[thequintessentialman]

Kind of like the idea of camping on the water but the weather around here can turn quickly. How does that work? Any one weather storms on the water in a cuddy or cabin boat? Pitch a tent on a pontoon?

Too, do you ever sleep in the boat on the trailer? Like maybe traveling and over night in a camp ground, just sleep in the cuddy/cabin rather tent. What are pros/cons?

I figured out we are not throwing away enough money on other things so thinking about getting a boat to help out... seriously though we are considering moving to near the gulf coast for retirement in a few years and thinking about getting a boat for scuba, fishing, or what ever else (old) people can do on a boat. I want to get one now that is sea worthy but can be used in lakes and really at a loss on where to look for information. Too, I can't decide and keep bouncing back and forth between pontoon, cuddy, and cabin boats. Grew up around boats but they were only for day fishing trips and Dad and Granddad whatever else went down didn't matter if the fish were biting.

 

[rustednail]

I hate to say it....but you do not sound like you have any real experience with boating. Trying to recommend a boat type for your use....would be exhausting....

 

[thequintessentialman]

I hate to say it....but you do not sound like you have any real experience with boating.

Well yes but that's the reason for the questions...

 

[ManyFeathers]

I had a 32' Sea Ray with fore and aft cabins, shower/head and kitchen.

Don't plan on going very far with it because it's one helluva load. I had trip axle trailer. Better have a good truck and your gas mileage will suck.

As far as the boat, your gas mileage will suck too. Takes a lot of $$$ to fill one of these bad boys up or you don't have good range. The bigger the boat, the more gas it takes to make it go!

Sleeping quarters were somewhat cramped as compared to a travel trailer as most aren't very tall down below (I'm a tall guy)

I quit trying to haul mine so I set it in a slip, which btw is very costly.

Next you need to figure out what to do with your gray/black water. Most places, it's against the law to dump in the bays. Most other places have provisions to vacuum it out but that costs you too

Buying gas on the water is $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, some places have premium only so you're looking at a pretty good cost of a fill up

A $100 bill would only give me 1/8 of a tank if that tells you anything

You won't like being on the water during a storm


I sold mine about 15 years ago, luckily I made a profit too, I haven't looked back. If I buy another it will be 18'-21' bass boat or a center console

BTW......I'm on the Gulf coast

 

[rustednail]

Well yes but that's the reason for the questions...

Do you plan on trailering?

How do you want to access the boat from the water?

How much do you plan on spending?

Do you want to keep it in the water?

Which bottom paint will you use?

Do you know what fender sizes you will need?

Wheel or tiller?

Hydraulic or push/pull?

Inboard or outboard?

Diesel or gas?

Deep v or flat bottom?

How many will be on board?

Fiberglass or aluminum or steel?

Galley?

Head?

Electronics?

Hardtop or soft?

Bench or Bucket?

How many bilge pumps?

A tower?

Just a few of the questions you want to answer?

Or is it..."I don't know"?

 

[thequintessentialman]

Do you plan on trailering? Yes

How do you want to access the boat from the water? ..? Ladder

How much do you plan on spending? $10k but OK with good used (and depends on the deal.)

Do you want to keep it in the water? Maybe depending n where we retire but for now something towable.

Which bottom paint will you use? ..? Does fiberglass or Aluminum need paint?

Do you know what fender sizes you will need? Does that not depend on the type/size/design of the boat?

Wheel or tiller? Wheel

Hydraulic or push/pull? Cable probably easier to repair and maintain but can fix hydraulics too.

Inboard or outboard? I/O drive or Outboard.

Diesel or gas? Big fan of Diesel but probably gas in the size I'm looking at.

Deep v or flat bottom? no idea yet

How many will be on board? Would like to accommodate 6 to 8 divers and gear plus couple of nondivers.

Fiberglass or aluminum or steel? Not steel.

Galley? maybe

Head? yes if only a porta pottie in a tent.

Electronics? Can add this later but depth, gps nav, weather, and 2-way.

Hardtop or soft? soft

Bench or Bucket? bench

How many bilge pumps? as required

A tower? Still trying to find the pros/cons to a tower.

Just a few of the questions you want to answer?

Or is it..."I don't know"? Lot of "I don't know" and some answers change as I learn new stuff...

All good questions though, thanks

 

[two bits]

I found that from the water, the banks/shorelines all look alike! Seriously. Marinas get congested, and I like privacy. I have owned several fishing boats and one 27' sailboat. I loved the sailboat. If I got another boat to live on, it would be a trawler.
Go with an RV. America has much to see, roaring rapids, waterfalls, mountains, and etc.

 

[thequintessentialman]

I found that from the water, the banks/shorelines all look alike! Seriously. Marinas get congested, and I like privacy. I have owned several fishing boats and one 27' sailboat. I loved the sailboat. If I got another boat to live on, it would be a trawler.

Go with an RV. America has much to see, roaring rapids, waterfalls, mountains, and etc.

Great idea but I'm a diver and would have the boat to reach diving spots. I just dont want it specialized to the extent it precludes all other uses.

