Boat Buying Season?

[Ben Lamb]

I repowered my 16’ Lund (1981) in 2023 with a new 40hp Yamaha. Writing the check hurt until I started fishing and not wondering if the motor would run. No regrets at all.

Oh sure, logic and reason tell us these things, but that still doesn't help me overcome the 18% Scottish DNA I have.

 

[Gellar]

I’m looking and have been for some time now. I can’t decide between an aluminum fishing boat (Lund, G3 or Crestliner) or a center console for my retirement adventures in Florida.
Either way, it will preferably have a Suzuki or Yamaha outboard.
My wife and I went to the boat show in Green Bay, WI a couple weeks ago and she tried to talk me into a Pontoon boat….not a chance!

A tritoon with twin 400s would be perfect for retirement!

Ahem...
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I think you are undercharging for your services. Divorce Lawyers should set up a lawn chair right next to you at the boat landing.

 

[Gellar]

As a newly repatriated Minnesotan, I am looking for a boat. Maybe your used one. The sort of benchmark bar that I have in mind is more or less a Lund Fury, with a 25 horse Yamaha, Suzuki, or Mercury motor in that order. For those that know, it is going to be a Basswood boat. Hence, the horsepower limit.

Get a 35 hp with a 25 hp hood.

I do it in a heartbeat. If I could find the right boat without a motor on it, I would prefer to buy a new motor. Might give a little bit of an edge to Suzuki over Yamaha.

I have seen a lot of the older Lund classics for sale this winter on Facebook Marketplace. I saw several within a few hours drive that were to cheap to pass up, like $500, but they were gone before I could get to them.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Ahem...
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One of the best vacations I had was cottage that about 200' from public launch. We would eat lunch on deck watching the "festivities". The absolute winner was a beautifully restored old wooden Lyman with I/O. These 2 morons begin to launch, forget to take tie downs off so boat floats trailer off to side. Oops! The bow line guy was screaming at driver and waving, jumping up and down! The driver didn't have windows down so it took some time. Finally pulls boat back up onto ramp, takes tie downs off and launch. Boat still doesn't come off trailer.! OMG! LMAO! Forgot bow hook! OMG you can't make this up. Now back on ramp, backs down and launches. The boat floats off hard and fast pulling the bow line guy right into the water.! My wife is falling out of deck chair, my son is damn near crying from laughing so hard. He gets back up swearing at the driver like a truck driver in a city. Everything calms down and the driver parks truck. Jumps into boat and boat won't crank! OMG! Lifts dog hatch and starts swearing! WTH? He is screaming no F'n battery! We can't eat now from holding stomachs laughing so hard!! He jumps out and gets battery out of truck. Hooks battery up all seems well.....uh oh. He starts cranking the motor and it won't start. I mentioned to wife he better air bilge by lifting dog hatch since old boats didn't have ventilators. Too late. Huge explosion! Ball of fire 10' into air and dog hatch is blown off boat and crazy but it landed about 25' from us in yard.! Boat totally consumed in fire, guy in back blown out of boat! He bobs up and ok. The driver turns around in shock sees it on fire and jumps out. I call 911 and report it. I ran over to ramp with fire extinguisher but too far gone. Huge black billowing cloud like a nuke went off! Fire boats showed up and fire trucks. I was on my dock wetting down my boat with its fresh water wash down system. I actually have a video of this fiasco and will look for it.

For Michigan guys, this was Pentwater lake quite a few years ago.

 

[noharleyyet]

Saw a fella with his trailered I/O in the water holding up the ramp peering into his engine compartment. Walked down and took a look at some likely dumb chit I had pulled & joined him looking at his engine. His wife was steaming & he looked at me hopefully. I told him to reach into the compartment again but do nothing...then go to the driver's seat and flip the kill switch.

Good karma...

 

[Gellar]

One of the best vacations I had was cottage that about 200' from public launch. We would eat lunch on deck watching the "festivities". The absolute winner was a beautifully restored old wooden Lyman with I/O. These 2 morons begin to launch, forget to take tie downs off so boat floats trailer off to side. Oops! The bow line guy was screaming at driver and waving, jumping up and down! The driver didn't have windows down so it took some time. Finally pulls boat back up onto ramp, takes tie downs off and launch. Boat still doesn't come off trailer.! OMG! LMAO! Forgot bow hook! OMG you can't make this up. Now back on ramp, backs down and launches. The boat floats off hard and fast pulling the bow line guy right into the water.! My wife is falling out of deck chair, my son is damn near crying from laughing so hard. He gets back up swearing at the driver like a truck driver in a city. Everything calms down and the driver parks truck. Jumps into boat and boat won't crank! OMG! Lifts dog hatch and starts swearing! WTH? He is screaming no F'n battery! We can't eat now from holding stomachs laughing so hard!! He jumps out and gets battery out of truck. Hooks battery up all seems well.....uh oh. He starts cranking the motor and it won't start. I mentioned to wife he better air bilge by lifting dog hatch since old boats didn't have ventilators. Too late. Huge explosion! Ball of fire 10' into air and dog hatch is blown off boat and crazy but it landed about 25' from us in yard.! Boat totally consumed in fire, guy in back blown out of boat! He bobs up and ok. The driver turns around in shock sees it on fire and jumps out. I call 911 and report it. I ran over to ramp with fire extinguisher but too far gone. Huge black billowing cloud like a nuke went off! Fire boats showed up and fire trucks. I was on my dock wetting down my boat with its fresh water wash down system. I actually have a video of this fiasco and will look for it.

