Somebody please bring me back to reality...

[Steve91T]

I went from the 20' range up to a 1995, 33' Chris Craft Crown a few years ago. I love my Chris Craft, it has been a fantastic boat and we enjoy it a lot. Boats you are looking at will have roughly a lot of the same expenses and maintenance as my boat. Stuff just breaks, needs updating etc.

I split the boat with a friend of mine for 3 full seasons and we divided everything 50/50. We had to track everything to the penny. I will share our costs for the first few years. This includes everything from slip, to speakers to bilge pumps to hose clamps. It also includes most* fuel. Sometimes we'd just split it at the pump so add maybe $600 a year in fuel. Also - I do all maintenance possible. You can't do 100% of the maintenance because you'll have to have the boat pulled to do some of it.

I will post the yearly totals, if you want the details I'll try to figure out how to publish the spreadsheets.

Background:
We paid $25K for the boat in November of 2012. For all years below we did have a payment on the boat of $264 a month, slip rental was $260 a month. Fuel is about $1500 a year. Fuel is the cheap part.

We had no major issues during this time. Normal wear and tear. The weirdest $2K expense - we wrapped a rope up in the prop that had a metal clip on the end. It flung around, busted the covers off the outdrives and broke some linkage. I still put that in the normal wear and tear category.

2012 -

5,342 (we drove the boat 4 miles and winterized it)
2013 - 12,221
2014 - 9,410
2015 - 9,105

I have since bought out my friend and paid the boat off. I don't track the expenses anymore but I know they haven't gone down This year was the first year with bottom paint. Between that and the dive service I had a $4k April - again nothing was broken just maintenance.

For what it is worth, I have zero regrets buying the boat, and we've just figured out how to absorb the costs. ​

Wow thank you so much for taking the time to post that information. That helps tremendously. I'll send you a PM tomorrow night.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Steve, a new member has a 1957 40' Chris Craft Constellation http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...568-mercruiser-twin-inboards-backfire-stumble

you could find out exactly what is needed to keep these old wooden beauties afloat (from the proverbial horses mouth)

 

[redneck joe]

A boat for a whole season putting around and talking with the kids or a weekend at a crowded theme park being stressed out trying to do it all. I think your kids will be shaped better by the boating time. That is the formula i put together when we made the jump to big boats.


You will love the aft cabin layout, a friend had a 38'


I'd adjust your math to 1 mpg


We were about 5k per year just sitting, plus repairs, fuel, etc.


go boating

 

[Natesms]

I went ahead and copied the spreadsheets. I added a few things in from my original totals so they went up a bit. Still add a bit more onto what you see below for more miscellaneous stuff, plus more in fuel.

I might move this into it's own post too, I remember looking for examples when I was boat shopping and only found a few out there.

The first year is expensive as you make the boat "yours". There are a lot of things that could be cut from the expense list like LED Lights, stereo equipment, water mat, etc. However, that is the stuff that makes it fun. We also built a deck into our slip, put a sink and cabinet on it. It all adds up.

2012




2013





2014

 

[Steve91T]

Steve, a new member has a 1957 40' Chris Craft Constellation http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...568-mercruiser-twin-inboards-backfire-stumble

you could find out exactly what is needed to keep these old wooden beauties afloat (from the proverbial horses mouth)

Oh thank you. I love the Connie. I can't wait for him to post some pics.

 

[Steve91T]

I went ahead and copied the spreadsheets. I added a few things in from my original totals so they went up a bit. Still add a bit more onto what you see below for more miscellaneous stuff, plus more in fuel.

I might move this into it's own post too, I remember looking for examples when I was boat shopping and only found a few out there.

The first year is expensive as you make the boat "yours". There are a lot of things that could be cut from the expense list like LED Lights, stereo equipment, water mat, etc. However, that is the stuff that makes it fun. We also built a deck into our slip, put a sink and cabinet on it. It all adds up.

2012




2013





2014

Oh wow that's awesome information. Thank you for doing that.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Don't let anyone get between you and your dream. It sounds like you are able to afford this investment and have the skills to maintain a big old boat. Now having said that I coached High School Football some years back. When a 5'9" kid that hit the scales at 165 soaking wet, ran a 5 second 40 and wasn't really a special player would come to me and ask "Coach I have a dream, what do I have to do to get myself a full hop Football scholarship to University?" I cringed. No matter the drive, passion, desire and dedication the odds against the kid could not be quantified. It wasn't an impossibility that he would grow 5" over the summer and gain 45 pounds of muscle mass. Has it happened, yep, hardly ever though.

What I like about what you have done here on this thread is listen to advice from those experienced and heeded it. I really was worried you were going to buy that old wooden C.C. because you fell in love with her. Hauling a boat from Denver to the Atlantic had me worried for you a bit. Running a vessel in a very small freshwater lake compared to the Atlantic Ocean can't be explained in a internet post.

 

[Natesms]

Oh wow that's awesome information. Thank you for doing that.

Happy to share.

