Am I weird?

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

Only because with a large boat by MN standards, you are stuck boating rivers, Minnetonka and a few other large lakes. Even more so if you slip it. There are a lot of small Sea Rays because people fall prey to their marketing and lack of research to see that they are inferior compared to other boats of similar prices when new.

We love the river. Haven't boated Tonka, but heard the weekend scene there is like a zoo, and we live on the east end of town anyway.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

If there is one thing I have learned, the bigger the boat the less you'll use it.

If you want a water front cottage, buy a water front cottage and put a lift out front for the runabout. It will be cheaper in the long run.

We aren't interested in owning a cabin, but nice idea.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

We've gone up on boat size and use the flybridge boat more. It's a cottage we take to raft ups, beaches or even long trips. I think it's a ton of fun dropping anchor, using the inflatable on the now to poke around some islands and then BBQ, swim, relax.

However we are looking for a smaller performance boat to add to the fleet. A 21-23' liberator, formula, etc... Smaller boats are cheaper and easier to use, but the big boat is like a beach front cottage we can move.

That's the idea, but having both maybe be too $$$. Maybe someday. Will see.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

yes

LOL.
I know.
I need help.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

A couple of thoughts:
overnighting in a small cabin is like camping in a small tent. some like that; some don't.

keep a cabin boat in the water or you won't use it

when you compare different size boats, each one's advantage over the other is also a limitation. You can't sleep on the 16' you can't ski and fish from the cruiser. That's why you keep both. I believe that variety of activities is what keeps boating interesting and fun.

I don't know much about Minnesota but I think you have a short boating season. But boat payments and maintenance/storage is not seasonal. IOW you lock up a lot of dollars from the "recreation/vacation" line on the budget on something you can't use much.

OTOH a cabin allows you to extend the season. Look into how to protect the boat from a 30* night so you can use it the next day when it's 50*.

Yeah. Short season. In MN those who boat curse the cold rainy days and revel in the nice days.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

21'/22' Starcraft Chieftan in an original configuration. That gives a counter top that an alcohol stove could be placed. with storage and an ice box below. Fresh water sink with a pump ( nothing fancy. I don't remember if they have a grey water tank or just drained overboard, but IIRC the fresh water tank is below the sink. When my dad had his, he ripped the sink out.. The Chiefs are nice because like many older cuddies, the cabin top is above the hull..

Easy to trailer, economical for a boat, and being light, they are not hard to load as long as the marina/ launch is in a cove or without current. Anything with a current, is a different story.

Will look into; haven't seen any that I know of around here. Thanks.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Am I weird?

I would look at a pocket cruiser. The woman loves having a proper toilet, hot water, heat and A/C. It makes for some nice weekend adventures. Though I will be honest. I do miss just throwing my bow rider in the lake for an afternoon, blasing around the lake and going home. Some how when I spent more money on a larger boat with all of the features above I feel more obligated to use it and get bummed out if a weekend goes by where I don't use it. I have gone two weekends without using it, this weekend I am hell bent on going out no matter what.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Am I weird?

Now I am thinking I'd like a 'cabin on the water,' somewhere I can hang out and oh yeah, occasionally untie and motor around a little. So now I'm thinking a cheaper Cuddy (27 ft or less, nothing new or fancy). My question is this- am I crazy to want a boat for a getaway and would it be weird to keep the runabout?

Not weird at all. That is exactly what I plan to do (although maybe I am weird too...). We have a 19' BR and as soon as my kids finish college (only 3 years to go -- woohoo), I plan to get a 30 to 35 footer to keep in the harbor year round. We will keep the BR for water sports and use the bigger boat for some cruising, but mostly as our oceanfront condo. Can't afford an actual oceanfront condo.

 

[jkust]

Re: Am I weird?

We love the river. Haven't boated Tonka, but heard the weekend scene there is like a zoo, and we live on the east end of town anyway.

On Tonka, it depends on where you go but yep it can be a zoo. My wife's sister did the whole Tonka thing for years competing to always have the biggest boat on the lake and got sick of it and the people and their swinging ways. We tend to trailer the sig boat to various up north lakes and up until know, liked the variety. We'd head to my inlaws cabin near Mille Lacs then pick a lake for the day and come back in the evening. We have gotten sick of the whole trailering scene and are in the process of shopping for lake homes. While we like variety, my disdain for trailering is starting to overpower that. My only issue with a big boat....(Im betting most folks on here don't realize we don't do big boats in MN as they are 99.999% twenty feet and under in this state), is you get sick of the same scenery as on a river or really any body of water over and over. The nice thing is that any boat with a cuddy is so out of demand, you can get very high end, large boats just a few years old for a steal. I've seen some several hundred thousand dollar Formulas and others in the late 2000's for just a steal. The bigger the boat, the better the deal for a lot of reasons.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

I would look at a pocket cruiser. The woman loves having a proper toilet, hot water, heat and A/C. It makes for some nice weekend adventures. Though I will be honest. I do miss just throwing my bow rider in the lake for an afternoon, blasing around the lake and going home. Some how when I spent more money on a larger boat with all of the features above I feel more obligated to use it and get bummed out if a weekend goes by where I don't use it. I have gone two weekends without using it, this weekend I am hell bent on going out no matter what.

