Do I Keep It?

[JEBar]

Re: Do I Keep It?

if you aren't sure, it might pay to wait until you are .... over the years most folks have held on to something that they would later wonder they hadn't let it go sooner .... the converse of that is also true with selling something and later regretting it .... once you are certain either way, it tends to be much easier to live with the decision

Jim

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Do I Keep It?

I would keep it.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Do I Keep It?

could it be the boat or the type of boat thats the reason you are not getting out as often as you would like. i had a large pontoon that seemed to take time to prep and get ready and you are already looking at driving to the parents house to pick it up before preping for the water. i sold the pontoon and got a small tinny that i didnt love and thats what made it special. i could go ram it into the reeds and go in shallow places that the pontoon wouldnt go or i wouldnt take it because it could get scatched. the tinny had a 5 min prep time from the moment i decied to go to the time it was hooked up ready to go. now i have a bassboat and its great except the prep is again stopping me from popping out after work as i fell i need a whole day to make the prep worth while. funny that i could fish with in 1000 yards of a dock in the tinny but i fell i have to run at least 5 miles in the bassboat to catch the same fish.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do I Keep It?

Sounds like you need to move - not sell the boat

I agree--in principle. I don't have snow skiing equipment even though I used to like skiing becuase it's 4 hours to the closest slope 7 hours to a decent one, expensive once you get there, who has free weekends, and there's only snow 3 months a year, and it interferes with Christmas and duck hunting.

Yadda yadda yadda

the point is, some parts of the country aren't for snow skiiers. Some isn't for boaters. If you don't have water within a few miles, take a hint.
And i've had busy times in my life, especially when there were babies about, that even living on the water, no boating or hunting to speak of. That's life.
Things will settle down and you can get back to it.

Now you claim it costs you $40 a year to keep a boat. That's free. That's a movie with popcorn. Keep it. everyone else in the world is paying storage, taxes, insurance and maintenance.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Do I Keep It?

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[jjohnson120]

Re: Do I Keep It?

I agree with a lot of what's said. I've had the thought of selling it and buying something easier. Just not sure what that is. I had a ski boat and sold it for the pontoon because it was easier with more people. The closest lake is 45 minutes and I used to go all the time when I had a single jet ski. I had thought about getting a pair on a double trailer but instead opted for the boat. I like being able to take the whole family but sometimes it would be easier with a couple of skis.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do I Keep It?

I like being able to take the whole family but sometimes it would be easier with a couple of skis.

i see a lot of new boat shoppers who (apparently) start with a head count of the whole extended family plus a couple friends and then say "I'm looking for a boat that will hold 10-12 I can use tubing and fishing (with everyone aboard) for under $8000." Then they find the days are few and far between, after the first month, that they actually have 10 aboard.

As you now know, the bigger the boat, the bigger the cost and more important the bigger the hassle with the whole trailer thing. That's why people put big ones in the water and leave them there.

So unless you are on big water I say look at having 2 smaller boats instead of one big one. One for the boring grown-ups to sit around on and one for the active teens (and adults who act that way) to tube and race around. Take one for small crowds and two for big crowds (you already committed to supplying others with a spot on a boat when you bought a big one). And more than likely one will be broken down and the other will work!

The wife or other adult can operate one at any time; if your children are 15+ and trained they can too. if they are 16 they can drive the other tow vehicle (and you don't need big ones for small boats). If you haven't taught your wife and children (of age: 12+) how to operate a boat you have made a tactical error.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Do I Keep It?

Boat owner meet snowmobile owner. They sat 364 days last year. Just part of living with short seasons. When boating is in your blood, the words sell the boat never are spoken unless it is accompanied by 'and buy a bigger, newer one with more power. I consider a $9k a rounding error.

What he said.....

