What sort of boat should I get to start out on ?

Question

First boat just for lake fishing and cruising. Three people using it mostly.. 2 adults 1 child.

I don't want to do 5 knots.. but I dont need a 90hp beast.. Second hand preferably or should I go a new boat? Thanks..

Answer 1

Fascinating, you have four answers and they are all completely different.

IMHO they should have all asked this: please be more specific. What boating have your done? How do expect to use this boat? What boat do you have in mind

First, just scared of boating.

Second, just negative on boat

Three, a seller of "two-footitis", I want to sell you the next bigger boat.

Four, he is projecting the boat you need based on what he likes.

What do you want? How are your going to use it? How big is the water you will be on? Do you want to trail this boat? What is your experience in boating? Getting my drift here?...............There are many, many questions to ask, and the members of this forum simply lack the expertise to pick your boat.

Edit: going out and drive a couple different boats is a great idea. You will get a sense of what you like and what suits your need. I will try and answer to the best of my ability, the email you sent me.

Answer 2

Depending on the size of the lake you will use it on,  a 16 ft aluminum fishing boat would probably be a good starter boat.  The 16 ft will plane off with as little as 10 or 15hp outboard. However a  20 to 25hp  would be a better choice.  You may want some extra reserve power to get you back faster in an emergency or if a storm is moving in.   There are many good used boats available. Look for a  Lund, Mirrocraft, Alumacraft or Starcraft - they make good aluminum  fishing and utility boats.

Note if you frequently fish on a  very large lake that generates big waves,   you would want something similar, but larger like an 18 or 19  footer with a 40 to 60 hp outboard to be safe.

Answer 3

There's something in each answer given that you can take and put to use. One thing I don't believe I saw though was to visit marinas in your area and talk to those who own boats. As you can tell from the answers those of us who have been around boats for years love to talk about the pluses and minuses we've experienced. And of course we definitely love to talk about the one we currently own. We gave a tour of ours on Sunday to a lady who was interested in a 29-33' cruiser and she's now elected to just go with the 33 since she like the layout better. And boat shows (new & used) are a great venue to see what different manufacturers offer and usually the price is less than what you'd find if you search online or in the paper.

Oh...and before I forget...don't forget to consider whether you're going to need to have an enclosed head. Be it an actual head or just a porta-pottie in a cabin. There's nothing worse than having someone on the boat who has to go and you have no facility for them so you have to bring up the hook, fire up the engine(s), and take them somewhere. Lastly make certain you have the means to get out of the elements should the weather turn bad...i.e. canvas for the boat!

Good luck!

Answer 4

I am so glad to see you ask this question... it is nice meet a "first time boater" that actually knows to "look before he leaps". (So many don't,)

Having been a boater all my life... and having gone through all stages of boats and kids - all of which were on one or more of my boats before they could even walk...

But, before I can be of much help, I need to know more about what you have in mind...

How old is your kid? Is you kid a kid? A teenager? A toddler?Are you concerned at all that he/she might fall out of the boat?

What kind of boat do you want?

Where will you be boating? Lake Smoothie? or Lake Rough Waters?

How many do you expect to be on your boat most of the time?  Some of the time?

Lots of questions... So, based on this... I want to make two suggestions...

1. you might want to find a reputable broker to find you a boat... (not a salesman at a boat dealer) A certified boat broker.

2. you didn't mention amount of money you want to spend, and you didn't mention anything about dockage, or trailering the boat... Which will it be?  Towing a boat - limits the boat, and is also dependant on the vehicle you have to tow it with.

So, forgetting all the unanwered questions for a moment... if you kid is indeed a small kid.... I would be tempted to suggest a big pontoon boat...

Why? They are great with kids... You have room for Mommy, kid, even all the Grandparents... and you still have room for fishing stuff, ice chest, diaper bags, baby stuff, kid stuff, adult stuff, etc. etc. The decks are flat, and uncluttered (no cleats, hatches, etc a kid can get hurt on.)  Alone, or with family or just a friend, they also make great fishing boats ie: set back in a comfortable chair... walk around casting... whatever...      The sides of the pontoon are high enough to keep a kid from accidently falling overboard...

I would not buy one new!  Unlike a regular hull or fiberglass boats there really isn't that much that can go wrong with these babies...

One thing for sure... I would suggest you find a good reputable boat broker in your area to help you... The more you want to spend on a boat, the more important he will be.  

No matter what you do, make sure you get an "in the water" test ride before you lay down a penny...

Don't just kick the tires or spin the wheel or the props... boats have a funny way about them - they run or don't run in the water - with a load on the engine.  If they run on land - and not in the water - what good are they?  Don't buy any boat (even new) without an in the water test run... and when you take that ride... don't make it a short one... put the boat through all its paces, make sure you give the engine more than enough time to heat up...

I have owned many boats in my life... Never - ever - no not once, have I sold a boat for what I paid for it, and quite frankly, (as I live a-board one) and know lots and lots of boaters - I don't know of anyone else that has... So, anyone that tells you they have, or any salesman that tells you "you will probably" or "you may" get your money back is smoking something I never have... So, expect to spend some money... expect to loose most of it... if you are OK with this, then you will be one happy-happy boater... I know I am, and so are most of my friends.

Good luck, and Happy safe boating!

www.boatwrights.org

www.sternwheelers.org

Answer 5

If this is to be your first boat just look around and find the right size boat to fit your family and all your gear comfortably. I have had too many people in my shop that have started out too small and had to upgrade sooner than they expected. But don't go too large either. If you decide boating may not be your thing after all, a mid size boat with around 40 to 60hp is usually pretty easy to sell if it's in good shape. If you go second hand don't be afraid to ask the owner questions about the boats care and maintainance history. Move the controlls and steering to make sure the cables are not bound up, spin the prop to listen for rough gears and bearings. Good luck on your search and have fun.

Answer 6

OK OK..you've got a mess of answers to deal with.

I want to ADD a few pointers...

take a serious look at your budget and stick with it. You may own a boat, but can you afford the price to run it, insure it, fuel costs stink right now...etc Trailor will need tires, bearing, & maintainenece. Boat will need annual registration, oil changes, tune-ups, winterization & summerization. THEN what if something breaks? Budget for the occasional repairs as well.

If you live any where cold, you ought to strore the boat somewhere out of the weather, besides your garage--indoor storage isnt too cheap for the winter months.

Rent a few, shop around for a WHILE--resist the impulse to buy. Sleep on it, and make a sound decision.

Answer 7

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Whatever you want really but you got a LOT MORE questions to ask yourself.

What type of fishing? sitting and "wettin' the hook?" or serious bass fishing, or trolling. Cruising to find peaceful spots, or really going somewhere? (remember gas prices!). Got a child, they WILL want to ski, or tube. You also can't tow a 36' cabin cruiser with a Civic, so you'll need to assess your towing capabilities aand so on, and so on.....

If this is your first, look around for a used boat at a price that doesn't hurt too much. You can always trade up.

A "V" hull will push through the water a bit better, a flat (aluminum) is a very stable fishing platform, but won't break any speed records, a tri-hull is a compromise between the two, and a pontoon may do exactly what you want. Then you get into outboards vs inboard vs inboard/outboard! not to mention color schemes!

I buy most everything used, boats included. I even shop at Good Will some! Start off slow, then if you really get into boating, you can trade up. A used boat you can usually sell again for what you paid for it, or even more in some cases, but a new boat you will always lose money on.

The old saying is, "The two happiest days in a boat owners life are the day he buys it, and the day he sells it!" Don't become that guy!

Check with a local marina and see if they offer rentals. That could give you a better insight into what you need.