Re: Looking for advice on economical first boat
start out with an aluminum boat, 14-16 ft with somewhere around a 15-25 hp motor. they are easy to handle and wont go through a ton of gas.
Great advice. This is the perfect type starter boat, will do what you need except for tubing/skiing. You can bang it around it'll take a licking.
just remember one thing: outboards are EXPENSIVE to fix. and they are finicky.
Not true. Motors are expensive but outboards are not any more expensive to fix than an inboard/outboard. In fact, I often find that outboards are cheaper because they are easier to access. They don't break down more often and in fact, if you get the right motor they are extremely simple to maintain and fix.
When you get into 25+ year old boats its very hard to make any suggestions as far as reliablility
Great point. Just find a boat that looks like it has been well-maintained. If the boat is still floating after 30-40+ years, it is going to last a few more.
Anything OMC I wouldn't want(not made anymore parts/mechanics hard to find)
Maybe in Utah, but most places OMC motors are just fine. Johnson and Evinrude motors will be the most likely pairings with boats from the 60s and 70s. Lots of places repair them and you can get the parts anywhere because lots of people own them and they go forever. I've owned OMC motors from 1962, 1972, and 1979. They all worked great, maintenance was simple, and the repairs were easy. Now, not all shops work on older motors but it's usually not too hard to find one that will.
In general, I agree with most of the comments made here. However, your desire to buy a 1960s/70s boat, on a budget, that is in good shape, and strong enough to pull skiers is a tall order. You'll likely find beat up boats of that age with big motors, but for your budget they'll be in poor condition. Fiberglass boats typically weigh more and provide a better ride, but aluminum is lighter and cheaper and many find the handling difference to be negligible. You'll be fine with either but in the beginning, you might want to go aluminum before buying that nice fiberglass boat.
My suggestion is to concentrate on a good 1970s/80s boat with an older, smaller motor up to a 40hp. This will get you and your wife out on the water for pleasure boating and fishing. My wife and I did that for our first five years and then upgraded to a new 90hp that could pull tubes and skiers. I put my share of dings and dents into those earlier boats while I learned the ropes. Even now, I recently made a minor mistake while working on my lower unit and it turned into a major consequence when the main bearing seized, costing me $1,200 worth of repairs. A small motor won't rack up those kind of repair costs because you can just buy another $500 motor! Do yourself a favor and start small and work your way up. You'll be happier in the end.
I like trying to do the improbable. I'm also building an early 331 Chrysler Hemi for another project and trying to do that on the cheap. Alas, when its all said and done, toys do cost time and money...
