Sea change: Handy selling at last?

LaRea

Surrender your Florida resident card.  

DanD2

Handymans342 said:

I am out of boating for good. The pleasure does not overcome the work and lack of time to use it. Complete and utter waste of money. 

Gee Handy....you sound bitter????

Michael T

Well Steve, I never thought I'd hear you say that. If that's what you want I'm happy for you. I still see in a smaller watercraft one day - like a small center counsel to cruise the canals and shoreline. At least five guys at my marina have sold big boats and purchased big travel coaches. Pretty impressive with their slide-outs.

Handymans342

What makes me bitter is the amount of money I have wasted since I bought the boat. I think I may have had 2 enjoyable days on it. I always have to drive it, clean it and maintain it. Then the cost of fuel keeps going up and its just too depressing. Now I have a nice 5th wheel and yes I still have to drive the truck but when I get parked in a nice area at least I can sit back and relax for a change. I'm sure alot of You guys can relate but just won't admit it! 

LaRea

Well, then you're doing the right thing.  If cleaning and maintenance feels like work instead of play, and the money spent feels like money wasted, you need to get out. 

I'm at the other end of the spectrum.  I've had about 30 really great days out on the boat so far this year, and we still have a couple months to go.  The boat is a central part of life for the Admiral and me.  I always dread the approach of the Season That Shall Not Be Named.  

But still -- not even a little center console for fishing?  

Handymans342

A decent center console is $60,000 used and still needs cleaning, driving, maintenance. Like @GMSLITHO I have friends with boats. My good friend and coworker has a nice center console but he hasnt had time to fish with all the problems he is having. He thinks he fixes it, goes out for seatrial and still breaks down. 10 saturdays straight now and they are Yamaha OBs!!!!! I can always rent a boat, join a boat club or go on friends boat. Having time is still an issue. 

Dream_Inn

I really do know what you mean Handy.  A few years ago I really was on that edge of just being done (maybe not for good, but for at least years).  the admiral was the only one that kept it going.  I really enjoy the boating, but I do have a hard time grasping how much it costs.  Especially when I first bought this boat, compared to dozen years before of boating.  & it's not because it's bigger or more gas (that doesn't bother me one bit), it's because of all the continuous problems I had with it.  I'm pretty sure over $50k was dumped into her (not counting parts or even routine maintenance).  But, I'm feeling we are over that big hump (I sure hope I'm right).  We've had two full summers now of good boating (all of them have been good boating, but good boating without getting work done on her).  We really do use our boat and people in our marina comment every weekend about that.  Rain or shine, hurricane or not, we are on her enjoying our time.  2 ten day trips every year for 18 years.

I'm not sure I can ever be completely out of boating.  I think if I don't go the live aboard route for a bit (although I'm planning to), I'll at least always have something small or trailerable to just drop in.  That can be relatively inexpensive....

Handymans342

Well John if I made the Money that you or LaRea or MT makes and had the leave time I may feel different. If I could afford to pay someone to do all the cleaning and maintenance that may be a game changer but that will never happen short of winning the lottery. Besides, boating is only limited to the area you live in basically so you run out of places to see and go to. Now since I am back to RVing again my travels are endless. When my kids were young they had a better time in the RV than when I just had a boat. The places we went to and all the explorations they still remember today. I am looking forward to RVing to Table rock lake and meet Tripin and riding on his boat for a change. Or I will come back up to Solomons and make you take me out. Etc, Etc, etc. 

Dream_Inn

honestly, it doesn't matter what I make, I still will watch every dime and have a hard time blowing tons of money.  I see people in my marina pay someone to do all cleaning and maintaining, I can't do that even though I can afford it.  Just not my thing.  I think the RV thing could be a fun thing and sounds like you will really enjoy it! 

Handymans342

Plus I can drive 300 miles for $100 in fuel 

davidbrooks

Dang Handy Can we get you a Gray Pride sticker?  I'm old, I'm tired...get off my lawn.

Ian

Hehehehehe

Ian

When we bought our first boat I asked the marina manager/broker the annual cost just to have it - dockage, service, winterize etc. and determined I could afford it. Also considered the extra efforts plus limited use period. Same with the second boat. Later as a groups we were discussing why people come and go and mostly due to them not knowing the full cost - financial and non. So I asked how many times was he queried about cost and effort and the response was twice - me both times. 

Bottom line many don’t get it, it’s simply let’s buy a boat for fun not knowing the full “cost”. Seasoned boaters do and like Handy May get to the point where the overall “cost” doesn’t meet their current desires. In our boat club there are a few with big boats on the market - seasoned boaters that have decided time for a change.

All the best Handy in your new adventures. 

Handymans342

Guys, dont get me wrong here. I enjoy boating but I will be 60 next year and quite frankly I am getting tired of maintaining stuff. House, boat, RV, cars, etc. I work full time and then my weekends are used to maintain stuff! I have no time to relax and I cant wait to retire. My wife is the same way. She has so much accounting side work that she cant do much as well. 

