Boating Question

[El Sobrante Kid]

This will probably not be a very popular idea, but if you want to entertain a lot of people at once, you should at least consider a pontoon boat. They weigh less to tow and pull, they have much more usable space on the deck, and they generally use a lot less fuel. I know they are not cool or sexy, but if you are willing to consider the practical side of the equation, they typically are a better choice.

[Sheriff Dill]

2 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

At the boat ramp in Norwich Connecticut, I watched a station wagon with a boat they had just loaded but not strapped down yet slide backwards on the slime and go over the bulkhead! The boat floated to some extent, bow under water as the trailer and car sunk!! Later found out it was 40' of water at the bulkhead at high tide in the Thames River. Used to be where supply ships would dock back in the day. It was the grossest boat ramp we ever used! All kinds of gross trash and slime just gathered at the ramp.

Hanging out at a boat ramp can be very entertaining! Lots of folks have no clue how to back up a trailer!! Some even think the boat will just stay there all by itself after getting it off the trailer. Move they're vehicle and trailer only to come back and find the boat out to sea all by itself. Never a dull moment at the ramp!! 🤣

I’m still practicing backing up a trailer. lol. It’s not always pretty but get it done. When we fished Champlain a lot we used to see some pretty funny stuff at the boat launches as well. Saw a guy doing a boat solo. He hooked the rope to the trailer and forgot to unhook it when pulling away. Drug the boat right up the launch 

[Sheriff Dill]

1 hour ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

This will probably not be a very popular idea, but if you want to entertain a lot of people at once, you should at least consider a pontoon boat. They weigh less to tow and pull, they have much more usable space on the deck, and they generally use a lot less fuel. I know they are not cool or sexy, but if you are willing to consider the practical side of the equation, they typically are a better choice.

They were a very high contender for us. The ability to tow a tube and waterskier was a big deciding factor to cross them off. I agree they have a ton of space on deck and are a very versatile boat. 

[Stump Water]

On 7/8/2026 at 10:10 PM, Sheriff Dill said:

Here’s the boat we are looking at. 

 

27 y/o boat.  I hope you're going to get it surveyed.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

7 hours ago, Sheriff Dill said:

Here’s the specs on the trailer. Assuming being a fuel axel it has brakes. 
 

Trust, but verify....

[sassnetguy50]

@Eyesa Horg is right.  Having brakes from the factory 27 years ago and having functional brakes today are different statements.  We've seen many trailers with the tongue welded or bolted, brake lines rotted or cut, calipers hanging by wire, drums with no shoes...

 

As for towing, my 99 Suburban with towing package would have handled that boat from the factory.  Again, the original owner had cheaply maintained it by using 2 ply tires not rated for the weight.  

Edited July 10 by sassnetguy50

[John Kloehr]

...

Mildew, rot, and a warping floor,

And your clothes will start sprouting penicillin.

And the planking collapses when your kid pokes at it with a lollipop stick

And that monster engine don't help a lot,

Cause it roars and sparks but you make 1 knot

You're not going elsewhere to enjoy the view

Unless the tide and the wind are going that way too

...

 

From:

 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=9A3ELnhmtks&list=OLAK5uy_k2f8wpOFifB0vIXyH0VXKtON-MCiYPdzM

 

 

[Stump Water]

Since everyone is throwing out the boat euphemisms...

 

Son:  Dad, I have $20,000 to buy a boat.

Dad: Son, you have $10,000 to buy a boat.

[Sedalia Dave]

13 hours ago, Sheriff Dill said:

Here’s the specs on the trailer. Assuming being a fuel axel it has brakes. 
 

 

That's just the trailer specs. What you need to know is the total weight of the boat and trailer AND the tongue weight with the boat on the trailer.

 

Depending on the tongue weight you may need a weight distribution hitch.

[Sedalia Dave]

7 hours ago, Stump Water said:

 

27 y/o boat.  I hope you're going to get it surveyed.

 

THIS ^^^^ X 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

A compromised transom and you have wasted your money. 

 

Same for the engine. and lower unit. Overhauls of marine engines are significantly more expensive than the engine in your car.

Top end refresh will set you back about $4k  Complete rebuild is north of $8K

Edited July 11 by Sedalia Dave

[El Sobrante Kid]

You are getting some great advice from people who have obviously owned many boats and have suffered through the agonies of boat ownership. You may have a winner that you are looking at, but statistically you are probably in for some headaches, and likely some very expensive headaches. So let me drag you back to the notion of a pontoon boat. Our friends had one and they went out tubing on it all the time, not sure why you think that couldn't be done. The best tubing is on flat water and the pontoon boat will do great. As far as water skiing, that is a bigger ask. Our friends pontoon boat could get a skier up on a set of doubles without any trouble. An experienced single skier could get up with some effort. Getting a single skier out of the water quickly is only a matter of power and the correct prop. You could buy a good sized pontoon boat with a larger motor to meet your needs.

