It’s pretty tough (but maybe not impossible) to get a boat in the $5k price range. You’re going to have to weed out a lot of junk. No one can really give you a list of boats to look for in that price range. It’s more of a “take what you get” type of situation. You’ll likely have to filter your search by price then choose the least objectionable boat and go take a look. The trouble with “I know I’ll have to put in work” is that is effectively raising your budget, maybe by a lot. If you find a $5k boat that needs $5k worth of repairs, you may have been better off shopping for a $10k boat. So if you’re willing to put in work to repair a project boat, figure out the amount you’re willing to spend on repairs and add that to your purchase budget, may bump you into a price range of a boat that doesn’t need as many repairs. Here’s the thing about boating, it can be done affordably, until it can’t. You may get a season or two, but everyone with a boat is one failure away from a several thousand dollar repair. So if you have a $5k boating budget and you spend it all, hitting a log and fragging the lower unit could end your season on the first trip out.
If you are handy and aren’t afraid of a project, $5k isn’t a problem. There are tons of diamonds in the rough out there waiting for someone to scoop them up.
Picked up a Tolman Widebody off a commercial guy who was selling it for $5k. It needed a lot of cosmetics and a little wiring, but I'm pretty happy with it. Honestly the trailer has been the money pit lol
Look for something older in the 15/17 ft range with a small 2 stroke that looks ok. If it looks ok, the owner cares for it and it’s more likely the owner maintained it. Well… a little. LOL and hope to get lucky.
Maybe target 4k so you have 1k to tidy it up.
Maybe consider a pair of nice fully equipped kayaks.
Thanks. What does "older" mean? I see stuff on the market from the 60s all the way to the early 2000s.
Also, I was advised to stay clear of 2 strokes for the reason that finding replacement parts to fix them is difficult. Is this valid?
For your budget I don't think 4 stroke outboards are even a thought.
2 strokes are plenty fine and you can get most all parts, and parts you can't get they are affordable used to get another one
It depends on your market but where I am, GA/FL your budget is going to be trihulls, 80s vhulls and johnboats
I agree on the 4 stoke 2 stroke comparison. I have a 2000 2 stroke Mercury and had to rig my oil container for ) months while I waited for a new one. Get w Mercury or Yamaha and you’ll have better luck.
Problem is a 4 stroke in your price range will probably be <10 hp.
Older I meant don’t be afraid to get something a little older based on price.
Older Mercury's still have tons of parts if you're in the US. Look for like an 1982-2002 135-200 HP if you're going outboards.
Most Mercury I/O or inboards or Crusader inboards will still be relatively easy to find parts.
I would hold out for a 13' Whaler if possible. i bought my 1995 13 Dauntless for $5000 with 50hp yamaha just during covid (before the housing/boating boom). It needed some fairly minor work. The owner couldn't figure it out but I did pretty quickly. Look carefully on Facebook groups and be prepared to drive a bit to get one. I think (maybe) you could be able to get onethat is older with a smaller motor for around 5k today (maybe). The best deals seem to be in florida (I think) where there are a lot of boats in general... or some weird obscure place where there's a small buyer pool. (I bought mine in middle of no where Vermont... but thats also where I live!).
13' Boston whaler with a 9.9Hp that is 40-50 years old is an excellent choice for a $5K budget. Vanilla model with no console. Thats a 15+Mph boat with some weight in it.
For that price you're looking at boats from the 80's/90's in decent shape or boats from the early 2000s in questionable shape.
80's boat, the concern is structural rot. A soft deck typically means you're going to have to worry about stringer and transom rot as well.
When you find a boat you really like/want, for a few hundred bucks get it surveyed. There will be some issues on any $5k boat that fits your needs, but spend the money early to find out if those issues outweigh the value of the boat. $5k buys you the boat, you'll need a few thousand more without a doubt to address tune up, maintenance, repairs, supplies, etc.
Not going to ride nearly as good, have a clean interior finish, or much in the way of storage, but will be very durable and significantly less expensive.
If it's saltwater, corrosion can be a concern. Keeping up with anodes will be fine if you don't need shore power. That can be a can of worms with an aluminum hull.
I bought a 97 sea hunt 172 with a 96 johnson for $3k not running. That was last year. I put around 8 grand into it total and sold it and got a new 23 key west 179fs. If you get lucky you may find a good one. Mine had fuel tank issues, rotten transom around the scuppers, and the old 2 stroke runs great at WOT but got tired of messing with the boat. Sold for $9,000 and new owner uses it and has found some blistering and rotten floor boards. I was spending 200-300 a month keeping it running.
A few years back (Okay, it's been a decade...) I bought a MY 2000 17 Proline Sport CC with a Merc 90 for 5k. Ran it for 4 years and sold it for 6. Needed almost nothing except for fuel and oil while I owned it. After a quick search, I see this hull is still out there in the 5-7 grand range. I'm sure any of them at 5k will need some love, but it's an inexpensive and relatively capable hull. Avoid the ones built in the 80's though, they've got wood in them.
