Overwhelmed: I want to buy my first boat and have been researching for months and am no closer to making a decision. I have a teenager and two small children (wife included) and feel I need a cabin cruiser but not sure of the size. I am two hours from the beach and would prefer to trailer (as most Marina fees near me are $11/foot) I have a Totyota 4-Runner with a wt distribution hitch (7k tow capacity). I'm not ruling out a marina kept boat. Then there is the buy the boat and take a boating course vs. take a boating course and then buy a boat (can you take a course without a boat?) Any Advice would be appreciated
Overwhelmed: I want to buy my first boat
- Thread starter wholby
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Don't forget the most important thing: money. After you decide what you want to spend for buying and how much you can spend a month on maintenance, then you can go on the internet and see what are your choices within your budget.
Second step could be to find out what you really want to do with the family: cruising, fishing, overnights, diving etc. Based on your budget, you can choose the boats that fit your need. No boat is perfect. You will have to make compromises.
I have owned a trailer boat before and now a very small cabin cruiser. I enjoyed both.
Most trailer boats are open fishermans. You don't see too many cabin cruisers pulled on the road. The main reason is weight. A 25 footer weighs over 5,000#. You add gear, gas and the weight of the trailer and you are about at your limit. I would avoid towing the maximum capacity. Launching and recovering boats over 5,000# is not fun. At least, not fun after a while.
If you want to trail and have a great time, keeping your boat at home, it would be preferable to have something light. After all, outboards are cheaper and easier to maintain. If you want a cruiser, factor in marina costs.
As for courses, I would suggest you take the course before buying the boat. The Auxiliary Coast Guard or the Power Squadron offer great classes. At least take the safety class which last only one full day.
Also, buy yourself a Chapman book.
Second step could be to find out what you really want to do with the family: cruising, fishing, overnights, diving etc. Based on your budget, you can choose the boats that fit your need. No boat is perfect. You will have to make compromises.
I have owned a trailer boat before and now a very small cabin cruiser. I enjoyed both.
Most trailer boats are open fishermans. You don't see too many cabin cruisers pulled on the road. The main reason is weight. A 25 footer weighs over 5,000#. You add gear, gas and the weight of the trailer and you are about at your limit. I would avoid towing the maximum capacity. Launching and recovering boats over 5,000# is not fun. At least, not fun after a while.
If you want to trail and have a great time, keeping your boat at home, it would be preferable to have something light. After all, outboards are cheaper and easier to maintain. If you want a cruiser, factor in marina costs.
As for courses, I would suggest you take the course before buying the boat. The Auxiliary Coast Guard or the Power Squadron offer great classes. At least take the safety class which last only one full day.
Also, buy yourself a Chapman book.
Start with the course, then buy the boat. The course will help you narrow down your options and make you a more informed buyer. Go to a boat show, bring your wife. Figure out what you both like, and then go find a similar used boat.
Marina fees are expensive, but marina life in my opinion is definitely worth the expense. Plus, you can avoid the costs associated with towing, which aren't that cheap either.
Marina fees are expensive, but marina life in my opinion is definitely worth the expense. Plus, you can avoid the costs associated with towing, which aren't that cheap either.
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Certainly take the boating safety class and then sign up for a seamanship class from either the Power Squadron or CG Aux. The nice thing about being in these classes is getting together with other new boaters and sharing experiences. Classes are taught by seasoned boaters who have been around the water and have lots to share and can be a good resource.
I've signed up for the online ABC course. I know we want a cruiser to do some weekend travelling and a some fishing. I've looked at just about every make and model from 24-33 foot. I am worried anything bigger than 26 feet is going to be way too much boat for my first boat, boat if I plan to stay overnight on it with a family of 5, I'm not sure I can go with a 26'. With travel and prep time to get to the water, it's almost a mandatory overnight trip. I live on a small lake (130 acres), but I'm more interested in coastal travel.
Our home lake is 60 miles from the house.My Dodge Ram hemi will pull our 2450 easily but with the price of gas so high I rented an enclosed boat storage unit for$50 a month.It's only 1/4 mile from the boat ramp.It works out just great! When we boat we either anchor out or tie up at the bank,if we feel like we just have to dock at the marina it's only $20 a night.So to be perfectly honest you CAN enjoy owning a cruiser with out the high cost of an annual slip at the marina.
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I'm with Joe on buying a good used boat, maybe 2-3 years old.
This way when you want to move up in 2 years you won't get totally clobbered.
Jonathan
This way when you want to move up in 2 years you won't get totally clobbered.
Jonathan
If you have a 7k tow capacity, that means the most the boat can weigh is about 5k, the trailer, fuel and gear will easily add another 2000 lbs. I can't think of many boats in that weight range that can sleep 5. Also, towing for 2 hrs one way will wear on you. We used to tow about 75 minutes to Sebago Lake, and I know I wouldn't want to do much more than that. You might have to take the plunge and get a bigger marina kept boat, but as others have suggested, take the courses first.
