HOW DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST BOAT

[KWICD]

I have been want to get a boat for a while and I was wonder how you all got your first. Was the boat used or new ? Did you save up money to buy it? Did you borrow money from a bank or relative?

[plumbtired]

Got my first boat when i was 15 years old.old wooden boat found it behind a old shop. man that owend the land gave to me.i live on lake coumberland. I have owned no less then ten different ones. flat bottom creek fishing.deep vee 16 ft. below the dam. inboard ponton when the kids were little.it would pull two skiers.but now that im in my fiftys i use a eighteen ft. lund deep vee go any were there's water.never bought a new boat. figered one fish would change that new smell anway.so before you get your boat deside what type or were most of your time will be spent and what type of water.

[Viking]

My first real boat was a 14' Starcraft "V" named the "TITANIC'. All good boats should have a name. Caught a gozillion fish in it. Graduated up to a Stratos. Used to have a boat worth hundreds, and caught thousands of fish. Now have a boat worth thousands barely catch anything. Go figure!

[eddie stewart]

I saved enough to go halves with my ex brother in law on an old run a bout. A 1979 keys craft. Built 2 casting decks. had 65 johnson. It worked ok but wasnt satisfied for the whole time I had it. Next I bought a bassmaster 16.5 with a yamaha 115. Loved it for 5 good years. Paid 3400 for it and sold it for 2800. Not bad! Next I was more patient. I looked at Boats.com, trading post, news papers etc. I wanted a Ranger. Found alot for sale but even the ones that were older, late 90s were still 15-18000. I finally found a 1996 stratos 21 ft 201 pro xl with duel con. and a 200 hp johnson for 12000. LOVE IT! The moral is dont get in a big hurry, check every available resource. Buy a good used boat that you have checked out and driven. Make sure you will be satisfied, and it suits you needs! Good Luck.

[mikedaleo]

The only mail I ever got while I was stationed in Korea was the Bass pro Shops Catalog. I used to order just to get more mail. I fell in love with the boats and saved my money until ten years later i could finance one without being completely upside down. It was a great boat and I beat the crap out of it. Fished all year long, every year.

[Dave Stewart]

1975 was when I bought my first real fishing boat...got it new...1975 Ranger...built and sold spinnerbaits to pay for it..boat cost around 3400.00 to drive off the lot...those were the days..lol.

[jeremys]

My very 1st was left to me by my pa,paw, it's a 14ft Ryan craft flat bottom. He started me in fishing proably 20yrs ago (25 now) jumping from farm pond to farm pond. Fishing about the only thing in life I'm good at, I used to like deer hunting but I don't have enough patience, but Turkey hunting is a blast. This Spring I told myself "I always have and will Love fishing 'bout time I got a real boat" So I start surfing the net and browsing showrooms, to come to the conclusion that unless your a hard-core tourny fisherman or have a butt-load of $$$ a 20+ foot boat with 200+hp motor is out of the average guys price range.
I didn't compare prices or look at who runs this or fishes that or " buddy has a Bullet or a Ranger that awsome" I found a brand that I liked the looks, the warrenty and the price and stuck with it. So March 3rd I went to Stokley's and bought a New 05' Nitro NX750 with a 90 Merc on it and couldn't be happier, it doesn't run 70 on the water or have 10ft casting decks or a 107lbs trolling motor but it does just fine for me and my checkbook. I finaced it through Tracker Marine and will be paying on it for awhile but I'm happy with it.

[DaveR]

In 1993 a friend had a stroke, and needed money to pay medical bills, plus he couldn't get around much anymore. Bought a 91 Ranger 330V that booked for 14K for $7500. Then in 96 I bought a 94 392V w/ 95 Merc and sold my 330V for $9500.

Got lucky. But also believe in letting someone else pay for most of the depreciation. My current boat has depreciated $8-$10,000 in the 9 years I've owned it.

[the_donger]

Most financial folks will tell you if that if it is at all possible, avoid taking a loan out on something that will depreciate in value. If you sink a new boat, will your insurance pay for a new boat OR what the boat is worth? If it is the latter, you will be paying off a loan on a boat that is at the bottom of the lake.

[Danny]

Mi first boat was a rotten 14 foot flat bottom wooden jon boat. My brother in law and I got this boat for $25, and rebuilt it. He had used this really ugly chocolate brown paint as his trim paint on his house and we painted that old boat with that, and man it was ugly. The thing weighed in around 400 pounds I think, and was a really tough thing for the two of us to handle. Oh, did I mention we used 3/4 inch plywood rebuilding it? Sheesh.. we even had it in the back of his truck, and backed it into a tree, pushing the transom in about 3 inches, and it still did not leak!! Also, we had no trolling motor, only paddles.

My next boat came many, many years later, and after I was married to my second wife. She did not grow up on a boat like I had, and was scared of the water. So I bought a pontoon first, and had it out fitted for fishing. I kept it for a couple of years, and sold for a thousand less than I paid for it new.

Next was my first bass boat. I got this after my wife got to where she could not fish anymore, and I was always fishing by myself. I spent about 2 years shopping for the boat, and bought it new in '95. I kept it for almost three years, and sold it for about $1,500 less than I paid for it.

Now I own my current boat. I bought it new in March 2002, had it ordered, and again, spent considerable time shopping to make sure I got the boat I wanted and the one that "fit" me. My boat will be completely paid for this March.

One thing, I try to never finance the boat for more than 4 years. I'd love to have been able to pay cash, but I am not mechanically inclined, so I feel only comfortable buying new. But hey, that's just me.

Good luck, and let us know what you get.

Danny

[senko]

Give me a call, I may have something for you that might interest you.financing too.

Rich
859-240-0043

[Stonewall2002]

I bought my first boat a little over a year ago. It's a 16'6 1988 runnabout with a 90hp johnson, paid only $1600 for it because the guy who sold it was in a pinch. I put a heck of a lot of work in to it, things like built a trolling motor mount for the front, added some new lounge seats, a deck in the bow w/ pedistal seat, a livewell, depth-finder, and a couple of batteries. It might not look like the baddest bass boat on the lake, but fishes in comfort and style. It may get a few strange looks at the ramp, but I tell you one thing.... I have more fun on the lake because it's paid for!
My advice: Buy in the fall.... 'cuz thats when people like to unload their old gear in anticipation of new gear in the spring. Pluss the market is tighter on the seller because only fishermen are thinking about boats or the water, everyone else is thinking aout the holidays, thus driving the price down a little. Also it's better to buy a fixer-upper than to sink into $x.xx debt for something that that you might want get rid of in a couple of years (remember all debt is bad debt). Take your downpayment and pay for the boat outright, then take the monthly payment you had planned to finance, and use that to fix up your boat. If you have to, buy a john boat and "trick her out" by adding a trolling motor, etc. The is a link here somewhere that has some good tipps on that...
Overall, take the plunge. I was a little apprehensive when I bought my boat, but it it has been the best money I have ever spent.

Keep on chuckin'