First time buyers in the Wash DC area - Thanks in advance for reading and chiming in.

[teacher_dan]

Wow. I appreciate all the input and information. ​We decided to do a year at Columbia Island and see how it goes. If we really don't like it, we can pull the boat out and move it further south. If we started down south and ended up not liking boat ownership, we wouldn't know if it was because of the boat/owning a boat or because of the 30-40 minute drive every time we wanted to use the boat.

So, right now I am most concerned about is the weight of the boat and trailer. I feel that I can put most of the toys in the car, when towing, but I do need to make the assumption that I'll have at least 3/4 a tank of gas. How do I really make sure I'm buying a boat/trailer combo that will stay under 4500 lbs in real life conditions?

Thank again for all the information and suggestions. Please keep them going.

 

[oldjeep]

How do I really make sure I'm buying a boat/trailer combo that will stay under 4500 lbs in real life conditions?
Thank again for all the information and suggestions. Please keep them going.

At that weight I'd suggest a 19ft runabout. There is very little chance of keeping a 20ft wake boat under that weight, also be aware that the 5000lb tow limit on your Pilot likely factors in having the pilot empty of passengers and cargo. I would make a weigh in at a truck scale a condition of purchase if you try to get a wake boat. A single axle trailer will be a bit lighter, but with an undersized tow vehicle like a pilot you would be better off with a tandem.

 

[teacher_dan]

Thanks Old Jeep. That's a bit of depressing news.

 

[oldjeep]

Thanks Old Jeep. That's a bit of depressing news.

might be a good excuse to trade in the pilot

 

[JASinIL2006]

30-40 minutes of driving to use your boat is not bad! I have to drive about an hour to launch my boat. It's well worth it. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a slip 15 minutes from my house, but that's not an option. I'd be quite happy to only have a 30 minute drive...

 

[ssobol]

.... because of the 30-40 minute drive every time we wanted to use the boat. ....

If a 30-40 minute drive puts you off boating, you might not be cut out for it. As a boat owner, there are going to be a lot of things you will have to do other than riding around in the boat that will take a lot longer than 40 minutes, unless you hire someone else to do all that stuff.

I have to go at least an hour each way to use my boat and that does not include the time getting it in and out of the storage lot.

One thing about keeping the boat on a trailer rather than in a slip is that there are a lot of places to launch from and you can take your pick. If it is in a slip you tend to take out to the same place(s) every time. If you choose a slip in a place you don't care for you could be kind of stuck for awhile.

 

[dingbat]

People get turned off with boating because it's expensive and time consuming. It's not like a car you park in the garage and forget about until you want to drive it again. It's always something.

BOAT standards for Break out another thousand for a very god reason

Have you gotten quotes on putting bottom paint on yet? Not cheap....needs done every year if slipped.

 

[oldjeep]

People get turned off with boating because it's expensive and time consuming. It's not like a car you park in the garage and forget about until you want to drive it again. It's always something.

BOAT standards for Break out another thousand for a very god reason

Have you gotten quotes on putting bottom paint on yet? Not cheap....needs done every year if slipped.

Don't think I've ever seen anyone bottom paint a wakeboard boat - is the water he is talking about salt water? Pretty uncommon to see bottom paint on slipped boats where I live.

 

[teacher_dan]

Once again, I appreciate the continued information and suggestions. Keeping the boat in the water appeals to us, (1) because we have a very small driveway/no garage, and (2) living in the DC area (with DC traffic) could mean a 20 mile drive to a better boat ramp takes an hour. So we're going to give the marina up here a chance. If we don't like it, we'll think of it as a learning/growing year, and make different plans for next year.

I have not looked into bottom paint costs yet. When we purchase, I'll be sure to have that done before/when we buy the boat. Has anyone used the hydrophobic paints? I was reading about them in Boating magazine.

The wife and I have talked about upgrading the towing vehicle to something more capable. We don't anticipate towing that often, at least initially, so I think we'll just rent a larger tow vehicle, when we need it, for now.

 

[moosehead]

Even though we keep a slip for home port and our lake is the second largest in CO, we have really enjoyed exploring towing to new destinations, both nearby and as far as 8+ hours away. You have some great fresh water lakes in MD, VA, PA and bay alternatives in the area, and will want to take the new toy and check them out. Meanwhile, nice to have the safety and security of a sturdy tow vehicle, even for short hauls.

 

[teacher_dan]

moose head - I'm sure some lake and river exploration will take place in the not so distant future.

 

[ssobol]

I expect that any boat that spends most of the time in the water has bottom paint or is cleaned often. The paint usually just goes up to the still water level on the boat so might be difficult to see when the boat is at the dock. The bottom paint you put on should be appropriate to your use and the location (e.g. salt water, fresh water, warm, cold). Different paints are available for different conditions. Also, some areas prohibit certain types of bottom paints. You may find that if your boat is painted you may not be able to use it in some lakes (i.e. Lake George, NY prohibits boats with paint containing TBT unless is applied by a licensed pesticides applicator and applied within the state of NY).

P.S. If you keep your boat in Prince William county you do not have to pay personal property tax on it. There are 2 other counties in VA that have the same exemption, but I can't remember what they are. In VA the PPT on your car has some exemption which makes it pretty low compared to the accessed value. On a boat you have to pay the full amount.