Thinking about buying a boat

[KU40 173]

Something very simple and low maintenance, just like a 14' aluminum boat for fishing in the lakes around here. There are a few in the newspaper classifieds for $600-1200, which is about all I'd want to spend. But I know almost nothing about boat ownership. I figure you have to register it and pay property taxes on it and the trailer plus get a tag for the trailer. But is insurance necessary?

Unfortunately I don't have a house and garage of my own to store it in, as I live in a townhome complex. The nearby lake has dry storage spaces for $50 a month, which I'm not too excited about paying. A friend in a nearby town said I may be able to store it in his garage if it will fit (I think it would), but I may only use that for winter as it would be inconvenient to have to drive the 40 minutes to his house to get it every time I want to go out during the summer. If my complex would allow it, I may park it in there by my house. But I'm unsure of how safe it would be, and plus it may be a problem to have a 20' trailer sticking out of a parking spot, I don't know. We've never had a problem with theft or anything, and I'd get a lock not only for the hitch but maybe on the wheels as well. I don't know how easy it would be to steal the outboard motor if somebody was after that, but I assume they just bolt on, so probably not overly difficult other than the weight of it. What do you think? Maybe one of those self-storage places would be better. I'd have to call and get rates and see if anybody even has one that would fit the boat in it.

Edited August 19, 2008 by KU40

[Tmax98 3]

i think an aluminum boat is a great first

i love mine, but its sort of needs some work right now...

[helotaxi 46]

I'd have a small john boat if I lived somewhere I could use it. Lake Mead is too rough for a small boat and I don't enjoy the kind of fishing it offers.

You don't need insurance. Just registration for the boat and a tag for the trailer. Neither are very expensive anywhere I've ever lived. Don't forget the Coast Guard mandated safety items (paddle, flotation, signaling devices, etc...)

[Tmax98 3]

u can take a little boaters safety course on the internet, that will teach u alot