In Hindsight Advice (seeking not giving)

Jamesonm said:
Hey all, as mentioned briefly on a couple threads, hoping to get into ocean fishing.

What do you wish you knew now when getting into your first boat? Anything to be keenly aware of (good and bad) to stay away from or actively target/seek out? I've been watching all of the boats posted from members - thank you. And I've messaged a couple for guidance and everyone has been super responsive and helpful - great community!

What would be a great starter boat for my wife and I to do some fishing out of the Vic area and explore some islands for overnighting once we have some experience under our belts. I've heard 16 or 17 foot hourston, double eagle and arima.

Something in the ballpark of 20k. We have a tacoma that we will be pulling it with.

I'm a bit hesitant to buy a used boat privately as I don't wanna get taken for a ride. Will going through a dealership help with that? What do you think the upcharge or mark up is with them and is it worth it for peace of mind? Or is that thinking a bit naive.

Cheers!
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Your budget is better than I think you were first suggesting awhile ago. That's great. You might want to look in the interior. Bow riders are fine if you pick your weather. I have a centre console that’s open in the front and it’s an excellent sportfishing boat. A lot of assumed prejudices out there, so be mindful of that from people giving well meaning advice.

The basics seem to be that a fiberglass boat in that price range could have stringer or transom rot issues, and will most likely have an older two-stroke motor depending on what you’re getting for the $20,000 maximum. Lots of two-stroke still out there, but just don’t expect everything to be perfect. If it’s a four stroke main, you could troll with it and wouldn’t need a kicker right away. But it’s a little tough trolling with a two-stroke main.

Be ready to hire a surveyor, and marine mechanic, because most surveyors will not do the engine.
 
RiverBoy said:
wait whaaat? what do you mean ?
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The molds were sold and brought to China. They "updated" the topside and did the euro trash thing to the swim grid. Same original hull though. It's not a Commander anymore. I don't have all the facts exactly, but I don't think many sold. I think the original company was sold around 2006.
 
Alex_c said:
I think this also stresses that if you can’t afford to pay someone else to work on it, buy something that is within your scope of abilities and equipment to perform general maintenance and repair. Once you get into bigger, heavier stuff, repairs get costly just by sheer scale and equipment needed to pull a motor, space to put a hull on stands, complexity of systems etc. I rented a engine hoist for $40 and watched some YouTube and read the factory service manual to piece together and hang my motor in my driveway. Zero chance I’d be doing that with a massive outboard or inboard.
Now, there are ways a guy can pull a big outboard or inboard in their driveway, but it’s not just a matter of picking up a hoist from the rental place and throwing it in the back of your wagon.
I also think just because you haven’t done it before you can’t do the work and learn either. I think any guy with some basic tools and a driveway can restore something up to 18-20 feet, overhaul the engine, or do most hull repairs that don’t require flipping it over.
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You bring up some excellent points, Alex! When we were kids we had no money so just owning a car was a big deal. We had to learn some mechanics to keep our Camaros, Cougars and Challengers on the road. I was never really a car guy but what I learned still pays off with my 30 year old Mercruiser 454. "There is no replacement for that big displacement." ... and cast iron.
Like Steve Earle, I love that rumbling sound. Maybe that's why I'm the lonely, only guy left with a sterndrive. 😂
 
Foxsea said:
You bring up some excellent points, Alex! When we were kids we had no money so just owning a car was a big deal. We had to learn some mechanics to keep our Camaros, Cougars and Challengers on the road. I was never really a car guy but what I learned still pays off with my 30 year old Mercruiser 454. "There is no replacement for that big displacement." ... and cast iron.
Like Steve Earle, I love that rumbling sound. Maybe that's why I'm the lonely, only guy left with a sterndrive. 😂
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Same experience here. Learned to wrench out of necessity. Way too poor growing up. Worked for every dollar I had, and I’d be damned if I spent my hard-earned money paying someone to load up a parts cannon and fire it at whatever piece of crap I was driving. Pick-a-part in Chilliwack was a godsend. Have had repairs done by a mechanic maybe half a dozen times in my 20+ years of car ownership. Usually due to a time crunch, or because it’s exhaust work, and doing exhaust work in your driveway sucks. Nothing like lighting yourself on fire with some flux core while wedged under a vehicle. Did I mention I hate doing exhaust?
 
