I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

On 13 Mar 2004 14:26:06 -0800, (Trevor) wrote:

I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

Take a boating course and start small!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On 13 Mar 2004 14:26:06 -0800, (Trevor) wrote:

I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Interesting - we just had a thread on this.

Here's where you need to start - figure out what your actual needs
are, then go from there. By "needs" I mean exactly what you want to
do in a boat - not want, but actually what you need the boat to do.

Once you discover that, you will have an idea of what kind of boat you
should purchase.

As to length, for a fir time boat, it's not a great idea, but with
time, instruction from a competant boater/captain with larger boat
experience, that's not a problem.

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

I would have bought a 52 foot Hatteras or Bertram instead of a 13 foot
Boston Whaler Sport with a 25 horse Merc.

Of course, I was 12 at the time, but still... :)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Do fishermen eat avocados? This is a question
that no one ever thinks to ask."

Russel Chatham, "Dark Waters" (1988)

Assuming you are looking at a full cabin boat and will be storing it at a
marina, bigger is always better. It is very difficult to find a buyer for a
boat in this size. Starting at a 26 and then going to a 28 in a year or so
and then to a 30 in another year is not practical as it may take a year or
so just to sell the one you have. If you know you want something to cruise
at slower speeds and spend the weekend on w/ friends and stuff, then the
bigger you can afford the more you will enjoy the boat. Just remember, dock
fees are based on size and insurance and gas use goes up also. I would
definitely be looking for twin diesels in this size boat. Once you decide
on the most money you can afford for the boat, start looking. Just
remember, you are definitely in a buyers market in these boats. If you show
up with money to buy, you can negotiate a real deal as the owner is
constantly looking at maintenance and dock fee cost every day he keeps it.

Good luck and happy hunting.

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



"John H" wrote in message
...
On 13 Mar 2004 14:26:06 -0800, (Trevor) wrote:

I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

Take a boating course and start small!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
I would have bought a 52 foot Hatteras or Bertram instead of a 13 foot
Boston Whaler Sport with a 25 horse Merc.

Of course, I was 12 at the time, but still... :)

Thanks for making me spill my coffee, Tom.

Trevor wrote:

I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

A lot depends on where and how you plan to use the boat. Large lakes or
ocean/great lakes vs small shallow lakes vs river and streams will all
play a part in ones selection. Overall size will be effected by these as
well.

Are currents a issue, what about wind the list is endless.

I would suggest that you look around at where you want to boat and
observe the various types of craft in use. Them determine what type
would fit the scope of what you want to do. If the craft is large and
you are a little scared of handeling it see if you can hire someone who
has experiance with these typeps of craft to show you the tricks on
handeling. I would aslo suggest looking into a boating safty course
before even purchasing a boat. You will learn just basic handeling and
the rules of the road. But also be able to get insite from folks that
are already on the water.

Good Luck and happy boating..

Capt Jack R..

ps these folks have classes avaiable in most areas http://www.cgaux.org/

On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 17:10:32 GMT, Petey the Wonder Dog
wrote:

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
I would have bought a 52 foot Hatteras or Bertram instead of a 13 foot
Boston Whaler Sport with a 25 horse Merc.

Of course, I was 12 at the time, but still... :)

Thanks for making me spill my coffee, Tom.

Sorry. :)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

Hi Trevor,

I think you need to learn to boat before you learn to yacht. The larger
the boat, the more knowledge and skill are required to operate it
s·a·f·e·l·y.

Let me toss a couple of test questions at you. If you can't answer them
off the top of your head you should conceder a very docile boat. Not a cabin
cruiser. (That learning curve would be like trying to take high school
driver's education in a moving van.)

If you cannot answer *any* of the questions, You REALLY need to take the
USCG-A or Power Squadron boating safety class before taking the boat out.

1. You are traveling a river. Your direction is away from the ocean.
You see a blinking green light or green marker panel. Where is the channel
in relation to the green marker? What if the marker were Red?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. It is night time. You see a red light and to the right, a white light.
A. What is it? B. Which direction is it going? C. Do you have right of
way?

You see a single white light. What is it?

