Would you buy a brand new boat?

Hey guys,

I've been buying, using, modding, and selling tin boats for a long time now. Its one of my favorite hobbies and I've actually made some decent spending cash doing it.

I almost always have a usable boat sitting around that I go fishing with, but its usually mid-mod, not entirely legal, leaky, etc etc etc. And I've had my share of breakdowns and issues for sure .... usually because I never keep a boat long enough to get all the kinds worked out and what not.

Now that my kids are old enough to go with me, I want something dependable, reliable, comfortable .... something I can keep for a long long time. I want to be able to trailer it 1,000 miles, fish from it for a week in the middle of nowhere, and trailer it home with NO WORRIES. Taking not-so-trustworth boats on trips with the guys is one thing .... not so with the wife and kids. So I have two options.

1. Find the size boat I want, strip it down, and build it back up exactly as I like it.

2. go buy one of those nice new Lowe Frontier boats.

I can afford the new boat, but just because I have the money doesn't mean I necessarily want to spend it. I like building boats, but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to take the time to build it.

Thoughts?

I've owned well over 20 boats. Only one that I bought that was new, I had a number of issues with it.
A friend bought a brand new one about the same time... Almost killed him with the crappy wiring and lack of proper caulking.

So, unless I knew EVERYTHING about the boat, including watching it being rigged....I'll buy a good used hull and rig it myself.

That attitude doesn't preclude me adding a brand new motor onto a good used, properly rigged, hull.

A new trailer, and a new motor, goes a long way towards eliminating a lot of issues that happen "down the road a piece".

regards, Rich

I'd still buy used as I do everything except my underwear but I'd look only at late model setup's with good owners. Depending on what part of the country you are in would determine if you could find the type of boat you desire for a fair shake, if not you'd be best off buying new. ( If you will keep it )

My problem after buying, selling, and building I lose the excitement quickly or see something else that I would rather build or own instead. Buying new could be a disaster b/c If the shakes/twitches came on you'd be losing a lot of money when you move to something different. Also If I build another boat I might run out of clean clothes and hot food, her patience are thin for boats these days.

I agree with richg. A factory new boat, while it may look nice, may not be configured to suit your particular needs/applications.

I still regret getting rid of a 14 foot dura craft I had modified with an inner hull, and a removable center bench seat. That was the easiest boat in the world to keep clean, and the modified center bench seat had plenty of room for storage.

Bought a 16 foot Triton a couple of years ago, and while it's a nice boat, their deck layout sucks, for lack of a better word. For one thing, the drainage system is horrible, all the trash goes back to the bilge, to clog the pumps. On my old 14 foot dura craft, I had a removable tray that fit between the front of the rear bench seat and the rear of the elevated inner hull, this tray trapped all debris. It was the easiest boat in the world to keep clean, unlike the Triton.

The front deck has 2 levels, which is dumb, and when you're trying to stand on it and pole the boat along while gigging, it's a serious trip hazard.

And then they have it designed so that both batteries, as well as the fuel tank are in the rear of the boat, making it extremely stern heavy. And that's with a 50 HP motor, the boat is rated for a 60. Then, with it being so stern heavy, if you even try to trim the motor up the slightest bit while running at full throttle, the boat porpoises like a SOB.

The storage on the boat was an afterthought, with the bulky rod/gun box on the port side of the deck, positioned in a manner so that there's dead space behind it, but not enough for a passenger to sit at comfortably, their knees are in the corner of this box. They put a glovebox at the bow, which is about worthless, as it is NOT a waterproof box (I modified it by cutting the back out of it, now I use it as an anchor locker, my danforth anchor fits nicely)

And then the console, it's too short, you either have to be a midget or a person with 5 foot long arms to sit comfortably and drive the boat. The windshield was a joke, it was about 8 inches high, and did nothing to block the wind off me in the winter time. I yanked that POS off there, and made my own, about 2 foot high, now, that blocks the wind.

The huge deck at the bow could and should have been used for storage space, or as a space to put the fuel tanks and batteries, to balance the weight out a little better, but I guess they decided that huge space needed to be filled with foam instead. I understand trying to be in compliance with NMMA/ABYC/USCG standards, but dang, try to design something a little better.

Anyhow, this illustrates some examples of why a factory new boat is not always the best answer.

new boats are nice, older boats serve the same purpose.
let the other guy take the pounding on depreciation. I personally like money in the bank! I've saved a bundle, in my lifetime, by buying good used stuff.
I also can buy new, but don't like taking the initial loss; which can be substantial.

Good thoughts!

I probably shouldn't, but I spend a lot of time thinking about my ideal boat set-up ... which means I spend a lot of time looking at all the new boat websites and nitpicking at all their features.

I'm very particular about what I would want in my forever boat, and most companies can come close to what I want, but not exactly.

