Mr Wizzard wrote:
Having some crazy thoughts lately, so do I need smacked?
Ok, so I got my new 2005 Bayliner 175 last June, and had
a blast with it last year. I'm a single man with no kids, and of
course last year, everybody was my friend, and did a lot of
boating with the neighbors, and even had the ex on the boat
a few times. anyways, took it out yesturday for the first time
this year, and also had fun. But the whole thing has me
thinking lately. Neighbors all too busy to go out boating
with me, ex is not really into it, and a lot of my friends arn't
into boating ("that" much). Me? well, I love speed, period.
I love my Bayliner, and I love it when I do get out on the
water, but taking the 175 out by myself each time is a lot
of work, and a real chore to back it up in the driveway
which has only +/- 4-inches of chearance. Soooo.

I been thining (*very* wild hair) about the possibilities
of trading the 175 in on some sort of higher end PWC.
Either a 1,2 (3?) seat Sea Do, or Yamny jet ski or something.

Is this a crazy idea? Will I lose my shirt on a trade in?
I'd like to still get out on the lakes here in the great
NorthWest, I should be still able to do that, right ?
What is the range of one of these? Can I do 20 miles
on a tankfull ? How well do they do in light chop?

Could a PWC be an adaquate substitute for the 175?

Thanks for any thoughts/dialogue on this notion.


It isn't unusal to find a need to expand your circle of friends when
you buy a boat.
All of you non-boating buddies will want to go out on the boat with
you........about twice.
After that it's "The boat again? Gee, we've been there, done that. I
was thinking we'd get together over at the titty bar, drink a couple of
pitchers, eat burgers, and watch the ballgame."

Happens all the time.

See if there isn't a group of casual cruisers that get together once in
a while in your area, and find out about joining. Instant social
schedule and a group of new friends with a common interest. You might
even look into a (horrors) "yacht club", if there's a friendly informal
version of same in your community. (Some clubs don't hve restrictions
on the sixe of boat you can own and still join as a member. Up this
way, there's a group out of Everett called Damgar's Yacht Club that
lets people join with *anything*, and they can live anywhere. You see
this group out and around various marinas etc and they are just a bunch
of regular, kind of blue collar folks getting together to have a lot of
fun with their boats. May be some similar group in your area.) Or, you
might look into a fishing club. Key point is that your old friends will
still be your friends but they aren't suddenly going to be interested
in boating simply because you are.

Getting a jet ski just means that you've abandoned all hope of sharing
the experience on the water with anybody else and are going to settle
for a solitary experience. Expanding your circle of friends to include
other boaters is the other option.