Price of small boat ownership.

[Bigred78]

I think it’s might be time to bite the bullet on a boat. I’ve been kayak fishing for years but that really isn’t cutting it anymore. My wife actually like to fish but every time I go out with her be charter or party boat the price is double. The saltwater kayak isn’t really practical for her because it’s really hard for me to help her with anything and there is the added danger of flipping. I’ve been looking into some small skiffs. I’ve been seeing some 13-15 foot skiffs tri hull with a steering console 40ish horse for between 4-7k they run at that price range but are old. I’m hoping that would be good enough to tool around the bay and make it ocean side if you pick your days. I’m trying to figure out the other costs to make sure I can justify the cost. I want to get a slip somewhere along raritain bay. It seems like there summer rates are 1800 for a boat that size but I would need that boat in the water from late March through December. I also need insurance and registration. The fuel economy would be pretty good I would imagine considering it only has a 12 gallon tank. Then there is also winterization and maintenance. I know the matinince will vary wildly and so will a lot of the other costs but I was hoping someone with a boat that size could help me out and give me a breakdown of their cost. Thanks, John

[afterhours]

Best bang for the buck IMO would a 16' tin boat with appropriate power and trailer it. I had one and the cost of upkeep was almost nonexistent.

[snag777]

everything depend on how much you like to spend.

the cheepest way,i wil look for 16' wide tin boat up to 19' tin boat with bad ingene.put on that 9 or 15 Hp new and you have perfect setup.use trailer much cheeper and you can fish any place.

the 19' is not much heavier but beter room. 9 hp will push that 15MPH,look for deep V not shalow.you can troll 8 hours with 6 galon.

[CWitek]

Having owned boats just about all my life, I can say with some confidence that if you generally only fish on weekends or the occasional summer evening, party and even charter boats are cheaper--even for two people--than owning a boat.

 

On the other hand, a boat gives you the opportunity to fish where you want, when you want, for what you want, without having to put up with other people, as on a party boat, or being told what to do and how to fish by a captain or mate.  You get a greater opportunity to learn by experimenhtation and trial and error, and to challenge yourself, rather than merely being a "winder" on the back of a charter.

 

A few thoughts:  Buying too small a boat, particularly if your wife is fishing with you, can be a mistake.  Some of the best fishing in Raritan Bay is in the early spring and late fall, when winds tend to be brisk.  Riding a 13-foot Whaler or similar boat in a chop can be physically painful.  Fifteen is a little better, but the flat-bottomed hulls that you often find on boats of that size still provide uncomfortable rides.  A modified-V hull provuides a better ride, but will rock a little more.

 

Buying an old boat often means buying someone else;s problems.  That's not so true of larger vessels, which are subject to surveys, but if you buy a small outboard, you really don't know how well it was cared for, whether the previoujs owner stayed up on the mainenance, etc.  The older the engine, the more likely the problems.  Parts availability could be a problem.  What you save in your purchase price you may end up giving to mechanics, and if the boat develops a serious issue, you may be in a position where you need a new engine.  If you have mechanical skills, you can fix many things yourself, but at the cost of time--if you have a nine-to-five job, and can usually only fish on weekends, you may find that you're spending much of that time working on the boat rather than using it.  And that;s only with respect to the engine.  Older boats often develop bad transoms, as water leaks around loose screws, etc. and turns the reinforcing plywood to sponge (many newer boats don't use such plywood in their transoms, but most older boats do).  If the boat has a fioam-filled hull, that foam may waterlog and lead to delamination.  Wood stringers can rot.  Electrical wiring corrodes.  Fuel tanks corrode and fail.  So when you're thinking about cost, don't just think about the purchase price of an old boat, but think about the costs or repairs, in terms of both money and time.  If you can't do a good inspection yourself, or have a friend who can, you are entering into uncharted territory, and the trip can be expensive.

 

As far as trailer vs. dock goes, there are pluses and minuses to both approaches.  A trailer gives you mobility--you don;t have to stay close to home, but can fish different areas, in fresh and salt water, to prosecute different opportunities that might arise.  On the other hand, a trailer brings its own costs of insurance and registration, as well as upkeep.  An old trailer, like an old boat, is likely to require maintenance.  Are the bearings shot?  Do the brakes work?  Are the lights in working condition.  Is the bed, whether boards or rollers, in good shape?  Again, as with anything, maintenance will be ongoing.  And you will have to learn how to tow and back the trailer, which isn't hard to learn, but does take some practice, practice which is best not obtained on a busy weekend that sees many other people waiting for you launch or recover and get clear of the ramp.

