# okay so I have no clue about boats have some questions



## surfmom

this is premature but I always start researching before I buy or invest in anything.

So are boats hard to maintain in saltwater ? Are there newer materials now that help keep maintenance down? are the 2 best days of a boat owner life "The day he buys it and the day he sells it" still hold true?
any suggestions on types of SMALL boats and inexpensive (like under $6000) would be appreciated. I don't want to go on open ocean im thinking more ICW


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## js1172

surfmom said:


> this is premature but I always start researching before I buy or invest in anything.
> 
> So are boats hard to maintain in saltwater ? Are there newer materials now that help keep maintenance down? are the 2 best days of a boat owner life "The day he buys it and the day he sells it" still hold true?
> any suggestions on types of SMALL boats and inexpensive (like under $6000) would be appreciated. I don't want to go on open ocean im thinking more ICW


was for me, and expensive to run, finaly got to where the ends didn't justify the means, however I will admit, living as far as I do from the water, it got to be a hassle taking the time and spending the money to take the boat out.
js


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## dudeondacouch

*B*ust
*O*ut
*A*nother
*T*housand


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## js1172

dudeondacouch said:


> *B*ust
> *O*ut
> *A*nother
> *T*housand


reminds me of
websters definition of boat, a hole in the water ya throw money in! lol
js


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## surfmom

okay well guess Im gonna spend my time researching other then a boat ...waaaa


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## dudeondacouch

my honest take on it:

if you live ON the water, you should have a boat. if you don't, you probably shouldn't.


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## Fishman

I was once told by a friend of mine that if your not using the your boat your loosing the dollars spent on the boat. Not exact words but you get the point.


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## bbcroaker

Once upon a time I was a boater then I got an Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Trident and sold my CC. and gave one Jon boat to my son and still have one Jon Boat. Every year I use it once.In spring I buy new tags for the trailer get new gas in the tank,clean the leaves out and try it out to see if it still runs. Its been an annual ritual for 5 years now. I keep thinking I'm going to go back to boating.NOT! Maybe when I get to old to paddle.
Only regret I have I didn't get the kayak sooner! 

I love my Prowler!


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## Les

Don't discount getting a boat. Having a boat can really broaden your fishing opportunities. You just have to be realistic about it by first deciding what type of fishing you want to do and matching it with a boat. If you are most interesting in fishing the ICW, than a jon will allow you to do it. You can buy one w/trailer used that someone else outfitted and be happy. Not a lot of $$ and you can get most of it back if you ever decide to sell. One tip, though. Be sure it is a min. of 48" wide at the bottom. Much more stability.


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## surfmom

Les said:


> Don't discount getting a boat. Having a boat can really broaden your fishing opportunities. You just have to be realistic about it by first deciding what type of fishing you want to do and matching it with a boat. If you are most interesting in fishing the ICW, than a jon will allow you to do it. You can buy one w/trailer used that someone else outfitted and be happy. Not a lot of $$ and you can get most of it back if you ever decide to sell. One tip, though. Be sure it is a min. of 48" wide at the bottom. Much more stability.


Thanks That is what I was thinking but can 2 people fish from a Jon boat?


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## bbcroaker

Yes 2 people can fish from a Jon boat as long as it is rated for t he weight.
Every once in a while I us my Jon Boat or go with a buddy that has one. as I posted above 90 percent of the time I'm out in my kayak. 
The one thing I would mainly be concerned about fishing in the ICW is bigger boats and their wake. There are some that do not have any respect for the boating laws or smaller boats and do not slow down. It's like they think smaller boats should not be there.
I saw this some years ago while fishing the salt water and a big yacht was traveling by a group of smaller boats anchored up fishing and the young kid that was on the top deck driving (slowing down obeying the law) was told by the older adult to "wind her up". The kid said "Dad there are smaller boats anchored over there.Dad hollerd back cursing and to hell with them wind it up". The young boy waited till he got by us and then sped up.
I had a lot of respect for that teenager.


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## bstarling

For the inlets and waterway some of the fibreglass skiffs are pretty good. They have a bit more weight than the aluminum ones but don' cost much if any more. Carolina comes to mind since I have the J16 model. These can be had for what you are wanting to pay and will be in nice condition. There are a bunch of skiff makers, just Google it.

Bill


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## Les

As Croaker said, yes, you can fish two... or even more depending on the size of the jon boat. I have a welded 1652 G3 that can fish three (if they are not lard asses!) without crowding each other too much, but two is really comfortable. Just remember about the width of the bottom - 48" minimum. 52" or better is even more stable.


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## Macman

Surfmom,

A co-worker decided to get a boat and used this site for his "homework" : http://www.boatus.com/ Navigate to the boat buying and loans tab and review the guide to buying and boat checklist. Great info to help you with your concerns. And... my friend ended up with a 20ft Grady walkaround. 

Macman


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## surfmom

thank you


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## js1172

http://www.iboats.com/
js


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## randyk

Bought a 16.5 foot Alumacraft all welded center console last year. It looks like a John boat but really isn't. Small enough to keep in the garage but yet wide enough to handle the rollers out at the jetty with ease. I've been pleased. As with any boat be sure to rinse it in freshwater after useage to keep it fresh. 40hp Yamaha 4 stroke fuel injected motor sips gas but gets it from point a to point b. Great warranty on both mean no upkeep problems for a few years. Just do your homework if you get serious. (Tried to PM you but it said your mailbox was full.) Good Luck!


