Capt. George Tunison

Last Sunday night I kept glancing out the window expecting at any moment to see snow flurries. While glancing through a 2022 boating showcase magazine, I noticed that the dog looked swollen and confused, refusing to go outside to use the facilities, once it got below 50 degrees. After finishing the magazine two things came to mind – I could never move back north again, too old and too cold, and, I had better hold on to my hull.

Don’t know if you’ve priced new boats lately, boats of any size, but be prepared to dig deep for not only new, but used craft as well. A year ago I sold my near mint condition Action Craft for just under what I originally paid for it 10 years before. I’ve no doubt that today I could easily ask and get $5,000 up to $10,000 or more for it. A quick check just now on Boat Trader.com validated my hunch.

Be warned as BBF (Boat Buying Fever) typically gets most everyone moving to Florida. It can cause you to make rash decisions, like signing high interest long-term contracts, buying the wrong boat, draining cash reserves and possibly putting you at odds with your better half.

If you already have a decent boat but still have a bad case of BBF but don’t have deep pockets, or don’t want to be on the hook for a large monthly payment, the best plan is to first, take a breath and talk yourself down, then realize the best course of action is to clean up and possibly upgrade, what you already have.

If you still insist on “brand new,” at least you’ll get top dollar to apply towards the new one from the private sale of your old one. Private sale, not dealer trade-in, is the key to leaving more money in your wallet. I’ve used online services like boattrader.com to check on prices and to sell and buy boats for years with near zero issues.

On the other hand, even if you talked yourself out of that new boat package, you still might need to make a move. Although your hull is in fine structural shape, just needing some waxy TLC, the motor is older and not doing well at all. If you’re on a budget then first determine is it worth rebuilding?

Yamaha states its outboards generally last from 1,500 to over 3,000 hours with regular maintenance. Take it to a qualified mechanic and get an estimate and a pro’s opinion to guide your decision about a rebuild. If it’s just not worth it, then other options open up like searching for and buying a newer used motor, buying a professionally re-built one with a warranty, or getting in line for a brand new one.

Like everything else, motors are expensive and with the virus causing folks to take to the boating world like never before, the demand has exploded. A guide friend just had to re-power his hull with a brand new Mercury 150 hp. outboard for just below $15,000. The hands down, most popular Southwest Florida outboard motor brand, and builder of the best-selling 150-horsepower four-stroke of all time, Yamaha, advertises its base model 150 hp engines at just below $16,000 to the SHO series, at over $17,000-plus installation.

Consider the price of new gauges as well when doing your re-power calculations and make sure you choose the right prop.

Stepping up to new offshore power? Re-power with two or three new Yamaha 425 hp. engines at just $47,000 each!

When the winds die, run offshore to catch snapper, sheepshead and grouper on close reefs and wrecks to far off GPS locations. The inshore sheepshead bite keep gets better with trout biting well on darker grass flats. There’s big drum around the bridges, tasty pompano around the passes and more cold on the way.

Wear life preservers while under way!

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. Contact him at 239-282-9434 or captgeorget3@aol.com.