As me and my family were at the lake today, we realized how families were having fun on little power boats.....After asking around, I come to realized the are really inexpensive and more "enjoyable" for the whole family...

So I hate to do it, but will sell my car for only 4K. It's having some "smoking/compresiion" issues now, the first gear is out, but other than that looks good, interior is great.... There are some rust areas, but not as bad as others.

It's the same car in avatar.

thanx for all your support....will post pictures tomorrow.

fat lando

lando, you know that a boat is just a hole in the water that you throw money into right? like a "cheap" 914 that people buy to get into them, most people make one big mistake on their first boat. they buy one that they realize is too small the first time out. plan on going 2 foot longer (minimum) than you think you need, 4 is better. get one with a small cabin area. don't forget the truck large enough to pull the boat. so the family can all ride together, better make it a crew cab.

k

Ha Ha HA hole in the water that you throw money into. How is that different than the hole in my garage I throw money at.

Lando did you ever resolve your 1st gear issues?

2 happiest days of a Porsche Owner. The day you buy it and the day the day you sell it.

Hey
He speaketh the truth.
Boats are a passion similar to antique car, thro lots of money to it, except if you buy one fairly new $$$.

Its a blast, I have a 77 Batmobile speedboat, 150 black max that is bumped to 220hp, SS props. I popped the heads right off it Its being detuned..

Your Gonna Like It
Later
Joe

Boats may come and boats may go but the teener is timeless!!!!!! AL

joe, even if the weather looks iffy you can drive the 914. lando, go up to one of those "lake boaters" and ask them "what do you do with your boat the other 9 months of the year?", also ask them "how long it was until they moved up to a longer boat". most will say 2 boating seasons. seriously, if you should buy a boat, get one large enough to comfortably cruise puget sound. small lakes get kind of boring. ask al blose about this subject. then upgrade the electronics. .

k

Iffin it was me I'd keep the teener and buy a cheap boat! trust me on this, BTDT My boat is sitting in my driveway for the last 9 months since it saw water last and like kevin said lakes get boring fast, believe it cause I live right on a lake!!! AL

drive around in circles for a while, avoid the water skiers and people fishing, shut the engine down and bob like a cork for a while. repeat, repeat, repeat. yawn. you want to be able to go from the south sound to the san juans in relative comfort. plan on 22'. i've never owned one, but i know the drill. does your wife like boating?

k

"Having friends with boats is better than having the boat yourself."-says my friend Jim who has owned 4 or 5 boats so far, used to live on the coast, skis and wakeboards constantly. I buy some gas and help him with routine maintenance labor. He pays dock fees, storage, insurance, upkeep, equipment, etc. Questions?

you got that right. the best boat i was ever on, belonged to someone else.

k

Having recently sold my Chris Craft I think maybe I can chime in here with both knowledge and experience. I recently lived on a large lake in central Mass. 5 month boating season at most. Let's see 1500 average yearly maitenance, 1200 dock fee's, plus the cost of having to own something to tow it with along with insurance and registration. After several years it came down to a either keep spending the money on a boat or find a different "family" hobby. We cycle together now and I get to spend more money on the garage and the p-cars. I'm gonna finish remodeling the house and garage and am ahead of schedule to get the paint and flares done during the winter.

A choice for the family is never a bad choice. However, research it carefully so far everyone has given you great advice. Buy larger then you think you'll need. Lakes get kinda boring after awhile. If your gonna alternate between salt and fresh water make sure that your flushing for a little longer then you would normally. The hole in the water analogy is very accurate. I will eventually own another boat, but for now I'm spending my money on the hosue and cars.

