Is It Really Worth The Investment For A Sled?

[NETONE]

Ok....I know first off how can one put a value on owning your own boat for the anytime factor and convenance coupled with the value in family & general quality of life.....BUT..........

From a pure dollar & cents point....is it worth the investment and loss in cash to own a boat over hiring a guide X times a month or year????

What are your thoughts....being a multi-boat owner I'm willing to bear the cost....but from a bean counter point of view I am just wasting money, so what is your value in owning a boat????

[Water Ready]

If your a bean counter, you don't have time for a boat! :tongue: However if you are a bean counter you should already know that boats are a money pit. But, "you" have to define priorities. :grin: Find a really good fishn' buddy that owns a boat, buy the gas, bring some Pepsi. Maybe, make some lunch for both of ya. :whazzup: Do the Math! Just go Fish! :smile: :smile: :grin:

[RogueFisher]

It sounds to me like you are trying to talk yourself out of it.

I have a boat because I want one. I like fishing on my own without the help of a guide. The whole experience of catching that mint bright steelhead or salmon on my own is worth every penny spent on my boat. It's an independence thing.

You do it because you want it. Period.
You either do or don't.
:grin:

[blacktail519]

Netone,
If i hired a guide for each time i take my boat out and go fishing, I would be broke my friend! I guesS if you only fish once a month or once every other month, Yeah you might not want the added cost of a boat. but for me, it is a neccesity :grin:

[SLEDDER]

Of course it is worth it!!! You are thinking to deeply. When you start looking at the practical side of life, asking yourself these type of questions. Then it is time to loosen up and enjoy life. Get the kids through school. Feed the family. Above all get out more and make that boat worth having. If only I could follow the preceeding I would be in good shape. :grin: :grin:

[Time Off]

Life is too short man! If you like to fish, boat/ski etc... then it is worth every penny. With your owm boat you have the independence to go when you want to not when the guide has room. :grin:

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

NeTone...

Happiness & Quality of life can't be measured by how much money a person has so I will say this...

If you love fishing and you love the time you spend fishing and the people you love fishing with...then buy what you can afford....you won't regret the money you spent nor will you never replace the good times spent with family & friends while fishing out of whatever kind of boat you decide to buy...

Good luck my friend... :grin:

[Pete]

Think about it ... it might be cheaper to take a cab or the bus, but you don't get to drive! The pleasure of owning and operating my own boat, learning navigating skills, map reading, operating a fish finder and GPS have all been very rewarding. And, if you need a shove, look at "lifetime" costs, not initial costs. You have to subtract the resale value of the boat at the end of your expected term of ownership from the total cost of ownership to calculate the net, right?

[ZaQ]

I am in the process of talking myself into a new boat. My boat payment is less than two guided trips a month, and I fish about 12 -15 days a month. The math on that one says I should have my own boats. How much do you fish each month?

[Water Ready]

Don't get me wrong, I Love boats! Eventually even bean counters must have recreation. I know a few of them, and they bought boats after stress factored into the very short equation of life. :smile: The message is "just find a way to go fish", boat, have fun cause, life is way to short. Do what fits today! Great fishn' to ya

[Flatfish]

Boats may be more than just payments.

Ours is heavy enough that we needed a diesel to tow it. Figure about 100 a month extra over the half ton for that.

Insurance, upkeep, boat stuff( boat stuff is the things you did not realize that were totally essential like a GPS or Diamond plating the dog to match the floors for example. Boat stuff is usually about 1000.00 per item.), extra rods( as soon as your buddies "friend" shows up at B-10 with a yellow rod for divers on an outgoing tide you will understand) for the dudes, all add up. My boat will fish 5 at a time. I buy 5 of pretty much everything at a time....it all adds up.

But we also fish a lot. We have a place to moor the boat for springer season. I should be able to fish probably 20 days a month during season. Most of this will be after work stuff. But springers are simply a time on the water thing.

There is no way I can do this without being the cap'n of the ship. And even when I diamond plate the dog, it will be cheaper than a bundle of half day guide trips.

Besides that, I like to catch my own fish. While a guide once in a while is a great way to learn new techs, or just a brush up day. I want to catch my own fish.

That said, there is no rational reason to fish that much. But rational aint got a lot to do with fishing.

Mark and the super neat looking dog.

[Capt.D]

Well...some people are into rods, motorcycles, ect...Having your own boat allows freedom and completes your fishing experience. You'll see that every owner has their own package put together for their own taste. If you do decide to buy...take a boater saftey course and practice operation/ anchoring. Remember, plenty of fish are caught on the bank. I guess you just have to like boating enough to buy one. Good luck!

