Boating Noob
05-12-2009, 10:55 AM
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Boating Noob
Assuming the wife gets back to work in the next few weeks (looking good) I may spring to get a cheap, used boat and trailer.
I live on Raritan Bay just north of the Jersey Shore, good boating waters. I have a local ramp about 4 miles from me, a nice shallow one that just got rebuilt and is in great shape on the bay itself. (I'm in Union Beach, circled on the map).
I come from dry ground in the Midwest. My boating experience is limited to a small lake I spent my teen years on (about a half mile wide, 2 or 3 miles long) plus some running down in the Tampa area on the inland and close to shore areas of the south bay. I've towed and helped launch before, but all of my experience is somewhat limited and old.
I figure I would start with a relatively cheap, used boat in decent mechanical condition to learn.
I figure a 18 - 19' boat is what I need. I would rather have an open bow for now, nothing fancy. Almost everything I find around here is inboard but several have told me an outboard is best; all my experience is on outboards. I plan on carrying al the safety gear, taking the required CG safety course; will add a few bits like marine radio, GPS, etc.
I know salt water is an issue, plan on flushing and cleaning her off after every run and doing the required maintenance (hoping to learn some of it so I can do it myself).
Figure a bay and all these bits of pretty protected water are a good place to learn salt water ops in a boat before moving out and up.
So my noob questions:
1) Is this too much for a very short haul on my 4dr JK?
2) Is a 17' - 19' open bow boat big enough to handle the bay waters as well as possibly some sprints across to Long Island or down around the point and into the coastal waters of teh Northern Jersey Shore (say as far as Long Branch).
3) ??? Am I nuts?
I live on Raritan Bay just north of the Jersey Shore, good boating waters. I have a local ramp about 4 miles from me, a nice shallow one that just got rebuilt and is in great shape on the bay itself. (I'm in Union Beach, circled on the map).
I come from dry ground in the Midwest. My boating experience is limited to a small lake I spent my teen years on (about a half mile wide, 2 or 3 miles long) plus some running down in the Tampa area on the inland and close to shore areas of the south bay. I've towed and helped launch before, but all of my experience is somewhat limited and old.
I figure I would start with a relatively cheap, used boat in decent mechanical condition to learn.
I figure a 18 - 19' boat is what I need. I would rather have an open bow for now, nothing fancy. Almost everything I find around here is inboard but several have told me an outboard is best; all my experience is on outboards. I plan on carrying al the safety gear, taking the required CG safety course; will add a few bits like marine radio, GPS, etc.
I know salt water is an issue, plan on flushing and cleaning her off after every run and doing the required maintenance (hoping to learn some of it so I can do it myself).
Figure a bay and all these bits of pretty protected water are a good place to learn salt water ops in a boat before moving out and up.
So my noob questions:
1) Is this too much for a very short haul on my 4dr JK?
2) Is a 17' - 19' open bow boat big enough to handle the bay waters as well as possibly some sprints across to Long Island or down around the point and into the coastal waters of teh Northern Jersey Shore (say as far as Long Branch).
3) ??? Am I nuts?
05-13-2009, 03:06 PM
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I wish I still had my boat, but it had to be sold.
I had a 23' Bow Rider (open bow) pleasure boat (not a center console fishing boat).
Are you looking at a true bow rider or a center console fishing style? Your not going to find many modern bow riders with an outboard, most have an I/O style.
My boat had an I/O with a Fuel Injected 305 and Alpha 1 drive, there is nothing wrong with an I/O they are usually cheaper than an outboard but you will have more power for the price. The engine is inside the boat, the prop and gearset are outside. I kept it in the water April - October, never had any issues in the 2 years I owned it. So I cant help you on the trailering, Id imagine a 17-19' may be somewhere between 2800 and 3500lbs?
I never took my boat as far as as the Great South Bay in Long Island, I couldnt imagine taking it to Jersey! The bay should be fine, but if you have to cross into any major channels or ocean you will have to be very careful, I took my boat into the ocean twice and it was pretty hairy once the waves started coming in and that was a 23 footer!
