Found a straight, clean, older 17.5' Glasply with a strong 140 Merc I/O (530 hours) and a trailer that falls within my immediate price range ($1600)...but really, what are the hidden costs of owning a boat? Please add items I haven't thought of, and if you've any boating experience in the north sound I'd love to hear comments (I know it's just a runabout, but my dream SeaSport is just a little out of my price range at $30,000 or so...)
My list looks something like this:

Throttle cable--$175 (it's sticky)
Trailer rewiring, bulbs--$30
Spare tire for trailer--$50
Insurance--$300/yr
Registration--I have no idea
Needs a kicker--what should I get? I hear good things about Honda 9.9 four-strokes--$1200
Downriggers &c.--$300
A good trolling rod--$150
Launch Fee--$5.00 a pop
With luck it'll fit in the yard of the house I'm renting--if not, Storage=$30/month?
I'd have to keep it covered somehow, but haven't priced boat covers...what's my best bet?

Pros: fishing the sound, crabbing, take the bike to Bellingham or Friday Harbor for some shopping, &c.

Cons: would probably sit in the yard from November through April, cost lots of money, and distract me from fishing for steelies in the rivers.

All comments welcome.

dont buy the downriggers
save 300 bucks right there
dose the boat have a top.. Like for when your fishing?
or none at all?

New canvas top, no side windows though. Also has the old vinalized canvas top with windows.

No downriggers? Surely you jest! Jeez, now that I think of it I'd need a pair of rod holders ($??) and a fish finder as well ($???)...

What's a GPS cost?

Fishkisser

Don't forget the life jackets, flares, horn, oar or paddle and check the trailer bearings out. If the boat is an older one, good chance you will need new wheel bearings and if you don't already have "buddy bearings" get them!

A wise man once said; "A guy has two happy moments in his life. One is when he buys first his boat, and the second one is when he sells it!"

Cowlitzfisherman


Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????


[ 08-26-2001: Message edited by: cowlitzfisherman ]

Fishkisser, the old saying "if you have to ask you can't afford it" seems to fit pretty well here.
You have identified a fairly long list of problems that you are already aware of. The next question is: "How many more problems lie undetected?" Unfortunately, the only way to determine the answer to that question is to purchase the boat and find out for yourself. That, my friend is a very expensive answer.
Given your admitted love of river fishing you would probably be better served buying a good used aluminum driftboat to which you could add a kicker later for putting around on the Sound. Also, a small sled could serve you on the rivers as well as the saltchuck.
Regardless of your decision you will get more bang for your buck if you wait until the off-season (Nov. thru Feb.) and shop the want ads (Seattle Times, Little Nickel). You might also take a look at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville. They are a class outfit that stands behind everything they sell be it used or new.
Good Luck, Nelly

Definitely check out the trailer bearings. A rebuild will cost you about $60.00 if you do it yourself. It is not rocket science.

Would you be launching at Obstruction Pass, or on the west side?

Be prepared to go through all of the wiring, and all connections. 12 colt wiring is also not rocket science, as long as you only have one battery in use at a time. Buy a large kit of connectors and Lots of wire to have on hand. Also pick up one of those tool kits that has EVERYTHING in it. Mine is a Duralast kit. Used it on three occasions and I had everything I needed.

First, as someone else had alluded to, check out all of the safety gear first. If something else fails, this stuff may save your life. You don't want something like that to fail.

Any parts that you replace, take the time and spend the extra money to go stainless steel, except for the prop, which on that boat won't make a huge difference.

Be prepared to be messing with it for the next year or so, but when you get done, hopefully you will be happy.

If the motor is sound, and all else is relatively okay, it may be an okay choice.

I bought a fixer-upper from a guy who neglected his boat for years, my dad. I have put about another $2,000.00 into a boat that I bought for $4500.00. I now have the boat just right, and it runs better than when my dad had it, (regular tune-up), and it is my fishing machine.

Someone else also mentioned this, but I will repeat. Don't buy a boat unless you are prepared to pay for REGULAR UPKEEP. Think of $1,000.00 per year for maintenance, gas, oil, and other repairs that will come up throughout the year. You put your life in your hands if you neglect your boat.

Finally, get the downriggers so you can chase after those President's channel blackmouth.

Best of luck. The tourists will be gone soon, and so will the Californians.

