Nemrod:
..."cheap plastic, vinyl and carpeted pointy looking boats that fall apart" sorts. I agree, new or used, don't waste your money on those type boats, they will dissapoint you, especially if used in the sea. Unfortunately I don't think they will make very good future dive sites when they sink sooner than later. N
LOL! Aint it amazing the lessons we learn the hard way? I was just trying to figure out how much $$$ I have wasted on poor boat purhcase decisions. Cripes! I could be as rich as Bill Gates if I just had all that lost boat $$ back. You know, I was going to say wasted, but it's never wasted if you get to go out on the water. Hmmm...
Ok, Rick, here's the deal. The "honest to goodness lowdown" on boat ownership.
If the call of the water/ocean/sea, (whatever you get the picure), is SO strong for you and you would give up almost ANYTHING to be out there on the waves, well then, you are about to join this group of insane folks called boat owners. Why do we do it? We LOVE it, no matter the cost. As another poster said, access to a machine shop is a great asset. My Grandpa, whom I bought(ok, stole) my first boat from was a machinist, or tool & die maker. It really helps to be able to get custom parts made from stainless steel now and then.
The bottom line is that boats are a major pain in the backside. You just have to decide if it's worth it to you to want to deal with the upkeep.
Here's one last thought on the subject. Are you a "builder" or "do it yourselfer"? If not, you better have a ton of $$$ to get into boating. If you don't like to invent and fabricate things for mechanical things, then boating is NOT for you unless you want to pay someone else to do it for you. Frankly, you need to be a mechanic. Not so much in the "motor" sense, but in the sense that you need to be able to think on your feet and invent solutions to problems with limited resources.(like when your 12 miles off-shore and you have a small too kit and chewing gum to fix your trolling motor with) Kinda like McGyver(sp?)
Anyway, I think you get the point. If you are questioning whether boat ownership is right for you or not, the answer is simple. NO, it's not. Some of us are just drawn into it, and it was never a question whether we would have a boat. It was just a question of when. I got my first powerboat at 21 and never looked back. Ah, the ignorance of youth.