Texas 4x4 Forum banner

School me on Boats and boating

2K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  Big4x4ride 
#1 ·
I know some of what it takes to own a boat and go boating, but can anyone tell me what to expect? We want a boat for skiing more than fishing, and I like the inboard boats. We were looking at a '95 Mariah Talari that looks pretty nice. It's an inboard/outboard. Does that mean it's got and inboard motor, but the prop can be raised and lowered?? What does it usually take to maintain a boat and should you carry insurance? What are the costs of insurance? Do I need to register and plate the boat, again what are the costs? What are storage fees at say something like Medina Lake? I want to look at the whole picture here, so if you have anything for me to consider before I jump into boat ownership, I would be grateful!

J.D.
 
#3 ·
Inboard/outboard means the engine is inside the back half of the boat and the drive unit in on the outside that can be raised and lowered (trim). By all means get insurance. There are a million idiots on the lake that do not know how do drive a boat! I have a 2001 Baja and my insurance is about 600 bucks a year. Yes, you will have to register the boat and trailer to be legal. It's about 70 bucks every two years for the boat. I can't remember what it cost for the trailer but it's not much. Storage can get a little pricey. In the DFW area it's any where from 50 bucks to 150 bucks a month. I have room to keep mine so I don't have to worry about it. As far as maintenance you just need to change the oil once or twice a summer, change the water separator when you change the oil and put on a new in propeller every two years. The in propeller is what helps cool the motor with lake water. I normally change the spark plugs and wires on mine every year but I’m picking about my junk! Like Primetime said make sure you get what you want to first time around.
 
#4 ·
It's like everything else in the powersport world. You have to do a lot of work to have a little fun with it. Most of the headaches from owning a boat come from not using it. The more it's out of the water, the harder it is to keep it running right.

Maintaining a boat mechanically isn't all that hard, just be sure to empty the gas or use a quality stabalizer between trips. Empty the lines/tanks before winter season. Pump and drain all the water out to keep the engine from freezing. Every couple years you'll have to change the water pump/impeller. Keep gear oil in the lower unit, lubricate the steering cables and throttle linkage. Keep a good coat of fiberglass protectant/wax on the gelcoat. Don't let water stand in any part of the interior. Don't use standard glass cleaner on the lexan windows. Keep good tires on the trailer, make sure the lights are working, and lube any rollers/bearings everytime you think about it when the boat's in the water.


My registration on my boat was about $50/2 years. The trailer needs to have a plate as well. (I cheat and move the one off my other trailer for my once a year trip, but I'm pretty sure that's not legal). Can't help on storage prices/comparisons. I keep mine in the back yard and rarely go to the same lake twice.
 
#5 ·
Those are some good points. I think my wife and I will need to sit down and weigh the options. That's a lot to do and could be more than I can do while trying to keep up with my wheeling rig too. I don't want to go look at a particular boat we found, because I know I'll fall in love, but I'd hate to let this one go if we're ready for boat ownership. Thanks for your help if anyone has anything else to add, please feel free!

J.D.
 
#6 ·
vip & chapperal makes a nice runaround boat & not priced expensive.

had two & sold them cause i got them cheap & was not really w/ them.
thats why i say, dont buy cheap & you will not enjoy as much.

my next boat will be a blue wave or kenner center counsole 22f.
w/ jack plate, 250 maxx eng, t-top & lots storage for the big *** fish
i will catch.
 
#9 ·
bullet said:
A boat is a hole in the water that you throw money into. I know...I practice throwing money into that hole all the time.

Awww... c'mon now. It's not that bad... wait, where'd I lose my wallet?


I'd have to say proximity to a lake is the key factor in both usage and money spent. The further away you are from good water (like me) a boat becomes almost equal to a wheeling rig. It is more of a vacation type thing than a "lets run out to the lake for the day" thing.

If we lived closer to a nice lake, I'd be out there all the time. I love the water, either fishing or pulling riders, and could honestly use more of it. When I was younger, my grandparents had a cabin at the lake and it was not unusual for me to spend a month at a time out there. It's a wonderful lifestyle and one I plan on finding again soon.
 
#12 ·
We do live fairly close to what looks like a nice lake. Medina Lake is about 40 minutes from the house as we live on the west side of SA, but that seems to be about it for around here. Also I think the Air Force has at least a beach (maybe a dock) that we can use for a weekend at Medina. We could take weekend trips to some of the lakes south of here, but what else is there around San Antonio? Still thinking about this...

