If you HAD to buy a power boat?
 

I know this is the wrong place but I am not going to risk going over to
rec.boats to ask.

My son and his girlfriend are living in Tampa on Pelican Island and are
making noises aboput buying a boat. He wants something he can fish on near
shore outside the bay and she wants a plush runabout to play with on the
inside. They have about $15K to play with and are asking me, a confirmed
rag, man for advice.

Is there a boat that will make them both happy? Is a stern drive a better
choice than an outboard?

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 01:40:33 -0500, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:
I know this is the wrong place but I am not going to risk going over to
rec.boats to ask.

My son and his girlfriend are living in Tampa on Pelican Island and are
making noises aboput buying a boat. He wants something he can fish on near
shore outside the bay and she wants a plush runabout to play with on the
inside. They have about $15K to play with and are asking me, a confirmed
rag, man for advice.

Is there a boat that will make them both happy? Is a stern drive a better
choice than an outboard?
================================================== ====

As Harry points out, the combination of plush runabout and fishing is
a serious compromise. There are tons of Florida boats out there
however in that price range. I just did a quick YachtWorld search for
Florida powerboats between 20 and 24 feet, and between $10k and $20K.
The search popped up over 6 pages of hits including this older Grady
White in St Petersburg:

http://tinyurl.com/538w6

Note that the transom on this boat needs to be rebuilt, a common
problem with older powerboats. Rot in the stringers and cockpit
floors is another big issue.

The question of outboard vs I/O largely depends on storage. If the
boat is stored in the water, I/Os are more suceptible to corrosion
issues and are expensive to rebuild. Maintenance and fuel are big
cost issues also. I've been running my older 24 ft I/O 10 to 20 hours
a month for the past year since we moved to Florida. Monthly gas and
maintenance costs average in the $600 to $800 range. Big maintenace
issues have included things like risers and manifolds; rebuilt
cylinder heads; starter motor; I/O shaft seals; plus a lot of little
nickle and dime stuff.

Do not go with a stern drive in sal****er. you will live to regret it. Go with
an out board, 4 stroke, small center coucil. Yamaha or honda are best. Go used.


Sterling

LOL!

Well put!




Glen, first thing, who's going to pay for this boat? If your son's
going to pay for it he should by the boat he wants, not what his
girlfriend wants, girlfriends come and go. If he buy's what she wants,
and they break up, he's stuck with a boat he doesn't want. Second
thing, 15K isn't going to buy much of a "plush runabout". If you want
an inside that's big enought to play in your talking about a much more
expensive boat. The girlfriend's thinking big bucks, if that's what
she wants have her get out her check book when it comes time to pay
for it, and have her name on the loan as well if they take one.

I've seen guy's get screwed in deals like this, tell him to buy what
he wants, if she doesn't like it, tell her he'll see her when he gets
back from fishing.

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 20:24:19 -0500, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:

Sailing since 12, two deliverys away from enough sea days for a 6-pack,
building a 45' sailboat and I don't know the difference between a runnabout
and bow rider. Sad situation ain't it? :-)

Not really. I can rebuild an Atomic 4, service a diesel and diagnose
marine electrical issues but have never owned a car and don't have a
licence.

When they make a diesel-electric four-door short-bed pickup, maybe
I'll be interested.

A powerful interest in one field (sailboats) does neither preclude nor
include knowledge or interest in the superset of that field (all
boating).

There's also the idea that any idiot can (and does) own a powerboat,
but it takes some basic skills to sail off a dock or mooring, anchor,
reef and keep the crew out of the margarita mix.

R.

"Florida Keyz" wrote in message
...
Do not go with a stern drive in sal****er. you will live to regret it. Go
with
an out board, 4 stroke, small center coucil. Yamaha or honda are best. Go
used.


Sterling


Totally agree. Stern drives are a nightmare in salt water. Too many moving
parts and the cast aluminum doesn't hold up.

Check Dave Pascoe's web site. However, I don't know if he goes into power
this small.

Bill

"There's also the idea that any idiot can (and does) own a powerboat,"

Wrong idea and not a sailboat?? What makes, you, the sailor so smart? A
higher IQ? Of course?(sarcastic)
Time to vomit now ;-)
Wim
"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 20:24:19 -0500, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:

Sailing since 12, two deliverys away from enough sea days for a 6-pack,
building a 45' sailboat and I don't know the difference between a
runnabout
and bow rider. Sad situation ain't it? :-)

Not really. I can rebuild an Atomic 4, service a diesel and diagnose
marine electrical issues but have never owned a car and don't have a
licence.

When they make a diesel-electric four-door short-bed pickup, maybe
I'll be interested.

A powerful interest in one field (sailboats) does neither preclude nor
include knowledge or interest in the superset of that field (all
boating).

There's also the idea that any idiot can (and does) own a powerboat,
but it takes some basic skills to sail off a dock or mooring, anchor,
reef and keep the crew out of the margarita mix.

R.

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 20:09:22 -0500, "Willem deVries"
wrote:

"There's also the idea that any idiot can (and does) own a powerboat,"

I have never thrown beer cans from my moving sailboat.
I have never swamped other boats with my wake.
I have never had so many impaired people on my bow that the boat has
submarined, killing a couple of them on its way to the bottom in a
crowded channel.
I have never opened the throttle on 225 horsepower at 6 A.M. because I
was still drunk from the night before.
I have never spilled several litres of gasoline into the water because
I had to leave the pump to put out a cigarette.

This...and more...is the record of powerboaters within 400 metres of
my boat club in the last two summers alone.

Shall I go on?

Wrong idea and not a sailboat?? What makes, you, the sailor so smart?

I need to know more knots, for one thing.

A
higher IQ? Of course?(sarcastic)

That's for others, like MENSA, to say. I would point out that the
majority of powerboaters are safe, respectful and seamanlike in their
vessel's operation. They are called "trawler skippers" G. The
reality is that the choice to buy a gas-guzzling, loud and somewhat
unstable vessel for the purpose of blasting by small sloops with the
rap cranked to 11 indicates a certain mindset that I am willing to
deem "idiotic". The same people frequently roll their SUVs on the way
to the boat because "the rest of the traffic wasn't going fast enough
for me to get to the beer store". (Yes, that was a quote from a local
paper).

There are stupid sailboat owners, as well, but they tend to quietly
drown. Much preferable.


Time to vomit now ;-)
Wim

How unseamanlike.

R.

The
reality is that the choice to buy a gas-guzzling, loud and somewhat
unstable vessel for the purpose of blasting by small sloops with the
rap cranked to 11 indicates a certain mindset that I am willing to
deem "idiotic". The same people frequently roll their SUVs on the way
to the boat because "the rest of the traffic wasn't going fast enough
for me to get to the beer store". (Yes, that was a quote from a local
paper).

I would add to that drunks on a sportfisher going by at high speed laying
down a 4' wake about 30 feet from us and standing us on beams end. The boat
had a for sale sign on it and one can only guess that it was a broker
showing off what it could do. The first pass by us we saw him coming and
could maneuver to lessen the effects of the wake. When he came back from
astern, we didn't see him coming until he was almost abeam as we were trying
to navigate in a narrow channel.

Leanne
s/v Fundy

Subject: If you HAD to buy a power boat?
From: rhys
Date: 11/29/2004 6:46 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 20:09:22 -0500, "Willem deVries"
wrote:

"There's also the idea that any idiot can (and does) own a powerboat,"

I have never thrown beer cans from my moving sailboat.

Is it OK to throw them while at anchor?

Dennis