First Boat

Tidewater or Boston Whaler make great salt water fishing boats and those brands tend to keep higher values for resale.

They are low maintenance, practically bullet proof, and handle waves and chop quite well.

Might be worth checking out.

Boats... such a love hate relationship for me.


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Morrie, I would suggest taking your time in purchasing a boat. A proper boat purchase takes as much, or more time, as a real estate purchase. With the limited info in your post, you will have mind numbing choices and configurations to consider. There are many manufacturers producing boats which will suit your needs, however, the differences between those products will be wide and significant in what you experience as an owner (cost, engines, systems, style of boat, electronics, hull material, length, beam, etc.). Get settled into your soon to be new property and then get to know the local conditions and start attending boat shows. You definitely need to get out on the water on the different boats (dealers, and other owners will give you these opportunities). As you have heard, the two best days of owning a boat, "the day you buy it, and the day you sell it." Others advise if "it flies, floats, or _ucks - rent it."
With vigilant research and preparation you will not experience those days, but rather many great days on the water. I am sure BoulderFCar will have some sound advice (if he discovers this post between his passages).

 

The advice you have gotten is good. However, you are on the right track about one thing - the only way to own a boat is to have it sitting at your dock. Even if you use a concierge boat service, you'll find yourself using the boat less and less. The other consideration is don't go big at first. Once you go much over 20 feet, it is hard to handle a boat by yourself. Also, you need to act like an old-time farmer who still has all his fingers and toes. The old farmers are always aware of where their hands and feet are at all times. It may seem like they are moving slow. They're not. They're paying attention to everything they do. Finally, the weather stations are your friend. Even in freshwater, you need to pay attention to what's happening.

 

Really good advice above. Mooch some rides and maybe rent for a couple of half days to see what you like.
I'd go high end as a Whaler or an Intrepid type brand are much more liquid and tend to hold their value better.
The Whalers are also nice as they are a high quality do all platform.
The rental idea is good to figure out what you like and the cost profile is fantastic. That said, once you figure out what you want I'd buy. If I'm out in the ocean and doing pleasure stuff I want something that is clean and I know where it's been at night. It's bummer to get out and find out the hard way the bilge pump doesn't work or whatever. I also want my own safety gear.

 

This is my Whaler. Not fancy or as nice as the ones like LarryH has but just a solid boat. Quiet, can go offshore if it isn't too rough. Plenty of room. Can fish if you want. Safe. Sadly, this one is pretty muchused for a bar taxi and to go to friends houses in Ft lauderdale. IT's a little to figure out but would be a good first boat. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ironic, I was going to PM you this week about boats. I'm on boat #8, used to have my captains license, ran chartered boats, and run anywhere from 30-100 miles off the NJ/DE coast looking for fish. Those days are over and those fishing machines are a thing of the past. Now it's about ease of use, single engine and comfort for family and friends.

You have to decide how and where you will be using the boat. Will you be solo, with a ton of people, require a little privacy and head (bathroom) or will a bare bones center console work for you?

My latest toy is a Sea Ray 270 SunDeck with a 496 MAG. Seats 12 people, easy to maintain, can ski, tube or go to all the restaurants on the water.

Enjoy the process, there are so many boats and options out there!! Feel free to reach out if you want to chat. Regardless of brand, new boats depreciate incredibly fast. Also, if you are really committed, buy your second boat first. Nothing like using your boat 3x and wishing you bought something bigger/faster, etc.

 

Very, very, very nice boat. If you ever need a first mate...

 

Great advice!

Also, don't feel you have to buy new. Boat depreciation is similar to the a S class Mercedes. Buying one 3 to 5 years old can get you a great deal.

 

My personal run around boat is a 18 ft. Whaler Dauntless. As described above, reliable, comfortable, quality, etc. Still many other quality competitors.

 

It is getting to be pretty much the end of the boating season in the Mid-Atlantic, so your timing is good. Many owners who have decided to get rid of their boats would prefer to sell now rather than pay for storage this winter. This could be a good opportunity if you can decide on what you want rather quickly. Otherwise, you have the winter to make up your mind and chose the best fit for both your wants and the dock you will be using.

 

I have a place in Ocean City, NJ and a Boston Whaler. I have hundreds of hours on the water in this area. There are things to consider for boating at the jersey shore which may not be as much of a factor in other parts of the country. First, the intercoastal waterway and the back bays can suffer some severe shoaling from poor dredging, storms, etc. Water levels drop lower than 18 inches in various areas during dead low tide and boats get stuck all the time. The best insurance is a boat with a chart plotter, depth finder, shallow draft and outboard motor. Second, I agree with the recommendation to keep your first boat under 24 feet. The bigger boats are sometimes too difficult to operate single handed. Moreover, the restaurants on the water in this area get packed and the bigger the boat the harder it will be to find a spot to dock and the trickier it will be in a strong current to get her into and out of a tight space--bumping another boat at a dock is a sure way to lose friends-- Third, get a boat designed for saltwater use. I see a lot of first timers buy lake type boats and try to use them out here. It doesn't work. For example, a bowrider with a sterndrive (inboard outward motor) that isn't self bailing. First time boaters will usually make some sort of mistake, usually in a following sea, that causes them to stuff the bow into a wave. A bowrider of this type will scoop the water up and run it to the back and into the engine well where it can flood the the motor before the bilge pumps can pump it out...then you are stuck. Also, the inlets can get snotty and if you want to leave the comfort of the bay you are going to need a boat that can handle some good sized chop without putting you in danger. I like center console boats because they tend to me more rugged, have outboards and skuppers, and are easier to operate single handed. However, if you are entertaining primarily, sometimes a dual console boat is a better bet.

