Pros/Cons of these Two Boats?

[Brett's_daddy]

http://nh.craigslist.org/bik/5538077957.html

1993 Grumman Renegade w/1993 Evinrude 48hp motor

http://plattsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/5540106978.html

1995 Sea Nymph w/2002 Johnson 50hp. Spoke to the owner tonight and asked him a bunch of questions, only has 1 battery and it's not a deep cell, live well isn't hooked up but is operable when attached to a battery, said there are no soft spots in the flooring/deck but described it as "spongy" in some areas and expects it made need replacing within the next 2-3 years (this worry's me...should it?). Said cash talks and he doesn't want to sell the boat but needs the money so I expect I could get him down fairly significantly.

 

Keep in mind we will be fishing mostly small ponds/lakes around 76 acres or so and most likely wouldn't be venturing out into really big water.

[Kevin22]

The first one looks like a pig with lipstick on it. 

The second one is the best boat but from your description sounds like it will need some tinkering. This would be a much safer family boat. Its 20 years old, soft floor is not surprising. 

Side note- what does BRO stand for in that last listing? He wants to be paid in British Royal Opals or what? 

[Brett's_daddy]

I would say Best Reasonable Offer :).

I just don't want to buy a boat and turn around and have to put $1500 into a new floor in the near future...is that asking too much? The guy said the outside is immaculate and even the trailer is in excellent condition.

[A-Jay]

Seems like so far your available choices, (recent past & present) have sounded  - let's call it below average.

Perhaps it would be wise to wait a bit, save up some more $$ and purchase a boat, motor & trailer from this century.

 Replacement parts would most certainly be easier to find & many of the humans who have experience effecting repairs would still be alive.

A-Jay

[Brett's_daddy]

Not an option! We've already been approved for the loan and received the money. It is what it is...not expecting to find something perfect in my price range just want something that isn't going to need a lot of work done right away...they're out there, I've seen them but I've always been a step too slow. This is a first boat...I'm sure many of you had a first boat that was older and not in pristine shape but it got the job done and you were happy with it until you had the funds to upgrade and did so...that's what I'm looking for, doesn't have to be super fancy just reliable and safe for the family so we can have a fun time out on the lake fishing :).

[Kevin22]

Everyone who has bought one of those "starter boats" you are referring to will give you the same advice as A-Jay. Wait and find something good. You will find out REAL soon that the initial investment in a boat is the cheapest it will ever be. Buying someone's "junk?" is going to cost you big time in the long run (possibly short run also!). 

For instance your second boat here. Going to need 2-3 batteries right off the bat, that's $250-400. Floor replaced in 3 months? A lot of time and probably $100 in wood. If the floor is rotted out then there is a lot of other problems about to appear, it means it was stored outdoors or at least a very damp area. 

The boats you have shown so far are other people's problem boats that they are dumping off on craigslist because the problems are costing more than the boat is worth. That was probably the case with the dealership that was rude as well, he probably took it in on trade and didnt realize it was a problem boat until he had it. Now he has to dump it off at $2400 to break even and was upset... just like you will be in 6 months if you buy one of these money pits. 

From what I have personally seen, if the price is below 6-8 grand you don't want to mess with it unless you NEED a boat now and plan to sell it off for a loss soon. There's exceptions of course, jon boats and resort boats which are pretty basic to begin with. But a $1500-3000 V or bass boat is like buying a $200 car. 

A-Jay is spot on with what he said. 

[Brett's_daddy]

The rude dealer actually was the one who re-did that Lund boat for the owner. He just re-did all of the flooring, put on the brand new expensive trolling motor, new seats etc. last year. That boat is solid and I'm sure would last us for a few years...it's just the attitude of the dealers that doesn't sit well with me!

[A-Jay]

@Kevin22 ~ That post is tough love.

Hard to post up and even tougher to read (for the OP).

But it had to be said. 

Should really be a "sticky".

A-Jay

 

[Kevin22]

4 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

The rude dealer actually was the one who re-did that Lund boat for the owner. He just re-did all of the flooring, put on the brand new expensive trolling motor, new seats etc. last year. That boat is solid and I'm sure would last us for a few years...it's just the attitude of the dealers that doesn't sit well with me!

I don't think that info was in the other thread?? At $100/hr shop time think about how many hours he put in that boat to fix it up, plus the cost of materials. I can understand why he got upset now. 