 

The bonus you would receive year after year is reduced towing requirements and notable fuel savings. I know that a pontoon boat is not as pretty or as desirable as the boat you are looking at, they don't have flash and will not impress most boaters, but it will meet all your needs and probably be much better for entertaining your family members over the years. Good luck with your search for a boat. I hope you find a winner and have very few problems while you own it.

[watab kid]

17 hours ago, Sheriff Dill said:

You could probably tow this with a suburban. My youngest boys Canyon is supposed to be able to tow it. But we haven’t hooked it to it yet. We shall see how much strain it puts on it if we use his truck. We have a large family whether biological ,adopted or foster and the grandson oh yeah and SIL😀we  wanted everyone to be able to come with us and enjoy our dream with us. 

might need two vehicles for extraneous family members , ive had to do that as well going camping canoeing and hiking in state parks on occasion 

[Sedalia Dave]

Do some research, there are plenty of Pontoon boats capable of towing a skier. 

 

When buying a Pontoon boat have the integrity of the pontoons checked. 

[Texas Maverick]

22 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

At the boat ramp in Norwich Connecticut, I watched a station wagon with a boat they had just loaded but not strapped down yet slide backwards on the slime and go over the bulkhead! The boat floated to some extent, bow under water as the trailer and car sunk!! Later found out it was 40' of water at the bulkhead at high tide in the Thames River. Used to be where supply ships would dock back in the day. It was the grossest boat ramp we ever used! All kinds of gross trash and slime just gathered at the ramp.

Hanging out at a boat ramp can be very entertaining! Lots of folks have no clue how to back up a trailer!! Some even think the boat will just stay there all by itself after getting it off the trailer. Move they're vehicle and trailer only to come back and find the boat out to sea all by itself. Never a dull moment at the ramp!! 🤣

I have always said the cheapest way to spend a Saturday is at the nearest boat ramp with a chair and cooler. Just sit there and enjoy all the hilarious episodes of people trying to back their trailers into the water. It was always interesting since I would be in a tournament with a 100 boats and we each had about 3 minutes to launch our bass boats. It was fun watching us all launch and see people watching drop their jaws at the precision of our drivers. We very rarely had someone that messed up. It went like clock work. 

 

TM 

[Eyesa Horg]

At a lake in Suffield, CT. we watched a Cadillac with a new boat and ski equipment. Took them forever to get it in the water and take the packaging off the brand new ski equipment. Then they finally got the boat turned around and the rope attached😂. One guy gets in the skis at the bottom of the ramp with a very slack rope. The driver yells "Is you ready skia" nails it and yanks the skier right out of the skis and proceeds to drag him through the anchor bouys til he finally let go. They packed up and left!! We near peed ourselves 🤣.

[Texas Maverick]

3 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

At a lake in Suffield, CT. we watched a Cadillac with a new boat and ski equipment. Took them forever to get it in the water and take the packaging off the brand new ski equipment. Then they finally got the boat turned around and the rope attached😂. One guy gets in the skis at the bottom of the ramp with a very slack rope. The driver yells "Is you ready skia" nails it and yanks the skier right out of the skis and proceeds to drag him through the anchor bouys til he finally let go. They packed up and left!! We near peed ourselves 🤣.

That reminded me of an incident at Draper Lake in Okla back in the late 60's. We were there for the weekend and watched a couple of drunk kids that evening trying to ski. They finally got this one boy up and he was hanging on for dear life and they were running along the dam and there were some buoys at the end showing where shallow water began. This kid decided to try and straddle the buoy not realizing it was taller then his crotch. Needless to say we heard a blood curdling scream coming from him after he did it. We ended up having to go out and rescue him and call 911. Needless to say he won't be having any kids in his future. It was funny and sad at the same time.

 

TM

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

On 7/8/2026 at 4:01 PM, Sedalia Dave said:

I did some checking and an all day rental on Lake Champlain is about $1000.00  Sounds like a lot but add up the cost of a seasonal slip plus off season storage, plus maintenance plus the cost of the boat and $1K starts to sound like a bargain.   

Don't forget about fuel and insurance cost.

