[UnethicalLawyer]

Hello,

I've always wanted a boat ever since I was a kid and now I'm finally old enough to afford one. But I've never been on a PB, nor fished from one, and don't know anybody who owns one either. So I'm turning to you folks for some much needed advice.

First, what sized boat would I need to fish the local islands like Cat and SCI and how much would such a boat cost? And do I need to get some kind of boating license?

Second, where would I go learn some of the basics on how to properly operate the boat, especially when it comes to fishing? I wish I could have picked this stuff up earlier, but like I said, I have no experience when it comes to this stuff.

thanks very much for help!

 

[KID CREOLE]

The first bit of advice I would give you, is to hook up with someone who owns a boat and go out as much as you can with them.

Boats can be very expensive if you have to bring it into the shop every time work needs to be done on it!

 

[island bound]

The ONLY thing easy about private boating is buying the boat. Ditto what kid creole said, go out with some one SEVERAL times and do the whole routine from minor repairs, fueling and cleanup after a looooooooong day on the water and see if its really for you.

After 5 years of private boating there are times that Ive wished I could just get off of aboat and go home with my crew fileted fish and relax with out all of the work involved. Good luck to you.

 

[reddog]

Welcome to AC. Love your handle. Makes me think your an honest guy 8)Good advice so far. As far as a boat what is your budget? IMO one of the best entry level rigs is a 24' Skipjack. You can get into one with gas power for under $20K.

The bigger issue is experience being on the ocean. Being a rookie you want to take it slowly. Take the USCG aux. courses on boat handling and navigation. Also learn about weather and sea conditions. Safety first. If at all possible get a buddy who has some experience to go with you. There are people that would be happy to go fishing - and share costs! Me for instance!! @(

 

[UnethicalLawyer]

Thanks for the great advice so far.

Would a used boat be a good choice for somebody just starting out like me? I guess my budget would be somewhere up to 80k or so and I'll need to get a truck to haul the thing. But if I can spend less for a good used boat then who's to complain about spending less money?

My best friend works on helicopters and he said he'll be the one fixing things so I'm counting on that. Not sure how similar boats and helis are though.

So a 24' boat should be good enough to do what I want to do? How many gallons should the fuel tank be?

 

[Wils]

re: two words

vessel assist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

as for your budget:
1 ton dually + boat = $50K max.
use the rest for repairs, upgrades, electronics, fuel, fishing gear.

do you already know how to fish?

marine is different from helicopter.

dude on BloodyDecks has a beautiful boat for sale at a great price. diesel skipjack as I recall.

 

[reddog]

Thanks for the great advice so far. Would a used boat be a good choice for somebody just starting out like me? I guess my budget would be somewhere up to 80k or so and I'll need to get a truck to haul the thing. But if I can spend less for a good used boat then who's to complain about spending less money? My best friend works on helicopters and he said he'll be the one fixing things so I'm counting on that. Not sure how similar boats and helis are though. So a 24' boat should be good enough to do what I want to do? How many gallons should the fuel tank be?

Personally I would get a used boat especially now considering the market. Plus one does not really know if they will really like the ocean until you spend time on it. A lot of people love the idea before they do it but find the reality much different. The skippy was one idea. 24' is a decent size for offshore (weather permitting) but a few more feet doesn't hurt either. Once you get much bigger than 26' or so trailering becomes more of a chore. Keeping the boat in the water has pluses and minuses. Other boats to look at are Parkers, Davis boats and Radon. All are quality boats with good handling/seakeeping traits. Important if your making trips offshore and to SCI. Also a diesel is in your price range. Diesel offers more range and safety. Milage depends on the specific boat and power package. Your looking at a fuel capacity of 100 to 140 gallons or so to make the longer runs. Here is one that would not give you romm for that tow vehicle but gives you an idea on the top end of what your looking for. http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...rency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=15584&url=

This post edited by reddog 06/25/2008

 

[Outlawman]

I'd buy used since there are excellent deals to be had, and just like a new car, you'll take a big hit just driving it off the lot. That's a good budget, and there's been good info posted above. As to makes and models, depends on your needs: one day trips, overnighters to the islands, family (how big and ages)... There are cheap makes and better makes: check out Parker, Davis, Skipjack, Radon, Blackman. I've got a friend selling Everglades, which are large & fast center consoles, nice boats too.

Get a friend who knows boats well to look your prospect boat over inside and out, or get a surveyor ($10./ft) & mechanic to inspect ($200-300) and test ride before buying. Owning a boat can be great if you know what you're getting into and have the proper perspective, but it's also work and not to be considered an "investment". Good luck.

 

[JR]

Welcome to AC. I was in the same situation as you about four years ago. I took a couple of boating classes through the USCG Auxiliary. Not required, but highly recommended. You will also get a discount on your boat insurance if you have completed the USCG boating class.
I started with hanging out at the boat ramp to observe boats launch and haul out. Not only is it helpful, but also entertaining at times. I don't laugh though, because I use to be the headliner/main attraction when I first started launching.
Most harbors have small boat rentals. Rent one and just cruise the harbor, practice docking/maneuvering. Invite an experience boater to come along. Practice with calm winds and also in high winds. You will notice the big difference when trying to operate/steer. Once you feel comfortable in the harbor, take a short cruise in open water, just outside the harbor to where you can return quickly if you feel uncomfortable. These are just couple of suggestions and the tip of the iceberg.
Boating is fun and addicting, but you also have a lot of expenses and labor involved too as some of the other AllCoasters mentioned.

