Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hey there,
New to the forum and looking for opinions.
This is my third season with a 2000 22ft Sun Tracker PB Regency Edition with a 40hp 2 stroke. (We live on a lake with hp restrictions)
The seats and deck are in really good shape for it's age but the motor leaves a bit to be desired. It runs ok but is a PIA to try and maneuver in wind or rough water as there is a real flat spot in the controls between fwd and rvrs. Getting it into our tight slip is always an adventure!
A local dealer offered a good price on a new Merc 4 stroke which got me thinking about going through the whole boat and update some things such as: Vynil floor, new wire harness, new steering, paint exterior, new bimini, new cover etc..........
With what I already have in the boat, plus what I am looking to spend on upgrades I wonder if it is worth the investment. We love the layout and storage but are starting to feel like we should address some things since we are on the water several days a week.
I have been looking at newer used models and also new boats in the $15000 to $25000 range which is where my total investment would be by the time I updated everything.

So, the delimma... Sell my boat and upgrade to a newer model or update mine?

Just wonder what everyone thinks!

Tom

The age old question, with as many opinions. Here is my .02 cents: Upgrading an older boat is expensive when re-powering, upholstery, decking etc.. if upgrading yours will take you close to the price of new, then I would pull the trigger for new, you get tons of warranty, the newer technology of both boat construction and 4-stroke engines which when cared for are so much more quiet, and efficient than the older 2 strokes. Newer/Used; that is a big category, much depends on what kind of deal you can find, there are those sales where people need to get rid of the boat and sacrifice it, those can be great but don't pop up everywhere all the time. I personally would not invest 15K-20K in an 18 year old vessel, if you do, then the assumption is you will keep this boat for a very long time as there is really not much return on your investment from a selling perspective. Good luck with your decision.

Well said

You might be able to find one newer used with the engine you want, that is usually cheaper than buying a engine, but then if you rebuild it yourself you can make it what you want

FLOUNDERPOUNDER225 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:18 am

The age old question, with as many opinions. Here is my .02 cents: Upgrading an older boat is expensive when re-powering, upholstery, decking etc.. if upgrading yours will take you close to the price of new, then I would pull the trigger for new, you get tons of warranty, the newer technology of both boat construction and 4-stroke engines which when cared for are so much more quiet, and efficient than the older 2 strokes. Newer/Used; that is a big category, much depends on what kind of deal you can find, there are those sales where people need to get rid of the boat and sacrifice it, those can be great but don't pop up everywhere all the time. I personally would not invest 15K-20K in an 18 year old vessel, if you do, then the assumption is you will keep this boat for a very long time as there is really not much return on your investment from a selling perspective. Good luck with your decision.

Pretty much what my logical instincts tell me as well. I would most likely still get years of pleasure if I just replaced the motor and let everything thing else run it's course. But...I have ventured down the "new and shiny" rabbit hole!

Thanks for your input!

In my opinion, "Boat" and "Investment" should never be used in the same discussion. There's nothing about a boat that is an investment. It's simply a luxury expense item. No different than any other "treat" we provide to ourselves, family and friends. And to provide those treats, most of us have a budget of some sort. I call it my entertainment budget.

For example in my case, based on my annual spend, I know my boat costs about $1000 a month. That factors in slip fees, boat payment, fuel, routine maintenance, food & drink onboard, accessories and toys for the boat. The only expense not factored into that is depreciation. In my eyes, I "prepaid" those depreciation costs when I made my down payment on the boat. That money is spent and gone. Yes, I might recover some of that when I sell the boat, but I'm not factoring that into the equation. I have one credit card that only get used for things related to the boat. That makes it real easy to total my expenses each year.
For me, the enjoyment I get from the boat is worth a $1,000 each month. Before I had a boat, I belonged to a country club for many years. It also cost about a grand a month with all ancillary expenses (dues, cart fees, food & drink, new golf club/balls/accessories). I left the club because I realized I was only golfing once or twice a month, and the expense wasn't in line with the enjoyment I was getting from it.

So my recommendation would be to decide how much your monthly "boat budget" should be, and then spend that money in whatever way gives you the most bang for the buck. If you can get a newer/new boat for the same monthly spend, that would be the way I would go. I say often "pick the dealer, then pick the boat". I'll add to that and say "pick the budget, and then pick the boat"!

You can look at it as an investment in family or life in general, But certainly not financial.

Honestly, if your cost to repower and / or refurbish your existing boat is anywhere near what it would cost to buy a new rig, I'd go for the new rig.. same expense ( or near ), but everything new on the boat plus a warranty.

Roland

If I was stuck on a lake with a 40hp restriction I'd just rebuild what I had! The plus side is you can do it in stages so you don't need to lay down the cash all at once. Is 40hp the actual restriction? If so that's the highest I've ever seen! most around here are 10hp (I fish those with the prop removed from my 140) or 25hp for lakes that boarder the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Thanks for the feedback!

After thinking through everything... I decided to upgrade the motor this year and buy a new boat next year. I can order one without a motor and just move the motor I buy this year to the new boat.
This way I save $7000 off the new boat, sell or trade my boat with the original motor and put that toward the cost of the new one. Spreads out the cash outlay a little bit. Not to mention the boat I'm considering is 3 to 4 months out on new orders anyway.

That's the plan as of today. Once I have the new motor on my boat things may change! I have to say that the condition of my boat did not prevent us from enjoying the last three days on the water!


Tom

Since your gonna keep it at least another year see if you can find a suitable four blade prop for that motor. End of the day I don't know what your flat spot is but if your in gear and the prop is spinning it doesn't care what motor is spinning it. Your not exactly a speed demon with a 40 hp and I will tell you the low speed maneuverability with a four blade is much better, at least in my experience. You can probably find one for ~$150 somewhere.

Good to know!
These slips are packed in and you have to act fast to hit your spot!

Thanks!

Well...So much for that plan!
Ended up buying a new 2017 South Bay 521CR W/O motor and rigging from one dealer and traded my boat for a new Mercury motor and rigging to my local dealer.
Got a great deal on the 2017 close out. Should be ready for the 4th!

T

That's workin it!! way to go .. congrats on the new rig..

Pick it up Friday! Looking forward to the weekend!