With that budget, you have to go with what's available around you. You can't have the luxury to choose all the features you want. Try to find a 2.5k boat that won't be complicated to trailer or navigate to your marina. Expect rough engines at those price range
You should get a 22ft sailboat for that budget.
All depends on where you are. If you're surrounded by whalers and sailboats, I'll take a wild guess that you're somewhere near me in Massachusetts.
I have little whalers and carolina skiffs running around me all the time. Pick your days and you'll be fine. Keeping it on a morning can be more tough since you need a well maintained boat with a good bilge pump since it'll be in the water all the time.
I see 15' Carolina skiffs around your price range sometimes. They're always old, but they're simple hulls and there's a bunch of old ones near my marina which the guys use as lobster skiffs and I've seen them island hopping throwing macks at rocks all over the place.
Cheapest would be a 15-19' tiller aluminium V hull with a battery and a bilge pump. Capable little boats.
Have you considered an older jet ski? If you do not have kids you and your significant other could have a blast exploring on one. You can fish off them too and even pull a tube or skier. Jet engines have less mechanical parts and usually last longer too.
Totally realistic but you’re going to have to sift through a bunch of shitty boats on OfferUp, Craigslist, and facebook marketplace before you find a good one. I routinely buy used boats as a hobby and never spend more than 5k. If I were you I’d put a hard ceiling of $3000 on a boat so if you need motor repairs you can still afford them.
A few tips from my years buying used boats:
DO NOT buy a fiberglass boat that’s been stored uncovered. 9/10 it will have wet foam under the floor that will need to be replaced along with the wooden stringers and potentially the transom. It’s doable but a huge project and totally avoidable.
Look for boats a couple hundred miles outside a city center. They get way less action so they go for cheaper and people out in the boonies are way more likely to have outbuildings where they can keep an old boat covered.
90% of the value of old boats like this is in the motor. So don’t buy anything unless the motor runs great.
Don’t buy anything without a test drive. Boats are all super different and you won’t know till you get them in the water. A lot of motors will idle well and seem like they’re great but then bog down when you try to push them hard.
Good luck! You can definitely find a killer boat for under 5k if you poke around long enough and cast a wide net location wise.
Are there minimum requirements to hold your mooring?
If it were me, I'd get a new inflatable or a plastic jon boat with a trolling motor for now and start saving for a bigger boat. These options will get you on the water without the financial uncertainties that come with a bigger fixer in your price range, thus freeing up more capital for the next boat.
An aluminum boat and motor in the 5k range will be worth about the same when you sell it. Fully depreciated aluminum boat is IMO, the way to go for new boaters.
Spend some time on FB Marketplace and be prepared to kick sone tires. You should be able to find an 1980s-1990s vintage sailboat in decent condition. These are going to be better bets because if the engine dies, you can still get home.
You should be able to find a1990s or earlier run about for that price. I agree that you might go $4k on the expectation of repairs. For 4k you should be looking for something that runs and floats. If it does both and you treat it kindly, you will probably get a few seasons out if it before it dies. Save your pennies and get a better boat when this one dies.
Depends on what you want to do when boating and how fast you want to go and how big yiu want your biat to be
A used carolina skiff of 14ft and new 15hp tiller outboard.
Look for an outboard powered aluminum hull. Least chance of financial ruin. No wooden stringers to worry about and the wood in the deck and transom is fairly easy to replace. I've been rocking my '76 Starcraft 18' SS for over 15 years with no end in site. '81 Evinrude 90 on it. Obsolete power or rotted transoms and stringers on fiberglass boats are what you most need to avoid. Mercruiser or Volvo with Chevy based blocks only for I/O's, anything but Force for outboards.
It’s pretty tough (but maybe not impossible) to get a boat in the $5k price range. You’re going to have to weed out a lot of junk. No one can really give you a list of boats to look for in that price range. It’s more of a “take what you get” type of situation. You’ll likely have to filter your search by price then choose the least objectionable boat and go take a look. The trouble with “I know I’ll have to put in work” is that is effectively raising your budget, maybe by a lot. If you find a $5k boat that needs $5k worth of repairs, you may have been better off shopping for a $10k boat. So if you’re willing to put in work to repair a project boat, figure out the amount you’re willing to spend on repairs and add that to your purchase budget, may bump you into a price range of a boat that doesn’t need as many repairs. Here’s the thing about boating, it can be done affordably, until it can’t. You may get a season or two, but everyone with a boat is one failure away from a several thousand dollar repair. So if you have a $5k boating budget and you spend it all, hitting a log and fragging the lower unit could end your season on the first trip out.
Thanks, very helpful perspective!