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## surfmom

thanks! okay emptied my messages


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## River

I've owned boats all my life until now - I've had CC's, Pontoon's, Bass Boat's, Ski Boat's and John Boat's ---, I've blown a lot of $$$ on boats and I only miss the John boats, I've had a blast fishing the Rivers, Lakes, Creeks and the ICW of NC and VA with Johns boats and look forward to owning another one in the not so far off future -- River


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## surfmom

okay so aluma craft or John both seem to be within a price range I would consider(not now still broke lol) but My husband and I would have fun with either type, the only other problem is where to store it. I may be able to talk to neighbors and find a place.


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## bbcroaker

Don't forget to check craigslist I've seen some good deals but don't let any one scam you! Remember the old saying if it loooks to good to be true then you know it usually is .


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## surfmom

while out to dinner tonight in Little River (having the BESTestS crab legs ever!at Capt Juel's Hurricane Restaurant) we saw a little john type boat about 15ft long. we were like yea okay we could deal with that! reminds me to go do a review the food was awesome!


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## surfmom

okay so we have now seen 2 of the boats we are interested in but cant find them . they were about 15-16 ft long and about 6 feet wide. with a canopy. flat bottom. looks perfect for what we want. saw one today by Murrells inlet.


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## WNCRick

Not sure about down your way, but two major "rivers" on each side of Holden, believe it or not I catch 90% of my fish out of a kayak way back up in a creek where others can't go.........Just bought my first boat, a 12' creek boat, lol


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## surfmom

I wish I could find the boat we saw. Ive been googling like crazy and cant find it


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## WNCRick

Bimini tops can always be added to most any boat so that's no worry. It wasn't a double wide jon boat was it? If not, google flats boats, sounds like what you are describing.

Rick


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## surfmom

it may be carolina skiffs. I also spoke to a guy with a wide Jon boat he said he loves it because he doesnt have to wash it. so why is it you dont have to wash jon boats but do other boats? we are looking for as low maintenance as possible something that can seat 4, and can just be a lil fishing boat


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## Yakkin

Carolina Skiff is my dream boat for fishing the NC sounds.

The most expensive part of a boat can be the motor. The usual rule is get as much horse power as you can afford, if you are going to be very near the coast I'd recommend as much HP as necessary to be safe (think storms).

Someone posted the link to iboats.com it's an excellent site and really helped me with my purchase. Go to their forums, create an account, do your research and then start asking questions.


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## Tonnydoodles

Take a drive to bass pro, they got tons of boats, easy financing, and the guys there are very knowledgeable and helpful, if you decide to buy used make sure you bring along someone that knows boats.


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## mitchmtm1

surfmom said:


> okay so we have now seen 2 of the boats we are interested in but cant find them . they were about 15-16 ft long and about 6 feet wide. with a canopy. flat bottom. looks perfect for what we want. saw one today by Murrells inlet.



Something like this?


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## surfmom

mitchmtm1 said:


> Something like this?
> 
> 
> View attachment 9771


yes!


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## mitchmtm1

Not sure the manufacture of that boat, but someone on here *should*.

I have always liked the look of those boats myself, but know nothing about them.


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## NC KingFisher

Looks like a Carolina skiff to me, an 8ft wide. My grandads got a 19ft long 6ft wide. It's a good boat for inshore, when its calm you can run it out a little into the ocean. I'm just not a huge fan of it, it's not my style


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## letmefish

I know this thread is a bit dated, but wanted to attempt to answer the question about the boat in the image

I think the boat in the image is an "International Skimmer". Have a look at these images from an auction, you will see that the letters on the side of the boat are the same, and the setup of the boat is the same. Also check out the name plate in one of the photos.

http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/auction/view?auc=1232723


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## Papa-T

Several years ago I purchased a scout bay boat. Now I live 5 hours from the coast so I would only take it down twice a year. I just didn't use mine enough to keep it. If I lived closer I would own another. Maintaining them by flushing out the pumps with clean fresh water EVERY time you use it is a must. Changing oil and lower units at least once a year. My only real problem was bad gas and the fuel injectors would get fouled or partial stopped up. Finally I was told to buy a large funnel with a screen built into the bottom. Every time I purchased gas for the boat I would use the funnel and pump the gas through it before it went into the plastic tank. You would be surprised at the crap, pieces of rust, etc. that would get caught by the screen. After that I never had any more spitting or sputtering. And I purchased gas from different places.


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## letmefish

Papa-T,

You bring up a good point.

Boaters need to be as strict with their fuel as airplane pilots are. You'd have a lot less issues in the long run. Pilots live and die by their checklists; boaters should adopt that idea as well. Aircraft pilots would never attempt to fly over a really large body of water without first ensuring that their plane is in tip-top shape, why should boaters be any different??? They shouldn't be!

A pre-flight is a must if I'm gonna fly anywhere, ESPECIALLY when my family or friends are on board. Boats should get the same treatment. Setup a checklist and stick to it.

PMCS is much cheaper than a repair.


PMCS = Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services.


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