[watab kid]

On 7/8/2026 at 5:05 PM, Texas Lizard said:

Get one with NO holes in the bottom...Might just work over time....

 

Texas Lizard

 

I do not do ocean boats in any way, shape or form....Fresh I am OK with.....

me too , i like to fish , but i dont like fish that eat you 

[watab kid]

13 hours ago, I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321 said:

Don't forget about fuel and insurance cost.

yes thats a factor but if you own a boat you plan to pay for that - i have even the years i didnt use mine much or at all 

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I loved my pontoon boat. We water skied behind it as it had a 150 hp Merc on it. The only problem for me was getting it on the trailer when it was windy. They are like a sail and the wind makes it a bitch getting it on the trailer when you are alone. 

 

One of the problems new boaters have is that loading the boat back on the trailer when you are finished for the day. Most of them back the trailer too deep in the water and it doesn't line up the boat on the trailer because it is still floating. Ideally you need to power the boat on for the last couple of feet, you will line up the boat on the trailer.

Edited July 13 by Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life

[Stump Water]

1 hour ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

... when you are alone.

 

Lots of "rules" that should be followed when launching/recovering a boat alone.  But I wouldn't even think about launching the boat posted alone, so...

 

 

[watab kid]

12 hours ago, Stump Water said:

 

Lots of "rules" that should be followed when launching/recovering a boat alone.  But I wouldn't even think about launching the boat posted alone, so...

 

 

i specifically bought my boat to ;launch and use alone , at the time i was the one fishing - later in life my wife joined me , now not so much so im back to alone , ive landed my boat in a tornado and launched in non-boat ramps , i can still at 76 handle my boat at any landing and i dont go out on water i cant handle , id be comfortable going into voyagers national park solo , i do know the water there but have not been there in a few years now - still comfortable 

[Eyesa Horg]

Back in the day I had no issue launching and loading by myself either. Only an 18 foot boat though.

[watab kid]

14 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Back in the day I had no issue launching and loading by myself either. Only an 18 foot boat though.

yes mines a 16' open walk thru windsheld , 90 hp , will do 55 mph over water but its not a common event , front trolling motor and electronics that are now dated and may have to replace a few things soon 

 

 

[Rough 'N Ready Rob]

Boat ramps can be very intertaining.

  Something I will never get, ramp is a 1/4 mile to the waters edge, they start at the top backing down, most ramps are two lanes wide, drive down to the waters edge and hang a U turn not so far to back in. For you new backer uppers put your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel, turn the wheel the way you want the back of the trailer to go. 

   One time at the boat ramp, loading up my buddys jet boat, guy comes down loads up his big fancy 24ft. day cruzer, takes off up the ramp, trailer and boat comes off the ball, rolls down the ramp hit an old IH 4x4 and fishing boat pushing them back in to the lake about cab hight, Good thing no one got hurt, we thougth it was time to get out of there before the spark started flying. 

[Arth Ritis]

Bust Out Another Thousand, Boat, now that the money pit aspect is out of the way. I've only dealt with boats in the ocean much closer to home. Slip was worthwhile and led to it being used more if money is no object. If the slip cuts into your fuel and maintenance budget that wont lead to it being used more though. I don't own a boat nor am I likely to own a boat at any point in the future unless my finances drastically change. I've been out in 12 foot swells in a 15 foot Boston whaler jet boat.... would not recommend. Can confirm tubing is fun... know folks who adored the wake boards in the past... hydrofoil obsessed these days. I attempted water skiing a few times on a lake and never quite got the hang of it personally. 

 

*edit* If you do trailer... MAINTAIN YOUR TRAILER every single year I see a boat on the side of the road/highway with a wheel missing off the trailer/axle fully snapped... salt water and not rinsing the trailer off likely exacerbates that compared to the fresh water folks but still worth paying attention to.

Edited July 17 by Arth Ritis

[watab kid]

On 7/10/2026 at 1:17 PM, Sheriff Dill said:

I’m still practicing backing up a trailer. lol. It’s not always pretty but get it done. When we fished Champlain a lot we used to see some pretty funny stuff at the boat launches as well. Saw a guy doing a boat solo. He hooked the rope to the trailer and forgot to unhook it when pulling away. Drug the boat right up the launch 

my wife always offers my services at the boat ramp when others are having issues - she watched me back my boat between two trees that left less than 5" clearance either side in pitch black with only her lashlite to guide in a wilderness camp site when we were first dating , im old now - not sure i could be that accurate these days but i also backed my boat up a 700 foot curved drive and into a garage stall before i met her ,