Quote :

"i would never buy a boat from someone too dumb to include the engine size in the ad"

He also didn't put a year for the boat or engine. Your attitude is exactly why someone else will get it if it's a hell of a deal though. You're only hurting yourself if you are too lazy to shoot an e-mail to someone when there is a potentially good deal. He's going to sell the boat whether it goes to you or not.

Quote :

"would this be terrible to ski behind? "

I really don't know. If it were a 19-21' runabout with the same engine I'd say go for it, but I have a feeling that's a pretty hefty boat that doesn't come out of the hole very quickly. It might be one of those deals where it will pull you up (on a slalom ski) if you drag behind it long enough and let enough water go down your nose. It's hard to say without trying it out.

[Edited on February 18, 2009 at 7:30 PM. Reason : l]

2/18/2009 7:24:51 PM

haha, yeah, i've done that before and it sort of sucks. i also broke 2 or 3 ski ropes that day...i don't know if they were all severely dry rotted, or if it was because I was spending a looong time getting dragged and pulling hard on the rope without actually popping up.

Also, I wonder what the most boat I'll be able to safely pull with that '66 Chevy (I'll end up selling the big Ram). The 292 ought to be ok, but I'm slightly concerned about the 4-wheel drum brakes and the 2wd, although I guess I could put a limited slip in the rear if it was going to be an issue. I think it will be fine with any boat that I would conceivably buy, but it's something to think about.

[Edited on February 18, 2009 at 7:39 PM. Reason : asdf]

2/18/2009 7:33:20 PM

Ha ha, you should see me with my 42" wakeskate. I'm a porker anyway, so trying to get up on what is basically a big skateboard deck can take a while behind the more anemic boats. I tried it behind the jet ski one day and it just wasn't happening.

2/18/2009 7:49:36 PM

Quote :

"He also didn't put a year for the boat or engine. Your attitude is exactly why someone else will get it if it's a hell of a deal though. You're only hurting yourself if you are too lazy to shoot an e-mail to someone when there is a potentially good deal. He's going to sell the boat whether it goes to you or not."

yeah, but if he doesn't know enough about boats to know to include these things then he more than likely hasn't taken care of the thing. sure it'll sell, but 9 times out of 10 the buyer is getting stuck w/ a ragged piece of shit.

2/18/2009 9:02:43 PM

http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59465

Did you see this one? I hate the idea of buying something you can't crank, but it might be a decent boat for the money.

^ It's a Carolina Skiff with an outboard. If he kept oil in it there isn't a whole lot he could have fucked up.

[Edited on February 18, 2009 at 9:42 PM. Reason : l]

2/18/2009 9:42:06 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1042012741.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1041284807.html
Chaparral is pretty well known for their quality.

2/20/2009 12:06:56 PM

damn, that first one must've gotten snatched up quickly. post was deleted by author by the time i got home from work and went to email him.


i think i've about got myself talked into getting something with a cuddy instead of a regular runabout/bowrider. hopefully something towards the sporty-boat, minimal cuddy end of the spectrum, but we'll see. as usual, mission creep strikes and i end up with more than i really planned on...i just think it would be cool to have the option to anchor out at the OBX for a night, or go to the New Bern dock parties and just spend the night on the boat if i drink more than a couple.

2/20/2009 4:21:14 PM

I always figured a cuddy would be sticky hot to sleep in during the summer. I guess you'd be running fans though so it wouldn't be too different than being outside. You could always take a camping style sleeping pad and lay it down on the floor when it's not raining if you want to be outside.

2/20/2009 5:58:44 PM

yeah, or bring sleeping bag and/or tent to the beach...i'd thought about that before, too (although I bet the cuddy would be fine at night with a fan). I was thinking more in terms of if i got something without any berthing.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/boa/1042504825.html

I dig this big time...little boat + big engine (gets me every time), inexpensive, good shape and well cared for, and a classic with character. Obviously this would be just the ticket for getting my waterskiing fix, and would be fine for cruising up and down the Neuse or intracoastal with my daughter.

Would it be doable for putting in at Morehead or Beaufort and riding out to Cape Lookout or other OBX? It's not that far...I don't know how rough the water is. Also, while the ad says "inboard/outboard", I'm assuming that's an error, and that it's an inboard. I take it that means I could never beach the boat, right? If I wanted to camp out on the OBX, or cruise out to an island where people hang out on Saturdays, I'd have to just pull in to shallow water, drop an anchor, then wade to shore, carrying anything I needed overhead?

