Help me with my next Phase of Boating

[almostenuff]

I need inputs from others who may have been in a similar position as I find myself-I realize that much of this is rhetorical.

Background: My wife and I are 49yr old diehard Sea Ray owners-no kids. 176SX-220SD-330DA-390DA in 7 years.

I bought the 390 one year ago to be my last boat. I currently slip it on the Illinois River, but we have recently purchased a house in Cape Coral on the canal (moving there permanently this fall). Our current MO is to party on Friday night at the dock, cruise all day Saturday,raft up and party with friends, then on Sunday, cruise around all afternoon and pack it in by dark. 10 times a year, 150 mile trips are common.

Now the rub. Am I going to spend the night (ie need a huge cabin) now that the boat is parked out back? Do Cape Coral Floridians raft up and party all weekend (assuming I don't slow down). Am i going to make those excursions down to the Keys for 2 weeks? Do I want to spend $20k modifying the existing 10k boat lift or should I sell the Sea Ray and get something smaller.

I'm considering the Everglades 290 Pilot since I like the idea of outboards,fishing, operating economy AND it would fit perfectly in my existing lift. But it's an entirely different boat and boating style.

I've talked to too many boaters in CC that were in my exact shoes and they sold their cruisers up north in fresh water where they have a higher fresh water value. The ones that didn't, wished they would have, so I hear.

Experiences??? Thoughts??? Advice???

 

[searay40dad]

A good friend of mine was in the same shoes...sort of. Our MO was socializing on the docks on friday nights and heading out Sat morning to spend the rest of the weekend on the water rafted up with friends. He then decided to buy a place in Cape Coral 4-5 years ago. Sold his 560 back up north and bought a 44DA in FL to use as a day boat, a 32' boston whaler center console to kick around in and a 270SLX to keep back in St. Louis for trailering around when he wasnt in FL (once/month). He kept both the 44 and Whaler behind his house in cape harbour. he then decided he couldn't take going "backwards" and not having a bridge boat so he sold the 44da and bought a 58DB.

The times I've been down with him, I have yet to see much rafting up in the area. Only time i've seen lots of groups of boats tied up was the little cove outside Tarpon Point Marina, but they were just day tie ups. He trips to the Cabbage Key area and hits the beaches alot or heads thru the miserable mile to get restaurants or to salty sams and some of the other local dives. he's done the keys a couple times and various trips up and down the coast as well as to the bahamas, exumas and other islands. His center console is a heckuva boat with enclosed t top, head, big twin verados, etc. but it doesn't get used nearly as much as he thought it would...his wife likes her comforts. but he's obviously on a different level than most of us. if it were me and I had the place in CC, the center console would be my preference vs. a smaller dancer but then again I like to run & fish offshore and think big center consoles are the cock of the walk. i'm not sure i could get past the mental thing of moving to a smaller SR either...but thats just me. good luck with the move. that place gets hotter than heck late summer but the other 9-10 months is golden. watch the skinny water...

 

[wetpaint]

KISS....Keep It Simple Stupid and buy a center console....You will be glad you did with the new house....If you find yourself missing the cruiser, you can always move back up.....Congratulations

 

[tdschafer]

My buddy moved to Cape Coral on a canal about 15 years ago. He had recently purchased a 37 Silverton in NY and decided to bring it down , which cost a ton of money to do!! Several years later, after minimal use, he sold it at a significant loss, and bought a run about. He kept that boat on a lift and used it to run to the beaches and Tiki Bars over by Fort Myers beach and on the River.

I can't tell you what to do though. It's really going to come down to how you plan on using it. Trips south to the Keys and maybe to the Bahamas on the eastern side sure sound tempting. You could always stay in a hotel I guess? Good luck with the decision.

 

[fwebster]

We moved to the beach part time about 25 years ago.....now it is more like 1/2 time. I have always had trailer boats but bought a 390EC in 1989.......ran it 9 years and bought the 450DA 15 years ago. I have had various second boats from 26 ft center consoles, to ski boats, to PWC's, and now have a Whaler Dauntless we use in shallow water. I honestly cannot envision a time when I'd want anything smaller than the 45 here in a coastal area. We like the room, the comfort, having air conditioning in summer and heat in winter, and the ability to boat in many weather/sea conditions that will keep even a 32 whaler tied to the dock....and the "take it to the house" dependability that diesels and a 14ft beam gives us.

Part of it is our local conditions, I am sure, but our boat is in a wet slip and it is far easier and quicker for us to load up and go than it would be with a smaller boat on a lift.

All in all, 2 things I'd suggest you factor into your decision matria is giving up big boat comfort and what diesel power will do for you in a location where you have so many destinations available to you.

 

[searay40dad]

One more thing btw, if you are on the cape harbour side of the lock, I've seen boats lined up from here to Sunday waiting to lock thru. Only one big boat fits in the chamber and although they can turn it around pretty quick, some of the line ups I've seen on pretty weekend days had to be near a couple hours wait. So you might need to think about that on occasion. Personally, I don't think the area is that great when it comes to offshore fishing. You're a couple hours boat ride away from deep water or any wrecks/reefs to speak of unless there's something I don't know...which is entirely possible. We have hooked big AJs, some wahoo, yellowfin, grouper and some nice kings but it took awhile to get to the spots. But, on the positive side, Bonita Bills is close by and the nice people there will give you a bucket of long necks in ice for $5.

 

[almostenuff]

Thanks for all the words. I still haven't made a final decision, but I'm getting closer. I need a few more weeks in CC to decide

 

[ZZ13]

Thanks for all the words. I still haven't made a final decision, but I'm getting closer. I need a few more weeks in CC to decide

Good luck with the decision. I am in the same "boat". We are moving permanently to coastal South Carolina after this season. We decided to most likely sell the 300DA up here in fresh water and then buy a local boat of some kind after we move down and get settled into the house there. We do have a 175 Sport in the garage there, so we won't technically be boatless. But we have been going in circles as to what to get next among a diesel Sundancer, a diesel Sedan Bridge, or an outboard cruiser of some kind. Maybe even a center console although we don't yet fish. And actually, the salt water local boats are much cheaper than the fresh water boats here. And I have no problem buying the right salt water boat. The cost to replace anything that may be over corroded I'm finding is probably less than the delta purchase cost of the same boat bought in freshwater.