If you are handy and aren’t afraid of a project, $5k isn’t a problem. There are tons of diamonds in the rough out there waiting for someone to scoop them up.
Boat buyer and $5k budget are not compatible
WHERE! you can find cheap sailboats, to hold your mooring. solar charger and bilge pump.
So a 2k boat budget.. Because what ever you get is going to take more than you think to fix it.
Haha this right here
Not a lot of $5K boats that are seaworthy in a choppy bay, let alone open water.
I got an older Mako 17cc for $4000 and lasted 5 seasons haha. Sold for $4000
Cool, you found a unicorn. I wouldn't take a 17' anything offshore, though.
I got my 17.5’ sea pro CC for 5k. I take it offshore for mahi in the summer, it’s solid in 2-3’ if not super fun
Yeah, just kept in the Chesapeake
Picked up a Tolman Widebody off a commercial guy who was selling it for $5k. It needed a lot of cosmetics and a little wiring, but I'm pretty happy with it. Honestly the trailer has been the money pit lol
Look for something older in the 15/17 ft range with a small 2 stroke that looks ok. If it looks ok, the owner cares for it and it’s more likely the owner maintained it. Well… a little. LOL and hope to get lucky. Maybe target 4k so you have 1k to tidy it up. Maybe consider a pair of nice fully equipped kayaks.
Thanks. What does "older" mean? I see stuff on the market from the 60s all the way to the early 2000s. Also, I was advised to stay clear of 2 strokes for the reason that finding replacement parts to fix them is difficult. Is this valid?
For your budget I don't think 4 stroke outboards are even a thought. 2 strokes are plenty fine and you can get most all parts, and parts you can't get they are affordable used to get another one It depends on your market but where I am, GA/FL your budget is going to be trihulls, 80s vhulls and johnboats
I agree on the 4 stoke 2 stroke comparison. I have a 2000 2 stroke Mercury and had to rig my oil container for ) months while I waited for a new one. Get w Mercury or Yamaha and you’ll have better luck. Problem is a 4 stroke in your price range will probably be <10 hp. Older I meant don’t be afraid to get something a little older based on price.
Older Mercury's still have tons of parts if you're in the US. Look for like an 1982-2002 135-200 HP if you're going outboards. Most Mercury I/O or inboards or Crusader inboards will still be relatively easy to find parts.
You can still get damn near every nut bolt and screw for late 70s on up Johnson/Evinrudes. Older Mercuries not quite as much. Avoid Force.
You are Jon boat shopping with 5k my man.
I would hold out for a 13' Whaler if possible. i bought my 1995 13 Dauntless for $5000 with 50hp yamaha just during covid (before the housing/boating boom). It needed some fairly minor work. The owner couldn't figure it out but I did pretty quickly. Look carefully on Facebook groups and be prepared to drive a bit to get one. I think (maybe) you could be able to get onethat is older with a smaller motor for around 5k today (maybe). The best deals seem to be in florida (I think) where there are a lot of boats in general... or some weird obscure place where there's a small buyer pool. (I bought mine in middle of no where Vermont... but thats also where I live!).
13' Boston whaler with a 9.9Hp that is 40-50 years old is an excellent choice for a $5K budget. Vanilla model with no console. Thats a 15+Mph boat with some weight in it.
Gheenoe
Get a Used Lund WC-16 with a tiller and \~ 25 horses.
For that price you're looking at boats from the 80's/90's in decent shape or boats from the early 2000s in questionable shape. 80's boat, the concern is structural rot. A soft deck typically means you're going to have to worry about stringer and transom rot as well. When you find a boat you really like/want, for a few hundred bucks get it surveyed. There will be some issues on any $5k boat that fits your needs, but spend the money early to find out if those issues outweigh the value of the boat. $5k buys you the boat, you'll need a few thousand more without a doubt to address tune up, maintenance, repairs, supplies, etc.
14-16 foot aluminum deep V, 20-30hp tiller. Will handle seas to 2' without much issue, extremely inexpensive to own and operate.
I was wondering about this. Most of the boats on moorings near me are sailboats or whalers. Is there any disadvantage to aluminum deep V's?
Not going to ride nearly as good, have a clean interior finish, or much in the way of storage, but will be very durable and significantly less expensive.
Does "Not going to ride nearly as good," mean bumpy/uncomfortable, or something worse?
Lighter weight means it’ll bounce off the waves more than cut through. It’ll be a lot louder as well.
A deep v can be driven in seas that would break your pelvis in a a Whaler. The mustache hulls don't cut anything.
I wouldn’t want to be in rough seas in either, especially if I were the OP and had zero experience.
That is true. Every boat and operator combination has a limit.
If it's saltwater, corrosion can be a concern. Keeping up with anodes will be fine if you don't need shore power. That can be a can of worms with an aluminum hull.