2/21/2009 4:18:37 PM

nevermind about the Nautique, err, Mustang...whatever the difference is. It's a scam (the ol' "Hey, I'm not located in the U.K.; the boat is in storage in Chicago...)

2/22/2009 10:10:54 AM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1045596392.html

Potentially good deal, depending on if it has enough engine. Would something like this be enough to go out to Cape Lookout?


or how about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1044204102.html

[Edited on February 22, 2009 at 5:28 PM. Reason : asfd]

2/22/2009 5:26:43 PM

yes

2/22/2009 5:27:05 PM

both of those would be fine at the hook

actually, those cobia boats are great. we were looking one for a while to coincidentally turn into a cobia bait-and-wait fishing machine. got a CC that can do creek fishing along with cobia fishing so we never persued it any more.

[Edited on February 22, 2009 at 6:37 PM. Reason : of course there are times when the weather is really bad that you might not wanna take the 17' there]

[Edited on February 22, 2009 at 6:37 PM. Reason : but those are days you probably wouldn't WANT to be out there anyway]

2/22/2009 6:36:38 PM

Yeah, I'm not looking for something that'll make it out there on a rough day. going out there on a normal day without worrying about stuffing the bow or beating the occupants silly is all I want.

2/22/2009 7:16:53 PM

that cobia would be a smooooth ride

2/22/2009 7:26:25 PM

Quote :

"nevermind about the Nautique, err, Mustang...whatever the difference is. It's a scam (the ol' "Hey, I'm not located in the U.K.; the boat is in storage in Chicago...)"

I have a buddy with a Ski Tique that he is planning to sell if he hasn't done so already. Pretty similar boat...I think it's a 17' with a PCM 351. It'll probably be in the $4k range, but it's in great shape and well worth it. Fresh rebuild on the engine iirc and he's a very competent mechanic. I saw it not too long ago and it is very clean.

You'd never want to beach it and it isn't going to handle big wakes very well though. The bow and gunwales ride pretty low in the water so you are going to get a lot of spray. It is relatively flat on the bottom, so it beats you up pretty bad in rough water.

2/26/2009 2:17:54 AM

I'm completely out of my element on this topic, but what's the general cost of owning a small fishing boat? I know that purchasing price can range, but if I were to get a small, used fishing boat for 3-4 grand, what kind of upkeep/insurance/etc costs would come along with that? I've been thinking about getting a small fishing boat for a while (though that probably wont happen until I graduate) and wanted to know what to expect.

Sorry if this is a dumb question

2/26/2009 11:56:21 PM

the second happiest day of boat ownership is the day you buy it

the happiest day is when you sell it

2/26/2009 11:59:28 PM

haha, how so? glad to finally get rid of it?

2/27/2009 12:04:35 AM

Insurance = Cheap...A hundred bucks a year or so.
Pump some grease into the trailer bearings every once in a while, make sure you keep oil in it, and own a good cover. You'll need a battery every few years. Other than that a small outboard powered fishing boat shouldn't really take that much money. You can always spend cash on things that make it nicer like trolling motors and electronics, but I wouldn't call them necessities.

2/27/2009 12:27:38 AM

hmm ok... thats not so bad...

realistically, what kind of $ would I have to spend to get a smaller boat I could take out fishing on Kerr lake or something? It wouldnt need to be fast or smooth. Truthfully, I just have no idea what to even look for. Could anyone make suggestions on what would be a good fishing and going out on the lake to drive around outboard boat? Maybe a CL link or something. I feel like a total fucking idiot, but I mean, something like a flat bottom john boat is only good for dicking around ponds and stuff right? Not taking out on the lake?

2/27/2009 1:15:57 AM

curious about something like this... if this would be the kind of thing that would be reasonable
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1016691726.html

not a purely fishing boat, decent enough motor I guess. But is getting an older boat like this a bad idea? Or is it just older? I think this kind of price is something I could afford right now, otherwise I might have to wait until I graduate.

2/27/2009 1:49:47 AM

Something like that probably would be a pit for your money/time, but every boat is different and it's hard to say without giving it a really good look. When you said a small fishing boat for $3k-$4k I was thinking along the lines of a skiff with a newer ~30HP engine. One of my buddies bought a 70's Glastron like that in college and we were constantly working on it. New floor because it was rotted and the seats wouldn't even stay screwed down, bottom paint, electronics, carb issues, etc. Eventually the head gasket went and he had to get the block resurfaced before putting in a new one. It was fun for what it was, but it definitely took a lot of time to keep it going for the amount of use it saw.