What's a pocket cruiser? A smaller cruiser? Yeah, a 16.5 ft boat is super easy to haul and 'blast' around the river & lakes. We get kinda beat up on the river, though it's fun to ride the wake of the gas guzzlers.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

Trailering gets old, esp on the popular lakes. And people can be rude. Launching on the river is not usually a problem, as so many people (they tell me) have gotten out of boating since the recession. Your comment re: getting some steals is true. We've noticed there is a lot out there --many are getting out of boating and unloading for a steal. And there are the others who think once its a 5-10 yr old boat it's time to buy new. I plan to keep my little Stingray but keep an eye open for a steal. In no rush. Enjoying the water!

 

[Air Traffic]

Re: Am I weird?

We have a little place on Lake Huron, also a 27 ft boat I keep in a marina 3 miles away along with a 9 ft Achilles with a 5hp on the back. Some nights we may sit around and have a few cocktails with the "marina family" and we stay on the boat, other days we take the boat anywhere from 30 to 60 miles to go have lunch or just anchor and swim. We also have 2 older jet skis that I can trailer or keep at the marina for a few days at a time when we are staying up 'at the lake", we especially enjoy them when the waves get around 3 or 4 ft. Guess what I'm saying is that if you like the water and have the time to enjoy it, go ahead and get a cabin but keep the runabout too, you can never have too many options on the lake.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Am I weird?

Just funnin' with ya neighbor!:lol:

 

[Silverton34c]

Re: Am I weird?

We have a little place on Lake Huron, also a 27 ft boat I keep in a marina 3 miles away along with a 9 ft Achilles with a 5hp on the back. Some nights we may sit around and have a few cocktails with the "marina family" and we stay on the boat, other days we take the boat anywhere from 30 to 60 miles to go have lunch or just anchor and swim. We also have 2 older jet skis that I can trailer or keep at the marina for a few days at a time when we are staying up 'at the lake", we especially enjoy them when the waves get around 3 or 4 ft. Guess what I'm saying is that if you like the water and have the time to enjoy it, go ahead and get a cabin but keep the runabout too, you can never have too many options on the lake.

Get the cabin boat...It is a new style of boating from the day cruising....you will be doing things you never could before...btw, if it has cooking facilities and a permanent head, you can write off the interest on your loan (if you have one) as a second home. We moved from day boating to weekend boating...It is nice to go to a new spot and spend the weekend adventuring

 

[agallant80]

Re: Am I weird?

A pocket cruiser is a small cruiser boat around 25 feet or so.

 

[jkust]

Re: Am I weird?

Trailering gets old, esp on the popular lakes. And people can be rude. Launching on the river is not usually a problem, as so many people (they tell me) have gotten out of boating since the recession. Your comment re: getting some steals is true. We've noticed there is a lot out there --many are getting out of boating and unloading for a steal. And there are the others who think once its a 5-10 yr old boat it's time to buy new. I plan to keep my little Stingray but keep an eye open for a steal. In no rush. Enjoying the water!

I really wished we had use for a larger boat. Even only $80,000 to $100,000 is a pretty nice cuddy. When you think about what even a fully loaded new, 19 foot, premium boat brand costs...that is a steal considering you get multiples more boat. The other thing is our season is so amazingly short. Not even considering our three month summer (this year it was more like 2 month), subtract bad weather, work trips, kids summer sports and tournaments, fall sports that start in August, fall sports training that starts in July, just not in the mood to boat, and it's hard for me to justify a big boat even if we wanted one.

 

[CWKboat]

Re: Am I weird?

I started out 20 years ago with a 15 foot tri-hull. Then moved up to another 18 ft early 70s tri-hull. Then lastly and a "newer" '02 21ft. bowrider. All with Older Evinrude and Mercury outboards, and a lot of lessons learned here and on the water.

I say that to illustrate that sometimes the gradual step-ups are better over time, and give the boater experience and perhaps perspective. Going from 16.5 ft to the different animal of a larger, slipped boat is a quantum leap in some ways.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

Just funnin' with ya neighbor!:lol:

I know, heehee. I can take it. I grew up with 3 older brothers. And I agree, "GET IN, SIT DOWN< SHUT UP, and HANG ON!" I think boats are better for midlife crisises than sportscars! You can go fast and not get a ticket.

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

I really wished we had use for a larger boat. Even only $80,000 to $100,000 is a pretty nice cuddy. When you think about what even a fully loaded new, 19 foot, premium boat brand costs...that is a steal considering you get multiples more boat. The other thing is our season is so amazingly short. Not even considering our three month summer (this year it was more like 2 month), subtract bad weather, work trips, kids summer sports and tournaments, fall sports that start in August, fall sports training that starts in July, just not in the mood to boat, and it's hard for me to justify a big boat even if we wanted one.

Agreed, mn boating season is short, so it is a passion, and you can't add up the dollars or you won't do it. I don't have kids in sports, so that's not an issue for me. You can actually get a nice boat for well under $80k. There are a ton out there. Though I met a guy who spent $140k on a 2008 36 ft SeaRay. I would never spend that on a boat but it's his cabin, his kids are little, and he & his spouse make a ton of money. I don't want a boat that big, cuz slip fees alone would make me cry. His attitude was right though, he doesn't expect his investment to make money or appreciate, but build family memories. I think his motto is "Go BIG or go home."

 

[JillyP]

Re: Am I weird?

True. Am looking to move up (if at all) to a newer, slightly bigger boat. I guess I have 2 foot-itis. We get really beat up on the river. And like I said, easy to trailer and cheap to run. Even a whole day of boating (not sitting on the beach), we use less than a tank of gas! Boating can be reasonably priced sport or can get expensive quickly.