I think the biggest thing you need to decide is if you want to travel to different waterways. It sounds like you do and if that is the case I would suggest a pocket cruiser in the 26 - 28' range. It will give you the freedom of movement but still provide the comforts of a cruiser. Good way to decide if you like the "lifestyle" as well. You probably won't be moving an aft cabin but once, it is a event.

If you are happy on one lake then the older Chris Craft would be a great. We have had a few people restore some late 70's early 80's cruisers on my dock. They look like fun projects and they ended up with cool and unique boats.

 

[Steve91T]

Ok so I've learned some new information. Beam and length aren't the issue when shipping, it's total height loaded on a trailer. That's the game changer right there. So I contacted a shipping company in SC and gave them the specs for a Mainship 36 aft cabin. They'll get back to me with a shipping estimate from Charlotte to Charleston. We may have to find something that'll give us the room we want that's not so tall to make shipping easier.

All of this shipping crap is making this dream of mine sound not so fun anymore. I see what you guys are talking about.


So we want to enjoy the lake most of the time but the big dream is to get it somehow to Charleston and leave it there. We can use transient slips for a month at a time. I would love to eventually get it to the Bahamas. Or someday ship the boat to the Mississippi and spend a few days a month or so exploring.

The 28 footers that we've seen aren't big enough to comfortably sleep the 3 of us.

So idk...haven't given up, but still reasearching. One thing that kind of sucks is slips on the lake and anywhere in Charleston are just over $500/ month. Little bit of sticker shock there.

 

[redneck joe]

No no no no wrong attitude. Its like dating. Enjoy it until you find the one, marry her and ride into the sunset happy. Plus you will learn a crapton along the way. You've got a long time until spring.

 

[Natesms]

I agree with Redneck Joe, you need to try some things out and see what you like. I've been around cruisers for years and I'm still not sure what my ideal boat would be.

About 8-10 years ago I bought a 1985 Bayliner 2450 Sierra Sunbridge for $4k. All it had was 2 beds and a motor that made plane impossible with more than 5 people. I dropped a $1k stereo in it and had an amazing amount of fun with it. Made me KNOW I wanted to step up to something bigger.

I will disagree with you that a 26 - 28' boat won't sleep the 3 of you. If I remember from the thread 1 of you is about 2' tall. The aft cabins in the pocket cruisers will have a full to queen sized bed plus a berth in the front that will be roughly a twin to full size. The aft beds can be very comfortable. We put a futon mattress in ours and you can't beat the sleeping.

1 quick search at Lake of the Ozarks where I'm at and here is an example. It has a generator, pump out head, I'm guessing A/C and a trailer you can tow. http://loz.craigslist.org/bod/5743348524.html

 

[scoutabout]

I will add my thanks to Nate for the spreadsheets - very illuminating. And I can so commiserate with the OP and thank him for sharing the dream. It's fun to try working this dream into reality. Myself, I love the Mainships for the sheer space on the fly bridge - esp the 390. I'm a big Grand Banks fan too.

My dad had a CC 25 footer in the Eighties. Great weekend boat for a couple people to poke around in and a very manageable size.

 

[Steve91T]

I think we're off the idea of being able to trailer the boat ourselves. We're back to the idea of the 36 Mainship and we'll just budget for the a once a year or two move.

 

[Natesms]

I think we're off the idea of being able to trailer the boat ourselves. We're back to the idea of the 36 Mainship and we'll just budget for the a once a year or two move.

Do you have a link to a specific boat or are you just looking for a Mainship? Lots of Mainship expresses running around our lake, haven't seen an aft cabin though. You can't beat the room in an aft cabin if you plan to stay on it a lot.

 

[Steve91T]

Do you have a link to a specific boat or are you just looking for a Mainship? Lots of Mainship expresses running around our lake, haven't seen an aft cabin though. You can't beat the room in an aft cabin if you plan to stay on it a lot.

We just came across this one. We aren't going to get serious until the first of next year, but we are still looking. This one probably has something wrong with it.

We just really love the lay out. And it seems to have quite a bit of outside room as well.


http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1986-MAINSHIP-36-Double-Cabin-102791404

 

[Steve91T]

I just called the guy with that boat. 260 original hours on both engines, needs nothing. Priced so low because the owner moved and needs it gone. Damnit, wish we were in a position to buy right now.

Oh well, I'm sure another will come along

 

[Natesms]

I just called the guy with that boat. 260 original hours on both engines, needs nothing. Priced so low because the owner moved and needs it gone. Damnit, wish we were in a position to buy right now.

Oh well, I'm sure another will come along

That is a cool boat. Lot's of potential.

If it makes you feel better, 260 hours on a 30 year old boat is a bit of a warning sign. I can promise there is no such thing as a boat that "needs nothing". 30 days or 30 years old they all need something.

 

[redneck joe]

Yep our 30 year old needed lots of stuff, 100 hours on the meters

 

[Steve91T]

Yeah I know, what I meant was for that price I was expecting him to say that it had an engine that needed to be rebuilt or something.

 

[redneck joe]

Big boats going pretty cheap these days. Keep looking you'll find yours. Some places you can walk the marinas if you stop at the office and ask. Several at ours that just have a sign, not advertised anywhere.