I had a marine radio and never used it, but it doesnt hurt to have one just incase, a quality GPS with depth charts and channels is the best investment you can make! I loved my Garmin.
BOAT - Bring On Another Thousand
I had a 23' Bow Rider (open bow) pleasure boat (not a center console fishing boat).
Are you looking at a true bow rider or a center console fishing style? Your not going to find many modern bow riders with an outboard, most have an I/O style.
My boat had an I/O with a Fuel Injected 305 and Alpha 1 drive, there is nothing wrong with an I/O they are usually cheaper than an outboard but you will have more power for the price. The engine is inside the boat, the prop and gearset are outside. I kept it in the water April - October, never had any issues in the 2 years I owned it. So I cant help you on the trailering, Id imagine a 17-19' may be somewhere between 2800 and 3500lbs?
I never took my boat as far as as the Great South Bay in Long Island, I couldnt imagine taking it to Jersey! The bay should be fine, but if you have to cross into any major channels or ocean you will have to be very careful, I took my boat into the ocean twice and it was pretty hairy once the waves started coming in and that was a 23 footer!
I had a marine radio and never used it, but it doesnt hurt to have one just incase, a quality GPS with depth charts and channels is the best investment you can make! I loved my Garmin.
BOAT - Bring On Another Thousand
05-15-2009, 05:07 PM
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Amen to that!
If you plan to do any fishing, I highly recommend a Boston Whaler. Most of the ones I've seen are using outboards and they're virtually unsinkable. If we didn't have the 20' Campion Explorer (a little more family friendly than the BW
) I'd be in a Whaler
If you plan to do any fishing, I highly recommend a Boston Whaler. Most of the ones I've seen are using outboards and they're virtually unsinkable. If we didn't have the 20' Campion Explorer (a little more family friendly than the BW
) I'd be in a Whaler
05-15-2009, 05:29 PM
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GNNR your right. I saw your reply to my post on the boat. Sorry. Went there to post
the link and now it wont let me post there. So...here is the link to the boat on CL....
annapolis.craigslist.org/boa/1139081268.html
the link and now it wont let me post there. So...here is the link to the boat on CL....
annapolis.craigslist.org/boa/1139081268.html
Last edited by JackMac4; 06-11-2009 at 06:53 AM.
05-18-2009, 07:20 AM
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I'm starting to lean towards a jet boat, like a Yamaha LX2000.
On the upside:
1) Tough design, very modern, built solidly to handle some of the speed and pounding it could take.
2) Fully kitted out from the start usually (top, trailer, canvas, radio, carpets, etc), just get required CG gear and go.
3) 20' is reasonable size for ocean bay and short forays out into minimal ocean chop on occasion.
4) No props for this noob, less hassle and danger to tubers/skiers
5) Twin motors means redundant power, one goes down I can still limp home.
6) Common motors and parts
7) Cleanouts for the impellors are easy to get to without getting under boat.
8) Meanuverable with twin drives and seperated throttles/shifter
9) Fuel economy is better than similar HP 'car' motors in I/O boats supposedly.
10) Light weight compared to similar power and size I/O boat
11) Resale holds better than I/O
12) Shallow overall draft due to jet drive makes it a little harder to get into trouble running in shallow bay or inlet waters
13) Instant response, gets on plane in under 2 seconds, no digging in or kicking around like many other boats when you hit the gas, very meanuverable with independent throttles.
14) Still relatively new models so likely to be in pretty good shape (minimal wear and sun damage for instance)
Downsides:
1) More maintenance work I'm told, not as reliable as V6 and V8 I/O plants
2) These motors are much less conventional than a V6 or V8 I/O boat motor, will be harder for me to work on (steep learning curve maybe)
3) Maintenance work and parts are more costly than conventional boat I/O power
I'm sure I am missing something, feel free to correct or add.
I'm more about the crusing about, tubing/skiing, exploring, and some bobbing about at anchor soaking up the sun or swimming. You won't catch me fishing, no interest in that honestly.
A cuddy would be nice for overnighting, but I don't see myself doing that very often at all to start with and an open bow would allow for more people/options I think.