For Michigan guys, this was Pentwater lake quite a few years ago.

My office used to be at a busy public boat landing. I would sit in the afternoons with the windows open and listen. People do not realize how far sound travels over water. The arguments would usually be going on as they were approaching the dock and would come to a head as the wife was kicked out of the vehicle because her backing skills were not up to par, but after taking the wheel the husband was no better.

 

[BrentD]

Get a 35 hp with a 25 hp hood.


I have seen a lot of the older Lund classics for sale this winter on Facebook Marketplace. I saw several within a few hours drive that were to cheap to pass up, like $500, but they were gone before I could get to them.

The rebadging stunt has been around all my life, but I'd rather not go there. As a teenager, I would have swooned for a fifteen horse johnson.To put a nine and a half badge on.

There are a lot of fairly cheap boats out there, but most of them are so clapped out that they would cost more to fix than buying a good one. I'm learning a lot about the boat market and that category.

And all the older boats have older motors.Some of which are two strokes, most of which are over powered.None of which meet my needs but aren't quite bad enough to throw away. And I don't want to be stuck with having to sell an old motor that I don't know anything about.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The rebadging stunt has been around all my life, but I'd rather not go there. As a teenager, I would have swooned for a fifteen horse johnson.To put a nine and a half badge on.

There are a lot of fairly cheap boats out there, but most of them are so clapped out that they would cost more to fix than buying a good one. I'm learning a lot about the boat market and that category.

And all the older boats have older motors.Some of which are two strokes, most of which are over powered.None of which meet my needs but aren't quite bad enough to throw away. And I don't want to be stuck with having to sell an old motor that I don't know anything about.

Focus on the hull, not the motor.

And then look at some of the newer electric motors, as well as a newer 4-stroke.

Lots of marine services moving away from even servicing 2-strokes.

 

[BrentD]

Focus on the hull, not the motor.

And then look at some of the newer electric motors, as well as a newer 4-stroke.

Lots of marine services moving away from even servicing 2-strokes.

Electric motors are not viable. A brand new 25 horse Yamaha is $5300, specked the way I want it. $200 less for the Suzuki, which offers a few advantages and disadvantages over the Yamaha.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Electric motors are not viable. A brand new 25 horse Yamaha is $5300, specked the way I want it. $200 less for the Suzuki, which offers a few advantages and disadvantages over the Yamaha.

Why aren't they viable? Tons of folks using them on similarly sized boats, up to 16-18 ft Jon boats.

Have a Suzuki I'm eying for the repower.

 

[BrentD]

Why aren't they viable? Tons of folks using them on similarly sized boats, up to 16-18 ft Jon boats.

Have a Suzuki I'm eying for the repower.

I think all else being equal.The Suzuki is a better choice than the Yamaha. But it is not an apples to apples comparison.

Electric won't work for 4+ days of solid fishing totally off the grid.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I think all else being equal.The Suzuki is a better choice than the Yamaha. But it is not an apples to apples comparison.

Electric won't work for 4+ days of solid fishing totally off the grid.

Not with that attitude!

Just need to hump in 20 extra 125 AH lithiums!

 

[BrentD]

Not with that attitude!

Just need to hump in 20 extra 125 AH lithiums!

I'll bring you along just for that job. I'm not sure the boat will float that, however. So you might have to swim them out

 

[Ben Lamb]

I'll bring you along just for that job. I'm not sure the boat will float that, however. So you might have to swim them out

Just because I try to talk you into stupid things doesn't mean I'm going to be around for the consequences.

 

[BrentD]

Just because I try to talk you into stupid things doesn't mean I'm going to be around for the consequences.

Sometimes I wish you weren't quite so smart. I would love the quiet of an electric, but I cannot imagine how to get past the battery issues.

 

[BrentD]

I'm not a flashy big spender like @Big Fin. No indeed, I am his dirt cheap, older brother. Kinda.

As you might imagine, high tech electronics will also be limited on my yacht. More simple is more better. Mostly.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Sometimes I wish you weren't quite so smart. I would love the quiet of an electric, but I cannot imagine how to get past the battery issues.

If only there were a history of small vessel navigation that could point us to some unpowered propulsion system.

Until the battery issue is worked out, then yeah - gasoline it is.

 

[BrentD]

If only there were a history of small vessel navigation that could point us to some unpowered propulsion system.

Until the battery issue is worked out, then yeah - gasoline it is.

Well there are sails and paddles. But i'm getting old and lazy. And frankly, I can't imagine trolling for walleyes with a sail.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Well there are sails and paddles. But i'm getting old and lazy. And frankly, I can't imagine trolling for walleyes with a sail.

Well w/o side and down imaging as well as CHIRP and forward facing sonar, you may as well just drift.

What kind of monster just fishes?

 

[Tradewind]

Not this winter but last, I bought a boat. Being more domesticated than others on here I bought a 20 ft pontoon with a 115 HP on the back. Yes, it can carry 10 people and certain members of my family were dreaming of lounging in the sun, but a couple others new better, and it's got the fishing package and we took it out 16 days last summer and it was 90% a fishing boat. Being my first boat, and having yet to incur any catastrophic financial costs (knock on skull), I'd say if someone were thinking about buying a boat, they just oughta.
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Perfect. If my evil Evinrude doesn't start I'm going fishing with Namless Range on his party yacht