New to performance boats
 

Hello! I've been boating my whole life (starting at 6 weeks old on my parents' sailboat) but I'm new to performance power boats and I have a bunch of questions.

I like sailing, but I enjoy going fast even more, so I'm thinking about getting a performance boat.

I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, are there many performance boaters here? It seems like most of you stick to lakes. Is there a good reason for that, or are conditions in the SF Bay good too?

I understand these boats dislike being left in the water, especially salt water. I don't have a truck suitable for trailering a boat and would rather not get one. I also don't have a driveway or yard or anywhere to put a boat. Do many marinas have lifts, or allow you to use something like a HydroLift?

I'd like a boat that ~6 people can go out on for a day trip. Ideally 2 could sleep on it for the occasional overnight, but it doesn't need to be super comfortable. I'm thinking 30-35ish feet?

Budget is a soft $100,000. I could do more or less but don't want to drop a ton of money on my first boat. Something upgradable is a plus.

What should I be looking at?

Where are the best places to find used boats (especially in nor cal)?

Thanks!

Just start by checking with your local harbors about the boat lifts. In the OSO classifieds here, you can find some great deals right now on alot of great quality boats and to start narrowing down what you are looking for. I wouldn't limit yourself to looking locally either, you might be better off buying a boat from one of the larger dealers and having it shipped.

www.pier57.com

www.performanceboatschool.com - I would take one of his classes and/or consult him before purchasing

If I had 100k I'd buy a 80k boat and a 20k truck. In my opinion unless you are in the perfect situation and are willing and able($) to be at the mercy of a marina it is very hard to own a go- fast without a truck.

No - you can't leave go-fasts in salt water and if you paint the bottom you will own it forever.

Look for marinas that have inside boatel rack storage. They take off/on the rack with a forklift. You don't want to keep it outside. If your running with 6 people and want to handle some rougher water, look at 38' boats.

1. Get away from this website
2. Save your money and ride on friends boats.
3. Take up a different hobby, like collecting high end sports cars, its cheaper

Just a lil advice...:) Hahaha.....:lolhit:

Thats funny.

TLR: Southern California has a lot of performance boaters. SF bay is cold even in August and with fog unpredictable. There may be marinas by you that lift boats, I don't know. A trip to Sausolito might be fun on a boat but you WILL want a trailer. I know license fees in California are high.

For 80 k you can find a nice performance boat 30 ft + and you need a 3/4 ton truck to pulll it.

Good luck and welcome to OSO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wannabe

Not to mention halfway true......

Don't shy away from looking in the Midwest for a Boat. Give www.performanceboatcenter.com a look too. They have lots of nice fresh water boats that fit your bill.

I would not go smaller than 32' especially if you have a $100k budget. Lots of options: Baja, Formula, Fountain, Sunsation, Older reconditioned Cigarettes, Powerquest, Sonic, Hustler, etc. A good boat to "test your interest in performance boating" would be a 33' Baja Outlaw w/496 Mags or HO's. You won't break the bank as the boat is much less than your budget, boat handles well, is insurable being a non-performance boat owner, reliable package, can see if you like performance boating, if not, the 33' outlaw has pretty good resale so losses may be minimal.

First make sure you factor in a tow vehicle. For me I didnt want to buy an extra two vehicle, so my everday vehicle is my tow vehicle. But factor in that anything above 9-10k lbs will need a diesel 3/4 to get the job done.

Second off performance boating is seperate from regular boating to be honest it cost more and the boats are a little more unpractical than your average boat. Personally I would buy something half your budget and see if you like it, keep it a year than move up.

Before you do anything, go here:

http://bigcatpokerrun.com/

The Big cat Poker Run out of Discovery bay. There will be a ton of boats there and you can check them out and talk to owners.

Also can check out here for Nor Cal boaters (hope it's okay to post link?):

http://www.performanceboats.com/norcal/

While you won't see a ton of performance boaters in the bay you will on the Delta. Lot's of guys run out into the bay so you could run up the river with no problem.

I don't know if you live in SF or not but you may want to check on marinas in Richmond, Martinez or Benicia. You would have to drive some to get to them but they might be way cheaper than marinas in the bay.

I agree with what was said about budget, buy a $70K - $80K boat and use the rest for a truck. Also factor in marina storage if you don't have room at your house. I know people who have stored their boats on the trailer at RV storage yards.

The other reason for a truck is to go to other events. Once you get into it you will want to tow to events like Desert Storm, Big Cat, SCOPE in So Cal and Tahoe.

Keep posting here and locals will jump in for more advice (I used to live up there).

Good luck and happy hunting!

Welcome to OSO, as you can see you will have many knowledgeable members who are willing to help you out here.

Keep in mind the cheapest part about boating is buying the boat. One may be able to afford a 100k boat but the 500-1000 if not more every spring to get ready, 400-$1000 gas fill ups, launch fees, decreased milage towing, repairs, etc. All things to keep in mind.

I factor in 1-2 grand incidentals every year thats things like new life jackets, getting a new stereo, new trailer tires etc. I have about a 2 grand fuel allowance per year which is probably moddest to a lot of people. But here in NY we basically have 12 weekends, 2 grand gives me 4-5 tanks a tank last two weekends so it covers me for the summer. I know there are guys out there that dump 5-1000 bucks a week in fuel. But I love it and dont let it scare you away it is manageable if you for one have money to piss or like most of us budget, do repairs on our own. Good luck. Like I said earlier and others have said start smaller and cheaper. You buy that that 100k boat this year and doesnt work out youll be selling it next year for 80

I live in San Francisco and keep my boat at work in Alameda. 14 miles door to for me. I do keep mine on the trailer inside the warehouse as I mostly go to Berryessa and other local lakes. The current boat is 28' and will handle the bay with ease. However, we're just into warmer climates so we tend to stick with the lakes. I may drop it in the bay this year once or twice.