[Silver Hilton]

The math, strictly speaking, doesn't work out, for most people with jobs and families. Over now 20 plus years of fishing, I would probably have spent less money, caught more fish, and there would be far less mess in my garage, if I had not owned boats, and just hired a guide when I wanted to go out in a boat. Do I regret having owned these money pits? No.

What you get from having the boat is freedom that you don't get from going with guides. You get to assemble little fishing parties, which, on a good day on the river, are possibly the best times you can have in life that don't involve the opposite sex.

If you have kids, you get the chance to take them out for the hour and a half that is the maximum attention span they have.

On a day when it is apparent that the fish are never going to bite, and it's a cold driving rain that is freezing your mustache off, you get to decide to go in now, not in 4 hours.

Early in the season, or late in the season, when it might not be hot, you get to go explore, and maybe find some fish that you wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Then there's the fact that today's sleds handle like sportscars. I have a friend who has a Z3. We trade. I get to drive his car, he gets to drive my boat. Jet boats are just flat out fun. And on the days that the fish just don't bite, you get to go explore, which can be a thinly veiled excuse to go for a drive.

I don't think it makes financial sense, but if you like to fish, a lot, from a boat, then heck yes, it's worth it.

Just bring money.

[Hogmaster]

No

[jimh]

It isn't worth it from a money point of view.

However, I can be really, really flexible about when I go fishing and for how long. If I decide to go out for a few hours I can. I don't have to plan months in advance. I pay for that convenience.

Besides, the one with the most toys wins, right? :smile:

[crabbait]

Look in the mirror..........are you the Skipper, or just another Gilligan?

[backlash]

For the average Joe, there is no way it is finacially beneficial to purchase a boat rather than go guided. Average Joe has a wife, kids & a 9 to 5 job, unless your kids are grown, your wife like to go much as you, and you can leave work when the bites on, you probably won't use it near as much as you think you will at the time of purchase. Having said that, I love the ability to roll it out of the shop whenever I'm ready and go. For me time spent on the river is priceless, these are the times you will appreciate it. It is like the line from Ferris Bueller's Day off. As he is ready to drive away in the Ferrari, he looks into the camera and says "If you have the means, I highly reccomend it."

[WaterDog]

If you have to try and justify the cost, then don't bother. It will never pencil.

This biggest thing is to use it and MAKE the time to use it. Also buy something that is quality and don't skimp on things. You'll find you'll use a boat more if it is set up how you want, it's reliable, and your comfortable in it.

[Old Coot]

Remember, there are boats and there are boats. I spent about 5 grand for my new-to-me water ride, and that will amortize fairly readily. (With crab at 3.99 per pound, it will amortize in 7.41 years, assuming gas doesn't cross $2/gallon). The boat will transport me and three friends at 35 mph just about anywhere I want to go, whenever I want to go. When I am faorced to sell because of age, I will recover most of what I put into it because the first owners took the heavy hit.

On the other hand, I could have dropped 40 grand on a new boat, had $6000 of value drop off of it when I drove it off the lot, and have 180 payments yet to go.

Boats never make money sense. Neither do fishing rods, hunting rifles, snowboards or mah jongg tiles. You are purchasing the pleasure of use.

[ 01-22-2004, 12:15 AM: Message edited by: Old Coot ]

[ampersat]

What's my value in owning a boat?
1. Owning the boat. While I still bank fish quite a lot, having the boat gives me options. Also, owning the boat means I pick who's in the boat. Can't do that with a guide.
2. I can show up when I want and leave when I want. I can go where I want. Can't do that with a guide.
3. Running the boat. I double dog dare you to ask a guide if you can drive his sled.

Any conveyance (car, boat, horse, etc.) is a lousy investment. You're going to lose money on the deal no matter what. You are paying for a level of freedom you wouldn't otherwise have.

[Cast Away]

I agree with Old Coot. It does make sence if you buy what you can afford. I bought my boat new November of 2003 for around $9,500.00. I not the bank owned it from day one. Since fishing is my familys entertainment, and that boat was used over 50 times in its first 14 months I think it is well worth it. I don't know what 50 guided trips for a family of three would cost, but even at $200.00 per trip I have already covered my boat cost. I think the problem is people buying boats they cannot truly afford with long contracts to pay on. How many times have you seen a boat for sale with someone just trying to get out for what they owe. Back to your original question what is the value of owning a boat? For my family it is priceless.

