Have you been successful in convincing your wife

[robert843]

Well you already have the blessing so I'm late to the show. I had two boats and two jet skis for a while. One of the boats was the one the better half didn't want to let go of. I finally consolidated this year and sold that boat as her boat sat in storage for almost three years with no use. Still considering adding a off shore center console to the arsenal but keeping the AR240 for everyday use. What I found always works is the shock and awe method. She wants a nice family cruiser that gives you everything you want so start shopping but go Big!! Find several that really do work for you but put them in an astronomical price range ( if your budget 50k find boats that work for 200k) when she starts throwing up over the price of the boats you find you look at her and say your right honey that is too much money maybe we should just keep what we got and find a cheap option you like. Usually the quickly agree because anything you sounds better then spending 200k on a boat lol. This work most of time if presented correctly and applies to anything you want to buy in life. If you want a 60 inch tv show her 80 inch tv's when she starts throwing up over the price you say yes honey you are correct lets just get a 60 inch.

 

[PEARCE]

"Gone up in flames...."

@PEARCE , what happened to your new to you cruiser?

There was a mechanic working on another cruiser that was docked in our boat house. He was using an electric pump to remove water from a tank of gasoline in the rear of the boat. He was powering it off the battery for the generator that is towards the front of this particular vessel. It was a 44' Carver aft cabin cruiser. Using alligator clips to get the power from the battery was one of the many mistakes. The first mistake was not moving this boat to a service dock. The other mistake he made was not properly venting the area. As he was using the pump at some point the power cord got pulled too tight and one of the clips came off the battery and caused a spark. That ignited the concentrated fuel fumes and boom. The mechanic was burned on his hands and arms but survived. No one else was hurt. Gasoline and fiberglass burn very well and very hot together and the fire spread very quickly. Being where the marina is there is only volunteer fire departments and it took close to 45 minutes for the first truck to arrive. By that time most of the dock of 18-20 boats was fully involved. There were mainly large cabin cruisers on our dock since they were 16'x40' slips. Kitchen cabinets and appliances along with living spaces were at most of our slips which ours was one that was carpeted too. It was our home away from home! This incident made national news the day it happened. All boats except one burned and of the boats that did burn, only one didn't sink. They all burned to the water line. Most of our friends around us had full gas tanks too with anywhere from 200 (us) to 450 gallon of gas on board since it was the middle of our season. That certainly helped put fuel to the fire. It was a mess for several weeks.

I'm thankful that this occurred around 9am on a Wednesday morning instead of a Saturday morning because there was a good chance that life would have been lost instead of just stuff.

 

[Dhow]

Well we have his and hers boats . A year back it was his and his boats a Boston whaler and the Yamaha win win. Well hang on my better half didn't go out in the whaler to wet of ride. Fast forward she said she would go out with me all the time yes and fish if I sold whaler and get a pontoon boat. Bamm she went to movies I listed whaler 3hr later cash in hand whaler gone ! Purchased pontoon she charters me around fishing life is amazing .

 

[Ronnie]

@PEARCE , sorry to hear it. Please tell us insurance has you covered and are looking for your next home away from home now.

 

[PEARCE]

Yes @Ronnie we had good insurance and they've taken care of us. It was quite a process but it got done. What our boat insurance didn't cover our homeowners did mostly. We're actively pursuing our next one so we'll be ready when the new dock is built.

 

[Peelz]

this is a great thread. I'm lucky in the wife department i think.... not much she wouldnt let me do as far as hobbies, within reason. I owned 5 atv's at one time.... she was cool, as long as one was "hers" shes pushing me now to finish the pilot license, which I kinda stalled at....

i'm pretty sure I could swing a second boat by her no prob... but we dont need to, because we both want the same thing out of a boat LOL

If she wants a bigger one than a yamah, I suggest the big chaparral sunesta. it's very yamaha-esque. I crwaled around on one not too long ago. its a VERY well done machine

 

[tim h]

this is a great thread. I'm lucky in the wife department i think.... not much she wouldnt let me do as far as hobbies, within reason. I owned 5 atv's at one time.... she was cool, as long as one was "hers" shes pushing me now to finish the pilot license, which I kinda stalled at....

i'm pretty sure I could swing a second boat by her no prob... but we dont need to, because we both want the same thing out of a boat LOL

If she wants a bigger one than a yamah, I suggest the big chaparral sunesta. it's very yamaha-esque. I crwaled around on one not too long ago. its a VERY well done machine

"which I kinda stalled at"... I see what you did there, good one

 

[Peelz]

"which I kinda stalled at"... I see what you did there, good one

ha meant to have that in quotes. good catch!

flaps are out, and its a power-on stall.

hopefully no spin.

