Help me spend my $$$$!!!

[capt]

I have been reading how much everyone likes spending other people's money on here for a while now. So help me spend mine.

I am in the market for a boat and would like to have y'all's input on what would be a good option and price. My wife and I have never owned a boat. I grew up with a boat in my family and am very familiar with them. We have 3 girls ages 5, 3 and 1. We have many lakes around us in Fort Worth Tx. I would like to ski, tube, wakeboard and try to surf eventually. I have a lot of extended family close to us, so I was thinking either a 21' or 23'. I have about 15K-20K to spend. I'm pretty mechanically inclined. What are your recommendations?

 

[itsdgm]

Welcome aboard @capt

Personally I think you're looking for a good used Yamaha boat with a tower. 21' boat would be a 212x, in that price range look for 2008 (first year they made a 212) or newer. You might find an AR210 (2006/2007 or newer only because prior years were 2-stroke) but the engines are lower horsepower than the 212x. In the 23' size, I'd look for anything with a tower 2007 and newer.

Good luck with your search. if you see a boat that you like, It might be helpful to check our members map and find a member in the area who would be willing to go with you and look at the boat. Then you could take him and his wife out for beers and dinner to discuss the boats condition. Hey, you did ask for help spending your money,night? I'm in the So Cal area, I'd be willing to go with you if you find a boat near me.

 

[Julian]

What @itsdgm said is good advice....I'd probably lean towards the 23' boat just because you can never have too much room on a boat! I assume you've browsed the boats in the classified section? Doing a national craigslist search would also be smart....be prepared to drive to get it...

 

[Bruce]

Welcome Aboard!

The first thing I would do is go have a look at this upgraded and well cared for 2006 (First Generation) SX230 that is relatively close to you https://jetboaters.net/threads/new-price-25-000-obo-garage-kept-low-hours-06-sx230ho-tx.8525

Used boats seem to come in three types;

1. Unmaintained, the owner feeds it gas and adds oil if the light comes on. Unless it stops them from enjoying the water they are not going to worry about it. They are are likely to come with thousands of dollars of hidden repair work needed.

2. Stock well maintained, these are owners who likely keep records, change the oil on time and keep the boat as close as they can to how it left the factory. These are likely older owners who have cared for their boats to maintain their investment. I have purchased two of these.

3. Upgraded / modernized, these are owners who upgrade the stereo, lighting, navigation, communication, steering, etc capabilities of their boat to increase their enjoyment and keep up with current trends. I have sold one of these.

Personally I would shop amongst the Stock or Upgraded boats. My family has purchased two stock boats and upgraded them. We broke even on the small upgrades to the first. We have invested ~$8k on upgrades for our SX230. Your best bargain will be to find a well maintained and upgraded example. You will likely spend more than your $20K budget but will save on upgrades that otherwise would be likely to spend on.

 

[Glassman]

I have been reading how much everyone likes spending other people's money on here for a while now. So help me spend mine.

I am in the market for a boat and would like to have y'all's input on what would be a good option and price. My wife and I have never owned a boat. I grew up with a boat in my family and am very familiar with them. We have 3 girls ages 5, 3 and 1. We have many lakes around us in Fort Worth Tx. I would like to ski, tube, wakeboard and try to surf eventually. I have a lot of extended family close to us, so I was thinking either a 21' or 23'. I have about 15K-20K to spend. I'm pretty mechanically inclined. What are your recommendations?

The first thing I would ask you is have you and the family been boating together lately? I ask only because I've seen a unique phenomenon occur when a couple buys a boat before they are certain it's the right thing for their family. I met a fellow who had a similar story - his folks had a boat, but his wife had never boated and they had young kids. Turns out they sold the boat about 6 months after buying it. She wasn't that thrilled with all the work that goes into boating and the kids proved to be a handful on top of it all.

Hopefully you have an opportunity to try it out before buying, perhaps a friend? or even a rental for a weekend.

