Offshoreonly.com - Great Boat Debate

I agree that you don't need an expensive boat to have a great time. Heck I've had a great time in a tube on a river. I grew up boating in "regular people" boats. My parents had a Wellcraft V20 when I was a baby. I am told that they would take me with them as a very young child and literally set the "playpen" up in the open area in the back of the boat and cover it with a blanket while I slept and they fished. Funny even saying the name "Playpen" brings to mind the likely hood of child services being called on you now a days. Then they bought a brand new boat (I know it was an Executive and I think it was a Galaxy clone with a straight 4 in it that never ran right from day one) and we crabbed, fished and hung on that a lot too. Once I got old enough to drive we didn't have a family boat and I wanted one. So, I found my way into a 18 foot bass tracker with a 100 Mariner on the back. I ran the pi$$ out of that boat. My buddies and I would go fishing on Saturday morning and then watersports all afternoon. I already knew I had the speed itch. But still wanted to fish and my parents support so the second boat was a 20' Bayliner Trophy with the max HP 175 mercury outboard. To me it was fast by the days standards. By that time my fishing interests has dwindled and it was more about blasting up and down the river/bay. I soon realized the Trophy wasn't the right boat for that. So I ended up with a Stingray 658zp (no idea why a 21 foot boat had that model #) and a 350 Mercruiser. Ran that hard also until I got a better job and bought a Baja 272 with a 502efi (again max power, I think). I got married with that boat and well sold it when the wife got pregnant. I went boat less for a couple years and then because of the kid(and a steal of a deal) I bought a 25 foot Searay Sundancer. We took the kid out on that and had fun. But not long after the wife had a bun in the oven again so the SeaRay had to go. This 2nd child created a major financial problem (daycare x2). So I took a position over seas and off went for a few years. We were back only two weeks before I got the next family boat. A 30 Concept CC. We ran that for a while and between sports and other things(wanting a 36) we decided to sell that. The plan was wait till we could get a 36. Well I ended up with a 32 Sunsation which the girls loved. But while buying it was one thing it turned out to not be financially and technically viable due to our individual situation. With non-stock power, high test requirement and a small fuel tank it just didn't work for us. 100 gallons @ 1 mpg and 20+ miles each way to fuel just didn't work. So again we moved on. It didn't fit our boating life. We went a season and decided to just get a boat that was more practical (if there is a boat) and bought a 25' Crownline deck/bowrider for the river. They loved it last summer for water sports, cant say i loved the boat or at least pulling them around nonstop. But I did enjoy the time with them creating memories.

So...that was long but. Proof that the right boat is what fits your situation (and budget). My most expensive boat to date was 40K. Most of them a decent amount less. But along the way I have created tons of memories and loads of boating friends(many with much more expensive toys). At this point who knows whats next, but we still have a 36 Concept on the wish list.

John