My experience owning a boat for a year

[BlkGS]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary as a boat owner. A year ago today I purchased my 07 sx230, againt the advice of many who had never owned a boat. I had graduated from jet skis, and wanted something a bit more spacious for hanging out on the lake, so on my 32nd birthday, I took my first steps into boat ownership. Below are a collection of stories and tips from that time.

Bringing the boat back was a nerve racking experience. I have a v8 Colorado, rated to tow like 7500 pounds, well in excess of my boats weight. It was nerve racking every time we stopped, changed lanes, or did anything but maintain speed. I had plenty of power but ultimately the vehicle was too small to be the right tool. I was just trying to get it back home 5 hours away, as I knew we would be storing it at a marina locally. People towing and thinking of doing it with a crossover or something, you crazy, just get a bigger truck or truck-suv.

When you own a boat, you will never have more fake friends. Everyone wants a ride on your boat, but many are "too busy" to find time to hang out normally. We are young, no kids, and most of our friends are you ger with no kids. I can only imagine it gets worse with age.

Boat etiquette is a confusing thing. We have felt like we are providing a boat to go on the lake, so friends are responsible for their own beverages. Most people get this, but a few friends of ours show up with virtually nothing, when everyone else has brought drinks or snacks to share with all. You will never find yourself questioning why you hang out with some people more than owning a boat.


Boating apparently has a steep learning curve, and attracts dbags. On big holidays, nobody knows what they're doing. People will damn near hit you. Especially people with tubes. I try to give people a lot of room, especially if they have tubers, but apparently those people dont care.

I am super grateful for the forum. Unless you have a dedicated jetboat place by you, you're gonna have to diy, because normal boat mechanics dont want to touch them. Works for me, I like working on it myself. Boat services like upholstery also take forever, and are all super laid back, you cant get a firm timeline from them.

Overall, I love the boat. I wish I had more time for it, not that we dont use it, but things like work keep getting in the way!

 

[Beachbummer]

Great boat choice. (I have an 08 SX230)

Etiquette wise, Over communication work for me. I am bringing X (One beer for you. If you want something else you need to bring it. Bring a towel. etc.) I generally chose my happiness over that of others, such as I'd rather you be told something that makes you mad (Sorry, eat your Cheetos/ red wine in the back so if it spills it's not a hideous mess) vs saying nothing and then being pissed when they make the mess. I seem like an A-hole at times, but a happy one !

Thankfully most that can go wrong with our boats is not a bad fix on DIY, maybe that also affects independent shops... they would starve with my business.

 

[merlinjet]

I recently acquired a 09 232 Limited S. I couldn't be happier with the boat. My biggest issue was the condition of the seat covers. Even though the boat had not been kept inside, it had been covered so I would have expected a lot better. Once I got over swallowing the pill for the reupholstering, I am really enjoying the boat. The size and seating are perfect for my needs carrying 8 adults max. The MR-1 engines are running great at 170 hours; keeping them at around 7000 RPMs cruising seems to get me the best gas mileage. They do suck gas and seem very loud to me at WOT. I think the design of the boat is classic; most folks that ask me about its age are surprised it's 10 years old. All my maintenance to date has also been DIY, very easy boat to work on.

As for the crazies and/or drunks on the water, we certainly get our share here on Lake Havasu. There are a lot of large, very fast boats on the lake as well as the PWC folks. This adds up to a fairly volatile mix on weekends and holidays. Being retired I get avoid that element and boat during the week. That being said, even during the week there are always people out there that have no idea what they are doing or any knowledge of boating rules. Probably one issue here is the lack of adequate law enforcement, and everybody knows it so they tend to push the envelope. You just have to keep your head on a swivel and stay well clear of them all!

I have no etiquette issues with my passengers. I let them know in advance what the rules are and what they need to bring (and not bring). Fortunately, most of the time they ask me first, but sometimes I have to help them out a bit. Don't be shy, I don't think most non boaters have any concept of what to do or not to do on a boat, so just lay it out there and avoid the confusion.

Enjoy!!