The big boat era is over...

Can't blame him - I'd do the same myself. Fish chartering will only take you so far.

I can't handle the clientele myself and with my "part time" work plus the rods and lures work I have to do, it's getting out of hand for somebody who is theoretically retired.

When we put the Contender up, we received a lot of interest because it is unique boat for this area. Once we showed the fuel/oil logs and cost of maintenance, two parties became very interested and one made his move about five minutes ago. The boat will be moving to New Jersey in short order to become the pride of a small charter fleet.

All things considered, we broke even - maybe took a little loss, but overall, it was a wash.

"We" decided to get something larger than the Ranger, but still trailerable with some amenities to make things comfortable. I'm looking at Pursuit at this point as "we" aren't all the enamored of the center console concept.

Read "we" as my better half. :>)

After much thought, I honestly don't want to get into the marina thing again - it's nice, but I'd rather have the boats in my constant surveillance. Plus, my truck is fully capable of handling a larger boat, say something in the 26 foot class with ease, so that's the way we are going.

End of an era - sort of. :>)

"Shortwave Sportfishing" <onetwothree@four.com> wrote in message

Tom, moving down in size is tough but sometimes more fun. ;-)

at 2 gallons per mile.... I bought the boat when I could get diesel delivered at 72 cents/gallon ($1.44/mile) BTW... that was only 6 years ago when oil was about 35/barrel. NOW when oil hit 70/barrel, delivered untaxed red diesel hit $2.85 at it's peak.... How did Diesel go 4x when oil went 2x.... anyway... now instead of 1.44/mi it's 5.70/mi.

Some are selling but many people are going for the newer ones at 1.5 gal/NM for 1M to 500K vs 2gal/NM for 300K. The economics don't work out but it is an excuse to get a newer boat.

Eisboch

Eisboch

Eisboch

It has the Yamaha 200hp 4-stoke. (2003) For the short period of time that I used it before hauling it off to Florida I was very impressed with it ... and the boat. I am just hoping that it still runs like it did the last time I used it as it has been sitting now for well over a year.

Eisboch

If you've got the $miliion plus it takes- (and we're talking throw away money here, not net worth) to buy a larger boat these days, and you burn 2000 gallons of fuel in a year it frankly won't make any significant difference to you whether that fuel costs $4k, $6k, $8k, or $10k.

The Wally Lunchbuckets of the world will be stressed out a lot more by fuel prices. Between payments on the F250 trailer hauler, the monthly payment on the boat, and the monthly payments on everything else "owned" by the stereotypical middle class family the paycheck is often stretched to its breaking point before fuel prices go north. For a lot of middle class wage earners, the difference of even $300-$400 per month in summer fuel costs will keep a lot of boats on the hard.

Based on the last couple of years, it looks like the oil companies are establishing a pattern of pushing prices through the roof in the summer and then moderating during the winter months. Not so good for boating, where most fuel is consumed during the summer.

However, boats were selling very well at the recently concluded Boats Afloat Show in Seattle- and not just in the $1mm and up range. Everybody I've talked to this week seems to have sold at least one boat during the five day show, and I know for a fact that one of our local dealers sold three (!) in a single day. (That's darn good in the boat business).

So far, the biggest impact of increased fuel costs seems to be some changes in the way people use their boats, not whether they own a boat or how often they use it. People are still getting out on the water, and are saving fuel by not ranging as far or going as fast.

No kidding.

Well...

The Pursuit is the OS-255 - basically 26'.

I'm not ruling out a 28 footer, but it would have to be the right one.

At the moment, I'm just looking around at what my options are. And one of the considerations is whether I can purchase one sans rigged engines so I can rig with E-TEC's.

I'm not going inboard.

1 - Partner calls - we have a long talk and I agree it would be best for him to do his thing. He's a very bright guy, solid education and he's done his fantasy - it's time to git 'r dun as it were with business and family.

2 - I'm at the marina and I mention it to the broker - he asks if I'm willing to sell the boat - he's got several buyers that he thinks it would be perfect for.

3 - Talk it over with my better half.

4 - Call broker - go for it.

5 - Broker calls back same day - got two, yada, yada, yada...

6 - They bid each other to what I basically paid for the boat - one guy pulls the trigger.

Total elapsed time - two weeks start to finish.

Can't be all that bad out there.

http://www.rosboroughboats.com/rf246/custom/246Custom.htm

They are fully trailerable and have a lot of options for both power and layout. I've talked with several people who own them and have heard nothing but good things.

I'm going to miss it, but time moves on. They really don't have a boat of the type that I'm looking for so I'm going for the next best thing like a Pursuit.