Once you decide you really like it and the wife and kids really like it, then @Bruce 's advice is spot on.

 

[capt]

Thanks @itsdgm I did not know that the 2004-2006 were two stroke. I was looking at an ar230 here in Texas but was not aware that it is a two stroke. I like the 212x but not sure if it is going to be enough boat. Im afraid it is going to feel crowded with my family and a few other people.


Thanks @Julian That is exactly how I was feeling. Yes I have looked at the classified section and the national craigslist and Boat Trader. I feel like the boats are overpriced right now. I'm thinking if I wait for the off season I might find a better value. Anyone with experience with this? I think I can raise my budget to 25k in a few more months. Would waiting a few months make a difference? Other then missing out on this season.

@Bruce thanks for the info. I should go see his boat, but don't want to waste his time or bother him. Its outta my price range for now.

@Glassman We are actually going out on the lake in a few hours. I finally talked my Dad into bringing us out as a whole family. He said he would let me launch and recover and practice docking and all the stuff you don’t really get to do when you are just a passenger. I was also thinking about renting a boat a few times. Better to find out now if the wife or kids are not into boating. Then I can buy me a fishing boat instead!

 

[Bruce]

@Bruce thanks for the info. I should go see his boat, but don't want to waste his time or bother him. Its outta my price range for now.

@PEARCE is a great guy and has indicated that he is negotiable. I would let him know where you are on budget. Perhaps you guys can work something out. You could easily end up spending more on a lower purchase price boat that has issues.

 

[itsdgm]

Thanks @itsdgm I did not know that the 2004-2006 were two stroke. I was looking at an ar230 here in Texas but was not aware that it is a two stroke. I like the 212x but not sure if it is going to be enough boat. Im afraid it is going to feel crowded with my family and a few other people.


Thanks @Julian That is exactly how I was feeling. Yes I have looked at the classified section and the national craigslist and Boat Trader. I feel like the boats are overpriced right now. I'm thinking if I wait for the off season I might find a better value. Anyone with experience with this? I think I can raise my budget to 25k in a few more months. Would waiting a few months make a difference? Other then missing out on this season.

@Bruce thanks for the info. I should go see his boat, but don't want to waste his time or bother him. Its outta my price range for now.

@Glassman We are actually going out on the lake in a few hours. I finally talked my Dad into bringing us out as a whole family. He said he would let me launch and recover and practice docking and all the stuff you don’t really get to do when you are just a passenger. I was also thinking about renting a boat a few times. Better to find out now if the wife or kids are not into boating. Then I can buy me a fishing boat instead!

Any 23' boat will be 4 stroke motors.
But the 21' boats 2005 and older will be 2 stroke. I'm pretty sure the 21' 2006 are 4 stroke too, but I just can't remember for sure.

Sorry if I confused you on that.

 

[Bruce]

Any 23' boat will be 4 stroke motors.
But the 21' boats 2005 and older will be 2 stroke. I'm pretty sure the 21' 2006 are 4 stroke too, but I just can't remember for sure.

Sorry if I confused you on that.

The 2005 LX210 and AR210 are the last of the 2 strokes.

 

[Gym]

Welcome aboard @capt. Good looking family on your profile. I can't add much to the great advice you've already been given except with your young family these propless boats are the best and safest option.

I have a 2006 SX230HO that has given me great service over the last 5 years so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that type of boat which is doable on your budget. You will find these boats very easy to maintain yourself and you'll have a great support system in this forum.

 

[Julian]

Yes....the more into the off season you wait, the better the deals you will get as people don't want to have a boat they want to sell sitting around in the off season - often paying for storage.

 

[Glen]

With kids so young, I would not prioritize a tower as it offers much less shade (until '16).

My kids are now entering 12, 10 & 8th grade. We now have a boat w/ a tower b/c they use it, and shade is ample ('16).

7 years ago when we bought our first Yamaha our priority was shade b/c we spent most of our time anchored, with the young kids playing & mom & dad relaxing.