Stodge

I guess that's one advantage of living up North.  We have a limited boating season.  So most maintenance happens outside the boating season.  There are other things that get in the way of boating some times, like family issues, bad weather, etc.  But by and large we're able to boat from mid-April to mid-October.

Liberty44140

I look at it almost like a disease or condition. When most people hear what I spend on boating not including buying the boat (almost $6k this month, both 2018/19 winter storage and 2019 summer dock and membership all due at once every year) and the fact that I spend almost every Saturday working on it from Feb/March to launch, to then only use it on summer weekends.... they think I am insane. But its in both the admiral and I. We grew up on our parents boats and we've had boats since before we were married. We love it, its in us, can't get it out. We will spend 45 or so nights on the boat this summer and wish we could do more. Heck we went and looked at a 2006, 410 EC last weekend  

davidbrooks

Wonder if we need to start a Boating Anonymous group? Kind of like Gamblers Anonymous. The first step is admitting you have a problem. 

Stodge

davidbrooks said:

Wonder if we need to start a Boating Anonymous group? Kind of like Gamblers Anonymous. The first step is admitting you have a problem. 

Hi. My name is Mike and I'm a boater.

Michael T

I may have a brain injury as I do understand what Steve is saying. Loved all of my Rinkers - but - to keep them in top shape was a LOT of effort, fun yes, but work at some point. The expenses were also noteworthy. This year we bought a 2018 Yamaha FX  Cruiser SVHO. Easy to haul easy to launch, 10 minutes to wash, 20 minutes to completely wax and polish, can haul to any lake river super easy....and to fill-up about $70 versus $1100. Yeah - a HUGE difference. Plus a LOT of fun to use and can go places we never could in the cruisers. Can;t sleep on it? Stayed for 3 nights in a waterfront suite in the Muskokas for less than it would have cost to rent a slip. I guess there is different boat/vehicle for all of us at different times in our lives? BTW Cheers to all from Aruba - 32 degrees  no rain!

Handymans342

HI MT my new best friend again LOL. Michael, run over to Curacao and give me a report!! May be the only place in the world to live decent with no natural disasters!! Aruba Too for that matter. 

aero3113

Stodge said:

davidbrooks said:

Wonder if we need to start a Boating Anonymous group? Kind of like Gamblers Anonymous. The first step is admitting you have a problem. 

Hi. My name is Mike and I'm a boater.

LoL!! I’ll attend the group....

Handymans342

Next thing I need to get rid of are the dogs. Have to maintain them and I am tired of picking up dog poop. LOL

randy56

Hi my name is Randy, yes i'm addicted to boating have been for 45 years. Only have two boats at this time.

Ian

Stodge said:

davidbrooks said:

Wonder if we need to start a Boating Anonymous group? Kind of like Gamblers Anonymous. The first step is admitting you have a problem. 

Hi. My name is Mike and I'm a boater.

Hi Mike!

Handymans342

davidbrooks said:

Dang Handy Can we get you a Gray Pride sticker?  I'm old, I'm tired...get off my lawn.

Just wait David, your time is coming. LMAO

davidbrooks

I'm there Handy. Hi my name is David and i am a boater.  

Handymans342

davidbrooks said:

I'm there Handy. Hi my name is David and i am a boater.  

Congratulations 

Michael T

My perfect boat was a Rinker 226 XL 350 mag factory switchable through hull exhaust, custom Rinker double axle trailer with surge brakes. Fast stable easy to haul wax and not bad on gas. Admiral wanted to cruise. No problem and had lots of fun but expensive - and that was with no financing. Had a ton of fun. Something I'm really, really glad I did. hard to beat doing 50 MPH in a Rinker EC 360 with those 502s howling! But now, with the Yamaha it's back to my 20's with super fast transportation that is stable, easy and cheap to maintain and freedom to take wherever. The winter haul-out maintenance for the Yamaha was: change oil and filter, put stabilizer in the fuel run some AF through the supercharger. Honestly the bill was a joke. I guess we live in a circle - I'm back to small watercraft. The Admiral agreed and said yeah, and diapers are just around the corner. Nice!

Dream_Inn

oh man, see what you've done to us all Handy!!??! 

Hi, my name is John and...well, I'm a boataholic too!  I look at the boat forum at least 6-10 times daily.  I read a boat magazine every morning while I have breakfast.  I look at boats for sale on craigslist, and boat accessories on craigslist at least 2-3 times a week.  I look at boating weather first thing Monday morning for the next weekend (even in the winter).  I've sat on the boat on a Saturday that had over 6 inches of rain (yes, that was this year).  I make up reasons to visit the boat during the week, well, because I just need to.  If I continue spending $ on my boat as I have been yearly, it will be double what I spend on my kids college yearly.  I have a "boat list" on Amazon....oh, after writing all this I do begin to worry!!

Stodge

We looked at getting a cottage and compared having a boat to that.  The time, cost, maintenance, etc. for a cottage was in line with having a boat.  But we use the boat as a floating cottage.  Since we like to travel on the boat it has worked out well for us.  But even when we just go float in a bay for the night it's still out cottage.