[ 01-22-2004, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: Cast Away ]

[Pitch Pocket]

A boat is NOT an investment. I like to think of investments as something that may appreciate in value. A boat does not fall into that catagory.

Depending on how you buy it and use it, it will ultimately cost you a couple of thousand dollars per year or more. You will lose money due to devaluation, repairs, gas, oil, maintenance etc.

But we all spend money to do the things we like. I still hire guides to learn new water, but I generally catch more fish from my boat than I do with a guide.

[rola76]

There are so many perspectives, but as someone said earlier, it all depends on how much you'll use it as well as how you "value" your money. I pay plenty per month for my boat, and honestly probably use it, on average, about once a week. There are plenty of times I don't use it for two or three weeks, but then during the "hot" seasons I'll use it three or four times a week.

Nevertheless, I don't look at it as a "sacrifice" of my money, so if you buy a boat you shouldn't, as someone said earlier, and "penny pincher." When you factor in gas for trips, tackle, maintenance, a kicker, and all other stuff, you're talking about big bucks. My stock boat that began as a $27,000 purchase quickly turned out to be well over 30k after all things were added.

JUST DO IT!!!

[luguando]

Buying my boat was one of the best things I've ever done. It didn't enhance my financial situation but it certainly enhanced my lifestyle. Not only can I go fishing when I want and with whom I want, but it gets me in to places to fish or just visit that I couldn't get to before. It's opened up a much larger range of fishing opportunities and I no longer have to worry about getting to a decent spot on the bank to catch a fish. I still enjoy fishing along the banks of rivers but I sure am glad to get in my boat and get away from the crowds. I bought mine used and probably paid about 60% of what a new one costs. Those types of deals are out there. If you really want a boat, buy one. You won't regret it.

[Sourdough]

My late Mom lived by her motto, "The joy is in the journey." She and Dad had a boat because they enjoyed the process of boating, of being on the water with each other and because it gave them a reason to get out of the house together. If a boat will add to the enjoyment of wherever it is that you want to go in life, then it is worth the price. It sounds like either you are not sure, in which case you need to look closely at your priorities, or you are a boat vendor that is fishing for testimonials. For some people, a boat adds to the enjoyment in life. The joy is in the journey.

[Lepper]

if I highered a guide or charter everytime I Went out starting in around may ish.. I would be plugging well over a $1000 a month easily.. probably more like 2 or 3 grand..

[husker]

boats= a hole in the water or your wallet......however i wouldnt trade mine in to go without a boat.....forget it.....i have to have my own personal boat...i cant bum enough rides to cover my needs.....i surely cant pay a guide for 50+ trips a year......so spend the money get what u want and enjoy.....

[Paddlefish]

All duly noted and appreciated.

But now I'm lusting for a diamond-plated dog! :grin:

[chummer]

Since you're asking from a pure dollar and cents point, a boat is not worth it but neither is fishing itself... from a pure dollar and cents point. It would be much cheaper to just buy your seafood from the supermarket. But then again, that's not why we fish, is it? WE fish because it fulfills a need or desire within us that can't be measured in money. We fulfill this need and quench this desire with time spent on the water, with friends, with family or alone in silent meditation.

[Billy Tillamook]

Just do it... Much happiness will come your way!

[Lured In]

While I wouldn't consider it an investment, a good new $20,000 aluminum boat will depreciate much less than a new car or truck of the same value over the same time period.

Just look at the prices of used aluminum boats and you will see that most of them are going for 50-75% of their purchase value and they are can be as much as 15 plus years old!

This was what made the decision for me to buy new versus used. For what I wanted I could spend 15-18K for a used boat, or 20-22K for a new one.

Sound like for you though, you may not fish that much. If that's the case, then it may not be worth it. Or you may just need to look at a smaller boat.

[Degner]

Yes, an investment in yourself, family, and friends is typically worth it.