[Brett's_daddy]

We were going based on a boat we looked at at another dealership earlier...that guy had it on consignment for another customer and he had it listed at $3000 and when we asked him what was the best he could do on it he dropped the price down to $2600. It was the first boat we had looked at so didn't want to jump on it until we had seen something to compare it too though. That's why we thought we could dicker if the other guy had come down $400 from his asking price on a newer boat and that boat being on consignment even that this local dealer who owned his boat outright would have more wiggle room to strike a deal with.

[Kevin22]

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

@Kevin22 ~ That post is tough love.

Hard to post up and even tougher to read (for the OP).

But it had to be said. 

Should really be a "sticky".

A-Jay

 

I'm just trying to end the beating around the bush and make sure he FULLY understands about the quality of boats he is looking at before he commits and ends up spending a lot more money to fix a bad purchase. It happens on every forum every season and it is hard to watch. It upsets me to look at craigslist and see the pure junk some people are trying to pawn off as just needing small repairs and what not. And when you do find a good deal on there its always shady as heck... Divorced wife selling husbands boat (does she own it??), someone selling a boat with a COPY of the title (collateral on another loan, bank going to take it?), someone who needs cash to pay bills and has a garage full of "toys" he could sell before his boat that "he absolutely loves and hates to see go", someone who bought it from an old guy who had it in storage and has not used it in 15 years , etc. All popular craigslist "scams"

[Catt]

A boat is a hole the water where you pour money!

Kevin, A-Jay, & I completely understand your enthusiasm in wanting to get a boat ASAP!

But ya gotta be patient!

I will add avoid any 33. 48, 88, or any of those off the wall horsepower motors like the plague!

[Further North]

Brett's Daddy...I've forgotten; what's your upper price limit?

On those boats, I agree with most of the above and will add the following comment: "Spongy" means replace this year or next, not 2-3 years from now.  If you do it yourself, it'll take the boat off the water for a couple of weeks unless you can really dedicate a lot of time to it.

 

3 hours ago, Catt said:

A boat is a hole the water where you pour money!

I've never understood that...I've found that if I buy smart and take care of things, that's not true.

If I do that' I've found that boat maintenance/repair costs are usually as predictable and manageable as they are for cars and trucks.

[Catt]

20 minutes ago, Further North said:

I've never understood that...I've found that if I buy smart and take care of things, that's not true.

If I do that' I've found that boat maintenance/repair costs are usually as predictable and manageable as they are for cars and trucks.

Thing breaking has nothing with maintenance!

Boats, cars, trucks, appliances know when you have extra money or ya broke!

[Further North]

Just now, Catt said:

Thing breaking has nothing with maintenance!

Boats, cars, trucks, appliances know when you have extra money or ya broke!

I went down that path with old English and American SxS shotguns...they have to make the parts when they break.  Makes boats look cheap.

I still shoot SxS shotguns...but modern ones.  Same with boats...the advice above to try to avoid other people's problems is spot on.

[Further North]

Here's a decent rig, about two hours south of me: http://lacrosse.craigslist.org/boa/5500001717.html

Here's another: http://lacrosse.craigslist.org/boa/5500001717.html

This time of year, good stuff goes fast.

[Brett's_daddy]

4 hours ago, Further North said:

Brett's Daddy...I've forgotten; what's your upper price limit?

$3000 is my upper limit.

[Catch 22]

I have to add the corney old expressions.BOAT

Break

Out

Another

Thousand

Two happiest days of a boat owners life

The day they buy it===&

The day the get rid of it.

To be honest, Iv`e had good  things to sell  with peeps coming to really low ball me. I tell them I`m not running a charity. The low  prices the op mentioned in the other post would have me walking away too.

 

Be patient,sometimes things are meant to be.We went thru 33 houses before a purchase. It turned out good.

 

C22

[Allen Der]

19 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

http://nh.craigslist.org/bik/5538077957.html

1993 Grumman Renegade w/1993 Evinrude 48hp motor

http://plattsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/5540106978.html

1995 Sea Nymph w/2002 Johnson 50hp. Spoke to the owner tonight and asked him a bunch of questions, only has 1 battery and it's not a deep cell, live well isn't hooked up but is operable when attached to a battery, said there are no soft spots in the flooring/deck but described it as "spongy" in some areas and expects it made need replacing within the next 2-3 years (this worry's me...should it?). Said cash talks and he doesn't want to sell the boat but needs the money so I expect I could get him down fairly significantly.

