A few questions

[rambler]

The one we're looking at is +/- $20K, its a limited edition package. All the bells and whistles + a 70 hp Yamaha. Its actually alot more than I wanted but the dealer is a friend of mine and I can't order one that size for the price. Now we have to decide if we want all the headaches of boat ownership again, but I lay awake at night thinking of cruising down the lake in that baby!

[puckster_guy]

There's only one solution bro. Just do it! You ain't gonna live forever. Enjoy the time you have left. My boat has always been a refuge for me. Especially at a time a while back when my life went to heck. Being on the water soothed everything. My boat kept me sane.

[Dog]

The one we're looking at is +/- $20K, its a limited edition package. All the bells and whistles + a 70 hp Yamaha. Its actually alot more than I wanted but the dealer is a friend of mine and I can't order one that size for the price. Now we have to decide if we want all the headaches of boat ownership again, but I lay awake at night thinking of cruising down the lake in that baby!

I agree with @puckster_guy ... you can always think up excuses NOT to get a boat (it is after all a luxury item...) but if you can afford it and it enhances your relaxation on the water, exploration and fishing experience, I say go for it (as long as you're gonna use it to fish more often and explore places you otherwise wouldn't or couldn't go in a rental boat).... That is the point after all... to fish more often and to explore more of the lakes you launch it on, right?....

If you buy the right boat (and use it), ownership is not a headache in my eyes... For me, ownership becomes a headache when stuff breaks and preventative maintenance is required and I'm not getting any enjoyment out of it by using it.... This is why if I stop using something, I sell it. just me though....

[T-Bone]

The great boat debate. I think about buying one several times a year and dream about having that baby up on Kipawa; but then....I quickly realize I'd have almost not time to use it in any season of the year. It would be great though.

The Alumacraft looks like a sweet rig, and perfect for Kipawa. And I'm with Dog...you only live once. If you truly believe that you'd use it at home AND have it for your two weeks on Kipawa every year, it's probably worth it. Don't fret about the money. My 90 year old uncle once told me when I was young, "The only thing you ever need to buy anything you want is a pen." I've never forgotten that. And as squirrely as he was/is, he finagled a way to retire young, live for decades on a small island in Florida, and still has plenty of cash in the bank to this day. I'm a bit more conservative than that, but the lesson of "never cheat yourself" lives strong in me.

Never cheat yourself.

[Dog]

@T-Bone , love that advice... wise and so true.

so.... @rambler what boat will you be showing off to us at TBL in 2015? Make a decision or still shopping?

[Jay Thomas]

Hi Rich and Ellen:

While I have never owned a boat, like many fisher persons, I have spent lots of timing dreaming and looking. If I was in the buying space, I'd be looking for a boat with an 8 foot beam (or close to it) and a cockpit deep enough that when I was standing at the gunnel, the top of the gunnel would be above my knees. To illustrate what I mean, compare the Alumacraft web site videos for the Alumacraft Competitor 175 and the Alumacraft Dominator 175. I realize that selecting an 18 foot boat over one 17 feet long costs more dollars. However, in the scheme of things, IMHO, the extra dollars are warranted over your many years of ownership and enjoyment. Good luck with your shopping.

Jay