D. You see a green on the left side, a red on the right side, and a white
above the two. What should you do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. How many fire extinguishers is a 20 foot boat required to carry? How
about a 26' boat. What type(s) or weights?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. You have a family aboard. Yourself, woman who does not swim, and 2
children. A boy, 16 years old and a girl, 7 years old. You are 35 miles from
the nearest land.
A. What type of lifejackets do you need?
B. What type of signal devices are required?
C. Who is required to wear a lifejacket?

5. You bought a signal rocket or flare kit in January 2000. What must you
do?


For a first boat you might want to conceder a deck boat or pontoon boat.
Deckboats have excellent performance and offer many amenities. Deckboats and
pontoons can be equipped with a canvas "cabin" for camping. They are often
equipped with a pottie and freshwater supply. Pontoons are very fuel
efficient too. A big consideration in today's fuel economy. (BTW a PC
cruiser will burn 20+ gallons of premium per hour.)

Hint:

The answers to these questions can be found on my website(below) or by
looking at http://www.cgaux.org/
--
Capt. Frank

__c
\ _ | \_
__\_| oooo \_____
~~~~|______________/ ~~~~~
www.home.earthlink.net/~aartworks


"Trevor" wrote in message
om...
I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

I agree with Capt. Frank, but I would also add that is might be a good idea
to charter a few boats to get an idea what kind of boat you want, and then
buy a used boat. After a few years of boating you will have a much better
idea of what you want, and you won't take the big depreciation of a new
boat.

I think with some coaching from an experienced boater, you should be albe to
handle a 22-24' boat.



"Capt Frank Hopkins" wrote in message
hlink.net...

Hi Trevor,

I think you need to learn to boat before you learn to yacht. The larger
the boat, the more knowledge and skill are required to operate it
s·a·f·e·l·y.

Let me toss a couple of test questions at you. If you can't answer them
off the top of your head you should conceder a very docile boat. Not a
cabin
cruiser. (That learning curve would be like trying to take high school
driver's education in a moving van.)

If you cannot answer *any* of the questions, You REALLY need to take the
USCG-A or Power Squadron boating safety class before taking the boat out.

1. You are traveling a river. Your direction is away from the ocean.
You see a blinking green light or green marker panel. Where is the
channel
in relation to the green marker? What if the marker were Red?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. It is night time. You see a red light and to the right, a white
light.
A. What is it? B. Which direction is it going? C. Do you have right of
way?

You see a single white light. What is it?

D. You see a green on the left side, a red on the right side, and a
white
above the two. What should you do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. How many fire extinguishers is a 20 foot boat required to carry? How
about a 26' boat. What type(s) or weights?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. You have a family aboard. Yourself, woman who does not swim, and 2
children. A boy, 16 years old and a girl, 7 years old. You are 35 miles
from
the nearest land.
A. What type of lifejackets do you need?
B. What type of signal devices are required?
C. Who is required to wear a lifejacket?

5. You bought a signal rocket or flare kit in January 2000. What must
you
do?


For a first boat you might want to conceder a deck boat or pontoon boat.
Deckboats have excellent performance and offer many amenities. Deckboats
and
pontoons can be equipped with a canvas "cabin" for camping. They are often
equipped with a pottie and freshwater supply. Pontoons are very fuel
efficient too. A big consideration in today's fuel economy. (BTW a PC
cruiser will burn 20+ gallons of premium per hour.)

Hint:

The answers to these questions can be found on my website(below) or by
looking at http://www.cgaux.org/
--
Capt. Frank

__c
\ _ | \_
__\_| oooo \_____
~~~~|______________/ ~~~~~
www.home.earthlink.net/~aartworks


"Trevor" wrote in message
om...
I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?

well i can tell you that if you havent really drivin a boat you sure dont
want a 30 footer! i would suggest maybe a 25ft then next season upgrade
"Trevor" wrote in message
om...
I haven't boated much (just boating on friends boats)and want to get
an idea of a managagable size boat to purchase. Is 31 ft too long, or
should I purchase a 27 or 28 footer to begin?

Looking back, what would you have done differently when you you first
took the plunge buying your first boat?