Originally Posted by DocktorsOarders

As pretty much everyone has said. Main reason, MONEY.

I found the respect for money and credit early in life, so I saved, saved, saved... started retirement account early... Bought my first super duty when I was 19, first motorcycle at 19, and first boat at 20. Started with a 19ft Bayliner capri... I didn't care what kind of boat it was, I was on the water! That started the addiction... I kept the motorcycle for a few more years but when i realized that at most, I was taking one passenger and it really wasn't that comfortable (sport bike) and I could load a boat up with 4+ friends, and go enjoy music, speed and sun, I opted for the latter.... I moved up to a 237 powerquest, then to a 272 baja then finally a 36' Pantera... Cost is surely more exponential as boat size grows... so I can see where people can go and buy a 100k wakeboard boat that really has minimal operational costs vs buying a 50k performance boat that has huge operational costs... Fuel, oil changes and maintenance, props, bling! (gauges, throttles, blah blah blah) that people dont normally change out in other style of boats...

Both boats could be financed for about the same payment depending on the amount of money down, rate, and payment term but the out of pocket expense is the hardest part to swallow. Most people can prepare for the payment but neglect to think about fuel, these are performance boats, go fast, speed etc... all runs on one thing.... hot *****es and expensive fuel costs.... Not to mention everyone always wants to "go bigger" therefore we all eventually step up to big badass fast boats... then we forget that we don't always have the place to operate these things... you can put a ski/wake boat on any lake, you can put a jetski in a puddle but you usually cant drop bigger than a 30ft go fast on many inland lakes, for depth reasons, noise ordinances and sheer lake size. Where I live we have a ton of lakes but I drive an hour to get to one that is suitable for my boat. Even the 272 couldn't really go at most of the inland lakes... it just wasn't fun. Surely with the 36 I cannot operate anywhere around me other than upstate, (torch, charlevoix etc...) so I boat on Lake St. Clair.... Its an hour each way to the boat launch... Pulling this 36 with a 6.4 ford just sucks the fuel down... so you have truck fuel costs, travel time, storage etc.... it just gets expensive fast and most people would rather own a home or smaller toys I guess... or they just waste their money on dumb ****... As everyone always tells me I wasted money on a "toy" but only idiots cannot fathom the idea of what an asset is.

Over financing and risky borrowing has shut the financial sector of marine lending down... yes people with money in the bank and stellar credit can finance go fast boats, but as we all know... recreational loans are among the most difficult to secure, especially performance boats... High risk of default makes them the most difficult to finance. Alot of the younger crowd with limited credit experience will not allow for performance boat financing, unless they have a decent cushion in the bank, and an extremely low debt-to-income....

My last thought is INSURANCE.... you can insure a bayliner capri, small powerquest, single baja with most insurance companies (my boats and experience) but when I stepped up to the Pantera, even with just 525 power but speeds at 90mph and stepped hull.... the "No's" started flying left and right... had to look for the right insurance and that met me with Wozencraft... they took care of me but I do pay (as I expected) and partially the reason I didn't move to a cat. Andy (at wozencraft) told me that age and experience has everything to do with rates.... which is obvious... I am freshly 30 years old and I was looking at a 33 eliminator with mild power (700's/nxt's) and the rates were well beyond what I would ever want to pay for living in a 4 month boating state.... but again, insurance is another cost of owning a high risk boat.... People love bling and showing off but people also love money (meaning cash) so for some people its hard to come off money to get something badass, rather than something that will just get them to the lake party.... I personally don't care what kind of boat people show up in... I learned that years ago and that is the mad RESPECT i have for 99% of the boating community.... one of my first years on the bigger lakes with the Baja I went to a part where an old bayliner (like my old one) was rafted up to a 47 Fountain lightning... these two owners did not know each other but were partying together nonetheless and having a great time.... boating is the one community that I have seen, where you can park a pinto next to a bugatti and no one gives a damn and the owner of the bugatti says "hey bud, want a beer?"

My $.02.... now can someone bring summer back to Michigan?????

Originally Posted by Nate5.0

Look at both sides of the coin.

We rent and love it.....I have zero desire to own. We have had prob $8k -$10k worth of **** break at the house....guess you pays it?

I am not tied down, I can move as I please, etc, etc, and I never worry about a loss in the market in home prices.


Everything is based on the people and how they live. There is no right way.

Originally Posted by j21black

You are absolutely right, markets have tanked before and they may tank again...I sold my last house right before the crash, and bought the other as it was happening so I came out ahead in the deal...

Point being, when I'm 65 and retired, I still don't want to be sinking money into rent..Maybe a "yard girl" but not rent...If we go to move again I'm going to become a sum-lord as the house next to me rents for double my mortgage payment and is 1200 ft2 smaller...

I'm going to need that extra cash for beer and Viagra when I retire....

Originally Posted by PARADOX

Viagara being $20+ per pop,

Originally Posted by buck35

I gotta say, after reading all of this, I can't believe how few of us 50 somethings there seem to be. And a lot more guys in their 20s than I would have ever thought! You do have to remember though that the dry exhuast thats music to your ears is just an obnoxious boat to many and a natural law enforcement attractant.

Originally Posted by Nate5.0

Look at both sides of the coin.

We rent and love it.....I have zero desire to own. We have had prob $8k -$10k worth of **** break at the house....guess you pays it?

I am not tied down, I can move as I please, etc, etc, and I never worry about a loss in the market in home prices.


Everything is based on the people and how they live. There is no right way.

Originally Posted by Cole2534

Absolutely. Homeownership is not for everyone...just like kids and marriage.