Am I an idiot for even considering this?

[Bob_VT]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Well going from LG to Champlain if you have a trailer it should not be hard at all. South Bay outside of Whitehall on Rt 22 has a beautiful ramp except you might not make the clearance under the RR bridge (I can not even believe that was not taken in to account when it was built) ....... or you can launch in VT or other ramps in NY for free. Once you are in Champlain you can "lock" your way South or go North into big water.

If you have a trailer and something that will handle it it should not break the bank.

Sea Ray is a very nice boat. You have a PM

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Thanks, Bob.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

If you want something to have 4 adults spend the weekend on, I'd be looking at least at a 27' boat or larger. The downside to your predicament is that a 27+ft boat is a lot to handle by yourself, so you better have a spouse who's willing to be a good deckhand!

The good news is, the cost of maintenance and overhaul usually won't bite you quite as hard as the aircraft engines do, and it's usually a much cheaper annual inspection! I would just look at and walk around in/on as many different models as you can to find what you'll like. It seem like the cruiser industry underwent a design change for most manufacturers in the mid-90's, so you'll see quite a few changes in the shapes and layouts around that period.

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Thanks!

Now you raise another question.

Whatever I buy, I expect to spend a fair amount of time on the boat by myself. Besides something to share with family and friends, I'm seeing this as a kind of refuge for me at times and a quiet place to go work with my laptop while anchored someplace quiet.

If I get a 27' boat, will I be unable to manage it by myself? The things I'd be doing by myself would likely be pretty simple -- leaving the slip, cruising, anchoring someplace, maybe heading someplace for lunch, etc. If I wouldn't be able to handle a 27' Sea Ray by myself, that would really put a crimp in my evil plans.

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Phew!

<wipes worry from brow!>

Thanks. I understand the need to learn a boat and get experience. My experience in aviation has convinced me of the need to go into these things with an attitude that stresses proper training and safety. But I do want to have a boat that I can eventually handle alone, especially on the Lake.

Thanks again!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

peice of cake in fair weather..... I trailered my 25' carver and generally went out on my own most of the time.... You need to find a couple boats to go out on sea trial or ride with a friend..... you will be hard pressed to find a boat owner that wouldn't take ya out for some gas money which brings up a point.... Expect 1-1.5 mpg That's about what these cruisers get

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

you will be hard pressed to find a boat owner that wouldn't take ya out for some gas money which brings up a point.... Expect 1-1.5 mpg That's about what these cruisers get

I had been trying hard not to find that number... ... I figured that it was going to be something that I didn't want to know.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Yeah, the 1-1.5mpg doesn't quite have the same ring that your 8-10gph C172 does, lol. Although gas is slightly cheaper not having to shell out $4.50 for 100LL. As far as not being able to handle the boat by yourself, I was referring to you starting out. As you gain time/experience in the boat you should be able to manuever it in about any space the boat will fit, especially if you get one with twin drives.

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

And planes can fly in straight lines! I figured out one time that I could fly to Boston for slightly less gas than I'd use in the car. Won an argument (and a beer) with that one.

I do appreciate all of the comments and advice and cautions. With the economy the way it is, I've been assuming that I'll be able to find some hot-shot college kid up at the Lake who has been around boats his whole life and needs work and might be interested in spending some time teaching me how to handle a boat. Or maybe someone older who is retired and has some time. With 10% unemployment, it must be possible to find someone qualified who would like to earn some extra money.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

As an airplane owner you will understand when I explain what BOAT actually means.

B-O-A-T = Break Out Another Thousand

There is also an old adage that goes like this. "The two best days in the life of a boat owner is the day the boat was purchased and the day it was sold!"

That said, everything is relative. Do what you need to do and live the experience. If you never do it you never know what you missed (although sometimes that's a good thing).

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

if you look up boat in the dictionary I have heard that it says:
Boat: noun, A hole in the water usually constructed of wood metal or fiberglass into which money is thrown.

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

I am completely convinced that the definition in the dictionary must also include wording similar to:

"Variant: see 'airplane', often called a 'hole in the air' into which you throw money."

 

[Bronc Rider]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Another thing to take into account is engine/drive combo. Some of the units to avoid are Mercruiser 470's (3.7 liter aluminum I4 engine), any ford powered sterndrive boats and all OMC sterndrive boats.
OMC has been out of business for over a decade so parts and techs are not as easy to find. When you do find the parts they are priced higher. Ford left the sterndrive market over ten years ago too. Some parts specific to Fords can only be purchased used if you manage to find them. The Merc 470 has several issues that will be very annoying to deal with. Some of the cruisers from the 1980's had twin 470's. The 470 used a lot of different names but the displacement stayed at 3.7 liters so be sure you dont end up with one of those disasters.
Stick with Chevy engines outfitted by Merc or Volvo Penta. Get the biggest engine you can. The little engines have to rev/work harder so mielage stays about the same between big and small displacement. The bigger engines will plane a hull much quicker and have higher top speeds.
The maintenance on a boat is not really that bad. It only gets ridiculous when you find a neglected one. Simple things that get neglected on boats turn to big expensive problems down the line.
Good luck with your search and welcome aboard!

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Thanks very much!

The boat I'm looking at tomorrow has twin MerCruiser 205s. Not so huge for a 27' boat, I know, but I'd be happy to learn that they were in good condition.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Go for it. Go to you local marina and start talking to owners of similar boats to what you are looking for. No different than hanging out at your FBO. You will get lots of advice most of which will be good.

A boat 27 or so feet is not a problem to handle by yourself once you get used to it. Just remember not to try docking it the first few times on a windy day. Just like crosswind landings it takes a little experience, work up to it gradually. If you can fly boating is easy. One less axis to work in and if you are lost you can always stop and take your time to read the chart. If you do all the alowable work on your plane keeping a boat maintained will be a piece of cake for you.

My A&P mechanic was a great guy and would sign off my work on pretty much anything I would tackle after he inspected it. My partner was an electronic engineer in a Navy research lab and was able to keep all the avionics working. Ended up selling the plane about eight years ago when I remarried and my new wife found out my share of the hanger rent and insurance wasn't really about 35 dollars a month as I had her believe for at least two years. Made her sell her Porsche that she had we we got married so the total savings on car insurance and flying costs made a big difference in our life styles.

Just remember the old saying "that the bolt that cost fifty cents for you car costs two dollars for your boat or ten dollars if it is for you airplane."

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

Ended up selling the plane about eight years ago when I remarried and my new wife found out my share of the hanger rent and insurance wasn't really about 35 dollars a month as I had her believe for at least two years.

Thanks! This feels like a new adventure. I've been really working hard on the instrument rating for a few months, so flying has been feeling a bit like work. I'm sure that will pass but right now lounging on the deck of a boat sure sounds pretty darned good.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

As an airplane owner you will understand when I explain what BOAT actually means.

B-O-A-T = Break Out Another Thousand

In aviation, we call that the AMU = Aviation Monetary Unit, since there isn't a whole lot involving aircraft that doesn't involve amounts of less than $1K, lol.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Am I an idiot for even considering this?

We call them "Boat Bucks". 1 Boat Buck = $100. It doesn't sound so bad when you tell the Admiral (wife) that you spent 5 Boat Bucks at the marine store.