has anyone here owned a motor boat or a small cabin cruiser????

Has anyone here owned a motor boat or a small cabin cruiser???? I noticed you can buy some of them used for dirt cheap. Kinda like RV's, people want to get rid of them eventually at any price. But I'm considering the idea of getting one. Maybe something like in the pic below. Something just big enough so that I can sleep in it when I'm visiting the coast. (I don't live at the coast I'm about 1hr flight away).

But how is it? Are they fun? Are they worth it? Or will all the expenses and maintenance drive me nuts? I'd like to hear from any boat owners what their experience is with them? Thanks.

(I'm thinking about 25 to 35ft might be ideal, as it would just be me and generally 1 to maybe 3 other people)

Yes,I have.Run far away unless you have a boat load of cash and lots of time.With those conditions,they are great1

thats some good advice if you have no idea whats up with em....
Id advise you to start small and try a bit of boating inland before you ever try salt water on any coast.
you have to get familiar with rules much like a drivers licence but different....
bouys and signals and whatnot channel markers tides and winds.and weather...boating is a dance of forces not like driving a car...theres forces playing in more directions to account for....try a rowboat just to get the idea of what it would be like with power.....its not that easy but when you catch the drift it is natural....
if you are alone its one thing and if you have passengers its a never ending headache to be captain ....
If you expect to ever really relax you can forget it....its another career, boating is not for the casual or the part timer...boats deteriorate a a rapid rate when not in use....if you live on the coast and park a boat for three years you can expect a lot of work to get it ship shape and bristol fashion again....
if you dont love boats and the sea....but think you might....try a few small tastes first..:theres a lot more work in it than you can imagine...
If you want to relax go on somebody elses boat let them worry......:



Oh by the way i just bought a 38 foot patrol boat.......

It depends what you consider work. If you like tinkering on your baby then you will have a never ending hobby - there's always something to add or repair or maintain. I used to love going to the marina on a Saturday, sure beats yard work any-day.

One mans nightmare is an others dream.

Just start with something cheap and small, then work up.

reply to post by stirling

Oh by the way i just bought a 38 foot patrol boat.......

I remember that. Hows that working out? I remember you said you were going to have a real expert look it over to find out what shape it is in? Before you bought it?

learn to sail and get a small sailboat .. much more relaxing and price not bad on them ..

I've had a few boats from an 18' ski boat to a 36' trawler and several center console sport fishing boats in various sizes. Boat stands for Bust Out Another Thousand. Saltwater boats are very expensive to maintain and even more expensive if you don't maintain them. Freshwater isn't as bad but it's still expensive. I wouldn't buy a used boat that unless it was single owner, low hours and they have ALL of their maintenance records. First boat I bought was a little 19' center console with a 115 mercury motor. Paid $6k and thought I got a great deal, til the 2nd time I went out on it and the engine caught on fire. Then it cost me another $13k to buy a new motor and have it installed. So my $6k fun little toy ended up costing me $19k in less than 2 weeks. Sailboats are much cheaper to maintain but a LOT more work to operate.

The boat needs what they call hauling out...and cleaning
(scraping built up kelp and sea fungus off the hull and replacing the zincs which are the metal we add that gets eaten by electrolysis rather than the functional parts...
The zincs are just blocks of zinc....
One leg needs some work, the starboard perkins needs tlc but the port engine and leg are good...
The first load of tools and such are aboard and i will haul some of the rest of my junk there this week...
Already parts and pieces are rearing their little heads here and there....batteries,pumps,
switches....
When i get back to the boat ill be doing the primary servicing after long idle period.....which is pretty thorough and will take me a while.....one thing at a time.....
ya gotta love it.....


about 6-10 grand more and my boat will be back to a 40,000 -700 hp west coaster....iltt be good enough to fish off the west coast of the island or take to alaska from vancouver say.....
For one person its a real home....
I have to add that the purchase price was 3000$ so its within my budget...and likely the best buy ive had boat wise...though i did have a 38 foot wooden cruiser i bought for 4500....it had twin chrysler sixcyl diesels....
oddly enough one good one one sickly one...too
but wooden boats are even MORE work than fiberglass ones....
starting small is probably yer best bet...talking to boat people will be yer best education...and they love to tell you about their boat so its no trouble opening the conversation.....
Try openings like
"ehy, nice boat, Hows she handle in a stiff breeze?" or something equally innocent....theyll soon straighten you out without further prompting on your part.

reply to post by spartacus699

But how is it? Are they fun? Are they worth it? Or will all the expenses and maintenance drive me nuts? I'd like to hear from any boat owners what their experience is with them? Thanks.

