Sometimes I wonder....

[bigbossman]

Sometimes I wonder if all this boating activity is worthwhile. I mean WOW, look at the number of posts here on the site. So many people, with so many problems. I know I am new here but I often think well maybe if I just went out and bought a brand new boat and motor then all would be great. All I would have to do is a little fall maintenance and then next spring filler up and hit the key and go right?? Wrong!! Even with a new rig, people are on here posting about the troubles they are having. I know I know I'll be blasted by some folks but maybe a canoe with oars is the way to go. As long as a person has had their Wheaties for breakie, then all should be a go... LOL Sorry for venting and I know that on another self/member help site I belong to regarding my boat with wheels (KA minivan) I see a lot of posts there as well. Using my theory a person would be better off with walking. So in the end a little grief, a little elbow grease, a few scraped knuckles, some swearing and a few wobbly pops to calm the nerves when the old Ford/Chev/ or Merc/Johnson/ETC won't do what you want, when you want is worth the while to gain some of your sanity back when a person latches on to the 30 lb Laker/12 lb Walleye/20 lb Pike or the rope with the skier/tuber behind.......just some thoughts..........

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

Well, just like you don't go to the doctor when you're feeling fine, unless it's for a routine physical, and you don't take your car into the mechanic unless something's busted, except for normal maintenance, folks don't usually come here with questions unless they're having problems with their boat or engine.

That's the nature of forums like this one. Most folks who aren't having problems are out boating, not posting questions on this forum. Others, like those with thousands of posts here, aren't having problems, but aren't boating at the moment, and like helping answer questions.

I've been on a lot of forums on a lot of topics, and this one is the most helpful I've found in any area.

 

[modernrocketry]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

Anything in life that has value also has costs associated with it.
A college degree costs time and money
Raising a kid takes patience and money
Owning a boat takes resilience and money.

Regardless, you cannot place a price on the following:
Waking up on the back side of Catalina Island, The air is cool and sun is just starting to get warm. The smell of fresh coffee heightens your senses. The water is so smooth it looks like oil. Take the dinghy out about 3 miles into the open Pacific and gently ride up and down the 3 foot swells that try to rock you back to sleep. If you are lucky you get to see one of the islands bald eagles hunting for breakfast. Worse case you see a pod of dolphins that are curious about your boat.
It?s not even 8:00am yet and you realize have the rest of the day to spend on the water.
Heaven!

Yep, it?s all worth it ? every darn penny! Every nick, cut, scrape, bruise and swear word!
And starting Friday I get to spend 2.5 weeks on that Island!

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

Being new to the forums (have scanned them in the past) I find myself reading a lot of threads. You pick up a lot of tips/tricks and a better understanding of boating in general.

I'm on my second boat, and as a hobby, these forums are great for troubleshooting, general maintenance and most interesting, stories that the community of boaters share. To me, it's a virtual way to allow folks to share thoughts and a few laughs and even help others with the experiences they've gained in their boating experiences.

But to support your comments, boating isn't a cheap hobby but once the initial investment and regular care and maintenance, it's not much worse than other hobbies (try a golf membership for a year, Ouch!)

 

[oops!]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

this thread explaines everything.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=267468



its a really good read.....espically jonesg......enjoy !

 

[bchboater]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

I take it you don't golf either.
Boating, like golf, takes time, money, patience, and work. In the end, you end up where you started, but you had fun, and always remember that great drive, putt, eagle, or if you are lucky, that hole in one. Then you spend the rest of your time, money and wife's good graces chasing it again, and again, and again.
I have put in way more hours working on the boat than I want to, but it has given me moments of great pleasure. Worth all the aggravation.

Cheers

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

Knock on wood but in all the years I've been boating I have needed a tow just once and that was a grand total of about 50 yards and was about 25 years ago. What amazes me is the number of people that buy a boat, whether new or used, and throw it in the water not having a clue about its inner workings or boating safety in general. There are no floating repair stations on any of the lakes I visit and those on land are of little use if you are in the middle of the lake or 20 miles off shore. Most failures are self-inflicted and are due to the owner not lifting the hood to see if something is loose, oil is topped off, any signs of leakage or other obvious issues before pushing off. Just like a car, you don't need to understand how a boat works to drive one but it sure is helpful if you at least understand the basics. Most boat preventive maintenance is not rocket science and can be accomplished by a complete novice. Ignoring warning horns and gauge readings is another reason people have boat trouble. What starts out as a symptom can easily turn into an expensive problem if the symptom is ignored. Overheat is the single most misunderstood symptom. When an engine overheats and the horn or gauge says its hot -- it is hot NOW, not next week, or tomorrow. Stop the engine and figure out why or get a tow. Continue to run it and you will then complain about major engine repairs. Know your boat and understand how to winterize (if necessary) and perform the manufacturers recommended periodic maintenance and your maintenance costs will be low.
Those that don't, end up here asking questions. There -- I've vented.

 

[gcboat]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

If it ain't broke - it will be. This is the place to come and get the knowledge you will need to get it fixed.

 

[mike64]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

What CATransplant said, and...

