what kind of boat am i looking for?

[dote]

im looking for a boat that i can fish all year round in saltwater and in the summer tube/ski. i am in high school and i love boats but i am not an expert on decisions like aluminum or fiberglass boats, cc or bowriders. i dont have enough experience owning boats to know what is best for what i want to do. the other thing is that i have a really tight budget.haha. so im looking for a boat around the price of 1500-2000 anything cheaper would be a lifesaver. i also dont want a cuddy, i feel like having a cuddy is a lot of work and i dont need it, id use my boat after school and work. i know im making my choices very limited but i want to make sure everything is right.

i wanted to check with the experts before making any stupid decisions. tell me what you guys think is best. thanks!

 

[Philster]

Re: what kind of boat am i looking for?

Where do you live and in what waters will you boat?

At your budget, you are up against serious odds, unless you are in the market for a 14-17' alum boat with a basic 20-50 HP outboard.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what kind of boat am i looking for?

16'+ Alum boat and 50 hp min if you want to ski. There are a lot of good boats out there that are 20 years old or so and great buy's. Before you buy, take pictures, get all the info you can, put down a REFUNDABLE deposit on it if you have to based on favorable responses from here. Post on here and go with the comments. Don't buy it and then ask us if you did good......too late then.

Buying alum not only takes less power to run, they usually hold up better over the "past" years due to wood in the stringers and all.....which has been replaced in designs of the last 10-15????? years. Engines will need basic maint performed before you start but there are stickys at the top of each forum and lots of info on that in the forums.

One thing I learned at your age and that is get a torque spec for bolts which can be had on the www easily. You are working with cast aluminum on the engine and you can strip out threads if you over do it.....BTDT.

Thing about it, tons of info on here and lots of folks glad to help you enjoy boating so don't be bashful.

Mark

 

[tincanman]

Re: what kind of boat am i looking for?

you are looking for something like this. Just a local to me example of what you can find. A little expensive for your range, but you can easily find them for what you are looking to spend. Even more so if you are willing to put in a little tlc. They are not fancy. Simple, durable boats that will take a beating and are easy to maintain. Oh, and if you wan't to upgrade, they hold their value fairly well, so you won't loose your ***.

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/boa/3086992313.html

 

[tincanman]

Re: what kind of boat am i looking for?

btw, if you give us your location, we may be able to help you find a good deal.

 

[dote]

Re: what kind of boat am i looking for?

thanks for all the advice! i live on long island in new york. i am going to look on craigslist for aluminium boats. from what i see they are my best bet.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: what kind of boat am i looking for?

texasmark and tincanman have it nailed. Or you might find a center console proline, privateer, etc. about that size. Do NOT under any circumstances by a bowrider I/O because it's cheap. You want turn key with all visible defects visible.