mittens

Towing and storage is another issue. Most think I am crazy for towing a 35 everywhere. and most cant store it at home like i do at the moment. thats again another added monthly expense.

Nate5.0

Ya I tow my 35 everywhere as well. Storage is $300 a month still and an hour from the docks.

Don't want to own a home so it is a cost I have to live with.

Biff

I have been boating all of my life, bought my first boat (a 10' wooden row boat $50) in 5th grade with my brother. We mowed lawns, delivered news papers, shoveled snow to pay for our toys. I have had many boats over the years, the last being a 320 Baja bought new in 95. In 96 I got married. the boat left and was replaced with 3 horses. Been married for +18 years, have 2 daughters and now have 5 horses and 2 ponies.
Horses are as expensive as boats and require similar work.

I think it is time for me to get my toy back. All I do all weekend is fix what the 4 legged extruders break and trailer them around to shows. I have had enough. I don't know if boating can cure the Equestrian Virus but it is worth a try. Anyone have any ideas how to help me make the family change back to the water. I was thinking about cyanide carrots.

T-RAV

iTrader: (1)

I will say this, I currently have my boat for sale and I have had three people contact me and ask if I wanted to trade it for a wakeboard boat. I think as wakeboard boat owners get older they figure out that it's just to damn hard on there body and they are missing work etc. I have a friend that is down for at least a month once a year cause he jacked something up wakeboarding. I feel that a perfomance boat is a natural transition for them, it's still exciting. They would rather have some kind of rush vs getting a cruiser or bowrider. Just my opinion. I will say all my friends are in there early 30's and they all like riding on my boat, but like everyone else says none will own one. Although there are quite a few young people in my area that do own performance boats it's definitely not the majority.

hogie roll

My buddy tore his pectoral ligament wake boarding late this summer, I had shoulder issues a few years ago. We'll get to old for this stuff yet!

CraneHillFast

I'm 33 with a 27 looking for the right 35. My story is a little different. My dad could care less about being on a boat or the lake for that matter. My grandad ruined him as a kid taking him fishing from sun up to sun down. I love being on the water period whether its fishing, pleasure, swimming etc. I had a stand up jet ski at 9 that my dad got me. I would get pulled over EVERY weekend for being too young to ride but that didn't stop me. As soon as the patrol was out of site I was back on it. I burned more 8 gallon tanks of gas between 9 and 18 than I care to admit. At 18 I bought my first boat that I still have to this day. 1983 Glasstream Pro Bass. Granted I have now retired it without motor at my hunting camp but you couldn't pry that boat out of my cold dead hands. I would rather watch it burn to the water line (which just about happened on its last voyage) or sink (which it has multiple times) before I sold it. Dated a girl (who is now my wife) who had an old family boat that had been beat to hell. It was a 90 something 19 ft Regal. I remember after college filling up that 15-20 gallon tank was difficult at $3.00 a gallon but we made it a priority. I had a decent job but didn't have money to burn so to speak. We just made it a priorty we were going to be on the water. After making a few trips to the boat mechanic one year I drew a line in the sand. I'm wasn't spending anymore $3-400 to fix a dying, rotted boat. We saw a 212 Baja on our local lake and the wife and I thought it was the coolest boat ever. I thought 21 ft was HUGE, LOL. I remember saying, we'll never have to buy another boat if we take care of this one, LOL. Man was I wrong. When I say I was bit by the bug even worse is an understatement. We kept that boat for maybe 9 months and traded it for the current boat I have and now we want to get the right 35.

We have made some GREAT friends out on the water. Some people we just got to know better by being on the water. I could put pen to paper about what it has cost but I wouldn't trade it for the memories and fun we have had.

With all that being said, we make boating a priority. Maybe money is part of the answer. We definitly aren't rich, but have good jobs, we don't do fancy vacations, we drive used paid for cars, we save enough for retirement and college, we have a new 9 mo old, we don't live extravagant lifesyles but we do spend most of our time and "extra funds" on boating and having fun. When I got into boating I didn't know crap about boats, motors, oils, grease, hydraulics, ethanol, electronics etc. Quite frankly LC would tell you I still don't know crap about any of that and I would agree but I have learned a lot and want to learn more. I just didn't have anyone in my life at an early age to teach me all that. Nothing pisses me off more than when I go to a party and someone says," now that the baby is here have you sold the boat yet? When you are you going to sell it? You know you won't have time for all that blah blah blah f'n blah........." I could really care less about what the "Jone's" are doing or buying but we "boat within our means". I would encourage everyone else to do the same.

Two things (out of a bunch) that I think we could do to help more people get interested and stay interested:

1. I know we all have opinons, heck this is what makes this website fun. But when I guy comes on here saying he is thinking about a 24 Outlaw or a 26 "XYZ", don't tell them to go buy a 38 instead because____________________ (fill in the blank). I know its all fun and games but they are probably already stretching to buy the 24 or 26. Sometimes you can tell people are joking, others are just being "look at me a$$holes".... Tell them the good bad and ugly about what they are looking at. I thought when I bought the Baja I wanted an open bow, not once did anyone sit up there except for kids. Sometimes people have to purchase something to really find out what they really want. But that doesn't mean we can't give them good or bad advice about what they are looking at.

2. Take time to talk to the "future" big boat owners. We all get it, (insert a LOT of sarcasm) you have the 42 ________, you are bada$$, you are the only guy that has 1650's at the poker run, you have more tatoos than me, your wife can't smile and her tits don't move and are way to good to talk to me about your boat, the poker run, small talk etc. This is by no means everyone on the water but don't be that guy. Sometimes I think some do more harm to our hobby than promote it. Believe me it goes a long way and you never know who you might meet.

Interceptor

cost of boat
cost of boat insurance
cost of boat registration.
cost of fuel
cost of trailer
cost of trailer insurance
cost of trailer registration and plates
cost of truck
cost of truck insurance
cost of truck registration and plates
cost of lift or rack or well.
cost of umbrella insurance policy
cost of off seasonal storage
and we haven't touched on maintenance, repair, upgrades.
All this for a quick ride to the sandbar, we're a sick, stupid bunch.

HTRDLNCN

I bought my first boat, a 1968 Pirahna 24x7 with a 200hp Mercruiser 292 with a #2 drive..
Paid 6k for it. spent 2k rebuilding engine and drive.
Gas was 59c a gallon
I was making 10k a year working after school and weekends at a gas station.
It was not uncommon to do that

I dont know many students making that these days,,its definately not as easy.At the same time cost of living has tripled...
A running 13yr (2000) old 24ft sport boat today would be about 2x3 times what i paid and need work..
Gas is $3+ a gallon..

Its only gonna get worse as the divide between the rich and poor
widens as the middle class gets wiped out ..
Just look at sales of new boats,,the hottest segment is the 200k and up boats..
40+cats 40+v bottoms 35+ CCs ,etc..
While speed boating has never been cheap its evolved into a rich mans game especially
where the younger generation is concerned.

benjen

so

CraneHillFast

Bingo!!! Great point....