If you can find one that has already had a lot of this type of work done you might be ok for a few years until you can afford something nicer, but it's a crap shoot.

[Edited on February 27, 2009 at 9:15 AM. Reason : l]

2/27/2009 9:14:20 AM

hey Muzition



this is my 16' aluminum flat bottom with a 30 horse mariner. it's fine for lakes. i fish everything from buckhorn reservoir to the neuse river anywhere from goldsboro to new bern to saltwater marshes and creeks on the neuse, pamlico, and bay rivers. you don't NEED a lot. of course if you have some more money to work with you can get something a lot nicer. you could find something like this on CL for about $2k. there's more pics in the gallery

2/27/2009 11:09:12 AM

hmm ok. Thanks for the advice. This is probably the "kind" of boat I'm looking for. At least as a balance of size and being able to pull something. I think I realize that, though I have no interest in skiing, I think dragging my friends around on a tube would be fun, and perhaps that could progress towards skiing.

I'll probably pass on this boat, the lower price just made it really doable "right now" instead of waiting until I graduate a year and a a half down the road. With my luck, I'd finally graduate though and get some money and want to get a boat and have to move away to a new job and not have any friends to go out on the lake with anyway.

I'm just torn. I know I have the money, I know I could drop up to 3k right now on something like this (especially knowing that I could get a decent % of the purchase value back if I ended up moving next May). I just dont know enough about it yet to know if I'm making a good purchase on a cheap boat that will last with a little regular maintenance, or a money pit.

Edit: I also LOLed at the thought of getting a pontoon boat, which I imagine i could fish off of, but also take 5-8 people out just to hang out for the day, swim, that kind of thing. Really, if I were to get a boat, I think I would use it to fish off of, but it would more than likely be something to do with my friends too.

[Edited on February 27, 2009 at 11:16 AM. Reason : add]

[Edited on February 27, 2009 at 11:16 AM. Reason : like this one: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1052756838.html]

[Edited on February 27, 2009 at 11:22 AM. Reason : uno mas: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1045790340.html - probably a little more doable]

[Edited on February 27, 2009 at 11:24 AM. Reason : i know I'm all over the grid here... but I'm still in the process of deciding whether I should do it]

2/27/2009 11:12:20 AM

upon further thought, theres no way I'm getting a pontoon boat...

but on top of the boat I posted above (the fish and ski... the old one), what about this one?

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/1047716983.html

2/27/2009 12:23:09 PM

^

Quote :

"Something weird going on with that first boat. Something is missing from that pic of the engine. Looks like the thermostat is off or something. The ad says it's a 5.0, but the engine cover says it's a 5.7. With boats that old it's going to be all about how they're taken care of. I doubt it is pristine if they're only asking $1850. Walk every inch of the floor feeling for soft spots. Check the stringers for rot, especially at the motor mounts and anything that attaches to them at the back of the boat (swim platforms, etc.) A new floor isn't too difficult. You'll spend a full weekend or two and probably close to a grand on it if you do it right. Marine grade plywood is around $100 a sheet iirc, you're probably going to want to seal it with a layer of fiberglass on top that ties it into the gunwales, and then you have the cost of new carpet and glue. A lot of times you find stringer rot when you pull up the floor and then you have to make some decisions."

from pg 1.

2/27/2009 5:59:56 PM

Good note... I hadnt noticed that it was the one on the first page. I'm getting a lit of pressure from the wife to not get a boat (seems to be the status quo)... but it's still something I'd love to do with my friends while I'm still around here.

maybe i'll just keep a lookout for something within my (admittedly low) price range and if I can find something that will last for a year or two until i move away/upgrade.

2/28/2009 1:27:48 AM

let one of your friends get a boat

its cheaper

2/28/2009 2:00:14 AM

^^ haha, I should do that. The only one who even seems to think it would be fun to have one lives in California (and I think he sold his project boat). All my friends here just seem disinterested. I'd probably get a boat and they'd never go out on it with me anyway.

2/28/2009 11:54:55 AM

i got the damn boats, but i can never find anyone who wants to go fishing

3/1/2009 10:27:16 AM

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/boa/1054785399.html

emailed to find out more about it.