 

Keep in mind we will be fishing mostly small ponds/lakes around 76 acres or so and most likely wouldn't be venturing out into really big water.

If you are really fishing ponds and small lakes of that size, why do you need these boats with 50HP motors?  I just got back from fishing an 80 acre lake in my kayak and I paddled across the thing in less than 10 minutes.  You just need a basic boat with a 25HP or less motor.  Heck you could even get away with a big electric motor.  Minn Kota makes an electric outboard for under $1,000.  

[BrianSnat]

3 hours ago, Allen Der said:

If you are really fishing ponds and small lakes of that size, why do you need these boats with 50HP motors?  I just got back from fishing an 80 acre lake in my kayak and I paddled across the thing in less than 10 minutes.  You just need a basic boat with a 25HP or less motor.  Heck you could even get away with a big electric motor.  Minn Kota makes an electric outboard for under $1,000.  

I agree with that. Considering the size of  the lakes  he is referring to something with a 9.9 HP tiller motor will work just fine. It will also get him on those smaller lakes that limit HP to under 10 HP without having to shell out another grand or so for a used 9.9. I have a 9.9 on my 14 ft boat and it gets me up to 18 mph which is plenty for ponds and lakes of  76 acres or so that he says he will usually be fisihng. He can pick up an nicely decked out boat with a 9.9, electric motor, fish finder etc. for under $2k. 

[Brett's_daddy]

But how many people will a 9.9 motor push around? I expect almost all the time I'll at least have my wife with me and most times my 5 year old son too.

[BrianSnat]

9 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

But how many people will a 9.9 motor push around? I expect almost all the time I'll at least have my wife with me and most times my 5 year old son too.

I'm  250 lbs. I don't know the weight of my boat, but it is pretty heavy for a 14 ft aluminum. Probably in part because of the 3/4'" marine plywood floor. The 9.9 gets the boat up on a plane and to 18/19 mph with just me in it.  With my wife  (130 lbs) in the front it still gets up on a plane and hits about 15 mph.  Replace my wife with large male, it isn't much slower. The only time  it struggled was when I had my brother (about 220 lbs) and his two teenage boys with me. It topped off at 11 mph and couldn't get up on a plane. 

But it is all a matter of weight (obviously). I had a much lighter 14 footer before this one and the 9.9 got it up to 24mph when I was solo and 20 with the wife in it.  I could even get it up on a plane with the wife and packed with with camping gear.  My friend on the other hand has a 9.9 on his 21 ft Lund and the most he can get out of it is 5-6 mph.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a bigger motor, but some of the better fishing lakes here in northern NJ have a 10 hp limit. So the 9.9 it is and it moves me and my fishing partners around pretty good.  Be sure to check to see if there are any HP limitations on the smaller lakes that you intend to fish, otherwise you may find yourself needing to use the electric to get around. I see that all of the time here, guys with beautiful bass boats who have to rely on their electric because they can't legally use the gas motor.  Even if the 10 HP limit is not an issue where you are, surely a 15 or 25 HP motor will move you and your family around quite briskly.

4 minutes ago, briansnat said:

I

 

[Brett's_daddy]

Isn't there a motor mod that you can do to a 9.9hp to get it up to 15hp?

[shaggydog]

cancel the loan,  find a nice 14ft alumacraft for $1000, and go enjoy the outdoors.

 

[Allen Der]

2 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Isn't there a motor mod that you can do to a 9.9hp to get it up to 15hp?

dude, you're overthinking this too much and combined with your lack of boat experience, I feel like you are going to make a mistake with your purchase.  around here, guys have tournaments where they only use electric trolling motors with 2 guys in a boat.  my starter boats were 14ft aluminum v-hulls with 3 bench seats and a 30lb thrust trolling motor.  these boats are more than capable for 80 acre puddles you'll be fishing.  why do you even care about speed on these tiny lakes you can get across in 5 minutes?  a 9.9hp on a narrow 14ft v-hull is going to be like the equivalent of a 50HP on a 17ft bass boat.

this is the kind of boat you should be looking for.