Is it a Good Idea to Buy a Boat Right Now in Southern Idaho?

Getting outdoors can be an expensive hobby. I’ve read quotes about camping being the most expensive way to live like a hobo for a weekend and boating referred to as one of the most expensive hobbies you can have.

My wife and I have a few jokes about the lifestyle we live since we like to do fun things and have outdoor toys, but we don’t like paying for new items. So we always buy used boats and campers, and we always have issues with them.

How Do High Gas Prices Affect Boaters

Now that gas prices are ridiculous, it’s harder to justify using the boat as often and towing the trailer to every campout we do. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth having them. I’ll take having a boat and only using it on Saturdays over not having that option. But that also means I have a giant and expensive lawn ornament sitting in my yard the rest of the week.

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If you don’t care that gas prices are high and you still want to buy a boat, there’s hope. Not all boats cost tens of thousands of dollars and not all boats are meant for the same purposes. If you are wanting a fishing boat, a ski boat, or a big pontoon party boat there are options all around the Magic Valley, and one of my favorite places to look is the Facebook Marketplace.

Should You Buy A New Boat Or A Used Boat In Idaho

Depending on the quality of boat you are looking for and the potential for problems, you can buy boats for a few hundred dollars that will need work or you can drop $100 thousand or more on a boat that should be problem-free for years. Just choose carefully, our latest boat we bought used for $4,000 and the engine blew the next summer. It had rusted out from years of neglect by the previous owner. The new motor cost us nearly $7,000 so in the end, we could have upped our original price and bought a newer, and hopefully more reliable, boat for the $11 grand we spent.

You also don’t even need to own a boat to enjoy a boat. You can make friends with someone who owns one or there are websites that let you rent boats from other people, like an Airbnb for boats.

Disclaimer: This story is not meant to encourage or influence you to buy any type of boat but to advise you of some of the risks that come with owning one.