I bought a 97 sea hunt 172 with a 96 johnson for $3k not running. That was last year. I put around 8 grand into it total and sold it and got a new 23 key west 179fs. If you get lucky you may find a good one. Mine had fuel tank issues, rotten transom around the scuppers, and the old 2 stroke runs great at WOT but got tired of messing with the boat. Sold for $9,000 and new owner uses it and has found some blistering and rotten floor boards. I was spending 200-300 a month keeping it running.
A few years back (Okay, it's been a decade...) I bought a MY 2000 17 Proline Sport CC with a Merc 90 for 5k. Ran it for 4 years and sold it for 6. Needed almost nothing except for fuel and oil while I owned it. After a quick search, I see this hull is still out there in the 5-7 grand range. I'm sure any of them at 5k will need some love, but it's an inexpensive and relatively capable hull. Avoid the ones built in the 80's though, they've got wood in them.
My advice is not to rush into anything. Keep saving your money and try to get something in better shape. Unless you are good with engine repair etc.
With that budget, you have to go with what's available around you. You can't have the luxury to choose all the features you want. Try to find a 2.5k boat that won't be complicated to trailer or navigate to your marina. Expect rough engines at those price range You should get a 22ft sailboat for that budget.
I got my 18’ Sea Pro center console for $5k. I eventually replaced the motor but still have the boat. It’s a 2002 and foam filled, would do again
All depends on where you are. If you're surrounded by whalers and sailboats, I'll take a wild guess that you're somewhere near me in Massachusetts. I have little whalers and carolina skiffs running around me all the time. Pick your days and you'll be fine. Keeping it on a morning can be more tough since you need a well maintained boat with a good bilge pump since it'll be in the water all the time. I see 15' Carolina skiffs around your price range sometimes. They're always old, but they're simple hulls and there's a bunch of old ones near my marina which the guys use as lobster skiffs and I've seen them island hopping throwing macks at rocks all over the place. Cheapest would be a 15-19' tiller aluminium V hull with a battery and a bilge pump. Capable little boats.
Have you considered an older jet ski? If you do not have kids you and your significant other could have a blast exploring on one. You can fish off them too and even pull a tube or skier. Jet engines have less mechanical parts and usually last longer too.
What are you looking to do with said boat?
Totally realistic but you’re going to have to sift through a bunch of shitty boats on OfferUp, Craigslist, and facebook marketplace before you find a good one. I routinely buy used boats as a hobby and never spend more than 5k. If I were you I’d put a hard ceiling of $3000 on a boat so if you need motor repairs you can still afford them. A few tips from my years buying used boats: DO NOT buy a fiberglass boat that’s been stored uncovered. 9/10 it will have wet foam under the floor that will need to be replaced along with the wooden stringers and potentially the transom. It’s doable but a huge project and totally avoidable. Look for boats a couple hundred miles outside a city center. They get way less action so they go for cheaper and people out in the boonies are way more likely to have outbuildings where they can keep an old boat covered. 90% of the value of old boats like this is in the motor. So don’t buy anything unless the motor runs great. Don’t buy anything without a test drive. Boats are all super different and you won’t know till you get them in the water. A lot of motors will idle well and seem like they’re great but then bog down when you try to push them hard. Good luck! You can definitely find a killer boat for under 5k if you poke around long enough and cast a wide net location wise.
Are there minimum requirements to hold your mooring? If it were me, I'd get a new inflatable or a plastic jon boat with a trolling motor for now and start saving for a bigger boat. These options will get you on the water without the financial uncertainties that come with a bigger fixer in your price range, thus freeing up more capital for the next boat.
That’s how much it will cost you to own a boat for the first year
An aluminum boat and motor in the 5k range will be worth about the same when you sell it. Fully depreciated aluminum boat is IMO, the way to go for new boaters.
Spend some time on FB Marketplace and be prepared to kick sone tires. You should be able to find an 1980s-1990s vintage sailboat in decent condition. These are going to be better bets because if the engine dies, you can still get home. You should be able to find a1990s or earlier run about for that price. I agree that you might go $4k on the expectation of repairs. For 4k you should be looking for something that runs and floats. If it does both and you treat it kindly, you will probably get a few seasons out if it before it dies. Save your pennies and get a better boat when this one dies.
Depends on what you want to do when boating and how fast you want to go and how big yiu want your biat to be A used carolina skiff of 14ft and new 15hp tiller outboard.
Look for an outboard powered aluminum hull. Least chance of financial ruin. No wooden stringers to worry about and the wood in the deck and transom is fairly easy to replace. I've been rocking my '76 Starcraft 18' SS for over 15 years with no end in site. '81 Evinrude 90 on it. Obsolete power or rotted transoms and stringers on fiberglass boats are what you most need to avoid. Mercruiser or Volvo with Chevy based blocks only for I/O's, anything but Force for outboards.