...maybe a canoe with oars is the way to go...

Why not both?

As a longtime canoer (canoeist?) before I ever got a powerboat, I have to say canoeing and powerboating are two entirely different experiences.

Running at WOT is a blast, and pulling friends and family on a tube has been a lot of fun for everybody. Yes, it can be expensive, and I know my old motor is going to have issues eventually, but powerboating has opened up a whole different dimension of fun on the water from canoeing for me.

But I still love canoeing too-- just took my canoe up to a friend's property up north a few weeks ago. We tried a tributary that feeds the AuSable. We did more portaging than paddling-- fallen trees & beaver dams every couple dozen yards. It was a great time tho. Couldn't do that in a powerboat.

 

[Fishinmagician]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

Sometimes I wonder if all this boating activity is worthwhile. I mean WOW, look at the number of posts here on the site. So many people, with so many problems. I know I am new here but I often think well maybe if I just went out and bought a brand new boat and motor then all would be great. All I would have to do is a little fall maintenance and then next spring filler up and hit the key and go right?? Wrong!! Even with a new rig, people are on here posting about the troubles they are having. I know I know I'll be blasted by some folks but maybe a canoe with oars is the way to go. As long as a person has had their Wheaties for breakie, then all should be a go... LOL Sorry for venting and I know that on another self/member help site I belong to regarding my boat with wheels (KA minivan) I see a lot of posts there as well. Using my theory a person would be better off with walking. So in the end a little grief, a little elbow grease, a few scraped knuckles, some swearing and a few wobbly pops to calm the nerves when the old Ford/Chev/ or Merc/Johnson/ETC won't do what you want, when you want is worth the while to gain some of your sanity back when a person latches on to the 30 lb Laker/12 lb Walleye/20 lb Pike or the rope with the skier/tuber behind.......just some thoughts..........

answer: yes its all worth it.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

Forums like this are great because if you can learn how to fix the boat yourself, you probably just saved 80% of the cost.

I recently replaced all the bellows in my transom + gimbal.. what's that? $800 in labor? Cost me $100 in parts + some time learning about my boat.

If you can do it yourself, b.o.a.t. doesn't mean break out another thousand, it means break out a couple hundred.

Anyway.. boating is done out of loving to boat and people spend money on the hobbies they love.

 

[modernrocketry]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

If you can do it yourself, b.o.a.t. doesn't mean break out another thousand, it means break out a couple hundred.

I'm my case it usually means, should've paid for it to be done in the first place!



I still love it! (After I hide the checkbook from my other half!)

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

All of the above. As with anything, it's not for everyone. You either own a boat once...or for life. This forum is for all boating topics, but is heavily repair based. I do not know total membership, but I assure you that the number of repair questions here is not representative of the overall health of its' members boats. I have two kayaks, a canoe and two jonboats (w/ oars) that I use, but I do love putting the SeaRay in the wind. Something magical about that.

 

[JB]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

If you spent a lot of time in a Dr.'s Office would you conclude that everyone is sick all the time?

People don't post here to tell us that they have no troubles. Only the 2% who have troubles 2% of the time post here. The other 98% never post in the troubles forum.

 

[cmchesse]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

In short: YES

I bought my boat almost 2 months ago. Looking back I might have paid a little to much for it, I have spent what seems like a small fortune on it, and the amount of time spent tinkering on it is unknown.

My Family uses the boat every weekend to fish or joyride. In fact, I have been out of town for almost 2 weeks. When I told my 10 year old I was coming home for the weekend, his first request was for us to go fishing.

Prior to last weekend, I was concerned about the money and time spent on the boat. Now, it is the last thing I think of. Quality time with my Son does not have a budget. In fact Quality time with my family does not have a budget.

Last weekend I arrived in Jax around 10pm on friday, lost luggage, truck that almost did not start, and way behind on sleep. I changed the starter sat morning, cleaned and worked on the boat to make sure it would run on Sat. And took the family fishing Sunday. I had to fly back out of Jax Monday at 6am. But no matter how hectic that weekend was, It was great!! All because I decided to buy a boat for my family.

This is one choice I do not have any regrets about.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[bamafutbal]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

and just bought a new (e70) bmw x5 4.8i, takes premium gas and gets terrible gas mileage....don't care though, its what we want. i also love my boat, as long as it is within my means and the cost to benefit ratio stays where it is, looks like i am going to have alot of fun boating. now drug addicts, now that looks like a problem of money going down the drain with no benefit

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

boat addicts, has to be a controlled disease, you buy them fix them use them, then when you are tired of them you sell them, or you see something interesting, you sell one to buy it. i have always made my disease pay for itself. besides, being retire, it is great therapy, and keeps me out of trouble. other than my 1999 deck boat i have less than $1,200 in any of my boats.

 

[SparrowLake]

Re: Sometimes I wonder....

I've owned a lot of boats,
i have 3 at the moment ...
everytime i sell a boat or outboard,
and i have the money in my hand,
i find the value of that money,
never compares to the enjoyment i had with that boat or motor.
Yea,
... it's worth it.