 

A slip at a marina is more expensive, and ljimits you to a certain area, but you can just drive up to the boat, jump in and go, with no trailering and launching issues.  The marina will be available to make repairs; if something goes wrong on a weekend outing, you can usually call the marina on Monday and have the problem fixed by the next weekend, unless it is a major issue or parts need to be ordered (paying your marina bills immediately upon receipt will help move you to the front of the line).  The downside, besides a lack of mobility, is that your boat is in the water, so you need to worry about your bilge pump functioning in heavy rains, the threat of hurricanes and strong noreasters, developing leaks around fittings, etc.  A good marina will keep their eye out, but the final responsibility is yours.

 

There's a lot to think about when you think about buying a boat.  I'm a hardcase boat fisherman, and have little desire to fish any other way than from my own vessel.  But buying the right boat for your planned use and your area, and not buying trouble, is a big part of an enjoyable boat fishing experience.

Edited September 10 by CWitek

[Bigred78]

I appreciate all the responses! I would love to just get an aluminum boat but I don’t think that is really an option for me. I cannot store it where I live. I can store it at my dads house but if I want to go out it adds an extra stop and a ton of extra time. It doesn’t really seem practical to me with my situation. That’s why I was leaning towards the slip. I’m used to with the kayak being able to do whatever I want and go wherever and not having to deal with googins. I usually go out once a week most of the time on weekends but I will go out during the week quite a bit during the striper run. Kayak makes this a pain in the ass because I have to break down load and unload the boat every time and drag it to and from the backyard. I don’t know much about fiberglass hulls I was going to bring my buddy who is knowledgeable on working on boat to make sure I’m not buying a lemon. I think I was a little unclear on the money thing before. I’m not looking to see if it’s cheaper than party boat runs or not the price is absolutely justified with the freedom alone for me as this is what I love to do. I’m just trying to figure out if I can afford it.  I really wasn’t thinking about the comefort of the ride that’s something I’m going to have to consider more. I am concerned with the motor. I’m pretty confident I would be able to work on the outboard myself and with the people I know but you can’t fix something if you can’t get parts for it. Most of the stuff I was lookin at has outboards from the 80s to early 2000s

[Flip n Dip]

Stay away from skiff type boats with very little or no V. They are wet and offer a punishing ride. Boston Whalers are the most overrated and overpriced boat ever made. Stay away from them. As mentioned before, look for a nice 16’ aluminum V hull. The more V the better it will ride. Raritan Bay gets really nasty and a dry riding boat that cuts through the waves rather than slaps the surface is the better choice. If you must keep the boat near the places you fish, look for dry storage rather than a slip. It’s way less expensive. With a small boat it’s pretty easy to hook up the trailer to your vehicle and back it into the water. Leaving it on the trailer is also better from a maintenance perspective since leaving a boat in saltwater causes all kinds of issues. Most problems that occur with boats are the result of corrosion caused by sitting at the dock. Taking the boat out of the water after each use and flushing the motor and rinsing everything off with freshwater will greatly reduce your cost of ownership…Hope this is helpful. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[ReeferRob]

If you could find somewhere on land to store it close to where you launch , that's another option. I would too avoid a flat bottom boat if you're going to fish choppy waters. If I were you, I'd keep an eye out for a post 2000 catamaran in the 17-20' range. Soft ride and you can go skinny if you need to. Anything pre-2000 more than likely has wooden stringers, post-2000 are mainly composite and no rotting issues.  I have a G3 1652 jonboat and if it's choppy, it's punishing.

[ReeferRob]

Forgot to add, once you've bought the boat and safety gear, they're fairly cheap to own. I do an oil change in the fall, about $100 for engine oil, filtre and lower unit gear oil. I run ethanol free fuel and that's about $15-$20/weekend running our 50hp Yamaha. If your friend has a laptop and the engine software, have him hook up to it to look at what it has stored.

[Kml]

8 hours ago, Bigred78 said:

I appreciate all the responses! I would love to just get an aluminum boat but I don’t think that is really an option for me. I cannot store it where I live. I can store it at my dads house but if I want to go out it adds an extra stop and a ton of extra time. It doesn’t really seem practical to me with my situation. That’s why I was leaning towards the slip. I’m used to with the kayak being able to do whatever I want and go wherever and not having to deal with googins. I usually go out once a week most of the time on weekends but I will go out during the week quite a bit during the striper run. Kayak makes this a pain in the ass because I have to break down load and unload the boat every time and drag it to and from the backyard. I don’t know much about fiberglass hulls I was going to bring my buddy who is knowledgeable on working on boat to make sure I’m not buying a lemon. I think I was a little unclear on the money thing before. I’m not looking to see if it’s cheaper than party boat runs or not the price is absolutely justified with the freedom alone for me as this is what I love to do. I’m just trying to figure out if I can afford it.  I really wasn’t thinking about the comefort of the ride that’s something I’m going to have to consider more. I am concerned with the motor. I’m pretty confident I would be able to work on the outboard myself and with the people I know but you can’t fix something if you can’t get parts for it. Most of the stuff I was lookin at has outboards from the 80s to early 2000s

The Atlantic Highlands Municipal marina has a land storage option where you can keep a boat on a trailer in the yard and get access to the launch ramp for the season. That may be an option. 

