FeverMike

It seems to me that with the economy, fuel prices, storage prices, maintanance cost, bad business in the marine industry with dealers/service centers and boat insurance that the 22-29 foot performance boat market has been hit the worse. The people that can afford the big 38+ foot performance boats still have money or that they are so into boating and have been boating for so long they give up other things to continue to boat with big 38'+ performance boats. The prices of the single engine performance boats have really gone up and the newer 20-30 something group of people do not seem as interested in performance boating or that they have decided that they do not want to afford the price that comes with this hobby.
A hobby/sport I see that has grown in the last few years by leaps and bounds is the race track (driver education) car and motorcycle events. A guy can take his new or older Mustang, Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, Mazada RX8, Miata or their hopped up Honda with a fart can muffler to the local race track and for $150-250 they can get instruction all day on how to drive the track. This what I have been doing and It is some of the most fun, safest performance fun I have ever had.

The famous Sebring Raceway is my local track and they just about have the track booked every weekend for these types of events through a lot of different various clubs in and around Florida. 2 weekends ago my Porsche Club held a event at Sebring and there were 119 cars registered for the track driving event. For 2007 Sebring is so busy with these events my Porsche club is having a hard time booking our track day events at Sebring.

I have spoke with a few of the guys that do these driving events about boat racing, poker runs and just general performance boating. They all just about have a story or bad taste in there mouth with performance boats and/or racing. Tracking their Porsche is just as fun or more fun, less dangerous, less pain to the body plus less expensive and most of all they have said less of a hassle than dealing with a performance boat.

I guess you could say I am one of them or are turning into one of them. I have gone from performance boating, to offshore racing, to being heavily involved in offshore racing as a inspector, to center consoles and fishing a little (due to less hassle with performance equipment and dealer service) to only being on my boat 1 time since September 1st.

Too Old

Boating has changed a lot since I was a kid.
Size of the boats
Tow Vehicle requirements
Cost of the boats
Insurance run amok
Speed limits
Noise laws
Loss of Marinas/Dry Storage

But still, there's nothing like idling away fron the dock in anticipation of a day on the water. I don't anticipate anything taking that away from me.

ACTIVESHACK

Very true words indeed Fred!!!

Moses

Im new to performance boating and it is a bit expensive. I see what you mean about the track days. I'm in Vegas and we have them every month. I race Super Bikes and it is a blast. Some of the most fun you can have. But 8 of my closest friends don't all share the same hobby nor my wife and kids. So I guess going to the Lake and hanging out with the ones closest to you make it worth it. Plus there are no naked woman hanging out on track days and that sucks!!!!!!!!!

Cash Bar

I spent years building and riding custom bikes(Harleys) and always enjoyed it. I had lots of friends that I rode with, even my parents. It was great,but slowly it evolved to me riding alone often.

All my friends that bought when the bike market took off slowly found other interest and dropped out of sight. It became just riding for solitude and "me" time.

When I bought my Fountain in '03, it was because a friend had taken me for a blast around Lake Lanier and we spent the day running Taxi service for a few houseboats loaded with girls.....

I was hooked. I also realized that if I had a boat I would not be riding alone very often, in fact I could usually bring MORE than 1 girl along.....

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

How many of them AREN'T you dating anymore?

kickin32

Very true fred, Nothing beats a day on the water

Cash Bar

None of those 3.......11 years in Atlanta and I had used 'em all up.......

Gotta think like a boxer.........STICK AND MOVE........

Downtown42

Just make sure that Stick don't rot and break off

GLH

In fewer words....

Cones keep us out there...

Just like Cashbar shows us....