Storage: My last boat used to be stored at Mariner Square Dry Stack in Alameda. $10 per foot, indoors in a new facility (8 years ago), on a rack. They use a Marina Bull forklift to drop the boat in the water for you. Great service and people. Call and ask for Savio when you're ready. Tell him Marcel sent you.

http://www.marinersquaremarina.com/drystack.html

Here's my old boat, first customer, before they opened officially:
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3854/profile010.jpg

a couple of great starter boats would be Donzi 28 ZX, Formula 292, and a few others in that size range. you get twin small blocks, modern hull, fun ride, big enough to get out but small enough to not be overwhelming. They also get decent fuel mileage (for a boat) so you won't get totally killed by CA gas prices.

They will come in well under 100k and you can spend the rest on using it.

Maintaining a performance boat Vs. Sail boat are just different so I wouldn't suggest going all in budget wise until you try it out. Generally people's first performance boat is a screw up boat unless you grew up around them. I have seen a lot of guys buy brand new performance boats as their 'first'... trash it in the first 3 years while they figure out what is going on... then they trade it for something else and manage to maintain the second one properly because they made all the mistakes the first time around.

agreed 27 fountain in that last. I would really go 25-27 feet.

Here's a good starter boat that's local:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/boa/2964126538.html

This one has been for sale for years. I'd make an offer on it. Can't beat the quality of a Hallett. With these motors, however, you may want some good instruction on operation.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/boa/2941650791.html

Thanks for all of the responses. My parents' boat had a plack on it that said "A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into," so I'm well aware the costs don't end with the boat purchase :)

The main dealbreaker at this point might be owning a truck to haul it around. I really don't want to own second vehicle since I'd have to find somewhere to park it.

Mariner Square Dry Stack looks perfect. Is it much of a hassle to bring it in/out or is it pretty frictionless? Do they charge you each time? What are their hours?

Would it be reasonable to rent a truck for the occasional times I need to take it places for maintenance or a trip to a lake, etc? If I really get into going to lakes I could get a truck, but for now I plan on staying in the bay/delta.

Edit: also, how much do they charge for storage of the trailer?

Other questions:

• Recommendations for performance boating instructors in the bay area?
• Do you recommend having a marine surveyor take a look at the boat before purchasing? Any recommendations in bay area?
• I'm a sucker for solid dark colored (navy/black) boats. Can you paint these boats, and if so what would it typically cost?

It's pretty easy in/out on the water side end of the deal. Getting to their parking lot with a trailer is just a tad tight as you have to go through an adjacent parking lot full of cars. You get used to it.

Their fee includes unlimited launches. Hours I believe are 8-5 daily, however, we used to simply tie it off at the dock and let them take it inside and wash it the next morning. Same idea when it was on the trailer - we would simply park it in the lot and they would take inside in the AM. Trailer storage was nominal as they usually store them up top and rarely have to bring them down.

Instructors would be hard to come by in these parts. I know that Tres Martin held a class here but that was years ago. Depending on what you purchase and if you're keeping it in Alameda, I'd be happy to go over the basics with you. I'm messing around with my boat half the day anyhow.

Marine Surveyor is a must if you're not familiar with the boat. With that said, a sea trial will tell you the rest.

Depending on the builder, it's either paint or gelcoat. Sure you can change it up, but it does get spendy.

Oh yea, don't sweat the "hole in the water", thing. Your ready to step up to the next level, B.O.A.T. Break Out Another Thousand.
Next is "two-foot-itis", as you keep selling and buying boats two feet bigger each time. :lolhit:


Absolutely, surveyor! If your not very well familiar with power boats a survey can make or break a deal to keep you with no buyers remorse.

I dream of running on the Delta some day.

Happy Boating to you.

How fast do you estimate the first one's top speed is?

I hear it's difficult for first time owners of performance boats to get reasonably priced insurance for boats over a certain top speed?

I figure if I really get into it it would be easy enough to trade up for something better.

if you are going to rack store your boat,you may want to try and look at a 33 donzi zx its bigger than some of the suggestions here,but its a great boat with an awsome cabin,with lots of room,enclosed head.i have ssen quite a few lately in your price range,and if you find a daytona edition,they are pretty tricked out with perfomance goodies.the boat can handle big water and i feel that the boat has excellent quality.it wont leave you feeling that you want a bigger boat and the boat has pretty good performance.i sold them for a couple years and had pretty good luck with them.any how just a suggestion.i wish you the best of luck there is lots to choose from,im sure lots of people would love to have a 100k budget to get a new boat,i know i would.have fun!jamie

Oh my other question is what kind of mileage can I expect out of these boats? I know it varies a lot, but in general for a ~30ft performance boat, roughly what can I expect to burn for a day on the water cruising around or running at top speeds? MPG, GPH, whatever.

most of these boats seem to be in 60-80GPH rate at WOT. As far mpg thats kind of a math equation if you have a boat doing 75 and get 60GPH thats 1.25 miles per gallon. But Under normal operating I think you will see 4-8mpg. I have twins and dont go on long stretches, usually tool around for 30min-45mins park for the day then tool around coming back and that will last me 2-3 weekends on 110 gallon tank.

For the Sleekcraft 30, you're looking at mid to high 60's top speed. It's plenty for a first boat, easy enough to learn on, single engine operation, good stock motor, and easy trailering if you decide to.