 

[Julian]

That is a good idea. @Julian had a contraption like that in his old 230 I think?

--

I think he's looking for excuses WHY he NEEDS TWO boats not ways to help just keep one....but perhaps I missed something!

 

[Betik]

@Amar Nanduri update the house and forget about the 2nd boat for now. These are not the times to be stretching thin, especially for a second boat. I promise that boat will get less than 10 hours year. If you think you have to; rent something for a weekend and see how comfortable they will be.
Claire and I were ready to buy a Sundancer 260 ( or 280) and the moment we stepped inside the cabin, we knew it was like camping in a minivan. Definitely doable, but not comfortable at all ( not for our taste at least).

 

[Amar Nanduri]

@Amar Nanduri update the house and forget about the 2nd boat for now. These are not the times to be stretching thin, especially for a second boat. I promise that boat will get less than 10 hours year. If you think you have to; rent something for a weekend and see how comfortable they will be.
Claire and I were ready to buy a Sundancer 260 ( or 280) and the moment we stepped inside the cabin, we knew it was like camping in a minivan. Definitely doable, but not comfortable at all ( not for our taste at least).

The voice of reason @Betik I love you brother. I think I will stick with one boat only (yammie or a cuddy) atleast for this year as the season ended. I see what you mean about the second boat. At any given time only one boat will see the water. Maybe for the second boat share costs with a couple of others (time share?) and get a reasonable priced one. Will keep researching on this.

 

[TS4811]

Careful what you wish for. Last spring we bought our SX210. As a lifelong sailor, I felt I was joining the dark side. So as a sailing family we moved from our 45' sailboat to the the fast lane in the Yamaha.

So, I encouraged my wife to drive the boat, run it around a bit. Get used to it. She loved it. We're having fun.
Then I showed her how to back the trailer and load the boat.
I told her she looked really cool driving it and she really seemed to be enjoying it.
Then it seemed like she was driving all the time. And then I am taking orders from her.
Now, I am thinking I am going to have to get another boat for me!
Seriously, encourage her to take the wheel, tell her how good she looks, have fun and boat safely.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Man - I need to get the point in the life where I could even afford two boats - let alone even seriously consider it lol.

 

[PEARCE]

Claire and I were ready to buy a Sundancer 260 ( or 280) and the moment we stepped inside the cabin, we knew it was like camping in a minivan. Definitely doable, but not comfortable at all ( not for our taste at least).

If you want comfort in a Sundancer or Express style boat you're gonna have to go more then 30 feet. You'll probably still have I/O's depending on year and make so I don't know how you feel about that. If you're looking at a trailerable cuddy cruiser then that's the way it has to be and the 26 to 28 foot range is in the max range of trailerability. Also, for added comfort in the summer, especially in the south, you're going to want a/c. I don't know where the cutoff is where you get a/c and the required generator to have the a/c away from the dock. In our latest shopping adventures looking at express style boats we stepped into a 35' Regal. I was bumping my head on the ceiling before I got to the front stateroom. To give you reference I'm 6'4". We have two kids that we know are taking after me in height and are or will be tall too. Example, our son is 9 and in 4th grade and stands a head above his classmates. Our daughter is 13 and is the tallest on the Junior high drill team and comes to my nose in height. So if I can't standup straight and be comfortable in the majority of the cabin of a boat we knock it off the list. Because if I'm not comfortable in a boat now then I know two, most likely three of us, wouldn't be comfortable in a few years. We're going with a 40' Sea Ray Express this time and it has plenty of headroom throughout and dedicated sleeping accommodations for the four of us. No converting couches or a dining table every night for one or both kids. We spend all weekend every weekend in the summer so it needs to be accommodating and comfortable.

 

[Betik]

@PEARCE I am actually thinking for a Swift Trawler down the road......

 

[jayasaki138]

My family went through a few boats from bowrider, center console, cuddy cabin and cruiser, and now back to my favorite center console with OB. The wife and girls are always complaint something about each boat we have had; there is no perfect boat for all situations, just a like your house there is always something to improve or bigger/better house out there. My conclusion is buy something you like the most and stick with it.