On the upside:
1) Tough design, very modern, built solidly to handle some of the speed and pounding it could take.
2) Fully kitted out from the start usually (top, trailer, canvas, radio, carpets, etc), just get required CG gear and go.
3) 20' is reasonable size for ocean bay and short forays out into minimal ocean chop on occasion.
4) No props for this noob, less hassle and danger to tubers/skiers
5) Twin motors means redundant power, one goes down I can still limp home.
6) Common motors and parts
7) Cleanouts for the impellors are easy to get to without getting under boat.
8) Meanuverable with twin drives and seperated throttles/shifter
9) Fuel economy is better than similar HP 'car' motors in I/O boats supposedly.
10) Light weight compared to similar power and size I/O boat
11) Resale holds better than I/O
12) Shallow overall draft due to jet drive makes it a little harder to get into trouble running in shallow bay or inlet waters
13) Instant response, gets on plane in under 2 seconds, no digging in or kicking around like many other boats when you hit the gas, very meanuverable with independent throttles.
14) Still relatively new models so likely to be in pretty good shape (minimal wear and sun damage for instance)
Downsides:
1) More maintenance work I'm told, not as reliable as V6 and V8 I/O plants
2) These motors are much less conventional than a V6 or V8 I/O boat motor, will be harder for me to work on (steep learning curve maybe)
3) Maintenance work and parts are more costly than conventional boat I/O power
I'm sure I am missing something, feel free to correct or add.
I'm more about the crusing about, tubing/skiing, exploring, and some bobbing about at anchor soaking up the sun or swimming. You won't catch me fishing, no interest in that honestly.
A cuddy would be nice for overnighting, but I don't see myself doing that very often at all to start with and an open bow would allow for more people/options I think.
05-28-2009, 05:53 AM
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my parents have a 19' bowrider I/o and i think trailor and all 2900lbs and my 4dr tows it just fine almost better then there 04 explorer, dont know if i would take it the ocean off jersey but i do go from long island to CT pretty well and inbetween
06-01-2009, 06:05 PM
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I have a 4dr Sahara Jk with towing package and an 18' Caravelle i/o Bowrider which is approx. a 2,900lb Rig. I hear a lot of people claiming they have had no problems towing with their Jk. I have pullede this boat with many vehicles including a Honda Odyssey minivan which handled the Rig better than my Jeep. I find the brakes to be dangerously inadequate for this weight Rig and the engine lacking greatly in low rpm torque. I love my Jeep & Boat but the boat is going to kill the Jeep if I keep towing with it. I have 44K miles and I am now on my third set of brake pads. I have seen motorcycles with larger brake pads than the Jk.
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06-02-2009, 04:32 AM
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I had an 18' center console and didn't have any problems at all towing it. Even towed it up into the Southern Appalachians without any issues. I have the towing package with the 4.10s though so that may make a difference.
I don't know a whole lot about jet boats but one thing I do remember from running friend's watercrafts is they do not have reverse and there is no steering when not in gear. This could make docking difficult in your home waters.
Like someone else mentioned, an older Boston Whaler would be an excellent choice. They are unsinkable, tough as nails and have excellent resale value. I wouldn't have any reservations about taking a 17 or 18 foot Whaler out into the open bay or the ocean (when the weather permits, of course.)
I don't know a whole lot about jet boats but one thing I do remember from running friend's watercrafts is they do not have reverse and there is no steering when not in gear. This could make docking difficult in your home waters.
Like someone else mentioned, an older Boston Whaler would be an excellent choice. They are unsinkable, tough as nails and have excellent resale value. I wouldn't have any reservations about taking a 17 or 18 foot Whaler out into the open bay or the ocean (when the weather permits, of course.)
06-26-2009, 07:00 AM
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Many newer jetboats have reverse, just a paddle scoop deal that slips down in place when engaged. It's not as good as a prop though.
----
I got a boat as of Wed. Should have it in hand this weekend or early next week (he's delivering it to me since my Hitch stuff hasn't come in yet).
