Hell you can easily spend 30k on a Jon boat. 15 years ago you could by a ski boat for 33-35k, not sure one exists for less than 75k now.
Outboard motors are ridiculously expensive. You can easily spend as much as a midsize car on one alone.
I’m sure that plays a factor. Honestly I’d be willing to bet you that rich boomers funding their kids keeping up with the joneses lifestyle explains it more. I’m also of the belief that to a large extent it’s driven by people living far, far outside their means. I look around at the cars on the road, boats on the lake, house prices, vacation spending, cost of food, all of it, and ask myself how the hell it’s possible. At least speaking in terms of the 25-45 crowd the answer is that it’s not possible. It’s all funded by irresponsible debt and retired/aging boomer parents.
My combo of lifestyle and household income but with no family wealth makes realize how much family wealth plays a role in people's lifestyle. Way more than they think.
Coming from someone who grew up around it but didn’t come from it, it’s not that they don’t realize it. They just don’t talk about it because who would want to admit they can’t afford their lifestyle? It’s just awkward. And I’m not talking about worthless trust fund kids. People who work hard and have good jobs, just not a good enough job for that country club membership, boat, Range Rover or private school on your own dime.
Oh brother. When I was in grad school and not coming home much my dad sold “our” fishing boat. I’ve got the itch right now and I’m trying to figure out the most I can spend on a boat and not regret it/convince my dad to go 50/50 with me. The boat we had before isn’t what we’d get now but just as an example the same boat cost 50% more than it did in 2012.
No, Covid made any outdoors activity explode and really increased the number of people getting out with it shutting down other stuff. it’s on the verge of turning and you’re seeing a lot of people trying to sell out of 70 and 60 thousand dollar rigs but the demand isn’t there now.
Yeah we had an 18 G3 before. I want a jet for running up through shoals/inches of water on the Holston and French Broad. Even if I could make up my mind what I wanted finding one would be the next challenge.
My grandparents had a 14' v-hull aluminum fishing boat with ~10 hp motor. I got it when they passed. Does that count? I gave it back to my Dad when he retired on 10 acres on the Cumberland.
If you look around online you can find a lot of great deals out there on used boats in great condition. No reason to buy new.
You can also finance a boat for up to 30 years if you want because it’s considered a luxury item. That has pushed the amount of people that own a boat way up, too. People are pretty dumb. Hell, I fish with guys that have $85,000 bass boats and live in $150,000 houses. Nothing wrong with a $150,000 house, but your boat shouldn’t be more than half the cost of your house.
Honestly I love these people. I got into a random hunting club lease when I lived in Charlotte and I always assumed the guy who ran it was rich based on the gear, guns, trucks and off-road vehicles. I eventually looked up his house because I was just curious and it was a remarkably small/cheap house given everything else I knew. I think they lived well within their means because he had a pretty decent small business, they just appreciated the finer (redneck) things in life. Nothing wrong with that.