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Ditto on the used boat. Let the original owner take the depreciation hit. You can then get more boat for the same money.
If you go the used boat route, as I should have done, be sure to have a marine surveyor check it over. The can give you a report on the condition of the boat down to very minute items.
Good luck.
If you go the used boat route, as I should have done, be sure to have a marine surveyor check it over. The can give you a report on the condition of the boat down to very minute items.
Good luck.
That is the bare minimum for knowledge about boating. Taking the time, along with your wife and older child, to go to a class will prepare you much better for buying and using a boat. It is an investment of your time which is well worth it!
http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/courses.htm
Also, after you buy your boat, get used to using it and docking, etc, in the lake near you. Wait for next year to take it to coastal waters......
With a family of 5 you are going to be very hard pressed to enjoy sleeping overnight very often if at all in a trailerable boat. Additionally if you are serious about coastal cruising then you really need to look for something larger if you can afford it.
Generally it is better to grow into a boat instead of out of it by getting 2'itus, buy the largest you can afford and hire a cert. capt. to help you get used to your new ride.
SeaQuest OE
Generally it is better to grow into a boat instead of out of it by getting 2'itus, buy the largest you can afford and hire a cert. capt. to help you get used to your new ride.
SeaQuest OE
So far I haven't seen any mention of your background for boating. If it's the case that you haven't been out on boats at all, then I would suggest starting out with day charters. Just to see if boating is really what you expect. Instead of rushing into spending a lot of money buying a big boat.
Kelly Cook
Kelly Cook
Yeah, with 5 people, you will certainly need to think creatively for sleeping arrangements. It can be done, though. When I was a kid, my family spent every summer weekend on Buzzards Bay. We had a 24' boat with a v-berth and 2 foldout back-to-back seats in the cockpit (with a full enclosure). Parents were in the v-berth, a sisters on each of the foldout seats, and I slept on the floor between. And somehow we all loved it.
Get something with a mid-berth and make that the sleeping area for you and your wife. Stick 2 kids in the v-berth and the teenager in the cockpit or on the floor.
Get something with a mid-berth and make that the sleeping area for you and your wife. Stick 2 kids in the v-berth and the teenager in the cockpit or on the floor.
I have never owned a boat, although most of my family have and I've spent a fair amount of time on them over the yea. I am a water person and am looking for an activity that my family can share together--with the age differences in my children that's a tough find. I plan on purchasing a used boat for sure, and it seems from most of the above responses, probably a larger boat than I had planned. Now to the harder and I'm sure more opinionated questions/answers. Twin vs Single, i/o vs outboards and Make: I've looked at the Regal, Doral, Chaparral, Monterey, Rinker, Sea Ray and Four Winns. Each had something. The Rinker appeared more reasonably priced, but I've read some negative reviews. Are a/c and/or generators luxuries or fairly necessary for longer cruises? What is the big deal with vacuum flush/manual/marcerator heads? What are necessary electronics and what are just bells and whistles?
Also, what are thoughts on boating clubs? told you...overwhelmed...
Also, what are thoughts on boating clubs? told you...overwhelmed...
wholby,
Your budget will be the deciding factor, all of the boats you wrote about have their good and bad points, make you choice on what works best for you, everything is going to be a compromise.
Anything over 30' is generally going to be a twin engine boat unless you want a trawler. But before you do anything find the boat that works for you and your budget. Then hire a quality capt. to teach you how to safely operate your boat and learn the rest as you go along.
SeaQuest OE
Your budget will be the deciding factor, all of the boats you wrote about have their good and bad points, make you choice on what works best for you, everything is going to be a compromise.
Anything over 30' is generally going to be a twin engine boat unless you want a trawler. But before you do anything find the boat that works for you and your budget. Then hire a quality capt. to teach you how to safely operate your boat and learn the rest as you go along.
SeaQuest OE
It can be overwhelming, but try to enjoy the process. It should be exciting and fun, not anxiety-ridden. You don't need to answer all the questions at once!
Don't be afraid to look at boats that are not the mainstream entry-level production boats. For instance, consider the Albin 30 family cruiser (check their website). Great reputation, sleeps 5 easily. Probably not trailerable, though.
Also, try to keep it simple: simple boat with simple systems that you can figure out and understand without tearing your hair out.
Don't be afraid to look at boats that are not the mainstream entry-level production boats. For instance, consider the Albin 30 family cruiser (check their website). Great reputation, sleeps 5 easily. Probably not trailerable, though.
Also, try to keep it simple: simple boat with simple systems that you can figure out and understand without tearing your hair out.