Judging by your original post, it sounds like you're using it to me. Heck, you get out more than I do and I will always have a boat. So, unless you're sick of boating and it isn't fun anymore, keep it! I can see how trailering a pontoon could be a hassle. As far as the 2 boat thing, I wouldn't do it. Twice the problems, twice the maintenance etc.... That would get old in a hurry.......

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do I Keep It?

What you might want to look for is an aluminum car port to put up so you have a covered area to tinker on your boat, keeps it out of the elements, and it is ready to go when you are. I am glad that when I built my house I built a "special hole" for my boat and tow vehicle. It is nice being able to back the boat in on the trailer with the tow vehicle, close the door, and be ready to go in the morning. Really great for cold weather outings (hunting, winter fishing before lake freezes over, etc.).

The right boat makes a world of difference also. When I had my bassboat the wife never wanted to go, she just didn't feel comfortable. With the dual console she is happy with the boat, loves the security, loves being able to take friends along for an outing and I love the fact I can use it for fishing and hunting with easy clean-up. Now she asks when we are going.

Just throwing out some thoughts ... YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BECAUSE IT IS YOUR BOAT AND LIFE! Our decisions only work for us ...

 

[emoney]

Re: Do I Keep It?

You know, I can feel what you're saying, I've been there. I've sold TOO MANY Harleys over the years because of this exact reason: not getting enough use to justify the cash. And I think it's even a tougher thing when we own them outright because "they're not costing anything". But they are, in fact, tying up cash. I miss each one of those bikes every time I see one, however. The solution for me, as it applies to boating at least (haven't solved it for the bike yet), was to "down size", just like you're thinking. I now own a boat that's worth less than $5k on a good day. Still a great boat and I still make sure it's perfectly operational and cosmetically pleasing. But, having less money makes it a LOT easier to "not use". For me, going to 2 jet skis wouldn't have worked because of lack of use in cooler weather, but that doesn't mean it's no right for you. Tons of older fish/ski's or deck boats or even pontoons out there that you can buy for a lot less than $9k. Sell yours, buy the cheaper one and put the cash difference somewhere else.

Now, if I could just find a $3500 Harley that I liked (and yes, I'm too big for a Sportster) life would be good!

 

[jjohnson120]

Re: Do I Keep It?

I'm torn because I like going to the lake, I like the pontoon on the water because it gives us better space and versatility. I don't like hauling it really, and I don't like that it's not at my house. I'd build a carport, but that's against the covenants in my neighborhood. I think it's dumb but they'd rather it be under a tarp than a carport. This boat is lighter than my 18' fiberglass boat was, but it's sheer size I think is what makes it so difficult. I've thought about keeping it at a lake, but that's so expensive and we usually go to many different lakes, so I'm not sure how feasible that would be. Lastly whenever we go to the lake we end up driving across the lake and then beaching it. I mean it almost feels pointless to me, but I know we couldn't get to the spot without a boat, but once we get there I feel like we don't use the boat that much. My parents have a jet ski and honestly we use that more when we go out (we almost always take both). I guess my thought on having a pair of jet ski's would allow us to go to the lake, set up on some beach and then we could all take turns on the jet skis. I don't know I'm just rattling at this point cause I do like having a boat and don't necessarily want to get rid of it, but at the same time I'd like to use whatever I got, if that makes sense.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do I Keep It?

as more info comes in, bit by bit: You have a boat for a single purpose: transportation of several people to a destination. Your pontoon sounds like the right boat. A pontoon "mothership" and jet ski is a good combo and fits the "2+ boat theory" I suggested.

Sounds like the real issue is not the boat itself but whether you want to commit to owning that large piece of equipment to be able to do that one activity. The same issue arises when someone buys an RV to go to college football games and find they use it 3-4 times a year; hold it the other 350 days of the year. Worth it? that's personal. In theory renting makes more sense but that is usually not a real option for boats.

 

[emoney]

Re: Do I Keep It?