02 Four Winns 170H with mooring covers, snap in carpet, am/fm/cd, color gps with fishfind/depth, new bimini, sunbrella winter cover, Volvo 3.0 135H I/O with 47hours (new in 06 when he bought boat as 2nd owner), immaculant in and out.
I compromised for my first boat... went conservative on power and size but something that's relatively new and in great shape so less repairs and work in the immediate future. I skipped over getting a jetboat because they are utter gas hogs and any of the smaller hulls are shallow draft so not good in any kind of chop at all. I like the idea of all that power but as a noob it's probably not the best choice either. And the meanuverability issues at very low speeds for a noob are another issue.
----
I got a boat as of Wed. Should have it in hand this weekend or early next week (he's delivering it to me since my Hitch stuff hasn't come in yet).
02 Four Winns 170H with mooring covers, snap in carpet, am/fm/cd, color gps with fishfind/depth, new bimini, sunbrella winter cover, Volvo 3.0 135H I/O with 47hours (new in 06 when he bought boat as 2nd owner), immaculant in and out.
I compromised for my first boat... went conservative on power and size but something that's relatively new and in great shape so less repairs and work in the immediate future. I skipped over getting a jetboat because they are utter gas hogs and any of the smaller hulls are shallow draft so not good in any kind of chop at all. I like the idea of all that power but as a noob it's probably not the best choice either. And the meanuverability issues at very low speeds for a noob are another issue.
07-03-2009, 11:06 AM
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Many newer jetboats have reverse, just a paddle scoop deal that slips down in place when engaged. It's not as good as a prop though.
----
I got a boat as of Wed. Should have it in hand this weekend or early next week (he's delivering it to me since my Hitch stuff hasn't come in yet).
02 Four Winns 170H with mooring covers, snap in carpet, am/fm/cd, color gps with fishfind/depth, new bimini, sunbrella winter cover, Volvo 3.0 135H I/O with 47hours (new in 06 when he bought boat as 2nd owner), immaculant in and out.
I compromised for my first boat... went conservative on power and size but something that's relatively new and in great shape so less repairs and work in the immediate future. I skipped over getting a jetboat because they are utter gas hogs and any of the smaller hulls are shallow draft so not good in any kind of chop at all. I like the idea of all that power but as a noob it's probably not the best choice either. And the meanuverability issues at very low speeds for a noob are another issue.
----
I got a boat as of Wed. Should have it in hand this weekend or early next week (he's delivering it to me since my Hitch stuff hasn't come in yet).
02 Four Winns 170H with mooring covers, snap in carpet, am/fm/cd, color gps with fishfind/depth, new bimini, sunbrella winter cover, Volvo 3.0 135H I/O with 47hours (new in 06 when he bought boat as 2nd owner), immaculant in and out.
I compromised for my first boat... went conservative on power and size but something that's relatively new and in great shape so less repairs and work in the immediate future. I skipped over getting a jetboat because they are utter gas hogs and any of the smaller hulls are shallow draft so not good in any kind of chop at all. I like the idea of all that power but as a noob it's probably not the best choice either. And the meanuverability issues at very low speeds for a noob are another issue.
Looks more like a pleasure/sport boat. For some reason I thought you were looking more on the lines of a fishing boat.I too am just about to pull the trigger on a used boat. I "was" only going to comment that the hull design is what really makes a lot of difference. For ocean boating you want a semi, or deep "V", so, like you said it can take the chop well. Many guys up here run flat bottom river boats, and they can really beat the hell out of you in just the slightest chop. I have owned a 16 foot, semi "V", aluminum, open bow, center console, OB, fishing boat for years. I've taking it out in the Cook Inlet many, many times to halibut fish. Yes, it's a bit small, but you just have to pick your days. Now I'm going to go a couple feet longer and, what I like most, the higher sides of this boat.....really helps displace the spray as you run in a little bit of chop. It's a "Valco".....the same design and the same people that make the Bayrunner. It's a very sea worthy boat, and pretty popular up here in AK. I like to go aluminum because they are lighter and you are able to launch on and off the beach. Looking forward to getting out there again.....ie, need some fresh halibut for the deep freeze....
Have Fun...!!!
