new boater question

[colleen shiloh]

Ok... so... I've posted here a couple of times looking for advice buying a used boat in the $4k-6K range. But my husband and I are thinking about biting the bullet and buying a new boat. We are looking for something that we can use to tow a tube, fish, and swim off of. It needs to be easy to get into from the water, as we are not as young as we used to be! We have water access on a medium sized lake. We can spend about $20K. I have a few questions for you experienced and helpful boaters! - is there a boat make out there that has a reputation of being reliable and a generally good boat? Any manufacturers or things we should stay away from? Any particular boat you would recommend as a good first boat for this purpose? And are we in the right price range for a new boat? Would we be better off with a slightly used boat - is there a "window" in which boats depreciate in price but are still good quality with a lot of good years left in them? Your thoughts and advice are greatly appreciated!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: new boater question

a used outboard deckboat, sounds like it would fit your needs. Hurricane, is one brand.

http://www.hurricaneboats.com/hurricaneFDGS172ob.html

 

[joe09]

Re: new boater question

i bought a new angler 204 fx.it is a center console,that is great for fishing.you might look into the 180dc. it is a duel console. i like the high sides on any boat.the boat is well made and a lot of boat for the money.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: new boater question

"We are looking for something that we can use to tow a tube, fish, and swim off of. It needs to be easy to get into from the water, as we are not as young as we used to be!" this is why i recommended the deck boat, swimplatform.

 

[NCLakeboater]

Re: new boater question

A deckboat in that price range from Hurricane or NauticStar would be a good place to start.

 

[colleen shiloh]

Re: new boater question

By a deck boat, do you mean a pontoon boat? Our association does not allow pontoon boats on the ramp.... too big supposedly. So that's not an option, unfortunately.

 

[colleen shiloh]

Re: new boater question

Oh, duh... nevermind. I just saw the link. Thanks!:redface:

 

[NCLakeboater]

Re: new boater question

By a deck boat, do you mean a pontoon boat? Our association does not allow pontoon boats on the ramp.... too big supposedly. So that's not an option, unfortunately.

No, it's a fiberglass boat with the open floor plan of a pontoon boat but the handling of a sport boat. Like the the link that tashasdaddy posted above, Hurricane has a number of choices.

http://www.hurricaneboats.com/hurricaneFDGS172ob.html

http://www.hurricaneboats.com/hurricaneFDGS194ob.html

http://www.hurricaneboats.com/hurricanesd195ob.html

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: new boater question

this is my Chris Craft 23ft. bigger and more $ than you want to do. see the nice platform and ladder.

 

[idrownworms]

Re: new boater question

Sounds like a bass boat would fit you pretty good. They are easy to load and unload, lots of room to fish or kids to jump in the water, have enough power to pull a tube, and their low to the water so they are easy to climb into from the water. They come in different interior configurations so you can find what you need.
but it all comes down to you. Look at the available options in deckboats and bass boats and get what appeals to you.
OH and this is important when buying a used boat CHECK THE TRANSOM and floors to make sure it is not rotten
jamie

 

[colleen shiloh]

Re: new boater question

http://www.rockinghamboat.com/index.php?option=com_hotproperty&task=view&id=320&Itemid=33

Any opinions on this boat? Maybe it's a little too big for a newbie? Is the price right?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: new boater question

That boat looks awesome. Should meet your needs perfectly. May be a little large for a newbie to handle but hey, it will keep you from have 2ft-itis in a year or two! However, I think the price is way high for a 10 year old boat.

 

[colleen shiloh]

Re: new boater question

Yeah, I thought it looked nice, but the price seemed high for a 10 year old boat. Any idea of a ballpark price range that would be fair? If we went to look at it and liked it, I don't want to offend anyone, but I don;t want to get ripped off either.