Personal question...

[cver6321]

Its great idea to shop around for promo boats/ dealers, or last years model, good deals to be had out there i know a promo dealer in GA always has different tige boats he is selling for great prices,

but for me, even without the deal i could not live with out being able to be on the water. its like my release from my day to day crap, just get out a wakeboard, and cruise the lake, hang out with friends and family. nothing beats a good day on the water. and you only live once! so enjoy it while your here, and pass on what you got to give.

as far as cash goes, i put a few thousand down and finance the rest, i never keep a boat long enough to draw out payments, i keep them for a year or two, then sell them and start all over, but i never put myself in a position that i will lose money in a year or two when i go to sell so i always stay above water and never really lose money... i think i explained that right

[lalh20]

This is such a great thread. I love to hear all the positive reasons people own their boats. As far as how people own them, they'll be different for everyone.

For me, with any big purchase I usually try to take baby steps to my final goal. I've had a few boats and I haven't lost a dime on them. I usually buy during the winter when prices are down and sell mid to late summer. If they need a little work, even better because I can do that in the winter as long as I know it will be a reliable boat.

Letting someone else bear the first few years of depreciation is key for me but I will always understand why some people buy new. There is a huge level of personal comfort that comes with a dealer backing you in your boat ownership if you have a good one.

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Remind me not to leave my boat at Mike's for the weekend.

Just get into the Marine stereo and ballast biz and you've always got someone else's in the shop

[skippabcool]

Remind me not to leave my boat at Mike's for the weekend.

I would let Mike take mine for the weekend if it came back tricked out.

[rushin]

There are some interesting stories here.

Both wife & I work however I have a second income that helps pay for our boat. Financed of course.

This is like a get to know you thread

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

I re-fied mine into the house loan. At least I can write off the interest now.
Still a payment.

[Joeprunc]

I can't afford a payment so that's why I bought an old boat with cash. Gas, beer, and launch fees are my payments. One day when the girl friend becomes the wife, and our income is more, I will still only buy used (goes for cars, truck, dirt bikes, and boats). I can't justify pulling something off the show room floor and loosing 10%-20% of its value.

As of right now I'm 100% debit free, but if everything goes well this month I'll be living in debit for at least 30 more years (but at least the boat will be in the water, so no more launch fees or towing).

[Paublo]

You clearly can see the common opinion- boats are purchased for the experiences with the family (which is priceless) or because of the love of the water or boating. My reasons are exactly the same.

I had a Sea Ray that was bought new and used for 19 years. It never had a problem that stranded us on the water. I learned if you buy quality and do the maintenance, it pays in the long run. Then when I finally could afford to pay cash for a new boat, I bougt our first Tige in '01. Then the next in '04 and a Nautique in '09. At my age, I'm sure that this will be the last boat of this type. Yes, the last 3 could have been bought used, had fewer options, and they were a very poor financial decision- just looking at the money. But like everyone else, I would have not done it any different.

Overall, to answer the original question, you do what you can afford based on your ability and priorities. Growing up, our family got into our first boat when I was 5 by sharing it with two other families. Then we bought the next one with a dentist who took Thursdays off, so there was never a conflict. Then we finally moved into our own boat. We went as a family every Saturday until I moved out. Seven years later I bought my Sea Ray.

It is very unfortunate that boating is becoming a very exclusive club. If you can't afford a new or used tow boat (V drive or direct drive) then buy what you can afford. Even if it is a used Bayliner, your family will love the experiences.

[Jason B]

We bought our 2002 in 2007. Paid cash. I was tired of breaking bones racing Motocross and my kids were getting old enough I couldn't keep them from wanting to ride any longer. Rather than watch them wreck themselves as their ignorant father did, we got the boat. AWESOME idea if I do say so myself!! lol This is our first boat and I'll never be boatless again.

I make good money and my wife makes good money, but man, I DO NOT understand how some folks can have these houses and a garage full of toys AND an $80k boat....I'm doing something VERY wrong!
I'd kill for a new Tige, but it just isn't going to happen anytime soon. I play the lotto, that's about my best shot. lol

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Nice!

