A buddy & I were having a couple of beers the other day and started talking about buying a boat. Normal boats (cruisers, sport boats, etc) are more expensive than what we want to spend. For anything decent you'll probably spend somewhere above $30K for a used 25-footer in decent shape. And they really don't get good till you're over 30-feet and in the $50-100K price range. However, used pontoon boats can start as cheap as $6-7K for a 18-20 footer, and that's really all you'll need to take out 5-6 friends.

What are your thoughts on pontoon boats, or even about boat ownership in general. Are pontoon boats lame because you can't really ski behind them? Is it still fun just to be out on the water, even though it isn't a "sporty" boat? Are they just for middle-aged couples and their pre-teen kids? How big of a pontoon boat would one need? We've got some decent-sized lakes in the North Texas area, and I'm guessing you'd want a bigger boat if you're on a bigger lake, since there will be bigger waves. My brother recommended a 32-foot SunTracker for all of the amenities, but then you're getting back into the $25+K price range again.

Discuss.

 

Check out some deck boats. Good compromise between a speed/ski boat and a pontoon - plenty of party room, but also enough power to tow a skiier/tuber.

Couldn't tell you what they run though - and FTR, boats are a pain in the ass. I have two 2008 Kawasaki Ultra 250X jet skiis, first time PWC owner, and let me say they are pretty high maintainence. 250hp supercharged HP is fun though.

Seriously, considering renting when you want to use vs buying. Boat payment + insurance + gas = a lot going out every month - make sure you're commited to getting the kind of use you'd need to justify the cost - for most it doesn't add up.

 

pretty much rnye said it all. usually renting is the way to go, boats are a PITA.

also, while you need a lot of power for a good ski boat... you can wakeboard behind pretty much anything, and that's all anyone seems to want to do these days anyway.

 

they're fun if you're retired.

I think they're Rascal accessable too.

 

Nice


You know, they say the two happiest days for boat owners are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. They are, for the most, part, a maintenance pain the in ass. If you don't take very good care of them mechanically, and take care of all the surfaces that will just cook in the hot sun, you'll end up with something junky that you don't have great pride in.

I would seriously consider just renting, as was suggested. If that doesn't work for you, get yourself a dirty old pontoon boat, and get a used PWC (Sea Doo, other for $1-3k) for when youre in the mood to have some fun. If I had to choose between those both, I'd get the pontoon boat. Better to have something to enjoy with a group of friends, a spot for chicks to lie down and tan, and lots of room for

 

keg of beer + friends + pontoon boat = good times.

 

Hmm... after a quick search, that looks like the answer. Local lakes offer 22-ft pontoon boats for ~$60-70/hr, and will provide a driver for another $10/hr. So, that's maybe $500 to take it out all day... and you don't have to clean, store, tow, etc.

If I owned a boat, I'd probably feel obligated to go out every weekend. That would get very expensive, very quickly. If I was just renting, I'd probably only go out 3 or 4 times all summer, and could do other stuff on the other weekends. Plus, when I go out, I just have to show up & go. No boat-prep, towing, launching, etc.

 

My brother had a tri-toon (three instead of two) with a pretty big motor on the back. He bought it used for around $8000. He could easily pull a skier, two tubers, hydraslide, etc. It was huge (maybe 12 person capacity). It was no slouch. Of course it doesn't produce the wake that people pay big bucks for, but I don't care about that stuff.

 

Plus, if other people come out with you, they'll be more inclined to chip in on gas, and maybe even rental costs. If you own a boat, friends just see it as free and you foot the bill for everything.

I used to go up to the cottage to find that my friend had taken out my Sea Doo and emptied out the gas tank. A couple times I actually found out that he filled it on my account at the local marina. What the heck! Only noticed when my monthly bill had some expenses for weekends I wasn't even there.

Renting is the way to go, despite the feeling of throwing money away on something you don't actually own.

 

The statement the best two days in a boat owners life is the day he buys it and the day he sells it is true. They are giant holes in the water you throw money into.

I have never owned a pontoon although we had one or two at our family cabin for 20 years. I now own a 18ft fiberglass SeaRay runabout/speed boat.

If your idea of fun is just going out with a bunch of people, not going very fast, and drinking, maybe grilling and watching the day go by, then they may be what you are looking for. We generally used the boat for some fishing, either casting for bass or parked with some bobbers in the water to entertain young kids who were learning to fish. Its great for that too. Other than that they are just big floating platforms with seats and a motor. That is not meant to rip them, but its kind of like a hot tub.

Everybody thinks it would be great to get a hottub, and then they spend a few nights drinking and relaxing and get bored with it and the upkeep. The hottub sits day after day being heated and cared for but not used unless they are hardcore partier alcoholic types that don't get bored with it weekend after weekend. Pontoons are also huge, require big trailers and such.

I am into water sports and after my dad sold his lake place he gave me the speedboat. (we put a "For Steal" sign on the Pontoon and left it at the lake when we sold the cabin) It is not great to fish off of, and I don't even try, but you can use it to ski/tube/parasail/wakeboard etc. Take out in the lake and relax and swim just like a pontoon. It can be fun for little kids and adults. Its much better for bigger lakes because you can move about twice as fast.

The downside if you want to look at it that way is it is not big enough to put a grill on or have a keg party.

If it were me and the most I was going to do was have maybe 4-5 adults and a couple kids, I would look for a nice 20-22 foot fiberglass ski boat. Big enough for several people to be on, powerful enough to pull them around, and you bring a cooler and sandwiches but skip the grill and the keg. But then you had the added ability to entertain kids and adults with pulling toys.

Even though I LOVE to get out on the water, unless you live on a lake or have a cabin on one, you will find its a hassle to drive/tow etc every weekend. Its a pain to pay the insurance and registration, the upkeep on the boat and trailer and then you start wanting to get rid of it.

I say fiberglass boat over pontoon if you must, and resist the temptation if you can.