3/1/2009 6:10:01 PM

Yo theDuke866...Would you consider something like this?

http://www.stingrayboats.com/2009_180/?cash=1

If you financed that boat for 5 years and kept it for a decade you would have a pretty sweet boat that you'd never have to work on at a very reasonable price. $15k isn't much more than a boat like that would have run you 20 years ago. I'd definitely add a closed cooling system since you're going to run it in salt water though....It'll be well worth it.

3/1/2009 6:21:56 PM

So apparently my father in law's dad has an old fiberglass fishing boat that I was told I could probably get for free or cheap, though it would probably need a motor... maybe a little body work... but I'm hoping this happens.

Would I be good getting a motor off CL, or would it be smarter to go some other route?

3/1/2009 6:31:01 PM

That is a very reasonable price, but more than I want to spend. Financed or not, it's still $15k (and more if you finance. I hope I'm done financing anything other than houses, anyway) Remember, I just bought a bad ass Waverunner--if it weren't for my daughter, I wouldn't be getting a boat (I have friends with boats I can waterski with if I want).

I mean, I don't know how much use I'll get out of it, but I'd say it's like that we're talking about something that I'll use a half-dozen, maybe 10 times per year. It's worth 2-3k to me...but not 15k. If I could rent something that wasn't totally lame for a price that wouldn't make it smarter to just buy one, I'd probably do that.

[Edited on March 1, 2009 at 6:45 PM. Reason : fffasfd]

3/1/2009 6:40:10 PM

saying you'd never have to work on that boat over the course of 10 years is a stretch

3/2/2009 12:02:53 AM

I didn't mean for that to be taken literally.

3/2/2009 1:01:21 PM

oh ok

3/2/2009 8:43:26 PM

getting back to the motor question... whats the biggest size I'd want for like a 14 foot flat-bottomed boat... < 10 HP I'd imagine. I have no idea if boats come with motor size/weight recommendations on them.

3/3/2009 11:37:05 AM

The hull will have a recommended engine size range. It all depends on how heavy the boat is and how the hull is shaped. I think my brother's Carolina Skiff JV15 is rated for 25-40HP or so. It's going to take a little more power than a plain aluminum hull of the same size, but it also has a lot of built in amenities.

[Edited on March 3, 2009 at 1:11 PM. Reason : l]

3/3/2009 12:49:16 PM

yeah, check what it's rated for. you'll probably want more than 10 hp though. mine is 16' aluminum and i've got a 30 on it. it scoots. no idea what it's rated for. can't really read the plate after 30+ years.

3/3/2009 10:49:53 PM

Haha... yeah. This one if going to be older, but I'll see what I can find. It has an engine on it, but I was told it will probably be non-functioning as it's been sitting outside for years without any attention. I guess I could gauge what kind of engine I'd need from that.

[Edited on March 3, 2009 at 11:26 PM. Reason : this is all assuming it has no plate and is old like ^]

3/3/2009 11:26:04 PM

i had a mercury 20 on mine before and i wanted more. the 30 is just right.

20, 25, or 30 would probably work for you. is it tiller steer or do you have a small console or what?

3/4/2009 12:23:48 AM

you know, I don't actually know... it's not mine yet... i dont even recall seeing it last time i went to their house (I think it was in the back). What's more probable? I don't think it's nice... and its definitely older...

3/4/2009 4:02:38 PM

no idea man. just find out if it has a steering wheel

if it was me, i'd prefer a tiller steer just because it's simpler and less to break. if it has remote steering, it's most likely locked up.

3/4/2009 9:08:17 PM

And those steering cables aren't cheap.

3/4/2009 10:03:22 PM

looks like my dad has narrowed his list down. I had him liking the idea of an inboard last year, but he's reverted back to standard I/O runabout. I then tried to push a stronger I/O with a tower, but the outlook there doesnt look good either. So i may be wakeboarding behind a standard 22' towerless I/O bowrider. I'm starting to get spring fever badly, so getting out on anything at this point will be great.


most likely the Regal 2200 or Monterray 21FS or perhaps the cobalt.

[Edited on March 9, 2009 at 2:50 PM. Reason : add]

3/9/2009 2:32:24 PM

^ Most I/O boat manufacturers now have a wakeboard tower option. It's expensive, but maybe you could pick up the cost of the tower while he picks up the tab on the boat.

3/9/2009 3:57:40 PM

^^ my boat is for sale and sounds pretty close to what u r looking for ...

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/boa/1049761560.html

3/10/2009 10:01:40 AM

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/boa/1076072538.html

How about this one Fumbler?

3/17/2009 6:46:22 PM