Good luck!
Mike D.

plus... in wa you need a tag for the boat AND the trailer, yearly!!! sorry we rained on your idea lando. last and biggest not to. wrong time of year. you want to buy a boat during jan to april 15th. that's about when the guys can no longer take the "when are you going to sell the boat?!!". when a tax bill is due things go cheaper.

k

Boating isn't cheap but.... My family and I have enjoyed it immensely. Now, just plan on doing the repairs and maintenance yourself, don't get a slip...trailer it, and don't let a chance to go out on it go by. If you miss opportunities to go out on it, 1) you don't have a good time on it. 2)You look back at then end of the season and realize you only used it 4 times. 3) It runs worse the less you run it. and 4) you decide to sell it.

"my" funny boat story. a friend came into some money. bought a very clean, well appointed, one owner, 24' (?), colorado LAKE boat. perfect for 2, for mutiple days out. puget sound is salt water. the thing never did run right after the whole cooling system had to be converted to water to water ss heat exchangers. this was after he took it out and burned up the engine. so it sat in the slip for 2 years. they guy that bought it from him made him clean the bottom of all the marine growth and tab the trailer before he would sign the check.

k

For the 3 or 4 times a year you'd take out a boat just rent one.

no, you borrow the one that your friend never goes out on anymore, but you don't have a truck. he drags it down to the launch and hauls it out of the water, and home.

QUOTE (rhodyguy @ Jul 18 2005, 12:42 PM)

no, you borrow the one that your friend never goes out on anymore, but you don't have a truck. he drags it down to the launch and hauls it out of the water, and home.

my dad has a couple of small boats for lake fishing and water skiing... they are old, and probably ugly by most standards... but who cares... he paid less than $1000 for each... and they do their duty well for that price, you can keep the teener...


but if you aren't going to go 2-3 times a month for 7 months out of the year, you can probably just rent or borrow...

I've owned 3 boats over 30 years. I can't say they are as costly as my teener, but certainly close.

While bobbing in the water, skiing were all fun..the preparation and cost for each trip got to be frightening.

Secondly, you find out that others (without boats) like to come along. After a period of time you get tired of being a water taxi. Very few ever purchase their own...they have more sense than that.

I still have one, but it hasn't seen water in 3 years...an omen perhaps. While I miss the bobbing & such....I don't miss being the water taxi and the work that goes into having a reliable boat.

I couldn't disagree more with some of the posts urging you to avoid boats. I'm on my second boat, 5 years total boat ownership. They're definitely worthwhile, but only if you use it...

Boats are not cheap to run or maintain (Boat does after all stand for Bring On Another Thousand), but we have so much fun on our Super Air Nautique I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's only worthwhile of course if you use it, we put about 100 hours/year on ours.

That, and if you get into wakeboarding, you'll be hooked. it's a thrill much like driving a nice Porsche...

Oh, and in regards to the comment that "lakes get boring after a while"...maybe you need to change the company you hang with. I have yet to have a "boring" day on the lake. Oh, and if you're interested in wakeboarding, here's a great site to keep in mind, lot's of knowledgeable folks who never get bored on the lake...

Wakeworld.com

Mine's paid for. Normally we use it 2-3 times a week to ski/wake board on.

The guys I go with pay for the gas. I pay for the maintenance (oil change once a year.) plus tags its not as expensive as racing....

Well,

The Teener in me really doesn't want to sell, plus some guy might buy my custom guitar for $1500.

Then i'll keep my car and everybody wins!!! yea!

anyone want to trade a good boat for a good 914?

Easy decision for me. When we lived on the lake we had a boat. Now we live in the hills and have a 914. An hour of fishing or canyon carving 3 times per week cures a lot of problems.

I have both. I use the boat more than I use the 'teener. Having it docked at the lake waiting for me is a plus. It can be a pain for some but I am in partnership with my two brother-in-laws and our families average yearly- 120+ hours of use. I manage the use calendar and handle the finances. Water skiing, wakeboarding, fishing and bobbing on the lake- a great way to spend your time. I spend about 350 bucks a year on maintaince- but I do it myself- boat mechanics get big bucks as boats are a pain in the ass to work on. Don't own a boat if you do not plan to maintain it. Decide what you want in a boat and find the best maintained you can afford. DH