Y'up, having the "whole story" always helps, lol. The question that would come up next is, how does everyone "get to the beach" if you don't have a pontoon? Was this purchase solely your decision, or was it one of those, "You know what you should do" things? Maybe you sell the expensive pontoon, buy a cheaper one and one jet-ski? Leave the pontoon at the lake, bring the jetski home?

 

[jjohnson120]

Re: Do I Keep It?

It all started when I bought my first jet ski, a '96 Sea-Doo XP. I had never owned any type of watercraft before, and had only been to the lake 2 or 3 times before. This is definitely not something I grew up doing, more or less something I always wanted to get into. I really enjoyed the Ski, but like I said before throwing a jet ski on the back of the truck and dragging it to the lake was super easy and I'd do it a few times after work. Then later on I got the notion that I wanted a boat. I could only take one person with me on the ski, and anyone that has owned an XP knows they really aren't even 2 people friendly. So I sold it and bought an 18' ski boat with a mercury 3.0 and alpha one. I really enjoyed the boat, it wasn't fast, but allowed me to do the watersports everybody else was always insisting on. The next summer I was riddled with issues with the boat. I spent half my time just keeping it running. Finally one trip I had a terrible experience, motor caught on fire (still not completely sure why), luckily I had the fire extinguisher close to put it out, but after the boat wouldn't run, and honestly I was kind of afraid for it to. After several hours of trying to get anyone to see my signals, hear my air horn or whistle, i got someone to pull me in. When I got it home my girlfriend and I were honestly pretty shaken up. Her more so, but she told me then, sell it, I never want to experience that again. I got the boat fixed, sold it at the peak of the season, and ended up breaking even. Very lucky IMO.

I still wanted a boat and everyone wanted me to get a pontoon. I really wasn't that into it because I still wanted something with decent speed. I looked into tritoons but just thought that 1. they were too big for what I really need and 2. way over my budget. My parents said if I bought a pontoon they'd buy a jet ski so we could have the best of both worlds. So I ended up with my boat and honestly I have enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I really thought after I bought it that I had messed up, but I gave it a chance and it's been a great boat. I bought it from the original owner, had less than 50 hours on it and really as close to a 'like-new' boat as you could get. I hate to get rid of it cause I don't know that I could find one as good for the price, but at the same time if there was something I could get that I would use more often, I'd be better off.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do I Keep It?

It sounds to me that a deck boat would be more your style ... best combination of the pontoon and ski boat. Hang on to the pontoon but keep looking for a decent deck at the right price. It might take a year or two to find just what you want at the price you want, but you will find it. It took me 2 1/2 years to find my dual console, but glad I waited ... 2 years ago, a '98, 19 footer with a 115 Johnson, 9.9 Evinrude, and MinnKota electric motor plus trailer in the 5K range. I was happy, still am.

 

[HopinImFloatin]

Re: Do I Keep It?

never sell a toy unless the money is used to buy another toy, learned that lesson a long time ago.Leaves you with no toys. now im making up for lost time

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do I Keep It?

never sell a toy unless the money is used to buy another toy, learned that lesson a long time ago.Leaves you with no toys. now im making up for lost time

a smart monkey doesn't let go of one branch until he has his hand on another.

 

[jjohnson120]

Re: Do I Keep It?

I appreciate the perspective. I'm going out on the lake this weekend so I'll see how I feel after that. Work is wearing me down right now and I just need some relaxation.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Do I Keep It?

I tried to live w/o a boat thinking along the same lines as you, and that lasted 1 season. After I realized what a mistake that was I ended up grabbing a nice replacement boat, and another one to restore. I am now convinced that I will go to my grave as a boat owner, and will never make that mistake of thinking I can get by w/o one. Even if I use it once a year, I can easily justify it.
The therapy and cost of to recover from that 1 year w/o was almost as much as the darn new boat!! LOL!!

Don't sell your boat, learn from my mistakes

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Do I Keep It?

isnt there a boat that you park the jet ski in the back as the power plant then when you get where you are going you unclip the jet ski?