My experience in the 4 years I've been running the old Chaparral has been similar, my biggest expense has been fuel by a long shot. I know as boats get bigger and systems get more complex parts get more expensive, but I think the "break out another thousand" guys must be paying someone to do all their maintenance. And neglecting regular maintenance because of it.
ultraclyde said:My experience in the 4 years I've been running the old Chaparral has been similar, my biggest expense has been fuel by a long shot. I know as boats get bigger and systems get more complex parts get more expensive, but I think the "break out another thousand" guys must be paying someone to do all their maintenance. And neglecting regular maintenance because of it.
Heck, we even pay people to do a bunch of the maintenance. Not all of it. But a lot of it. But we don't neglect it, so it isn't ever a real surprise.
New boat owner here. So far my biggest expense has been the slip that it sits in. However like Frenchy eluded to, towing launching fighting can make boating less fun. A slip has been awesome, when the kids want to tube we drive two miles, hop in and go, it's always there.
To recap from the boating thread. Bought a cheap boat, polished it to look like a slightly less cheap boat, started having fun. SWMBO has even learned to drive it and commenced to try and kill me on a tube, big fun.
Frenchy if you are still reading along, stick a Jag motor in that Sea Ray and give me a ring when you are done with it. The boat that is not the swap.
akylekoz said:New boat owner here. So far my biggest expense has been the slip that it sits in. However like Frenchy eluded to, towing launching fighting can make boating less fun. A slip has been awesome, when the kids want to tube we drive two miles, hop in and go, it's always there.
To recap from the boating thread. Bought a cheap boat, polished it to look like a slightly less cheap boat, started having fun. SWMBO has even learned to drive it and commenced to try and kill me on a tube, big fun.
Frenchy if you are still reading along, stick a Jag motor in that Sea Ray and give me a ring when you are done with it. The boat that is not the swap.
Dad has his Grady in a slip. Actually, a rack, the slip was too much work for Dad. But he's at the point in life (and the geographic location) where that is not a noticeable expenditure. He and mom could not launch the boat without myself or my brothers, so this is what they need.
I'd actually prefer it not be on the rack. Launching a boat is super easy, once you've figured it out. If I'm by myself, it is about a 6 minute operation. If I have either of my siblings with me, it is a 5 minute or less operation. If Dad is involved, if he's "helping", it becomes a 10 minute operation as he checks everything I'd already checked and prepared, usually at home.
I don't mind trailering and launching. Our closest lake is a 45 minute drive, bigger lakes are 1:30. We trailer 3-1/2 hours to the coast fairly frequently. If I had a slip or a dry stack slot it would be on the lake an hour and a half away, so it's less convenient anyway.
Although I've never done it, I'm not a fan of keeping a smaller recreational boat in the water all the time. Just seems like the increased maintenance and risk aren't justifiable when it's so easy to pull it out
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