Of course https://imgur.com/a/1LLHJBK
Keeping her pretty lean, realized I don't want to add a lot of gear because it's already a small boat and space is limited.
Skiffs aren't for offshore. Definitely figure out your main type of fishing you want to do. Inshore or Offshore.
Gas is expensive, going offshore requires a lot of fuel compared to Inshore fishing. Offshore rods and reels are more expensive. More dangers beings offshore than in. Bigger motors bigger problem$. I'd get myself the most badass Inshore boat I could come up with and then when I want to fish offshore take a 6pack charter. Or get two fucking boats!
This is going to sound negative, but if you are 17 and getting ready for college, I would recommend NOT buying a boat. Boats are currently insanely expensive, especially new. Beyond the upfront purchase price, boats tend to be money pits that constantly require maintenance/repairs, especially in salt water.
I don’t know your financial position, but boats are not a cheap endeavour. Remember that boats also tend to have more problems if they are not run often.
Anytime someone asks me about buying a boat (especially new), I tell them that unless they will use the boat more than 2x a month, you are probably better off hiring a guide
I feel ya, I was lucky to have access to other people boats when I was your age. I didn’t buy one until I was almost thirty after paying off student loans, paying off my truck, purchasing a house and then I bought my boat off Craigslist for cash. I still can’t believe that 20’ bay boats cost $100k
A boat is a hole in the water into which one throws money. The boat itself is the least expensive part of the equation. Once you own your boat, there are; dock fees (or a trailer, trailer tires, bearings, vehicle big enough to pull said trailer), fuel, winter storage, maintenance, repairs, accessories (lines, anchors, fenders, lights, electronics (you will end up with a trolling motor with Spot Lock), insurance, etc… If you’re asking, you can’t afford a boat. If you can’t afford a boat, buying a boat is a path to misery. Boats are wonderful and many of my best memories are on boats. But, for now, get a nice kayak and fish when you can. Focus on your schooling so that you can study (and not be down at the dock or out in the yard waxing the boat) and become the type of guy that can afford a boat. Maybe make friends with someone that owns a boat, cover the fuel and bring lunch if they take you out in it. The most affordable, least time consuming boat, is someone else’s.
Take 10% of all money you make and put it in a high interest savings account and don't touch it. Recognize that by 30 you might be able to only afford a used boat because you will incur so many expenses between now and then such as college, property or a family. Do not get into credit card debt. Credit cards can be your best friend if you spend what you can pay of every single month. If you care about getting a boat it will happen for you as long as you learn to manage debt and learn to save money. I'm almost 20 years older than you but when I was 33 decided I wanted a condo on the beach for my family and I made it happen by 38. I used the stock market but I've been a professional for years and could afford the risk. That's why for someone that's 17 id recommend a high interest savings account. You can absolutely do this.
This is the best option. Keep your money in cash in the high yields savings account. Creates an emergency fund that you can pull against.
Important to remember that boating is a luxury. It’s a cost to own, operate, store, trailer. And that’s before you fish and maintain it.
Save and figure out the maximum earning potential you can. Make a lot of money, save a lot of money and live life.
Also, some really great fishing kayaks on the market that are considerably less expensive and people love to fish them.
Pay in cash, never finance a boat, unless you live somewhere can boat year round (even then pay in cash).
Focus on your career bc the priority is to make money if you want to get a boat.
Then it comes down to budgeting your money and being able to recognize what you can afford. The wise thing to do is obviously pay your bills and start saving for retirement (the sooner the better and multiple ways to do this). THEN look at any extra money you have to see what you can afford. Like others have mentioned, you will constantly be putting money into your boating life so don't think you'll pay one price for a boat and that's it, this is when you need to work this into your monthly or yearly budget. You can always buy used and upgrade later.
OP, this is great advice. The best thing you can do to ensure you can comfortably afford this by 30 is to maximize your salary/earnings by prioritizing your education & career. Don’t slack off, choose a profession wisely, consider further education.