... and yea, I dont like crowds either...

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[LuniticFringeInc]

Looking at all the info you posted...I dont think a boat is the best idea for your needs at the price point your willing to spend and the number of folks you wish to have aboard. For 10k I doubt there is anything available unless you get the mother of all deals I would trust out on the water beyond a small lake unless its a 1970-1990 Catalina 26-28 will fill the bill.

Sorry to sound so harsh, and thats just my opinion to be sure, but consider thats coming from someone who lived on a 37ft sloop rigged Lance sailboat for 7 years.

 

[thequintessentialman]

Looking at all the info you posted...I dont think a boat is the best idea for your needs at the price point your willing to spend and the number of folks you wish to have aboard. For 10k I doubt there is anything available unless you get the mother of all deals I would trust out on the water beyond a small lake unless its a 1970-1990 Catalina 26-28 will fill the bill.

Sorry to sound so harsh, and thats just my opinion to be sure, but consider thats coming from someone who lived on a 37ft sloop rigged Lance sailboat for 7 years.

No problem but that's just the snswers I came up with based on the ideal design concept. Things are going to change. Mainly I'm fishing for information trying to figure out which features fit together and which don't. Like buying a car, start with all the bells and whistles and Cross out the ones I don't need or am not willing to pay extra for. Pontoon seems best as a dive platform but (guessing) not suitable except on a lake or bay.

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[tomclay98]

My family has had everything from 35ft cruises to kayaks. The 22 ft pontoon has been the one the family has liked the most. Its easy to trailer easy to handle and light enough we occasionally pulled it with our ford escape. Its kid friendly and has a grill. Have camped out on it but we are known to put our camping stuff on it and find a spot on the river to camp. Had a 22 sea ray cuddy but it was just too tight for all four of us in the cabin to sleep, hot and a monster to pull. Used a dually to pull it. Same thing with the 35 foot cobia. The cobia had two beds and a was nice for sleeping out on the water. It got hot but we put an AC on it and it was good. We have a 32ft bylines right now too and it stays at the marina. We have a trailer to it but it makes things so much easier. If I could go out and buy a new one today it would be a pontoon or a midsized cabin.

 

[no guns here]

Sorry... didn't see whether you said salt water or fresh water. That makes a diff. For most freshwater lakes, you just described a pontoon boat. For salt water... to get something that will work for you, you will have to give up something. Size or towing. To go big enough for the ocean, you need bigger boats (heavier, more expensive, more HP) and bigger tow rigs. Or, you can pick a place and look hard and find something for sale that is already in the water and you don't tow it anywhere.

 

[makobytes]

Having lived in FL. the majority of my life, I have had a bit of experience with boats. In fact I currently own a small skiff and a couple of canoes. When I was still a wee lad, my dad had a 21' cuddy cabin that we had some crazy adventures on. After having owned skiffs, canoes, kayaks, and a 25' cabin sailboat. For me, a good all purpose go almost anywhere type of boat would be an18-22 ft. cuddy cabin boat with an outboard motor with a solid tilt and trim. The cuddy cabin opens up many options that may not be available with other styles of boats. The cabin is a great place to stow away a lot of gear that you may not want to get wet, you can hunker down in the cabin in a rain squall or get out of a cold wind, you can fish, dive, or party all night then crash on the boat while at anchor. Lots of possibilities. One of my favorites is the Bayliner 18-22' Trophy model cuddy cabin line. Here is a link to one for only $8900. https://www.smartmarineguide.com/L49525939

 

[bighanded]

my daughter has a bayliner 21 cuddy and mainly cause she has a small 5yr old..so providing shelter, etc was a consideration..but general family day on the lake..the cabin takes up so much room, that everyone is cramped in the back half and the boat is stern heavey, so hard down-trim to keep from porposing the bow and that limits speed and efficiency...

but I also wanted to jump in to tell you my personal experience. We have had many boats, but I'm not 20 years into a 1999 model 22ft super deck. We have full cabin canvas which includes covering the entire boat..the front cushions basically make into a queen size bed and we add a queen blowup for more comfort and basically we are in a 22ft tent with full standup headroom..many nights were pleasant..just takes time to set it up...couple nights storms came up on us and, no fun at all!!
we have made dozens of trips trailering the boat from the carolinas to the Fla Keys so we can scuba off of our own boat...and for most of those years I pulled with a Dodge hight-top conversion van 318 V8, beefed up shocks and towing radiator..mileage was around 10-11 but we could stop on the drive down, pull into a gas station or rest area, hit the button on the van's rear seat down into the bed and take a good nap.
no, none of this equals a good RV motorhome..and we do have a travel trailer when we want to go camping and cross country, but you can make a boat work for the occassional overnighter...get a portapotty, our boat has a small changine room with the portapot down in it and we have a sink and 18gals fresh water on that, and a good cooler and we were always fine for a weekend.
we had thought about trying to get a large cabin boat and double it as a camper, but as folks have said...that's a lot of something to pull for not much space..so unless you are planning every trip to include getting wet, then it's hard to justify.