Thinking about getting a 2nd Boat...

Steve91T · Oct 3, 2017

We’ve been 18-20’ bowrider owners for 10 years or so and have loved it...until we bought a 31’ Mainship on the east coast. We love that boat and love exploring the ICW. It has ruined our little Mariah bowrider. We don’t ski or tube because the lake is so busy, we go to a quiet cove and crank the radio and float in rafts while the kids swim. Usually we’ll have 3-5 of us tied up together. One thing we hate is not being able to get out of the heat (95 degree days with just as much humidity and 92-94 degree water temp) and going home at night. We thought about shipping the Mainship to the lake but we just aren’t ready to be done with the coast. So we started thinking about selling the bowrider, taking the $8-9k from it and buying a fixer upper. Something similar to the Mainship. Something with a generator, AC and can sleep our family. Turns out there are a lot of 30 something foot boats from the 80’s that are in need of some serious cleaning and neglected maintenance for about that price. Some actually look pretty decent. I’d check out the expensive items like mains and generator and hull. But if the majority of the systems work and the mains are healthy, some upholstery and cleaning will to a long way.

Anyone have their coastal getaway along with their lake boat? I do all of my own maintenance, otherwise buying a boat that needs work wouldn’t financially make sense.

I’d love to hear from those who have done something similar.

As always, any and all thoughts and opinions are welcome!

cool beans · Oct 3, 2017

Hmmm....I don't even like the idea of owning and maintaining 2 "real" boats...I have thought of getting a small center console or cuddy cabin strictly for fishing since my Bayliner 3870 doesn't really drift fish all that well and I'm spooked to get too close to the bridges around here...

On a lake though, have you considered a house boat?

RT Firefly · Oct 3, 2017

Greetings,
Mr. 91. Yup, 2 boats BUT the second is NOT what Mr. cb would term a "real" boat. She's a 23', for want of a better term, "mini-sport fish". Just the basics. No gennie, no AC. Just a cabin that sleeps 2 comfortably.
A sister ship to this one:

I tend to agree with Mr. cb. 2 "real boats" would be too much, for me, at least.

BandB · Oct 3, 2017

Steve91T said:
We’ve been 18-20’ bowrider owners for 10 years or so and have loved it...until we bought a 31’ Mainship on the east coast. We love that boat and love exploring the ICW. It has ruined our little Mariah bowrider. We don’t ski or tube because the lake is so busy, we go to a quiet cove and crank the radio and float in rafts while the kids swim. Usually we’ll have 3-5 of us tied up together. One thing we hate is not being able to get out of the heat (95 degree days with just as much humidity and 92-94 degree water temp) and going home at night. We thought about shipping the Mainship to the lake but we just aren’t ready to be done with the coast. So we started thinking about selling the bowrider, taking the $8-9k from it and buying a fixer upper. Something similar to the Mainship. Something with a generator, AC and can sleep our family. Turns out there are a lot of 30 something foot boats from the 80’s that are in need of some serious cleaning and neglected maintenance for about that price. Some actually look pretty decent. I’d check out the expensive items like mains and generator and hull. But if the majority of the systems work and the mains are healthy, some upholstery and cleaning will to a long way.

Anyone have their coastal getaway along with their lake boat? I do all of my own maintenance, otherwise buying a boat that needs work wouldn’t financially make sense.

I’d love to hear from those who have done something similar.

As always, any and all thoughts and opinions are welcome!

No limit to how many boats to own as long as they fit in your budget.

I never thought much of the plan to ship back and forth so like your new thoughts. Now, you can find many boats to fit your lake purposes. You don't need to be able to sleep as many as the Mainship. You want to get out of the heat while the kids swim. There are two distinct type options. The Mainship and Carver and Bayliner shape or the Sea Ray Express type. Probably more of the Sea Ray types in the area. The disadvantage is that it doesn't have the view of the others.

Planobilly · Oct 3, 2017

I had sort of the same idea in reverse. I have a 28' twin center console I bought new four years ago. It is a good fishing machine. The cost to repair stuff is expensive. "BOAT" break out another thousand...lol

I was thinking to buy a used Mainship before the hurricane. Sort of glad I did not find one at that moment. The ongoing cost of owning two boats was one of the real downsides for me. I am retired and only have to work when emergencies come along. In general I have the time to use two boats. The cost to acquire the sort of trawler I wanted is doable but the day to day ownership may not really fit in the budget I wanted to stay in. I would have to rent dock space which is pretty pricey here in south Florida. I pay cash for everything I buy and don't owe anything. I certainly want to keep it that way!!

At the end of the day the decision is mostly about money and how someone wants to spend it.

Art · Oct 3, 2017

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. 91. Yup, 2 boats BUT the second is NOT what Mr. cb would term a "real" boat. She's a 23', for want of a better term, "mini-sport fish". Just the basics. No gennie, no AC. Just a cabin that sleeps 2 comfortably.
A sister ship to this one:

I tend to agree with Mr. cb. 2 "real boats" would be too much, for me, at least.

Fun little boat aye!

Stickman · Oct 4, 2017

For years ( when kids were growing up), we kept a Chris Craft deck boat on LKN exit 28, and have had boat(s) in Charleston for > 20 yrs. If I had an issue, it was the lack of use as the kids grew up and acquired more obligations of their own. Boat hours plummeted and the boat time grew to be more maintenance and less time-on-water. Once the last left high school, I sold LKN boat and keep fishing boats/cruiser on SC coast. Now all my maintenance issues are are least in the same town.

Art · Oct 4, 2017

In two mariners separated by 100 miles.

For a while had our twin screw Tolly tri cabin [in avatar], a twin screw Uniflite 31' fb sedan cruiser, a 21' i/b ski boat and a 15' o/b Crestliner runabout.

Sold Uni and ski boat. Kept the Tolly and Crestliner [as tow behind].

Makes life simpler.

Thinking about getting a 2nd Boat...

Steve91T

Guru

cool beans

Senior Member

RT Firefly

Enigma

BandB

Guru

Planobilly

Veteran Member

Art

Guru

Stickman

Senior Member

Art

Guru

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