 

[KID CREOLE]

This one is still available, you're going to need a diesel to tow it!


http://www.allcoast.com/discussion/ViewTopic.cfm?page=1&startrow=1&topic_ID=78645&search=service&searchString=triggerfish&searchNotString=&SearchMode=all&SearchNotMode=all&searchFromDate=%7Bts%20%272008%2D03%2D28%2012%3A07%3A32%27%7D&SearchUpToDate=%7Bts%20%272008%2D06%2D26%2012%3A07%3A32%27%7D

 

[FishingFever]

Welcome to AC. There is some great advice here from well experiance boaters. I just wanted to give a little advise. SAFETY FIRST- you can never be too safe. Based on everyone here, experiance and safety come hand and hand. Take baby steps and understand what mother nature can do in a couple hours. Just cuz you have a boat that can go to SCI or Offshore... Don't mean you are ready! Understand YOUR capablities and a couple harbor/local trips wont hurt just to understand your new/used boat... Well experiance boater sometimes are not ready for the unexpected from Mother nature. BOAT - Bring Out Another Thousand ENJOY RL

This post edited by FishingFever 06/26/2008

 

[freddie]

Wow, someone wanting to get into private boating fishing [email protected] One question - do you fish the party boats? If not then I would suggest you try it a few times, 1/2 day trips, 3/4 day trips and an overnight trip to hone your basic fishing skills and see how you and the sea get along. Finding fish on your own is a whole different skill set, but observing the party boats and learning from other passengers is key. Except for a few lucky souls who had fathers, uncles, or grandfathers with private boats, most us learned the basics on the party boats.

I second the other suggestions you got. Look for some rides with ACers and see how the cost sharing and cleanup duties go. Having ridden the bigger party boats, see how a small craft makes you feel after a day on the water. Take a boating course even before you buy.
And when you buy, ask for some ACers to fish with you. You will learn more in a day from someone like Reddog than you would learn in many days at sea alone. Get a decent USED boat but don't overbuy on your first boat - if you like private boating and all its hassles, you will want to move up in class and you will know then what you and yours need.

 

[ChannelIslands]

Buy this boat and you will have plenty of $$ left over for a tow vehicle. Many of fish have been killed on this boat!

http://www.allcoast.com/discussion/ViewTopic.cfm?page=1&startrow=1&topic_ID=90211


Chris

 

[TopShot25]

First off, I would make sure you go slowly here. Haste makes waste, and the waste is going to be your dollars.

You have received a lot of great info so far but to be honest to give you any kind of idea you need to offer up a lot more info.

How much on the water experience do you have? If not much, I would find out if the ocean is your friend first.

What kind of things you like to do or think you might like to do in a boat?

Are you interested in short trips for the day or do you want to spend extended periods of time on the water? If so, how long?

Who will be using the boat with you? Wife, kids, or friends, makes a big difference in what kind of accommodations you will need on this boat.

As mentioned earlier, if I were you I would offer up to be a guest on someone?s boat, volunteering to pay your share of course. Until you spend some time on the water in a private boat, you won?t know what you need. Although you can just buy one and go, it would most likely cost you a lot more in the long run. I would spend some time figuring out what degree of maintenance you can do. Chances are, the older the boat you purchase, the more you will need to be prepared to repair. Along with that it may be an on the water experience and your buddy probably won?t be there. I would definitely buy used, but maybe just a couple of years old once you determine what boat you need.

Good luck, and welcome to AC

 

[fishnfooltlm]

I have a 06 2101WA Striper thats loaded.Its big enough to enjoy staying anchored up at the islands and trailers very nice. 110 Gal. fuel to chase Tuna. 200 OB V-6 with 135 Hrs on it. SLeeps 2 adults 2 kids.Lots of xtras, very clean boat with a great selling price.This boat is great for BBQing on cruising or catching lots of fish.619-571-6874

 

[HD]

Whatever you think it'll cost, double it. If you save money up front on the used market, you'll pay on the back end. Then add maintenance, insurance, storage, Vessel Assist, fuel, yada yada yada. Amortize you costs over 5 or 10 years to get a real picture of the LIFESTYLE you're committing to. In my experience a small $20K 20' (mine was a Skipjack) boat will cost you no less than 10K a year in other expenses and likely alot more depending on how often you get out and whether you must pay to store it. Heck, I'll bet even Tailman's Rubber Ducky runs that much a year & he keeps it in his garage. Don't even get me started on the cost to trick it out with cool electronics, safety equipment and redundancies, there's a million & one things you'll want to add once you finish waxing it the 1st time.

This post edited by HD 07/20/2008

 

[Rella Fish]

All the above is good advice, even if it's a little discouraging. I was in your position a few years ago and if I heard the line about the two best days in a boat owners life, once, I heard it 100 times. But knowing then what I know now, I'd do it over again and probably will this winter.
As for advice, launch early / return early, and listen to the weather reports. The biggest and potentially the most dangerous mistake I've made is getting caught offshore when the weather turns bad.

Good Luck

 

[Long Beach Bob]

Lots of bargains out there currently..you might consider an auction such as the local city marinas hold about every 6 months..just attended one where fixer boats on decent trailers (some dual axle) were selling from $10 to $600...throw a new outboard or two on it and you would be good to go for the next 5 years with a dependable rig at low cost...

 

[stambob]

Sent you a P.M.