I would look for a small'ish V hull like an 18 to 20 foot center console but that's just what I like.  

[Bergallmaster]

I have a 20' and on a yearly basis, as a diy'er I'd guess my maintenance averages out to about $1000 a year. Most years its water pump, filters, bottom paint and a few other things. Then theres the bigger unexpected stuff such as my trim/tilt is acting up. Im gonna delve into that over the winter but it could go over $1000 in parts. 

[Kml]

7 hours ago, Bergallmaster said:

I have a 20' and on a yearly basis, as a diy'er I'd guess my maintenance averages out to about $1000 a year. Most years its water pump, filters, bottom paint and a few other things. Then theres the bigger unexpected stuff such as my trim/tilt is acting up. Im gonna delve into that over the winter but it could go over $1000 in parts. 

easily over a thousand for a rebuilt, new is morer

 

[nightfighter]

This must be the year for tilt/trim motors...

 

So you must have a couple numbers in your head... What were you seriously thinking you would pay to buy, and then what number on annual maintenance, gas, insurance, etc? I am also currently in the 20' cc group and can only say buy the best you can afford. Consider appointment for head or porta potti for your better half...

[Bergallmaster]

2 hours ago, Kml said:

easily over a thousand for a rebuilt, new is morer

 

Im guessing the seals are shot. I gotta look up the rebuild process. Hopefully $50 in orings does it. Otherwise lots of overtime for a rebuilt.

[snag777]

On 9/10/2023 at 12:49 PM, Bigred78 said:

I appreciate all the responses! I would love to just get an aluminum boat but I don’t think that is really an option for me. I cannot store it where I live. I can store it at my dads house but if I want to go out it adds an extra stop and a ton of extra time. It doesn’t really seem practical to me with my situation. That’s why I was leaning towards the slip. I’m used to with the kayak being able to do whatever I want and go wherever and not having to deal with googins. I usually go out once a week most of the time on weekends but I will go out during the week quite a bit during the striper run. Kayak makes this a pain in the ass because I have to break down load and unload the boat every time and drag it to and from the backyard. I don’t know much about fiberglass hulls I was going to bring my buddy who is knowledgeable on working on boat to make sure I’m not buying a lemon. I think I was a little unclear on the money thing before. I’m not looking to see if it’s cheaper than party boat runs or not the price is absolutely justified with the freedom alone for me as this is what I love to do. I’m just trying to figure out if I can afford it.  I really wasn’t thinking about the comefort of the ride that’s something I’m going to have to consider more. I am concerned with the motor. I’m pretty confident I would be able to work on the outboard myself and with the people I know but you can’t fix something if you can’t get parts for it. Most of the stuff I was lookin at has outboards from the 80s to early 2000s

you can buy new boat and it can take a ****,none off the mechanick can help you  to check used boat and motor.

the future is unknown,that is reason you buy cheep and have money for repair.

i can put boat in dock storage for convenient for 3K,i spend $50 a monts for storige next to  busines building and i have to drive 1 hour to pick that up and put that in ramp,it cost me only time and i am able to do that 7 times a week.anybody let you store your boat in your neiborhood for $50 a month on grass or bihind any busines building,you just have to ask.how far is your dead drive ?

you only show up hook the boat and back up to ramp.

[Bigred78]

8 hours ago, nightfighter said:

This must be the year for tilt/trim motors...

 

So you must have a couple numbers in your head... What were you seriously thinking you would pay to buy, and then what number on annual maintenance, gas, insurance, etc? I am also currently in the 20' cc group and can only say buy the best you can afford. Consider appointment for head or porta potti for your better half...

Yeah so I can afford to pay around 7 ish for the boat. Still trying to figure out what I can do annually. I’m going to hold off till winter when everything gets cheaper and see what I can afford then. The reason I was leaning towards the sub 20’ is fuel economy and maitnance cost. Plus whatever I’m buying is gonna be old. I’d much rather replace a 40 horse than a 100 plus.