New To Boating And Need Help On Costs Please!!

[Joey_81phantom]

Ok so I'm wanting to get a new boat that may be similar to a trawler. I want to have the nice living/kitchen/dining room and some rooms for about 7-10 people to sleep. But there are a lot of choices out there and I don't want to spend more than 20,000 on the whole thing. I need help figuring out what kind of boat is right for me, what I need to get it to me and into the lake, and how much the upkeep is going to be... Like fuel costs. Please help!

[boatman61]

GG on a budget...

[Joey_81phantom]

What does GG mean? Hah

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by Joey_81phantom

Ok so I'm wanting to get a new boat that may be similar to a trawler. I want to have the nice living/kitchen/dining room and some rooms for about 7-10 people to sleep. But there are a lot of choices out there and I don't want to spend more than 20,000 on the whole thing. I need help figuring out what kind of boat is right for me, what I need to get it to me and into the lake, and how much the upkeep is going to be... Like fuel costs. Please help!

You want a houseboat.. $20k might be a little thin, so patio boat might have to do.

Or maybe a fixer-upper like this

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by boatman61

GG on a budget...

Totally!

8 peeps, gonna be hard on 20K unless you're ready to completely gut a total wreck.

[Joey_81phantom]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

You want a houseboat.. $20k might be a little thin, so patio boat might have to do.

Or maybe a fixer-upper like this

Would 30,000 be any different? What would I need to do this comfortably? And I still need to know the running costs. Thanks for you guys help.

[Ocean Girl]

Please give more info. Sleep 7-10 how? Bunch of bachelors guys on a weekend getaway? a mom and dad with six kids and a couple friends?
House boats can be had pretty cheap. A big old powerboat could work.

Please give more info for what you want to do and how you want to do it.

[CPseudonym]

Joey you are looking for a smallish houseboat with your criteria/budget. Drop sleeping 7-10 people and you can get into a well found older power cruiser that could sleep 4-5 in reasonable, short term comfort.

Some of the older Land-n-Sea style trailerable 28' houseboats sleep 8+ people and are cavernous inside. The following link will take you to the blog of a friend of mine named Jeff who owns one and cruises it extensively. Not the most attractive boats in the world but they are very good at what they do.

http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/?m=1

As to operating costs, that's like trying to nail jello to a tree. Some folks spend very little others of us spend our share plus theirs too. All depends on how yachtie ya want it to look and what size/where you berth it.

Good luck in your search.

Edit: meant to mention 36' Gibson houseboats. Dime a dozen and can be had for anywhere from $8,000-$25,000 depending upon age/condition. Tons of space and great on inland waterways.

[Joey_81phantom]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Please give more info. Sleep 7-10 how? Bunch of bachelors guys on a weekend getaway? a mom and dad with six kids and a couple friends?
House boats can be had pretty cheap. A big old powerboat could work.

Please give more info for what you want to do and how you want to do it.

It will most likely be bachelor guys. But there will be the occasional couple.

[Joey_81phantom]

Originally Posted by CPseudonym

Joey you are looking for a smallish houseboat with your criteria/budget. Drop sleeping 7-10 people and you can get into a well found older power cruiser that could sleep 4-5 in reasonable, short term comfort.

Some of the older Land-n-Sea style trailerable 28' houseboats sleep 8+ people and are cavernous inside. The following link will take you to the blog of a friend of mine named Jeff who owns one and cruises it extensively. Not the most attractive boats in the world but they are very good at what they do.

http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/?m=1

As to operating costs, that's like trying to nail jello to a tree. Some folks spend very little others of us spend our share plus theirs too. All depends on how yachtie ya want it to look and what size/where you berth it.

Good luck in your search.

Edit: meant to mention 36' Gibson houseboats. Dime a dozen and can be had for anywhere from $8,000-$25,000 depending upon age/condition. Tons of space and great on inland waterways.

I'm really against the house boat idea. What are these older powerboats your talking about? I can sacrifice sleep space if it means not having to go boating in a house boat. Thanks for the info by the way it really helps.

[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by Joey_81phantom

What are these older powerboats your talking about?

Think 27-35' Chris Craft, Tolly Craft, Owens gas powered boats. All 3 above brands where made in wood and fiberglass. Avoid the wood ones as a new boater(you'll have enough to learn without wood maintenance too) and stick with fiberglass.

Bayliner and Sea Ray in that size class are worth looking at too. Start looking at those on Yachtworld.com and see if any of those make sense to you.

[Whaubner]

I have always thought boats sleep only two people At least the ones I have owned...

[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by Whaubner

I have always thought boats sleep only two people At least the ones I have owned...

Drink six, dine four and sleeps two is the ideal arrangement in my opinion.

[GPSocal]

Joey
The purchase price is only the beginning of cash outflow when you buy a boat. Moorage, repair and maintenance, fuel, insurance and registration fees etc. can be big ticket items.

[Alecadi]

Originally Posted by GPSocal

Joey
The purchase price is only the beginning of cash outflow when you buy a boat. Moorage, repair and maintenance, fuel, insurance and registration fees etc. can be big ticket items.

Money pit!!!