The wife and are gonna rent a boat,get out in the bay.I havnt rented a boat in years,and that boat was a pos!LOL!I think I gotta get a boating license and safety certificate.Any body either have a boat or rented one?Anyone have any good points about boating to make it a safe fun trip?

It's mostly common sense. Get out there and have fun, BUT watch out for other boaters/personal watercraft. Take plenty of sunscreen, shade (hats, etc...) and hydrating beverages. Around here we have A LOT of rental pontoons with inexperienced captains behind the wheel. Couple that with a boatload of young, drunk folks and the waters around Destin can get pretty interesting, pretty quick. I shy away from "the hot spots." As for owning a boat, they're high maintenance. I'd suggest learning/doing as much of the maintenance as you can. When you get right down to it, they're pretty basic.

Hey thanks for the info!Take care....John

Have you seen the prices? You could buy one, use for a few weekends and sell it for what you paid.

The two happiest days in a boat owner's life: the day you buy the boat, and the day you sell the boat. I spent more time cleaning and working on it that I felt it wasn`t really worth it to me. Thanks but no thanks.

I have several, here are two of them. We enjoy them year round.

Dang nice setup dude

B O A T = Break Out Another Thousand

sounds like a racecar or a restoration ........ H O B B Y

Here’s my other...

I used to go boating with some friends of mine but there were so many drunks on the river on a hot day that I just stopped going. It was a zoo at the boat ramp with a bunch of loud mouth drunks all yelling at each other. I wouldn't mind owning a boat but I would avoid the crowds at all costs. A nice setup would be to have a private dock or a boat house on the river. Then you can just get in and go. I have some friends that are set up like that and it is very relaxing. Just walk down to the boat house and motor away. There are parts of the river around here are that super quiet and very peaceful so that would be a nice place to cruise. But downtown Portland in the summer time is a bunch of drunks on jet skis and boats all mixing it up.

I owned a 21 ft. IMP Azstec (SP?) V inboard outboard for several years, it had around 42 inch high. sideboards so it was hard to fall out of while going and not to bad to step into and climb out of at the docks.
The definition I heard about BOATS was" Bust out another Thousand" I heard he same thing about the two best days in a boat and airplane owners life are the day you buy them and the day you sell them
My wife, kids and I had a lot of fun in the boat and the airplane gave us outstanding service. The kids grew up and moved away so we sold the boat and moved out of CA in 2005, the airplane got total in a hail storm here in Bend, OR in April of 2006 while it was tie down at the local airport
Enjoy life while you can

Exactly. Boats are a hobby and they are, IMO, are no more work or expense than owning a classic mopar. In many cases, they are actually less expensive and require less work, especially if you are of the paint daub, numbers matching crowd of car collectors.

I live on a lake that is ringed with businesses and homes - I've had a number of boats and I use them for everything from floating at the sandbar to going to dinner or the grocery store. Most boats are pretty reliable if you use them often enough to keep things working - sorta like what we get into if we don't drive our collector cars often enough. Biggest maintenance headache was a Sea-Doo Speedster. Twin engine, twin jet drives, double the issues. Sure was a riot when it was healthy, though! Most reliable was a Starcraft with a 3-liter 4 -cylinder with OMC I/O. Great boat. I'm down to just one: a big, slow, comfortable pontoon with a stereo that will make the floor shake like I just ran aground. I do most of my own maintenance and repairs, they are not that difficult to work on usually, especially with the advice from the internet. Boating, like any leisure activity, it is what you make it.
Have fun!

We are boaters. Moved up to a 30' express cruiser three years ago from a 21' cuddy. The whole family has taken the USCG safety course. I highly recommend it. In some states its the law now. There is a lot to boating than getting into the water and going. Know your right of ways with other. Also expect that the other person will not know them. Watch for channel markers, buoys, etc. They mean something. Sounds like you've boated before, so probably know that. Alcohol consumption should be avoided when out on the water. Sounds like a buzzkill, but if there is an incident, and you have had a beer, you will get a ticket or go to jail. Its getting pretty strict out there. Which is a good thing.

Rentals are a nice option as the rental company should be up to date with safety gear and maintenance. You also don't have to worry about transportation, docking fees, etc. However, renting can be tough as you usually have to schedule in advance. Then what happens if weather is crap on the day you have slotted?

Water toys are a blast. Floats or tubes are a nice way to cool off. Exploring places you can't see from shore is a great adventure too. We also take the boat to several of the restaurants. Always seems different pulling up to a restaurant in a boat versus driving.

We slip our boat so its always in the water. We use it a ton more than our cuddy that we used to trailer. Down size is that being in the water 24/7 is a bit hard on the boat. And yes, it can be expensive. But so are mopars. I do almost all my own work so not too bad cost wise. No different than doing your own restoration versus sending it out.

Good luck and have fun.

Thanks guys great stuff I'd probably rent the center console skiff the have