[zipper]

I'll take the time to wiegh in on this one. I am no doubt one of those guys that doesn't use his boat often enough for it to have a positive effect on my financial status. I bought a new boat a year ago - not my first boat - and get to use it once or twice a month usually. Sometimes more sometimes less. My decision to buy now is partly based on the fact that I am, in my career, in a stable, secure position at the top of my wage earning capacity and my boat will be paid for 100% long before my kids all leave the house. In the meantime, we get to enjoy the boat together while they are young enough to want to go along. Last weekend sitting in our boat with my 9yr old son and helping him land his first keeper sturgeon is a moment he will never forget... and I can't put a $ value on that experience. For me, it was worth the payment and the sacrifices my wife and I make in order to make that payment every month. My father died at 63... a couple weeks ago we buried a good friend and coworker - 56 yrs. old -went in for a routine heart procedure and never recovered. Life is short and unpredictable. Find what makes you happy and do it. If that includes a boat, do some serious number crunching and buy what you can afford, live within your means, but don't wait until later cuz it may not come. But, to answer the original question, nobody will buy a pleasure boat because it's the fiscally responsible thing to do. zip

[Hanapa'a Time]

Grew up with boats and fishing.
For some of us it's way of life :grin:
Degner, very true

[Pickles]

To quote Crabbait:

Look in the mirror..........are you the Skipper, or just another Gilligan?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">

[Hawg Caller]

Derrick, are you still trying to justify that "killer sled of yours ? Of course its worth it! you can go where you want when you want and do what you want,and I know you have the killer boat, tell Mama it keeps you sane...well maybee( ha ha).I like the challange of doing things on my own, and learning as I go,but you know me...always the hard way, HA, give me a call when your ready. Rick
p.s. I lost your # here is mine. 537-4556

[Silver Hilton]

Originally posted by crabbait:
Look in the mirror..........are you the Skipper, or just another Gilligan?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Shoot, there are days when I resemble both way too much for comfort.

[Salmon Hot Shot]

I will let you know in about a month. I will be getting mine in 3 weeks. I cant wait to catch my first fish out of my new boat.

[rv10pilot]

You should take into consideration that with a boat payment you also get an assett.

If you were to buy a $30,000 boat @ 6%, payments would be $253 for 15 years. Throw in gas @ $50 and you could assume this would be equivalent to paying a guide 2 times a month @$150 each time.

Then lets assume that in 15 years you can sell that boat for $10000 in todays dollars. We will then add the money back in on a monthly basis ($55) and you are effectively putting out $248 a month for fishing. Now for the same money you can go fishing about 1.6 times a month.

The question comes down to how often will you go? On Saturday, I will have been out 3 times since the beginning of the year. I guess I have my boat well paid for this month.

[img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

Rvpilot

This is fun, give me another!!!!

[Sturgeon Tom]

If you like to fish with strangers and hope you get a good guide everytime you can do that. I have seen, and I am sure many have, guides with a boat with clients bombed (drunk)by 10 am. Do you want to subject yourself to that possablity? Do smoke cigars, pipes etc? You never know what is going to be in the boat with you when you go with a guide.
I like to fish with people I know and I like owning my owne boat. I like taking care of my BABY. Its part of life's enjoyemant for me.
I don't think like alot of people have said you can look just at the dollars and cents.
st

[HOGTIDE]

I love my boat! I love boats in general!!!! No way could I ever justify my boat's value in fish....Heck I usually keep 1 fish a season for th B-B-Q and give the rest to my guests.

However, the pleasure I get from using my boat and setting it up to be fishin'-ready is priceless. Its hard to equal the thrill of running you OWN craft up a whitewater river or across a dangerous ocean bar. Paying a guide for that fun, just doesn't cut it.I think I like the boat as much, if not more than the fishing itself.

I might spend more time in my boat in the off season than the on. I invest hours & hours in the garage, tying rigs, installing worthless gadgets and changing the layout of my boat...its relaxing and enjoyable therapy.

......so, anyhows, that's my take on that :smile:

[5-Cents]

Everyone is missing a big point here... The worst day out fishing on your boat is better than the best days at work :grin:

How can you put a price on the relaxation you are going to get? How about the great family outings... Last 4th of July I camped for the long weekend with my Family and 3 other famlies and never had to deal with another person... I love Island camping.

You will have a lifetime of memories with good frineds and family. [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img]

When you figure all that stuff in and the fish you are going to catch then owning a boat is a down right bargin for me!

[Private-Aye-Fish]

I figure my fishing boat hits the water as much as 50 days a year. Fishing with a guide 50 x a year at $100 to $150 a pop say $125 average is $6250.00 a year.

$6250 / 12 is over $520 month for a year. That payment buys a nice boat with insurance. You do that over time you could get an Aircraft carrrier :grin:

For example my Gregor with Johnson OB, MinnKota electric troller, trailer, downriggers, new top and new travel cover, fishfinder(yeah right)safety equipment,insurance and licensing didn't cost 1/2 of this one year amount paid in full.