Alex_c said:
Same experience here. Learned to wrench out of necessity. Way too poor growing up. Worked for every dollar I had, and I’d be damned if I spent my hard-earned money paying someone to load up a parts cannon and fire it at whatever piece of crap I was driving. Pick-a-part in Chilliwack was a godsend. Have had repairs done by a mechanic maybe half a dozen times in my 20+ years of car ownership. Usually due to a time crunch, or because it’s exhaust work, and doing exhaust work in your driveway sucks. Nothing like lighting yourself on fire with some flux core while wedged under a vehicle. Did I mention I hate doing exhaust?
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The visual! I imagine you were calm and collected until your clothing was ablaze! Then a mad scramble; your commado crawl from under that car could have qualified you for the Special Forces! 😂
 
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Aquaholic said:
Your budget is better than I think you were first suggesting awhile ago. That's great. You might want to look in the interior. Bow riders are fine if you pick your weather. I have a centre console that’s open in the front and it’s an excellent sportfishing boat. A lot of assumed prejudices out there, so be mindful of that from people giving well meaning advice.

The basics seem to be that a fiberglass boat in that price range could have stringer or transom rot issues, and will most likely have an older two-stroke motor depending on what you’re getting for the $20,000 maximum. Lots of two-stroke still out there, but just don’t expect everything to be perfect. If it’s a four stroke main, you could troll with it and wouldn’t need a kicker right away. But it’s a little tough trolling with a two-stroke main.

Be ready to hire a surveyor, and marine mechanic, because most surveyors will not do the engine.
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Awesome thanks will do. Ya the wife is 100% behind this purchase and really wants a decent boat we can take out on the weekends. Score!

I have a small shop in the back I do a lot of wrenching in so I plan on performing a lot of the work myself.

To be honest we could probably push to 30k for the right boat, but I'm targeting 20. I'm going to stop in at Sherwood marine today and have a chin waggle with them. They have a well craft CC there that's been in the yard for quite I while if I remember correctly. Anyone know the history of this bad boy?

www.sherwoodmarine.com

1997 Wellcraft 190 CCF | Sherwood Marine Centre

1997 Wellcraft 190 CCF This centre console boat includes a 2016 Suzuki DF140A outboard engine with 177 engine hours, a Nissan Marine 9.8 kicker, and a 1997 EZ Loader Trailer. It also features: Lowrance Hook 7 Icom VHF AM/FM & CD player Washdown Scotty Mount & Plugs Boarding Ladder Enclosure...
www.sherwoodmarine.com www.sherwoodmarine.com
 
Jamesonm said:
Awesome thanks will do. Ya the wife is 100% behind this purchase and really wants a decent boat we can take out on the weekends. Score!

I have a small shop in the back I do a lot of wrenching in so I plan on performing a lot of the work myself.

To be honest we could probably push to 30k for the right boat, but I'm targeting 20. I'm going to stop in at Sherwood marine today and have a chin waggle with them. They have a well craft CC there that's been in the yard for quite I while if I remember correctly. Anyone know the history of this bad boy?

www.sherwoodmarine.com

1997 Wellcraft 190 CCF | Sherwood Marine Centre

1997 Wellcraft 190 CCF This centre console boat includes a 2016 Suzuki DF140A outboard engine with 177 engine hours, a Nissan Marine 9.8 kicker, and a 1997 EZ Loader Trailer. It also features: Lowrance Hook 7 Icom VHF AM/FM & CD player Washdown Scotty Mount & Plugs Boarding Ladder Enclosure...
www.sherwoodmarine.com www.sherwoodmarine.com
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Ok but to be clear, budget "could" push 30k, meaning spend 15k and you'll likely be into for 30k in the next two years. Especially with that vintage. All I'm saying is don't go into it with the expectation that it will be free to operate for the forseeable future. Maybe it will end up that way, great. But don't bet the house on it.
 