I can't afford a payment so that's why I bought an old boat with cash. Gas, beer, and launch fees are my payments. One day when the girl friend becomes the wife, and our income is more, I will still only buy used (goes for cars, truck, dirt bikes, and boats). I can't justify pulling something off the show room floor and loosing 10%-20% of its value.

As of right now I'm 100% debit free, but if everything goes well this month I'll be living in debit for at least 30 more years (but at least the boat will be in the water, so no more launch fees or towing).

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

I had the same boat as you.... bought it new in '95. I talked to my dealer and he needed someone to rep the boats in Bakersfield, so I did it part time and wrote my boat off of my taxes. I did shows about once a month. It gave me a reason to go to the lake all the time. (besides the obvious)

I can't afford a payment so that's why I bought an old boat with cash. Gas, beer, and launch fees are my payments. One day when the girl friend becomes the wife, and our income is more, I will still only buy used (goes for cars, truck, dirt bikes, and boats). I can't justify pulling something off the show room floor and loosing 10%-20% of its value.

As of right now I'm 100% debit free, but if everything goes well this month I'll be living in debit for at least 30 more years (but at least the boat will be in the water, so no more launch fees or towing).

[Oklahoma Breakdown]

I just got done selling my third boat a 99 21i so that we could get into a lake community (ironic I know). Our plan is to hopefully buy newer in the Spring right after tax season gives us a little bump for a down payment. I have used a credit union for the last three boats we have owned and many different auto purchases and it definitely makes things easier.
Hearing so many on the forum talk about putting 15% down and then going with a 15 year loan is an idea I had not considered before. I used to not care what it looked like as long as the stereo was loud and wake was great. Seems like these days I am getting a bit more picky and prefer the more expensive stuff.

Cool Thread!

[Joeprunc]

I had the same boat as you.... bought it new in '95. I talked to my dealer and he needed someone to rep the boats in Bakersfield, so I did it part time and wrote my boat off of my taxes. I did shows about once a month. It gave me a reason to go to the lake all the time. (besides the obvious)

Its a great little boat, and still looks really sharp. I absolutely love the lack of 'bling'. Though I do wish it had an open bow, and I still have yet to ski behind a boat with a flatter wake. Being at or on the water makes me happy.

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Its a great little boat, and still looks really sharp. I absolutely love the lack of 'bling'. Though I do wish it had an open bow, and I still have yet to ski behind a boat with a flatter wake. Being at or on the water makes me happy.

Ya, I was a comp skier for years and skied evry 3 days or so, and my SLM was the flattest wake on the lake. Nothing could out-turn it. Ran good, but it was nearing 1000 hours, so I opted to buy new. It lacked the speed i needed for one-foot barefoot stuff, so I went with a faster boat. I dont ski much anymore... mostly ride the skyski and barefoot.

[murphini]

The key for us to getting into boating is starting with something what we could afford for cash. All boats are fun, some (like a Tige vDrive towboat) are just (way) more fun. But get started with what you can afford. We bought a 16 year old 20' I/O with a V8 for $6,000 as our first boat, learned how to tube, ski...then a few years later I put a monster tower on it and kids learned to wakeboard. Sure it had little problems, soft floor spots, leaky transom, dead stereo, but it was awesome and it was ours, and for 4 summers we drove the hell out of it. I basically maintained it for the next owner to get into boating, and when you put an ad in Craigslist for, 20' Runabout,v8, wakeboard tower, $7,500, your phone will ring off the hook. I sold to the right family for $6,500, used that cash along with other monies we'd been saving, and with no car payments to get into our 24ve from a dealer that was going out of business. I was older, had more funds, and from having the old boat, really knew what we wanted. While I loved our first boat, I absolutely do not miss it. The Tige is better in EVERY EAY.

Our key was owning and driving older cars--for a long time--that enabled boat ownership. Not having a car payment freed up monies to save for boat and pay ongoing for the next boat.

Good luck in your quest. Also agree with others that it's all about the time on water, especially with your kids while they are young or teens. This is the one family activity that we all love, and one that your kids will LOVE inviting their friends, which makes it better.