Andy, ex-Orcas dweller.

[ 08-26-2001: Message edited by: Dogfish ]

Thanks for the advice...but...what the heck are buddy bearings?

Have lifejackets, have paddles, have a horn, but would need a VHF for those emergency moments...

Went across President's Channel over to fish off Stuart Island with a couple buddies in a 16 foot open aluminum boat yesterday...made me think a wetsuit or survival suit is in order--lots of guys in big wake-pushers don't give a hoot how close they get to you...even had one guy do just about a complete circle around us in his Trophy. Saw only a few pods of fish working, and guys would jump on them at full throttle as soon as they were seen, scattering them and putting them down. Between 2:30 and 4 pm my buddies hooked 3 pinks of 4-5 lbs, and when I finally got into a school I caught a 25-30 lb white king. It's anyone's guess what the heck it was doing down this far south, and up on the surface running with a pod of pinks...

Yes, I've thought about a driftboat, but the cost of dragging it onto the ferry each trip doesn't appeal to me (around $80) and I'd have to rent a 24-hr access storace space in Anacortes. I don't think I'd ever take the Glasply off the island...and I certainly wouldn't until I bought buddy berrings (whatever they are).

It's the kicker that's making me reconsider...where to find a good used 4-10 horse 4-stroke outboard?

Hey--are you implying I lack flair?!

[ 08-27-2001: Message edited by: fishkisser99 ]

don't forget the depth sounder $100 for the el'cheapo up to $750. I bought a 14' Aluminum boat with a 9.9 Johnson and trailer for $400 at an auction. Almost zero maintenence. I dont go for the big water like sekiu but it works great for puget sound and hood canal. Just another option.

Fishkisser

Buddy bearings are wheel bearings with a special cap cover that you can pump waterpoof type grease into each time you launch yor boat. They allow you to push any water out that may seep in when you launch your boat.

They are a "must" in my book!

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????

A boaters safety course might be a good idea if you haven't already taken one.

500+ hours on the Merc puts you near the rebuild window. If you use the boat reasonably heavily, you should expect to have to rebuild or repower within 3 years.

Same for the outdrive, especially since you may not have any idea what the service/usage history has been.

Either of these will be on the order of the purchas price.

Outside of those major items, there will be a constant litany of little things that you will want to do. $50 here, $100 there, etc., etc.

Not to scare you off, but realize that with an older boat, purchase price is only the beginning. Very rarely do you find a well-cared-for older boat that the owner is willing to sell.

Open up the motor box and get into the bilge. Is it a toxic waste site, or is it clean? Is the bilge pump a teeny, dirty, rusted pitiful thing? How is the wiring -- Nicely arranged, or rat's nest? Get into the floorboards. If they are spongy, there is a decent chance that the stringers and transom need work, which will get you into some serious coin.

Lastly, 17.5' is better than 16', but still on the small side for all but the good weather days on the Sound. My 20' Maxum is fine until the seas get over 3', at which point I need to be careful about how I'm taking the waves, and keeping the boat on plane without thrashing the passengers. a 17.5' boat is not necessarily dangerous, but it will definitely get tossed around by waves and wakes.

Regards.

Mike
Woodinville

Just keep in mind that if you play your cards right you will never have to buy beer again. The downside is that it will be harder to get rid of those less-than-desirable "friends".

The main reason boats break down more than cars is lack of use. A 10 year old boat with 1000 hours is probably in way better mechanical shape than one with 100 hours (especially if the owner ran the motor during the "off" season).

Hi,

I'm just returning to Salmon fishing after a 5 year hiatus (work, restricted seasons, low-fish counts, etc.,). Sold my 1987 25' trophy and downsized to an 18' Trophy (cuddy) and bought all the toys (downriggers, nav aids, radios, etc.,). Here's why.

The one thing I learned about fishing for salmon (I've been at it for more than 25 years) is to be flexible. I match the technique to the tides/weather/fish. A boat gives you that opportunity. You can mooch, troll, jig, fly-cast - Basically, adapt to what will most likely motivate the fish to bite.

To gain additional flexibility is why I downsized to a fast, 18' fishing platform. In addition to all the different techniques you can get to more places in less time and, therefore, maximize your probability of hooking.

Get the boat and all the toys you can afford and don't look back.

Good luck and enjoy,

Michael