She's Gone....

[thill]

For what it's worth, that is exactly why I didn't trade the Princecraft for the 18' Starcraft earlier this year. That Starcraft was a great boat, but it was so much more work to tow or even move around the yard. It was a "Boat" versus a "jon boat," which is how I viewed the Princecraft.

In my case, the Spectrum is in the same realm as far as weight, speed and maneuverability, so I don't really have that excuse. It just hasn't made many good memories yet.

So, I second the suggestion to take out your new ride a few times before deciding which one to keep. If you decide to keep your existing boat, maybe you can turn a bit of profit on the new one, especially as spring is approaching.

 

[LaqueRatt]

I try to buy cheap enough to at least get my money back. I plan to re-do all the vinyl in the new boat which should double the value. Also strongly considering going into upholstery repair as a side gig to keep me from getting bored now that I'm pretty much retired. Seems to me most any decent boat with a crappo interior could be flipped for 100% profit if a guy knew how to re-do the vinyl. Maybe I'm jerking my own chain here, but it doesn't look all that hard to do.

 

[thill]

No, you are onto something. I always end up doing my own upholstery, and it makes a HUGE difference when it's time to sell. Guys will often pay more for a boat with a clean interior than a boat with a great motor, as backwards as that seems.

If you are decent, you can do the seats in pontoon boats and make 2-3x what you paid. Or, do it for others and get paid directly for your work. Not enough shops do this work nowadays, so once your name gets out, you may not be retired anymore.