Get the TG it's not that much more and you are going to be way happier with it!

You already know what you want. Go for it. Don't wait on affirmation one way or another from the outside. When ya know, ya know.

I've been debt free over a decade. If I can't pay cash I don't buy it. That's just me and a philosophy that's not for everyone. A boat , in my opinion, will be a loosing proposition. I didn't buy mine thinking to make money. I will be happy to get close to breaking even when I want to sell it. Definately buy what you want. Save a little more money so in a pinch your boat doesn't become a financial burden. Good luck!

If you buy the right used Top Gun that is old enough that it has already depreciated a good amount, chances are you won't lose much over three years, a 90K boat that is in great shape won't drop to 50K in three years unless you trash it. Being that your house and cars are paid for I would say go for it, you can write off the interest on the loan, (boat as a second home), and there is nothing that says you can't pay the loan early. Both you and your wife have good incomes and you have no debt so figure out what you need to set aside for savings etc, and see what is left for a boat payment, maintenance, insurance, dockage, etc, etc, etc....for me it seems to be around $2000/mo for everything, but I am always buying things and making improvements that I "need" for the boat.

The boat I have now is the first one I was able to buy outright, but the first two that I financed I had many many many good times on and I would do it again without question.

You can hedge your bet, round up your buddies and others within your sphere of influence, join the present campaign, contact the campaign manager and motivate CONSERVATIVE VOTERS. Economic insight should come from those efforts. Then with the $100-200 K boat, your company sponsors your new boat. The company name (s) is somehow included in your strategy, your accountant can help with that and depreciation. Subject to California tax laws and your goals, between company sponsorship, advertising that may include others, personal tax depreciation benefits and increased company sales, the net cost of ownership may be close to or below "0"

I had a 2000 TG/TS that I sold about 4 years ago. To me it was a big investment & expense. Maintenance & insurance was a killer on it. While I owned it I bought what I called a back up boat 35k.

My Cig spent more time At TnT, leaky CMI headers & reversion took out 4 engines. Not to mention Bravo XR drives that blew constantly 4 to be exact. I did run the boat hard all the time. Probably dropped 40K plus on it.

When I sold it I got back what I initially paid for it.
If I kept it and tried to sell it now it's worth probably 50k plus less in this market.

Bottom line is how much $ are you willing to loose. If fuel goes thru the roof & I have to park my boat for a while it's 35k sitting not 150k. Plus insurance here in FL is a killer.

You cant loose 50k on a 35k boat like I would have if I kept my Cigarette & tryed to sell it today.

I can still go out in big water & have the same amount of fun in my back up boat, plus it just keeps on ticking.

My point is, the boat can be a tool or a hobby, prudently both. Lucky Strike had a bad experience with his Cig, but learned about components and specs. The market has changed, but not totally collapsed. Subject to using the boat as a tool, the canoe version won't offer the same business potential as the Queen Mary. Granted, there are more budget buyers than higher end buyers. However, perception often creates more competitive high end purchases and other opportunities. Budget shoppers mostly go only to the bargain counter.

Steve, your boat is still on my short list. Got the okay from the wife on it but she would still prefer a Gun or Cafe Racer (size does matter to chicks!). She also would like a cabin. We don't really stay on the boat but it is nice to have a place to duck into once in a while.

If i go the conservative spending route yours is my first choice.

AL. All it will take is one ride !

If you work hard, you should be able to enjoy yourself. Does any boat make sense?Of course not. You can't keep every dollar you make and you can't take it with you. You should follow your heart and buy what makes you happy. You can always make more money and you only have one life, so enjoy it!