Wife got bit by the boat bug...

[excelagator]

I grew-up around boats in Florida. Now I live beside Lake Superior and we bought a 12.5 Sea Eagle inflatable (Zodiac-type) with a 25 HP Merc. I really enjoy taking my kids out for the day and has helped to get my sea-legs back. Eventually down the road We will get a sailboat.

Personally, some here have $$$ snowmobiles and ATVs. It all depends what you want.

Dan

 

[schmism]

ive alwasys heard a boat is a hole in the water in which you toss money.

 

[thatguy]

ive alwasys heard a boat is a hole in the water in which you toss money.

And it looks like sometime in the future I will be standing over that hole with an open wallet waving bye-bye...

Good thing my wife makes good money - otherwise I couldnt afford her.. LOL

brian

 

[patrick_g]

My wife has many fond memories of boating/water skiing in Florida, Alabama, and a little in SOCAL. She hasn't been agitating for a ski boat but warmed to the topic on the weekend of the 4th when we went for a drive past a ski lake near my cousin's house (near Lawton, OK). I like fast on the water, on land, or in the air but at todays prices.... like wow! Of course if I came home one day with a ski capable boat on a trailer behind me she wouldn't complain too much for too long but... the down side is that she hasn't skied for decades and memories don't fade as fast as athletic ability.

It has been nearly 10 years since she has windsurfed and that was a challenge for her then do to upper body strength requirements. Hmmm, maybe a Beverly Hills Granny rocking chair on skis!!! (note, she doesn't visit here) She does make favorable comments about some of the pontoon boats we see so I know if I encouraged that thinking we would have one no sweat but... I have so darned many projects going, waiting to get going, envisioned, plus hobbies waiting my return to participation I just can't justify buying a nice pontoon boat and trailer just to sit unused (after the first few outings.) I had more free time before I retired!!!1

We have boated before as we lived on a sailboat for 9 years and we were both in the USCG AUX for 10 years. She was a qualified navigator, communicator, and crewman towmaster on coastal SAR missions.. She was much more immune to mal de mare than I. It took a few years after moving back on to the land before I could go a week without hallucinating that the bed was moving a little like our boat had at the dock.

Pat

 

[SCDolphin]

See if there is a local USPS United States Power Squadron the the area. Take a boating class and see what other members have. I have 30 foot twin engine Cruisers Inc but really love to have a 17 jon boat to knock around in the rivers here in SC. Pontoons are great too.......the TriToon is king in SC Lake Murray
Boats are a hole in the water but so is every thing else that is fun. We have taken many ICW trips and trailered to the Fl Keys....lots of prep work but would not change the experience for the world.

Good luck

 

[Reg]

If your wife grew up playing with "Fish & Ski" boats that MIGHT BE what she has a yearning for. If you have kids the chances are they'll want to "tube" (as a verb). If your wife wants to ski there are a lot of questions you'll have to answer to get to the right choice. For any sort of SERIOUS skiing or barefooting think 250 HP, preferably 300 or more inboard {yes, basically a V8 truck engine}.
If you have kids and/or would like to learn/teach get a "boom" {goes out to the side so beginners can ski beside the boat - no wake and it is a solid bar to hold onto vs a wiggle handle on a 75 ft rope}.

If you want to carry kegs around for booze croozes - pontoon boat.
If you buy used keep a couple of $K in reserve just in case you do buy someone else's problems. If you don't use it by the second season it will be time to start dipping into it for maintenance by then anyway.

One OTHER thing about I/Os - sure, they can run in shallower water than an inboard, but only IF the prop is actually up. With the prop up they steer and maneuver no better than an inboard anyway.

 

[SCDolphin]

Boat picturs from SC

 

[thatguy]

Boat picturs from SC

DO YOU MEAN - Boats = Babe magnet??... Im outa here right after breakfast heading to the boat dealer (Wonder if I get to pick the hair color?) LOL

Thanks for all the suggestions... I am sorta leaning toward a pontoon for all around versitility (tubing/fishing/crusing etc - no skiing).. Also as our parents get older (the wifes parents are mobily challenged now) getting in/out of a pontoon would be easier i think

After a few rental session we will refine our needs and see what we end up wanting..

Opinions/thoughts - Used = money savings New = warranty - Based on hearing a boat is a money pit, does that change your view of new vs used?

thanks

Brian

 

[Reg]

Given that you're "into tractors" I'll guess that you have at least SOME rudimentary mechanical knowledge.
If you go the pontoon route I suggest you avoid 2 stroke outboards, basically there is no longer any need to put up with their idiosyncrasies. 4-Stroke outboards have been around for 1/4 century now and are a mature technology - OK, there are 2-stroke die-hard traditionalists out there.

I've never had one, but it is my CASUAL observation that folk (around here at least) don't take as much care with covering and storing pontoon boats for the winter.
Typically the top is taken down, but the deck is left uncovered. According to what the underlying decking material is you COULD face rotted ply wood under soggy indoor/outdoor carpets. Maybe 8 sheets to redo a deck, don't ask how I know this - OK, I helped a friend redo his. QUite expensive, simple, but quite a bit of grunt work.

Warranty ? Fergettit (-:
The only time you want your boat fixed is when everyone else needs their's fixed - usually YESTERDAY ! Again, if you're "into tractors" the best thing you can do is learn to become self sufficient, starting with driveway tune-ups and oil changes. Set aside a little plastic tackle box and carry the tools on the boat that you use for maintenance. As you get into bigger repair projects, e.g. water pump replacement, make sure those tools also migrate to your on-board tool box.
DEFINITELY go used for a first boat, plan on keeping it for 2 years while you form better ideas of what you REALLY want for the longer term.
BTW, coast guard safety course is a good idea - I should probably take a refresher.

 

[patrick_g]

See if there is a local USPS United States Power Squadron the the area. Take a boating class and see what other members have.

Good suggestion but don't forget the US Coast Guard Auxiliary which also teaches classes that can qualify you for a boating insurance discount with some insurance companies. The Auxiliary also does vessel exams and awards a sticker if you pass the inspection (no law enforcement connection, if you fail on some point you don't get a ticket)

My wife and I were active in the USCG Aux for 10 years and when not doing SAR and vessel exams I taught a lot of boating classes for the public. Lots of good trailer boat info is covered too.

Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of the US Power Squadron training classess I took as a member and was a member for a few years BUT... They have a couple negatives associated with them: 1. They were (and probably still are) sexist. Women had to join the ladies aux to the USPS and had separate meetings from the men where they discussed such things as refreshments for the men's meetings.

On the other hand the US Coast Guard Aux accepts men and women on equal basis and I have served under female commanders who were as or more knowledgeable than any man I met in the US Power Squadron.

Both organizations teach good classes, open to the public (male and female together) but I am biased in favor of the USCG vs the USPS.

Pat