The cost to maintain a boat generally runs around $1000 per meter per year on average until you hit the 25-30 meter marker which typically runs around $100k per year and up, plus other expenses. Are they worth it, well...yes and no. From a pure financial point of view, they are a hole in the water that you throw money into unless your large enough to charter. Then from the pleasure point of view they can't be beat. The freedom they can give and the relaxation of being under sail in my book out weighs the expense. Then again I'm into larger boats, 40 & 41 meters.

Keep on top of any and all maintenance, an ounce of prevention is worth ten pounds of cure. Keeping your boat tip top and bristol fashion will ensure years of enjoyment.

My uncle owned a boat ,and I rode on it all the time.
Just know,there is maintenance ,just like with a car. Their engines break down and have problems ,and need fixing .
Then you need insurance ,just like with a car. Then ,you usually have to pay for a spot to moor it,unless you own property where you can dock your own boat like a car drive way .
Boat spots cost money . No idea how much .

I think you also need a license to drive a boat now ,but that may be regional .
Also,some boats have to be removed from the water during winter time. You need to hire people with those capabilities to move the boat in and out of the water .

There's a lot more to this than just buy it and sail around .

If its a houseboat ,and you stay out on open water ,I guess you can avoid some of that ,but most people also have a spot they rent to moor the boat .

I do live in nyc tho . It's probably cheaper other places,and local laws apply. I would research this fully for you locally,before doing anything .

They sell moorage here (on the west coast of Canada for 3-8.00 per foot per month.
more for shore power.....and you need to keep batteries charged or the bilge pumps dont work etc....
Living aboard is getting dicey and theres few places allowing such arrangements left....
One can still drop a mooring bouy pretty much anywhere theres nobody claims the shoreline though......
That costs around 1500$ and comes with the worry of having a boat moored out by itself, prey to wind weather and aquatic thieves....

they do exist.....
the ins and outs are inumerable and complex cut with politics and social stigmas.....
Living aboard is considered kinda low life unless your yacht is fairsized and yout bankroll is unlimited.
Every marine application device is twice as expensive as a dry land equivalent....a car distributor say would be 150$
a marine engine distribtor for the SAME BLOCK is 300$(figures are illustrative only...)
Rope,brass fittings, staniless steel, all cost premium pries
.....Then theres the plumbing problem...as sewer is no longer welcome in the ocean as it used to be....an older boat may not have a macerator and holding tank for waste.
If you plan to carry people you will find it nessessary to plan for their poo....
Theres much much more so i hope you are taking it slowly....

Been there, done that....and proven that both of these are true...

The happiest days in a boater's life are the day he buys it, and the day he sells it.

and

A boat is a hole in the water your pour money into.

I did learn a lot of things though....

1) If you get a used boat, better make sure it has good records and is working perfectly when you get it...there may be a good reason they are getting rid of it.

2) You need to consider how you are moving it, and how you are storing it. Do you have a truck big enough to haul it? Do you have a place it can be dry-docked?

3) You need to budget for monthly maintenance, and have a small fund for repairs.

4) Take a boat course from the USCG, you'll learn a lot, and it is not that expensive, and well worth it.

I probably will get another boat at some point, but when/if I do, it will be small, a sailboat (but with an outboard also), and able to be stored on the trailer, on the property (my previous one had a dock...sitting in the water all the time just means more maintenance).

Just small little ones with outboards (15-16ft range). They have been plenty for me thus far. I agree with what everyone says about expense. Even if you learn to do some minor repairs and maintenance yourself the parts along can still be expense.

What I've discovered is if I find a part that needs replaced I'll think, "That should be around $X". The actual price is usually like $X * 2 or $X * 3 more than what I thought - simply because its for a boat or boat engine.

sailing.about.com...

This is something similar to what I'd get next time out. When not in use, I'd just keep it on the trailer at the ranch. (and covered).

I've been a professional yacht captain my whole life, and I've owned dozens of boats. I love boats more than anything, they are my whole life. I've got three right now. My advice would be:

Don't do it. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.

BOAT stands for Break Out Another Thousand. Hole in the water you fill with money. Two happiest days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. All so true.

Figure around ten percent of the boat's value, per year, for maintenance. At least. Dockage is expensive too.
It is not just a toy, it's a complete lifestyle. If you are not really into it, the thing will just fall apart and sink on it's own.

A boat is like a woman. FIrst of all, the rigging costs more than the hull. If you don't take care of her and keep her happy, buying her new clothes and toys all the time, she will get all fat and out of shape, and then turn on you and betray you all the time, maybe even kill you.

But if you really want to do it, go for it. It's the best life there is.