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Rain City said:
Ok but to be clear, budget "could" push 30k, meaning spend 15k and you'll likely be into for 30k in the next two years. Especially with that vintage. All I'm saying is don't go into it with the expectation that it will be free to operate for the forseable future. Maybe it will end up that way, great. But don't bet the house on it.
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With that being said who wants a fishing buddy! 😂

But on a more serious note I appreciate your comments RC. They don't call them money pits for nothing.
 
Jamesonm said:
Awesome thanks will do. Ya the wife is 100% behind this purchase and really wants a decent boat we can take out on the weekends. Score!

I have a small shop in the back I do a lot of wrenching in so I plan on performing a lot of the work myself.

To be honest we could probably push to 30k for the right boat, but I'm targeting 20. I'm going to stop in at Sherwood marine today and have a chin waggle with them. They have a well craft CC there that's been in the yard for quite I while if I remember correctly. Anyone know the history of this bad boy?

www.sherwoodmarine.com

1997 Wellcraft 190 CCF | Sherwood Marine Centre

1997 Wellcraft 190 CCF This centre console boat includes a 2016 Suzuki DF140A outboard engine with 177 engine hours, a Nissan Marine 9.8 kicker, and a 1997 EZ Loader Trailer. It also features: Lowrance Hook 7 Icom VHF AM/FM & CD player Washdown Scotty Mount & Plugs Boarding Ladder Enclosure...
www.sherwoodmarine.com www.sherwoodmarine.com
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Boat is now sold.
 
tubber said:
Here's free advice: don't ask questions about a specific boat you are interested in or these sumbitches or the lurkers will buy it out from underneath you.
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These damn sumbitches!!! 🤫

We're not in a rush and will wait for the right deal to come along. I'll contact a surveyor and mechanic in the meanwhile.
 
Jamesonm said:
These damn sumbitches!!! 🤫

We're not in a rush and will wait for the right deal to come along. I'll contact a surveyor and mechanic in the meanwhile.
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It is an annual thread topic, but be ready to e-transfer a small deposit quickly if you see something you like. Don't wait too long or it will be gone, as many are usually looking for what you want and in that price range.
 
Aquaholic said:
It is an annual thread topic, but be ready to e-transfer a small deposit quickly if you see something you like. Don't wait too long or it will be gone, as many are usually looking for what you want and in that price range.
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You may be an experienced negotiator but if not, listen to this advice ^^^.
Do not negotiate by calling out every little blemish in an older boat either - it's somebody's baby. I have had guys come to buy my boats, knocking them down for 5 minutes. My response: "This is clearly not the boat for you so eff off." One guy says "I'm just negotiating!" I say "You did it wrong."

Be prepared to pay full-pop for the right boat and, as Aquaholic says, pay a decent, refundable deposit, subject to survey and mechanical inspection. Negotiate once you have that ammunition to back it up.
 
Foxsea said:
You may be an experienced negotiator but if not, listen to this advice ^^^.
Do not negotiate by calling out every little blemish in an older boat either - it's somebody's baby. I have had guys come to buy my boats, knocking them down for 5 minutes. My response: "This is clearly not the boat for you so eff off." One guy says "I'm just negotiating!" I say "You did it wrong."

Be prepared to pay full-pop for the right boat and, as Aquaholic says, pay a decent, refundable deposit, subject to survey and mechanical inspection. Negotiate once you have that ammunition to back it up.
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Right on. I hate those tirekickers that do that crap. I give stuff away free instead of dealing with that. I just wanted to sell this stuff at a decent price, not get charged with aggravated assault because of a dumba$$ tirekicker.

I find it better to get them to add more gear, if the boat is being stripped out for the sale, rather than drop the price.
 
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