Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

[sturgis]

I have a Bayliner 2755 Ciera. I likr the boat but use it as a weekend live a board. I am close to retiring and want a bigger boat for longer says. I see a lot of boats in the 35 to 42 ft. range. I am iW Missouri and many of the good buys are in other parts of the country. If I narrow my search to the local area I limit the choice and potential for a bargain. My present boat is under the 104 inch beam limit and is trailerable. When I bought it the transportation cost from the Great Lakes area was very reasonable. Can anyone give me an idea of what to expect cost wise and to look out for to avoid trouble if I end up needing to relocate a boat with an 11 to 14 foot beam? Don't tell me I am crazy, I already know that.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

Ayuh,... I'm gonna move this to general boatin', as I think you'll get more, 'n better answers than this forum...

 

[oops!]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

hi.......welcome to iboats........your crazy !

people that want longer boats are all certifiable. click the link in my sig for proof.

shipping will be much more money when you go over a certain beam....because when you go over sized......you need permits, and a pilot car/hot shot. rail is an option.

some of the best deals are in fla. depending on the amount of money you want to spend....you can get a cane boat cheep. then totally restore her.

but what is your budget......and what do you want? one state room vs multliple? genny or no? lots of room for questions here

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

my boat is 11' beam and I trailer it every weekend.... just saying.... Honestly, height is a bigger concern than width... It DOES add cost but generally 12' wide doesn't require a chase car.

If you get over 14' high on a trailer though then transporting can get much more difficult.

How far are you from a major river like the Missouri or Mississippi? Transport by water is another option.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

You don't say what lake you're on, but I assume you're in SW Missouri.

If so, you have a bunch of lakes in the area from which to buy boats: Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Lake of the Ozarks, Stockton Lake, Norfolk Lake, Greers Ferry/Heber Springs. Unfortunately, these are all land locked lakes, and they may require truck delivery. Other lakes with large boat inventories would be Kentucky Lake and Pickwick Lake, TN.--and not too far away. Pickwick has some of the largest marinas in the inland waterway system.

Check BoatTraders.com or National Liquidators online for boats--filtered by address/state for what's in your area. Both have incredible inventories listed of all kinds of boats.

You're going into prime "buying season", and owners' monthly payments often get to be more of a burden through the Winter when they're not being used. The economy's downturn also makes this a buyers market. Good luck on your search.

 

[sturgis]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

I am on Table Rock Lake about 175 mi south of the Missouri River, 250 Mi west of the Mississipi. Table Rock is pretty much in the middle of all the lakes you mentioned. Bringing a boat up the Mississipi would get it closer, possibly using the Arkansas to get as close as possible. I have seen some good prices in Florida but I am trying to stay away from boats that have been in salt water. I have also seen a lot of low priced boats in Michigan but thats quite a haul.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

Nobody transports pleasure boats on the Mississippi River, as it's something like 800 miles from New Orleans to Memphis--2:1 meandering ratio. It's also very dangerous with no place to get away from the 1200' barge/towboats. There are very few marinas, and fuel is scarce. It's also very shallow, and hard to find a place to spend the night or anchor.

Delivering boats north from Florida now goes through the "Big Ditch" AKA Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. It's 400 miles of complete boredom to the Tennessee River--after you start at Mobile. You'd have to go another 250 miles thru KY Lake, Ohio River and Mississippi River to Missouri--where you'd put it on a trailer. It'd be cheaper to have it transported all the way on the road by a marine professional truck company.

I still say there are sufficient inventories of boats in your size around Missouri and Northern Arkansas lakes. They're probably all fresh water use--which are far better than salt water boats. They should be easily found on the internet.

 

[sturgis]

Re: Thinking of getting a bigger boat?

Very valuable information, Thanks!