I want an all aluminum, welded boat with front and rear decks with enough floor space in front of the console for a third person to easily fish out both sides of the boat. I don't want carpet and there are a handful of other things I want too.

I really like the idea of finding a used hull and putting on a new motor.

Anyone else have the problem of wanting a new boat, but feeling like they would be wasting money?

Yeah. Me...going to bass pro and seeing some of those gorgeous boats...but they are so expensive!

I think if I had the money I would be inclined to do as suggested and get a used hull, even if just slightly used and slap a new motor on it.

The last 2 boats I've bought were brand new. The first one didn't really suit my needs because I bought too small of a boat. The second one I bought in '97 and still have it, I really love this boat and don't plan to part with it.

Buying a new boat is like walking into a room full of beautiful women, picking out the one you like the best and saying "You're coming home with me".

Don't be afraid to buy a boat a little bigger than you think you need, the extra size will come in handy... especially with the kids onboard.

I wonder if it would save money to find a dealer with a leftover model and just buy the hull .... then get a slightly used motor and trailer. I wonder what looses value more in a few years, the hull or the motor. Hmmmm.

Honestly, I'm not sure I can stay away from this boat. If I can find a good condition one that is less than 5 years old ..... well, me and the couch might become great friends.

Boats are a lot like cars. When you buy new, it's very difficult to get your money's worth.

I have a 95 tracker in good condition. Will I get 4000 dollars worth of value out of it over the years I own it? IMO, yes.

If I had the money and got a 2012, would I get 8 or 9 grand out of a comparable boat? Not a chance.

Still love my 1984 1432 but new is nice if you can swing it. Stuff still goes wrong but it seems easier to fix.
River.......

If you buy a new car and keep it for ten years, I believe you'll get your money's worth.

Boats can't really be compared to cars because the kind of boats we're looking at last a whole lot longer than cars. If I bought that new Lowe with a 50HP O/B and nice trailer, it would run me about $15k. That seems like a lot. But, it's very possible, and highly likely, that I would keep it for 20+ years .... and then sell it for about $4k. That works out to be just over $500 per year. I think that is a very reasonable price to pay for a boat that is exactly what I want.

Its still tough to write a $15k check for a BOAT. But on the flip side, can you really put a price on good family memories :mrgreen:

dyeguy1212 said:

Boats are a lot like cars. When you buy new, it's very difficult to get your money's worth.

I have a 95 tracker in good condition. Will I get 4000 dollars worth of value out of it over the years I own it? IMO, yes.

If I had the money and got a 2012, would I get 8 or 9 grand out of a comparable boat? Not a chance.

Click to expand...

IMO I think it would be nice to find the exact hull you desire and slap a brand new engine on it. The new motors now days are sweet. As far as a reliable trailer, new is nice but you can always make a trailer new with the right tools and parts. If I were to buy a new boat I would defiantly buy one from a local manufacture. I would want to watch each process of the build and have it made to suit my needs. The little guys are hurting now days and it would be nice to support them instead of the the clone boats at bass pro and such.

i bought new and modded it so its exacly how i wanted it.it increased in value. im into my boat for maybe 6,but could sell for 85 easily. up here,a used pos utility boat runs a grand easy.

I would, and probably will buy new for the next one.

I have only been boating in the last five years or so. I'm on my third and fourth boat right now. I buy cheap boats, fix them up so I can fish off of them. If I have to sell or if something catastrophic happens to them, it's not much of a loss as my labor time is free.

Alot to consider:

If your credit is good you can get long term loans and pay a small monthly for alot of years. But if your not in that bracket then the interest will add a huge amount to the final tab.

If you know what you want and have had a few practice boats then Id say go for it. If not then I wouldn't, most people figure out real quick that they bought the wrong boat the first time.

Alot of boats are very poorly built at best. The outside is pretty but the wiring, plumbing, deck construction, calking. etc etc etc is "Just good enough to get it off the lot"

I bought new and modded before I even got her wet! Would do again in a heart beat. Only reason I will ever sell her is if I loose my fishing hole and have to fish bigger water!

Jeff

I bought new and modified it to my liking for river fishing and getting into shallows. However, if I would have known about this site and the hundreds of ideas posted here, I would have looked for a used boat that I could modify. I would go for a new motor no matter what as most problems are in the mechanics of things. I also would buy a used trailer, add new bearings and tires, should be good to go as new.

Buying used, for me anyway, is a long process. Usually, what I'm looking for is not that common. Back when I purchased my I/O, the main requirements were: 20' Bowrider in very good shape, with either a Merc or Volvo 350 V8. It took almost a year. My current project, took about as long to find, and compromised on engine hp slightly. If one of the many value packaged boats, then there are allot to choose from.

Would I buy new? Maybe, if doing projects started to feel like a job/work. Also, none of my projects are with the forethought of flipping. I want it how I want it, within my abilities, with the idea it will be used by myself or family for a long time to come.