Is it worth it? Every penny and many more. Fishing When, Where, with who and how long I want doesn't have a price tag. :smile:

[fish-bones]

Like the rest of the guys that responded to your post ,I also have a boat.A 17ft. sled and I wouldn,t be without one.I ENJOY FISHING WITH MY FRIENDS,figuring out mister salmon or mr steelhead.we do good and its fun to out-smart these critters with the things we learned over the years.I don.t think we would catch any more with a guide and we fish as long as we like.I,m not bragging,but we do OK.the freedom of fishing as many day,s a week as we like is a good reason.I know if I figured out the cost per #,it would be expensive,but thats not the way to look at it. If you can afford one and want one,get it.Always buy the best you can afford. Don,t buy to cheap of a boat. You will enjoy it more with less problems.

FISH_BONES

[timinthegorge]

Ok.... I'll bite!

From a purely financial point of view, I agree with Hogmaster. The correct answer is NO!!

But, I agree with most of what's been said above. For me, owning my boat is about the freedom and the pure fun-quotient. I bought it new a year and a half ago, and then had a steel "boat barn" built to keep the sun and rain and snow off my new baby, and then bought a new truck a few months ago to pull it properly. With "jewelry," I've got $65K (of the bank's money) sittin' in the driveway, and I couldn't be happier with those decisions!

I love to fish, I love to go boat campin', and I love to "just be" in my boat. One of my favorite things to do is throw all my campin' gear and a few friends in the truck, cruise up to a mountain lake and spend several days havin' WAY too much fun in the wilderness...

Let me put it this way, the name of my boat is the "EVERY PENNY II" and I'm just fine with that!!

[fishbait]

Well, now that you have a clear and consice answer to your question.......

The key from my point of view is:

how many times a year will you fish out of it?

How many times will you use it for other things, crabbing, tubing, relaxing, etc. Be real honest here, not just what you would want to do

If I took all the money I have tied up in rods, gear, tackle, boats, etc and invested it, I could probably get 2-3 guided trips a month at a mininum, but ...... what about the days when my guts are sore from laughing with my friends? What about the look on my girlfirends face the first time she put my sled up on a plane and turned a corner... Probably will never pencle out but with the information shared on this thread you will make a good decision and move forward...... Good luck

[Twinpowered]

Economics will never win the day but pics like this are priceless. This is from a morning of fishing outside of Port Hardy last summer. The kid is my son and the lady a close friend. This is the first bottomfish she ever caught. the big one is an 80# Ling Cod. Looked like a sea serpent coming alongside the boat. It was the best trip of the season.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/14472122.jpg
I was there for 10 days and onlt reeled in one fish. The rest of the time I played captain and ran my boat.

[FishBowl]

$18000 and 1 hour?? Not a good deal

[Uglygreen]

Another perspective here. If your paitient, have cash ready to go, and do some hard looking you can find some exceptional deals. There are a lot of people who own boats, dont use them for whatever reason, and will dump them quick for a cash offer rather than go thru the effort and expense of selling them.

I have made money on the last 3 boats I have owned, and the best was a boat I bought for 5K from a guy in Hillsboro, put another 5K into fixing stuff, fished it for 2 years, and sold it for 32K. The one before that I paid 8K for, fished it for a year, and sold the hull and trailer for 3K and each OB motor seperate for 5K. Plus kept all the accessory stuff and the kicker.

The little skiff im working on now - I paid $500 for the hull and trailer. Doing all the work myself, I'll probably be ahead by about $3000 if I sold it.

It takes time and paitience though. You have to walk the docks, talk to people, look for boats that have expired tags, track down the owners, etc. Never have found a really exceptional deal on a advertised "for sale" boat. However if you need a boat really bad - I got a couple nice ones that are always for sale for the right price!

Brad

[HOOKUP]

Have you ever heard the term fun per dollar?

How much are you willing to spend on a boat for the pure benfit of fun? Your boat will cost you around $200-$300 dollars a month. Now how many times are yo going to use it?
$200 payment, plus gas, bait, fish tackle, poles, reels,electronics,kicker motor, maintaince, gas, truck gas, owning a tow rig, motel for far away trips...it depends on how much you are willing to pay, cheap and boating are not in the same sentance to often

[Tilla]

Hogmaster is correct...no! :shocked:

But, I am having the time of my life, going when I want, quitting when I want and enjoying all the fun and hardships.