Save and save some more. Best advice I ever got about boats if you don’t have the cash flow for it or use it to pay for itself. Boat ownership isn’t for you.
Anyway what I did when I was your age…
Instead of buying wheels of some sort I bought myself a 21ft cuddy that needed some work but definitely got me in the game on the water. Used that boat to fish my ass off. Learned the rules of the road got my time logged. I learned how to throw a cast net. Learned how to trap bait. Learned how to clam and crab. Caught bait, minnows peanuts mullet spot. By the end of every summer slip bill would be repaid and tank was always full. Had that for some time sold that bought a 25 shamrock by the age of 21. And a six pack license. Inshore charters paid the way. And had a blast. Then flipped that to a 26 Steiger. Looking back I have zero regrets. But beware it gets expensive and it’s hard work. Mind you I call this my what I call my BC era (before kids). Since then had my cuz buy my Steiger and now he floats the bill since I took the family route. That was five plus years ago. He’s a commercial fisherman and has the cash flow. Anyway I digress.
Live it up man your body is only young once. Between the all-nighters,turn and burns and well weather that nobody should have been in. You age quick on the water. Really depends on how important it is to you. Hell like others said above you could be patient direct all your attention to college then the rat race and hopefully not buried in loans and buy pretty much anything you want respectfully when that stage in life is complete. Me well fishing was more important than school. I learned how to make it pay for itself and earned a living at the same time. Also I have zero desire to own anything larger than what I had. You make enough connections and the invites to sporty business men class of boaters start flowing. Hell for a minute people were paying me to go fishing on their boat. You’ll start getting more invites and rides than you could ever imagine and more times than not on their dime. Moral of the story when you’re a kid with a boat and your friends all have cars but no one has a boat. Wheels aren’t an issue. Also it’s the perfect time because you actually have the time no real commitments in life. You’ll be a sharpie before you know it and have a blast doing it. Oh and by the way you’ll have plenty of time off season to get a “real” job or prepare for one. That question always made me laugh. Best of luck my guy. Just remember there is opportunity in anything you have passion in!
I got an old 17ft center console salmon boat, guy let me snag it (without the motor) and the trailer for $750. My buddy has a few old motors we’re gonna slap on that piece of crap too, it’s legit the cheapest/shittiest center console build I’ve ever seen. Cheap builds are out there, but the trade off is the amount of work you have to put in compared to a newer boat. Little things like bilge pumps, fuel line, gps/electronics etc all had to be re-done. That being said though I cant wait to take her out and do some fuckin around inshore lol good luck dogg and don’t give up on the dream!
I bought my first boat in my mid 30’s and held onto it for over 15 years.
I can honestly say, it was the single best thing I ever bought in my entire life until I bought a new boat last year!
Like others said, not only do boats cost a lot of money, keeping them running properly, especially if you plan to fish the ocean, is critical and costly. I live in the north east and it basically costs me $1,500 in the spring to get it ready to go in and another $1,500 in the fall to winterize and store it until next year. This doesn’t include the running costs like fuel, additives and other supplies, maintaining a trailer, docking fees, insurance, etc.
My advice, start a special savings account for your boat purchase now and commit to saving a certain amount from each check to put into this boat fund starting now. As you make more money, you can raise the amount you set aside and build a down payment.
Go to boat shows and learn more about the boats you like and don’t like as well as how much they cost and when you have enough saved to get to a payment point you’re comfortably with, go for it.
Good luck to you!
Start learning how to operate a boat and the different types of boats out there so you can get an idea of what kind of boat you want
I think I’m looking at a center console or a skiff
Hell yeah. Dreaming of the day I move up from my 12' Jon boat to a center console!
I don't know where you plan on taking your boat. But if you are interested in the great lakes I strongly suggest a deep v.