.02

 

[Ronnie]

The person who bought my 06 230sx ho (with many upgrades) and the large oem Bimini is sells it for $19k with treiler of course but it is located here in NorCal.

 

[capt]

So I discovered boating with a 10 month old is not as fun as I was thinking it was going to be. My wife had to hold her the whole time and could not really assist me with anything. I'm thinking that I should wait til next year when she will be able to walk around the boat and not have to have us hold her the whole time.

So yesterday was an eye opening experience! We planned on a short afternoon of boating and ended up with a VERY SHORT afternoon of baoting and a LONG EVENING of issues.

Just to make a long story short it was an afternoon of 30 mins getting boat out of storage, 30 mins of charging dead battery, 1o mins of kids whining about wearing life jackets, 15 mins of very choppy and windy conditions, 15 mins of fun time anchored in a cove with the family swimming, 1 hour of driving 10 mph with a blown tire on the tandem axel trailer (had a spare but not 4 way), 15 mins changing tire at the house.

Im sure many of y'all have had worse days boating but that was pretty bad for the first time with my family.

 

[Zarrella]

Don't let a bad day sway your entry into boating. Give it another try in the future. Good luck!

 

[Bruce]

It gets better.

Most of your problems were due to lack of maintenance.

The kids will get used to wearing life jackets.

The little one may learn to sleep to the sound of the engines.

You will learn to pick good weather days and a bigger boat will handle the chop better.

It is going to be hard for your wife to be of much assistance with a 10 month old. I am blessed with a wife who launches and recovers the boat but many of our members do everything on their own with the family along for the ride.

We typically plan for a long day on the water. That is 15 minutes of loading the boat and getting it out of the garage. 20 minutes of towing to the lake. 5 minutes to launch. 10 minutes for me to park and get back to the boat. So in less than an hour we are on the water. Then we spend the rest of the day on the lake. We will have a meal or two on the water. Let the kids swim until they are exhausted then boat back to the ramp, recover the boat and load the sleeping kids into the truck. Then we drive home, put the boat back into the garage and plug the onboard charger in. We typically enjoy 8+ hours on the water with 2 hours of prep / cleanup.

 

[Ronnie]

Don't let one bad day determine your path forward. As others have stated try again on a better weather day. Try to prep as much as you can before you get the family into the tow vehicle. If you can justify it now take the kids to the store or go online with them to let them pick out their life vests, they are more likely to wear them this way.

 

[Scuba_ref]

It sounds like it can only get better for you going forward. While we no longer have children that young we have taken out friends with young children and you have to adjust your expectations to fit their mood and to help get them comfortable being in the boat and on the water. You can start that now or you can wait until your youngest is another year older - but I will suggest that the process of acclimating to a boat will be just as much of a struggle for a 22 month old as it will be for a 10 month old, might as well start now!

 

[Glen]

If the drive to the water is not too far, I've had my wife and kids give me a 30 min head start to do the 'sweaty stuff', so that when they arrive they just walk aboard. I immediately hand my bride a cold something, and smile. It is a little Pavlovian, but whatever it takes. .

Works best when going out with another couple/family as the dads lead, and ladies follow.

We also had our kids in a local swim team at early age. The sooner they are confident/competent in the water, the sooner they have fun & momma relaxes & enjoys. (= more boating)

 

[capt]

Great IDEA @Glen .

I have decided that buying a boat too big for my garage is dumb because I would have to pay for storage. So I have read a lot of post about how the 21's (sx210 and 212ss) fit in a standard two car garage (19 feet deep and 7 foot opening) I have a downward sloping driveway (sloping away from the garage)
I have heard this helps. Anyone have any big problems fitting there 210 or 212ss in a standard garage?

I also found this 2007 ar210. http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/boa/5608546620.html
anyone think this is a bad deal?
What should I do before driving 7 hrs to look or buy this boat?