Trojan Boat Forum

Perry, The 1985 with the arch is supposed to be waiting for me. I have been over every inch of that boat. It is better condition than some 5 year old boats I've seen. Previous owner was very meticulas. Nothing is bastardised or done the cheap way. Good Luck to you. I have been waiting to pull the trigger until I had completed a large deal I'm working on...not gonna happen soon enough for me. Also, just an fyi, She can be bought for less.

Thanks for the comments, and please keep them coming, but stop right before you talk me out of it.

When I computed boat ownership costs, I built $3600/year for fuel into the cost. Did you guys see my signature? I'm buying a boat because I need a less expensive hobby. No, really. My last to two discretionary purchases were airplanes. I'm used to paying $100/hr for fuel (but accustomed to going much faster!). I'll be paying cash, so ignoring all of the lost income from the whopping 0.15% that my $30K is earning in my money market account, I expect that most of the cost of the boat will be maintenance. But I LIKE to work on boats, so I see it as spending money for entertainment, not as an expense like car insurance or something. In six years my youngest will be in college. I only have few years with them while they are still young, and I want to spend my discretionary money on something that we can all do together.


More about my boating expectations:

I have 12 and 14 year old males (and 48 year old female!). We intend to primarily do short couple-of-day-cruises at most, spend weekends on the boat not even necessarily leaving the slip, hang around the marina pool and swear to my wife that I'm looking at the bikini's only to see if she should get that particular type, some not-to-serious fishing, anchor-out a lot and read or what ever (the kids won't ALWAYS come with us), and generally mess about in boats. I always envisioned my boys cruising for chicks in the anchorage in an inflatable. Me and the boys (if the seas and weather are right) might circumnavigate the Delmarva peninsula (basically Baltimore to Cape may, NJ through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (where VERY LARGE SHIPS! (a story for another time) leave the northern Chesapeake and head north), down to Norfolk, thence back up the bay, but otherwise expect to stay in the upper half of the Chesapeake.

While we've never owned a boat this large, we have chartered a 36' twin diesel aft cabin Bayliner about half a dozen times (google shelby vi boat if you are inclined, but know I would have never taken that thing offshore to Bimini!). My wife loved everything about it except having to schlep all of our stuff to the boat each time that we used it. I also crewed and did substantially all of the non-engine work on my best friends 38' Bertram sport fisherman for the last 7 years (except write the checks -- something he did enough to get callouses). I've researched boat ownership a lot, read two books by David Pascoe on "Mid-size Power Boats" and "Surveying Fiberglass Boats" (recommended reading for anyone who wants to know more about boats, written by someone who is not trying to sell you one. Also has a good website.

I have also lurked here and read (almost) every thread (but not necessarily each response) and feel that I have learned a lot in the last nine months. I even got to vote in a poll recently that I don't have a boat! Thanks for everyone who takes the time to make useful posts. Your input makes this forum a great resource.

MadBen wrote:Perry, The 1985 with the arch is supposed to be waiting for me. I have been over every inch of that boat. It is better condition than some 5 year old boats I've seen. Previous owner was very meticulas. Nothing is bastardised or done the cheap way. Good Luck to you. I have been waiting to pull the trigger until I had completed a large deal I'm working on...not gonna happen soon enough for me. Also, just an fyi, She can be bought for less.

I keep thinking that someone else has been looking at . Now I remeber .I hope you both get the boats you want.

i cant wait to jump into this one when i can. however, i have looked at the one is essex....... for sale nearly 2.5 years. never dropped price. believe me, i've been over every last inch of that boat and it's disgraceful. mr paul can back me on that one... .just ask how depressed i was when i called him after i looked at her. just my two cents.
later guys.
aaron

Well thanks for saving me the trip Aaron. I called all 4 dealears at noon today. I only got through to the first one, which turns-out is under contract, and left messages with the rest. None of them have called me back.

P-Dogg wrote: I expect that most of the cost of the boat will be maintenance. But I LIKE to work on boats, so I see it as spending money for entertainment, not as an expense like car insurance or something.

We intend to primarily do short couple-of-day-cruises at most, spend weekends on the boat not even necessarily leaving the slip, hang around the marina pool and swear to my wife that I'm looking at the bikini's only to see if she should get that particular type, some not-to-serious fishing, anchor-out a lot and read or what ever (the kids won't ALWAYS come with us), and generally mess about in boats.

Damn, you sound like one of us. Welcome aboard and hope you find the right project soon.

With the price of boats today one can get such a bargain that it could be viewed as an offset for the fuel costs, IMO. At least that is how I rationalize it, real truth be known most do not need a boat it is for entertainment purposes.

P-Dogg wrote:Well thanks for saving me the trip Aaron. I called all 4 dealears at noon today. I only got through to the first one, which turns-out is under contract, and left messages with the rest. None of them have called me back.

I bet its under contract to MadBen . Don't rush but don't wait till the Boss changes her mind .