My favorite boats for the area are Boston Whaler and Grady Whites, and you see a lot of them around here for a reason. They are built like tanks. Boston Whalers of any size also happen to be unsinkable. However, a lot of people who primarily entertain or do watersports have Chaparrals, sea rays, and similar type dual consoles and love them.

Buy the boat that best suits your needs and lifestyle. Most people I know who get rid of their boats find they don't use them because either they are too big, too expensive, or too much of a hassle to deal with. A successful salt-water boat owner will be meticulous in his maintenance and realistic about his needs and his skill....if you need any help at all, feel free to PM me.

 

Just for fun, let me make the bigger boat case. My stack rank.
1. You don't have to whine at guests about where they are in the boat as much. I had a 24' with twins and if two people were on one side it listed. I was always having to ask someone to even the weight out. It's a hassle. On a 30+ you pretty much don't care.
2. On a 30-32' you end up with 3 places for guests. The transom, helm and up front. On a my 24' you were pretty all in the same conversation and there wasn't really room to sit up front for normal sized humans.

3. If you do go out an inlet or run down the coast it's lots better for you and guests. My 24' pretty much beat the crap out of everyone at >2' which is pretty much all the time. Side note- I did take it to the Bahamas one time which was a thriller.

4. The bigger ones will almost always have at least power steering, most will have a thruster and many will have joy sticks that make docking easy. With twins, docking is pretty easily learned. Just hire a captain for a couple of times or find a friend that knows about it. Most boaters are geniuses.

Curve ball, if I was going to just do ICW and Bay stuff with guests I'd look at one of the lux pontoons. I love those things.

All you points on chart plotters (especially in dark water), inboard/outboards and finding room to park at an on the water place are so true.

Ahh boating....

 

If there was ever a time for poo poo to happen, it is docking. Old pros can do it in their sleep, newbies?

 

error in my post above but I'm too late to edit-

I meant to say "most boaters are NOT geniuses".

 

The key to docking is practice. It takes time to learn how much momentum, you do and don't have. Even then, I remember a carrier ramming the dock at Pensacola.

Ps. Don't grab onto a piling to try and stop a boat. Don't ask how I know this!

 

Never approach anything faster than you want to hit it. Good rule to follow when docking.

I like the bigger boat idea but only to a certain point. 24’ vs 18’ for sure. If we are talking joysticks, twins and bow thruster that could be a bit much for a beginner.

I’d think a 24-28’ center console could be ideal. Especially if Morrie wants to check out the ocean occasionally. I wouldn’t be intimidated by twins for a first boat other than the cost. Operating twins is much easier than a single. Although a 24’ with a single 4 stroke would be easy as well.

Whatever you do, don’t buy until this hurricane/storm passes!



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Also, get a good telescoping boat hook and learn to use it to guide and repel and reach docking points. Can often overcome what rudder can't do in tight spaces; also useful for retrieving hats that blow off into the water!

 

I park my larger boat with the anchor over the engines of the Whaler. As my wife says, it never gets old bringing it in.
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Yowza!

 

FWIW, regarding big boats down the Jersey shore, I understand the comments and agree to some extent, I just think the OP needs to understand the limitations of having a big boat down here....especially for a beginner. First, there aren't that many restaurants, for example, to dock a boat around here and some of the more popular restaurants have docks no more than 150 feet long and stuffed tight with boats. Also, a lot of the restaurants just don't have more than maybe two spot available for anything larger than 27 feet. At least in the area between Atlantic City and Avalon, where I spend my time. Also, some of these restaurants are right on the intercoastal where docking can be impacted by strong currents and passing boats. I say this only because I've seen countless docking mishaps while enjoying a meal. Its easy to forget for those of us who have been doing it awhile, but take someone who has never boated before and you will quickly remember how much there is to learn. Lastly, regarding the big boats. Just know, if you dock in front of your house in a lot of areas down the Jersey Shore, your ability to take out your big boat will depend heavily on the tides. If your boat has more than 18 inches of draft you are going to have to pick your spots... Don't believe me... ask these guys!

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I agree 100% with what Joe says above. The the OCNJ area and surrounding bays a bigger boat will not lead to more fun. A well built center console with a 4 stroke OB would be a wise choice. Even in a lift, if that is a possibility for you, I'd stay away from an I/O powered boat if given the choice.

For all we know you might surprise us with something like a 46 footer with twin diesels....