are like ?

(07-17-2016, 04:50 AM)Sabretooth Wrote: The two best days in a boat owners life are:
1. the day they buy a boat
2. when they sell that boat
All kidding aside, you need lots of free time to get pleasurable use from the boat,money,-every thing is expensive associated with boating-fuel,maintenance,docking fees,repair,taxes.
Good Luck

To follow that up, it's always better to know someone who owns a boat then to own a boat.


At to the OP, my father had a 29 foot Bayliner then upgraded to a 32 foot Bayliner with twin Volvos.  Both were nice, but I cannot tell you much more about them as they were not my thing.  As he passed some time ago, I cannot get you anymore information about them.  He would live at home during the week, but live at the marina on the weekend.

As has already been stated, prepare to have your free time dedicated to the boat or you will not get your money's worth.

One tip I can definitely give, if you won't be trailering the boat, iis to get yourself some large gas cans that can be easily managed to get in and out of your vehicle, as well as a dolly to transport them around at the marina.  Gas on the water is quite expensive, and this way you can purchase fuel at a reasonable price.  Because of the sheer quantities involved, it is a big savings. You may not be able to transport enough to fill it up on a single trip, but what you can save there can go towards other expenses.

I once worked as a security guard at the Mastercraft boat factory in Knoxville.

I don't know much about boats, but I don't think they make anything like what you want. They make mostly ski boats, and anything with a cabin is way expensive.

I would think that you could find exactly what you are looking for, in your price range. Just might not be as new of a boat as you may have in mind. How are your mechanical skills? Because anyone that I have ever known that kept a boat in good working order, was also a pretty good shade tree mechanic.

(07-17-2016, 07:55 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: Well...darn.
The title didn't show the last time I tried to edit.
I was tired though, so I might have missed it.
Thanks to whoever took care of it for me.

The funny thing is that I thought you meant for the title to Boast. "I got land on Lake Erie and I got 20 grand to spend on a boat." 

As the owner of several runabouts in his day, my neighbor says the word boat is not actually a word, but an acronym.  B.O.A.T.= Break Out Another Thousand.

Boats and Hoes!

So in your price range, for that length, your going to be looking at an older boat with a lot of hours on it. I'd assume you'd be somewhere around a 25 year old boat, so understand you'll have a decent amount of things breaking on it as you go. You may be able to get a slightly newer one in that range (maybe 5 years newer), but without a trailer already docked up there.

Motorboating is fun! But be safe and always wear a helmet.

(07-18-2016, 09:56 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote:

was more a fan of boats and hoes

(07-17-2016, 04:47 PM)bfine32 Wrote: The funny thing is that I thought you meant for the title to Boast. "I got land on Lake Erie and I got 20 grand to spend on a boat." 

That's exactly what I worried that the perception would be, after I'd seen my mistake.

(07-18-2016, 02:38 PM)Wyche Wrote: As the owner of several runabouts in his day, my neighbor says the word boat is not actually a word, but an acronym.  B.O.A.T.= Break Out Another Thousand.

I keep telling myself this.
I've been trying to talk myself out of it, as I am not wealthy.

(07-18-2016, 04:01 PM)Au165 Wrote: So in your price range, for that length, your going to be looking at an older boat with a lot of hours on it. I'd assume you'd be somewhere around a 25 year old boat, so understand you'll have a decent amount of things breaking on it as you go. You may be able to get a slightly newer one in that range (maybe 5 years newer), but without a trailer already docked up there.

Yep... I've been trying to cover all the angles.
I'm restricting myself to boats that have less than 1000 hours or had the engine and props replaced.

I am a decent mechanic, should it be necessary.
I've worked on mechanical, electrical, and hydraulics at an industrial level.

B.O.A.T
Break Out Another Thousand

This is the truth about a boat.

Ok.... I've talked myself into waiting until next season.
I'll educate myself further and see if I can possibly catch a killer deal during the winter.

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