And if you are in Vancouver, that's a great place for boats.

I would recommend a sailboat over a powerboat. But that's just me. Powerboats go fast. Sailboats go FAR. That's the difference. And wind is free, fuel is not. Of course, the type of boat depends on what you want to do with it. Best is actually to have both. (I do) When there's no wind, it's great for waterskiing, diving, etc. When it's too rough for motorboats, that's called a nice sailing breeze.

You should ease into it. Go hang around the docks, talk to boat owners, they will love to bend your ear about their boats. Go to the local yacht club and volunteer to crew in races, you will learn the most from racing. Or you could even enroll in a sailing school, but once again break out another thousand. Once you get to know people in the scene, eventually someone will know someone who has a good deal on a boat. This is where the best deals come from.

Given your expertise, any opinion on my choice/suggestion linked above (as for type)?

I basically just want it for taking out a friend or two, sometimes doing a little fishing, with the option of being able to crash in it for a night on the water. Then the alternate idea of having it as kind of a SHTF doomsday prep bug out option, but that's just more of a bonus.

Most of my experience is with power boats, I've only done a little sailing help, but I would certainly love the idea of learning it. I'm still likely a few years away from getting one, but this type of boat seems to fit my criteria.

West Wight Potter is a well known great boat. Not my cup of tea, but every boat is a compromise, it depends what you want to do with it. Me, I will sacrifice all comfort for speed. This is called a pocket cruiser, meaning it is tiny, therefore fairly cheap, yet you could go anywhere in it, across the ocean, even around the world, if you were so inclined.

The pros of the pocket cruiser: Small, therefore inexpensive. The bigger a boat gets, the more every single piece of it costs, so it goes up exponentially. You can trailer it, thereby expanding your cruising range, and reducing dockage and maintenance if you keep it in your driveway. Swing keel gives you shoal draft so you can explore lots of little coves where other boats fear to tread.

Very well fitted out. It's pretty neat to be completely self sufficient in such a small boat. You could even live aboard. AND, since we're on ATS, it's an excellent SHTF plan. No need for a "bugout bag" when it's already on the boat.

Cons of the pocket cruiser: Small, therefore small. Very short waterline in a keelboat means SLOW. You will get anywhere you want eventually, but it will take a LONG time. Hull speed (maximum potential without surfing down waves) of under five knots, meaning you will cruise around at two or three knots usually, unless you are in a really windy area like SF. These boats are originally British so made with the North Sea in mind, where there tends to be too much wind rather than not enough. If you don't have the need for speed you won't go nuts, or you will learn patience. It is a virtue.

While it has everything you need, galley, head, berths, it's shoehorned in there. Difficult to cram enough supplies for real long distance cruises, especially water, though people have done it. Can't really take more than four people on her, or two for the weekend. You will bang heads and elbows a lot. Great for weekends with the wife or girlfriend, as long as they are fairly ok with camping rather than luxury yachting.

Swing keel gets you up into the skinny water, but isn't really what you want when the waves get BIG. Not really the unit for ocean crossing, or fleeing the collapse of civilization, though if that happens, it will be a lot better than trying to evacuate a big city and head for the hills in a 4x4, which is most people's plan. Those that even have a plan, that is. For the size of it it is actually built like a tank. I would still take this thing across the ocean at the drop of a hat if I HAD to. The boat can usually take more than the crew can when it gets really horrendous. All in all it's a great boat, which is why they are popular.

Again, it depends what you like and what you want to do with it. Me, I'm partial to catamarans, because I've got the need for speed. I'll take speed over comfort every time. Ninety percent of boat owners do not agree with me.

Actually, a good rule for boats is: There are three criterion. You can have high performance, great luxury, or low cost, but you can only have two out of three. Works for powerboats too.

Boy are you getting some very expensive info for free....
I think most every poster so far has paid a small fortune in theor own resources for the love boating.
I think you must by now get the idea at least that the funs expensive, but very hard to duplicate any other way.........
Happy boating buddy......
My advice is an 18 foot outboard powered with small cuddy and head....very basic.
After that at yor liesure you can add a radio, stereo,fish finder GPS,life jackets(i per)flashlight,flare pistol, flares, life ring,Horn for fog...or collision...
compass, and a few other things required by law....paddles etc....oh radar reflector, bailing bcket, spill pads, um um....more i know....

boating sounds like too much work to me.

we had a speed boat for skiing as a kid. It was fun, except dad always got too drunk.

Boating just wasn't that much fun to me. If i am near the water, i want to be in it, not on it.

It's a lifestyle. It's a way of life.

It's the best possible life.

Landlubbers don't get it. That's ok with me.