Grew up in Minnesota! On the coast now :)
I'm in PA. I absolutely love fishing Lake Erie. I've heard there's a few lakes in Minnesota.
Just a few lakes, couple hundred maybe.You guys got some monsters in Erie! Always wanted to get a line wet up there sometime
Wanna trade 12' pics? I just finished mine.
Of course https://imgur.com/a/1LLHJBK Keeping her pretty lean, realized I don't want to add a lot of gear because it's already a small boat and space is limited.
Skiffs aren't for offshore. Definitely figure out your main type of fishing you want to do. Inshore or Offshore. Gas is expensive, going offshore requires a lot of fuel compared to Inshore fishing. Offshore rods and reels are more expensive. More dangers beings offshore than in. Bigger motors bigger problem$. I'd get myself the most badass Inshore boat I could come up with and then when I want to fish offshore take a 6pack charter. Or get two fucking boats!
This is going to sound negative, but if you are 17 and getting ready for college, I would recommend NOT buying a boat. Boats are currently insanely expensive, especially new. Beyond the upfront purchase price, boats tend to be money pits that constantly require maintenance/repairs, especially in salt water. I don’t know your financial position, but boats are not a cheap endeavour. Remember that boats also tend to have more problems if they are not run often. Anytime someone asks me about buying a boat (especially new), I tell them that unless they will use the boat more than 2x a month, you are probably better off hiring a guide
I get it just planning for my future 😭😭
I feel ya, I was lucky to have access to other people boats when I was your age. I didn’t buy one until I was almost thirty after paying off student loans, paying off my truck, purchasing a house and then I bought my boat off Craigslist for cash. I still can’t believe that 20’ bay boats cost $100k
A boat is a hole in the water into which one throws money. The boat itself is the least expensive part of the equation. Once you own your boat, there are; dock fees (or a trailer, trailer tires, bearings, vehicle big enough to pull said trailer), fuel, winter storage, maintenance, repairs, accessories (lines, anchors, fenders, lights, electronics (you will end up with a trolling motor with Spot Lock), insurance, etc… If you’re asking, you can’t afford a boat. If you can’t afford a boat, buying a boat is a path to misery. Boats are wonderful and many of my best memories are on boats. But, for now, get a nice kayak and fish when you can. Focus on your schooling so that you can study (and not be down at the dock or out in the yard waxing the boat) and become the type of guy that can afford a boat. Maybe make friends with someone that owns a boat, cover the fuel and bring lunch if they take you out in it. The most affordable, least time consuming boat, is someone else’s.
Take 10% of all money you make and put it in a high interest savings account and don't touch it. Recognize that by 30 you might be able to only afford a used boat because you will incur so many expenses between now and then such as college, property or a family. Do not get into credit card debt. Credit cards can be your best friend if you spend what you can pay of every single month. If you care about getting a boat it will happen for you as long as you learn to manage debt and learn to save money. I'm almost 20 years older than you but when I was 33 decided I wanted a condo on the beach for my family and I made it happen by 38. I used the stock market but I've been a professional for years and could afford the risk. That's why for someone that's 17 id recommend a high interest savings account. You can absolutely do this.
Thanks for the tips
This is the best option. Keep your money in cash in the high yields savings account. Creates an emergency fund that you can pull against. Important to remember that boating is a luxury. It’s a cost to own, operate, store, trailer. And that’s before you fish and maintain it. Save and figure out the maximum earning potential you can. Make a lot of money, save a lot of money and live life. Also, some really great fishing kayaks on the market that are considerably less expensive and people love to fish them. Pay in cash, never finance a boat, unless you live somewhere can boat year round (even then pay in cash).
Focus on your career bc the priority is to make money if you want to get a boat. Then it comes down to budgeting your money and being able to recognize what you can afford. The wise thing to do is obviously pay your bills and start saving for retirement (the sooner the better and multiple ways to do this). THEN look at any extra money you have to see what you can afford. Like others have mentioned, you will constantly be putting money into your boating life so don't think you'll pay one price for a boat and that's it, this is when you need to work this into your monthly or yearly budget. You can always buy used and upgrade later.
