I am thinking about selling my 1994 Ranger Sport R70. My wife and I had our first child a year ago and the boat has only gone out twice. We are about to start on child number 2. Fishing has been my hobby my whole life, something my father passed on to me, and my son has been a true blessing. Money will get tighter as they grow and if i sell it i am afraid i will not be able to afford to purchase another one. Will I be able to take my son out on friends boats? Will they sell their boats some day for whatever reason? Is it bad for a boat to sit for long periods at a time? Will my son even enjoy fishing as much as I do? Should I just run the oil and gas out of it and store it somewhere other than my garage?
Sell it and roll the dice on getting another one some day? or Store it and wait out the opportunity to be able to take my son in it (~5 or 6 yrs old I suppose) and hitch rides till then?

Family comes first... If your family can use the funds sell it. There will always be another boat! If you want to take your son fishing hire a guide and let him do the work so you can enjoy the time with your child.

That's a difficult quandary right there my friend. My father had the same dilemma back when my brother and I were born, and he slightly regretted not keeping his boat because I grew up in love with fishing. But if it is something that you rarely ever use and it takes you away from your family I would sell it.

But my fishing side is screaming keep it, no sense in not having a boat. Hope this helps.

Quite a predicament if you ask me, but i was in a similar situation as you. Had one, and knew another was coming sooner than later, so i just went out and got me one, knowing that i wouldnt be able to do so later on. If i were, u i would just winterize it and store it. Do a little carb cleaning, spark plugs, and make sure the water pump is good, and u can take it out forever. Wont hurt a thing. Mine rarely sees the water anymore, but im glad i did it and still have it. Hope this helps man, i know its tough!

My opinion ...... "someday" means never


Keep your boat young man......

If it is a good used boat keep it as they are hard to come by. If it is average and needs work you might as well sell it.

Fletch, congrats on being a family man. Try to enjoy every minute you can with your kids, because they aren't catch 'n release.
This is my opinion - If you can have someone service your boat for the next umpteen years, then store it. Otherwise, sell it, put the money in savings account and use it how your family needs it. Or maybe you'll be able to make a down payment with it later.

If you don't need the money right now but aren't using it much you could always sell it and invest the money. Then when the time is right you can use the money to buy another boat or for something else if you decide you don't want/need a boat.

If it is paid for keep it. Not going to hunt it to sit. They are not going to get any cheaper.

I say keep it! Your kids will like to fish someday. I have a six year old brother and he is starting to like fishing more and more.

You can come across used bass boats pretty cheap. Nada what it's worth and weight the cost of storage and depreciation.

If it's 3-4 years before your kids are old enough to go with you and you have to pay for storage for that long plus the boat will loose value it may not be worth it.

I've got a young one too. I'm trying to enjoy every minute but I can't wait till he's old enough to go with me. My boat is an old aluminum tracker. Not worth much but easy on gas and towing. I only get to fish 4-5 hours at a time and the lake is right down the road. Sometimes my wife and son tag along but he isn't fond of the life jacket. I can only image it would be harder with 2.

Keep it. And if money does get real tight one day...sell it. Don't jump the gun!

It is depreciating every year you store it without running it. It is also deteriorating. I would sell it, put the money in an interest account, and buy a boat when you have time to use it. JMO

My son is 3 and we are considering having another. All I can say is if I didn't have my boat to get the F out of there occasionally I think I would go nuts. I am all about my family but just b/c you have family does not mean you don't need some things and time for yourself. However, if your family has to have the money then there is no question, get rid of it. Just save a little money for your therapist if you get rid of it.

If u need money sell it if not just take care of her and get out when u can. Kids that grow up around fishing and boats almost always enjoy it. And they will really like the time they get to spend with you.