re: Hidden costs of boat ownership

A Tacoma can pull a 21ft bay boat. A nauticstar 214 is only 1550lbs, even with trailer and gear you have plenty of margin for error.

quote:

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nothing wrong with a 17

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Nothing at all, especially for just two people. I run a 20' bay boat with a 115 and it does great for a family of 4. Smaller outboard, boat and trailer = simpler maintenance on a lot of things. You can save a ton just by watching a few YT videos. Faster to change outboard oil than any of our vehicles. That said, there's always going to be something that breaks. It's better to just enjoy it and not add things up.

Insurance for me <$50/mo
Lucked out on storage and have a place ~1mile from the house for $60/mo. Too many oak trees to keep it in the back yard without covering every time and that's a huge PITA.
4stroke 115 sips fuel

And it gets expensive quick….

$700 to fill up
$4000 slip rental for my lift
$2000 this year for new axles- I changed myself
$800 Garmin 215 AIS upgrade on the VHF- I installed myself
$3000 Minn Kota iPilot and Lithum Battery- got NOS off FB Mktplace- rigged myself
$500 Shuttle Slide
$1800 Misc wiring and hardware
$500 to rework my gauges at Gauge Saver- R&R myself
$100 waterpump for port engine- changed myself
$6000 new Shimano Tekota and Saragosa rod and reels- 10 of them
$1000 misc tackle
$300 new Garmin speakers

A hair over $20,000 to set up a boat that honestly didn’t need a lot to snapper fish this year. And I did all the work myself. I bet you could easily add another $5000 for the rigging and repair work I did.

ETA- but it’s worth 10x that to me when our 12 year old told me the first time out with it last weekend- “I love this boat, I’m so happy we got it. I love Grand Isle”

In 2016 I bought 8yo boat that was used in saltwater that had 225 Merc HO Pro XS with ~300 hrs.

The maintenance on the motor is only part of the overall picture. I had plenty of repairs required on the outboard, but also had to do the following: battery replacement, broken power pole, 2x trim motor replacement, trolling motor replacement, jackplate solenoid replacement, trailer work, and probably other non engine stuff I’m forgetting.

I share all that to say the more gadgets and features you have the more maintenance

BOAT

Break
Out
Another
Thousand

My problem is that I don't get to use mine as much as I need to and it's hanging in a lift.

So when I do use it there's always some issue

How does the saying go?

If you have to ask….

I have had 6 boats. My favorite was a 14 ft bateau with 25 pull start Merc.

No electrical system, no trolling motor

My second most favorite was the 18 ft Reno skiff, with a 115 Evinrude, simple open layout with front and rear deck.

Simple is better.

I’m coming up on 2 years with my Heron 16 and it’s been an extremely economical boat so far.
Insurance - 600ish
Routine Maintenance - less than 150/year
Cleaning - 100/year
Replacing gear - 50/year
I’ve slowly upgraded stuff over time like boat buckles, NMEA cables, and a hardier trolling motor plug as well (300ish)
I can get up to 10mpg with my 60hp tohatsu and it’s an extremely easy/cheap boat to tow.
I got a swing tongue trailer so I can store it in my garage for free.

Don’t let these guys scare you away from owning a boat. I’ve absolutely loved it so far.

If you are buying a boat and weighing if the cost/benefit is there I would consider buying a boat with a partner or two who fish about as much or less than you. It works well for me.

I come to this thread only to validate my rule that if it flies, floats, or fricks I should rent it.