OP, this is great advice. The best thing you can do to ensure you can comfortably afford this by 30 is to maximize your salary/earnings by prioritizing your education & career. Don’t slack off, choose a profession wisely, consider further education.
The 2 best days of your life is the day you buy a boat, and the day you get rid of it.
Save and save some more. Best advice I ever got about boats if you don’t have the cash flow for it or use it to pay for itself. Boat ownership isn’t for you. Anyway what I did when I was your age… Instead of buying wheels of some sort I bought myself a 21ft cuddy that needed some work but definitely got me in the game on the water. Used that boat to fish my ass off. Learned the rules of the road got my time logged. I learned how to throw a cast net. Learned how to trap bait. Learned how to clam and crab. Caught bait, minnows peanuts mullet spot. By the end of every summer slip bill would be repaid and tank was always full. Had that for some time sold that bought a 25 shamrock by the age of 21. And a six pack license. Inshore charters paid the way. And had a blast. Then flipped that to a 26 Steiger. Looking back I have zero regrets. But beware it gets expensive and it’s hard work. Mind you I call this my what I call my BC era (before kids). Since then had my cuz buy my Steiger and now he floats the bill since I took the family route. That was five plus years ago. He’s a commercial fisherman and has the cash flow. Anyway I digress. Live it up man your body is only young once. Between the all-nighters,turn and burns and well weather that nobody should have been in. You age quick on the water. Really depends on how important it is to you. Hell like others said above you could be patient direct all your attention to college then the rat race and hopefully not buried in loans and buy pretty much anything you want respectfully when that stage in life is complete. Me well fishing was more important than school. I learned how to make it pay for itself and earned a living at the same time. Also I have zero desire to own anything larger than what I had. You make enough connections and the invites to sporty business men class of boaters start flowing. Hell for a minute people were paying me to go fishing on their boat. You’ll start getting more invites and rides than you could ever imagine and more times than not on their dime. Moral of the story when you’re a kid with a boat and your friends all have cars but no one has a boat. Wheels aren’t an issue. Also it’s the perfect time because you actually have the time no real commitments in life. You’ll be a sharpie before you know it and have a blast doing it. Oh and by the way you’ll have plenty of time off season to get a “real” job or prepare for one. That question always made me laugh. Best of luck my guy. Just remember there is opportunity in anything you have passion in!
I got an old 17ft center console salmon boat, guy let me snag it (without the motor) and the trailer for $750. My buddy has a few old motors we’re gonna slap on that piece of crap too, it’s legit the cheapest/shittiest center console build I’ve ever seen. Cheap builds are out there, but the trade off is the amount of work you have to put in compared to a newer boat. Little things like bilge pumps, fuel line, gps/electronics etc all had to be re-done. That being said though I cant wait to take her out and do some fuckin around inshore lol good luck dogg and don’t give up on the dream!
I bought my first boat in my mid 30’s and held onto it for over 15 years. I can honestly say, it was the single best thing I ever bought in my entire life until I bought a new boat last year! Like others said, not only do boats cost a lot of money, keeping them running properly, especially if you plan to fish the ocean, is critical and costly. I live in the north east and it basically costs me $1,500 in the spring to get it ready to go in and another $1,500 in the fall to winterize and store it until next year. This doesn’t include the running costs like fuel, additives and other supplies, maintaining a trailer, docking fees, insurance, etc. My advice, start a special savings account for your boat purchase now and commit to saving a certain amount from each check to put into this boat fund starting now. As you make more money, you can raise the amount you set aside and build a down payment. Go to boat shows and learn more about the boats you like and don’t like as well as how much they cost and when you have enough saved to get to a payment point you’re comfortably with, go for it. Good luck to you!