J.D.
 
#13 ·
What everyone else says.

I had a boat and loved it when I lived in DFW.
My brother n law had a lake house and it was an hour away.
It was worth it because we could keep the boat at the lake house.

about the insurance get it get it get it its no option.
I had mine at the marina over night and a storm hit no warning and it threw my boat onto the waterless rocks and grass land lovers.

The insurance fixed it all.
I would have been dead in the water with out insurance.

The trailer and registration werent to bad what was a chore was filling the tank with gas for the week end.
It will be over $100 bucks a weekend.
When you throw the storage, insurance, extra gas for towing, gas for the weekend on the water, boating equip, and life jackets.

Its great but I only used mine one or two times a year since I left DFW and my brother in law sold his lake place.
It was broke every time i took it out.
So if you get one make sure you get it out and remember the buck.


good luck and have fun.
 
#14 ·
I would suggest getting at least a covered storage for it. Enclosed would be better but more expensive. The sun does more damage to the upholstery than the water does. Also, when you put the boat up after a trip to the lake, make sure it gets dried out. Open seats and storage compartments to let everything air out. This will prevent mold from growing on it. Also, you should wipe it down every few trips to keep it looking good.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I like the boating thing

I have a 97 Voyager pontoon fish/ski, two swivel chairs in front for fishing or I can pull a tube. I have found having a 4x4 comes in handy with some boat ramps especially when the water is low, or if they are at an angle something like the first hill on a roller-coaster. We live within an hours drive of 5 lakes, but we boat primarily on Lake Texoma, gotta love those sandy beaches.

Anyhow, I can personally say boating is something that is a lot of fun but takes a lot of work.

You have gotten some really good suggestions and information for insurance, maintenance and storage...the only thing I would add is to make sure like dubbyx said, use a fuel stabilizer additive for your gas tank especially if you store it for more than 3 months or so, and use good products for maintaining vinyl seats so they don't crack. The most important thing I haven't seen anybody suggest is that you take a boating course; Texas Parks and Wildlife has a good online course. The most important reason for taking this course is so that you know you are cool if a TPW officer pulls you over on a lake - they pull over boaters on any lake in Texas and do random checks for stuff like making sure everyone has a life jacket, etc. AND it helps clarify boating "right of way" rules. (i.e., a sailboat under sail always has the right of way).

Good luck!

...Brian
 
#17 ·
Looks nice in those pics. I'd be concerned with the "dent" in the front and what kind of condition the engine is in, as you can't see them in the pictures. Why is he so hot to trot to sell it?

Be sure and double-check the paperwork on it if you go look at it. Being a '95, it should have a title for the hull and a separate one for the motor. The registration card (if current) should list each part separate and note them as TITLED. I've gone over the headaches of trying to retrieve lost titles on boats so many times I can't count as it's a major PITA, so I'm very wary of anything suspicious in this part of ownership. Parks & Wildlife is not forgiving when it comes to boats. Check with them first to see what kind of information you may need to take with you at purchase as you're not going through a dealer.


Brian--post up a link to that online course outside this thread if you can. I'm sure we could all use a refresher.
 
#18 ·
jesus_man said:
Here is the boat I am looking at. It IS OBO and says he needs it gone by Friday. What do you guys think?

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/boa/182558667.html
Seems like a decent deal to me.

The 4.3 might to have to work a little hard sometimes but it will get the job done. Just make sure you take it to someone that can service the entire boat before you take it out. I'd change the oil, oil filter, lower unit oil, water seperator, and the in propeller just to be on the safe side.
 
#19 ·
Here is the link to the online class:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/boater_education/

Found that when I was looking for what it takes to get a resident hunting license.

I don't want to deal with a shady deal especially on my first boat. He never answered my questions about how the motor was running or when it was last run...

J.D.
 
#20 ·
New motors are $$$

Yep, that's the link.

Man, I would want to at least hear that engine crank before I bought it. Don't want to run one for more than a couple of seconds out of the water, but you want to make sure it runs.
 
#21 ·
C-Horse82 said:
Yep, that's the link.

Man, I would want to at least hear that engine crank before I bought it. Don't want to run one for more than a couple of seconds out of the water, but you want to make sure it runs.
You better not even crank a stern drive without water running through it or you WILL be replacing the impeller.
 
#23 ·
jesus_man said:
Will a hose suffice?
Yes, the "earmuff" adaptor is fine. Just don't run it dry.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top