A rough couple of weeks with the boat

[MakeNWaves]

Well the answer to your problems are easy.  Quit towing the boat so much.  

[RyanB]

On 8/5/2020 at 2:39 PM, Txstoj said:

@RyanB  as a fishing boat owner, why do all the bass boat guys run around with uncovered boat but a motor cover or even leave the motor cover on while on the lake.  I never understood why.

Not sure about the motor cover.  Uncovered traveling with the boat kind of makes sense.  Probably because more fishing boats live in the garage.  And when you are on the lake before dawn and off after dark, messing with the cover can be a pain.

With my fishing boat, I travel cover free if I am going out for the day and the weather is good for the reasons above.  Weekend trips I cover as they are usually longer distance.

[isellacuras]

I feel your pain. My year hasn’t been nearly as bad but I have been toying with the idea of selling the boat. Mostly due to the crazy Covid pricing but also other reasons. I’ve had two ballast pumps fail, shaft packing needs to be replaced, phantom leaks, flickering screens, wedge fault codes (but still working) a peeling center screen, vinyl falling apart, Wally world On our local local lake, constant wind all summer so no good water and beginning a whole house remodel going room by room. Boat hasn’t let me down to where it can’t be used but it is getting to a point that it needs some serious lovin but nothing so far that It can’t wait til the off season. My issue with selling and taking a break is I don’t know that I could afford to jump back in to the new boat game with things going the way they’ve been going the last several years in regards to new and newish boat prices.  For now, I’m content to park it and wait for late fall and cooler weather until the over crowded lake situation comes to a close.

[surfdude]

I’ve had part of my colon removed, and my hip replaced since February. Sold my19 22 lsv in June. Sat around for a week or two and went nuts! Went to the dealer and bought a new 23. We’ve actually put on more hrs this year already than the last 2. Started surfing again the end of July. Sometimes I think you have to give it a break. I used to surf 3 or 4 nites a week.  The wife and  just hanging out and floating some days. The new Lsv still beats a pontoon.

[Michigan boarder]

Yeah, give it a break, there's likely an ebb and flow to it.  Our house remodel cost me basically one solid summer of boating, and after that I came back pretty hungry for it.  If it's not a financial burden to hang on to it, and you're not sacrificing some other activity to park it for a season, then park it.  With prices like they are it won't depreciate much.

I am torn between keeping our Echelon and buying my buddy's 23LSV, that I can likely pick up for trade-in value.  We've been having a blast with boating, but we don't go every weekend, it's often during the week.

[oldjeep]

We are pretty much the opposite over the last couple of years.  With the kids starting to move out and being employed full time with normal 9-5 weekday jobs  we are able to get out every weekend and sometimes during the week.  My wife and I are fine with it just being the 2 of us when nobody else wants to come.  Aside from some of the upholstery needing to be replaced due to that plasticky grid pattern stuff, the boat has been trouble free.  Eventually its going to need a screen.

[95echelon]

5 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Yeah, give it a break, there's likely an ebb and flow to it.  Our house remodel cost me basically one solid summer of boating, and after that I came back pretty hungry for it.  If it's not a financial burden to hang on to it, and you're not sacrificing some other activity to park it for a season, then park it.  With prices like they are it won't depreciate much.

I am torn between keeping our Echelon and buying my buddy's 23LSV, that I can likely pick up for trade-in value.  We've been having a blast with boating, but we don't go every weekend, it's often during the week.

Man, with all the show skiing and stuff you have done... I have actually been considering the opposite, a Slalom Tug alongside my VLX recently. I have two docks and toom now for two more boats. What I will say is that having the circle lounge seating makes it so much more enjoyable for cruises with friends or having two families on the boat. I am sure you have been out on plenty of V-Drives but they will handle the chop much better too. It's like having a mustang and a suburban. Both good, different uses. Hey if you don't buy that 23, let me know! I need 18 more inches and pay cash.

I did sell one of my 3 power boats this year, as well as a paddleboat and have not regretted it at all.

I have been trying to get as many engines out of my life as possible lately so I can just worry about a boat and a car. All electric yard stuff now, etc. Lots of comments in this thread on competing priorities and I am trying to minimize non-boat stuff so I have time when the boat needs work.