TOPIC:

While I love my boat, I am sick of getting the crap beat out of me on certain days as well as the inability to get out of the elements. . The cost advantage of my boat is a HUGE plus while the comfort on the big lake on less than stellar days is major negative.

I will likely buy a boat to slip sometime between early 2017 and early 2018 - it all depends on personal finances and the amount of financial security I feel I have.

I would like a boat to fish from (trolling obviously), party on the lake and dock, take port vacations with the family etc. It will be a truly multi use boat, not just fishing. Gotta keep the ol lady happy.

I am thinking 31' Tiara. Probably early to mid 90's vintage based on what I am willing to spend. I assume re-powering it would probably be needed sooner rather than later as well.

I would love to hear thoughts and alternatives from those of you who own slipped boats. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Surely somebody has some advice for me?

Back in the mid 90's my dad had a Tiara 31 Open and they are great boats. Only complaint he had after a few years was that it was too small and he wished he had a 33. You know the 2' iitis people get when they love the boat but wish it were just a tad bigger. I may be in the hunt myself in the next few years and I'll be looking at Tiara, Pursuit and Sea Ray Express Cruisers. Pursuits with twin outboards are interesting. They appear to get better mileage and have faster speeds than the inboards.

Thanks - I have been looking at similar boats as well. Just not sure if there are any "gotcha's" to worry about etc.

If ya need help when the time comes to get it rigged and/or see if it catches fish, I'm your guy! I want to eventually get into something similar, some day. There sure are a lot of boats out there to choose from in that style of boat.

Just went through this myself. I wanted to get into the 32 to 36 foot range but the cost of maintenance, storage, slip and the fact that I would need to buy a bigger towing vehicle landed me in the Lund Tyee Magnum. The boat is quiet, stable, and fast. It keeps me dry in the rain and has worked great as a party cruiser as well. Good luck with boat hunting. Its kind of like buying a house, you will know when you found the right one

Yup - its a big investment and want to make sure I do it right........or at least as right as I possibly can with the information I have lol.

No real "gotcha's" that aren't obvious. Cost is a lot higher than a trailer boat that fits in the garage at home. If you like keeping the boat clean you pretty much have some work to do when you arrive at the boat each day when it is slipped. The season will be shorter depending on the where you keep the boat. Not being able to trailer to other lakes or ports is a downer to me. Lots of fun staying on the boat and hanging out at the docks. For me the ideal situation would be to have two boats. One cruiser and one trailer fishing boat. Lol. One thing i will point out is that fishing in 4+ foot waves sucks in a 31' boat also. Running is a bit more cumfy though.

I will be keeping my current boat as well - so the plan is to have both. It will probably be for teh 2018 season........but if all the stars align then I will have it next year......and then there is always the possibility I never get it at all. I fight my internal practicality vs. my wants......lol

I think I can pull it off until my 11 and 7 year old walk in and then I'm reminded that they will likely be going to college someday and i would like to retire at least 10 years before Alzheimer's sets in. Then I feel like my little Lund is just fine. My wife would love what my kids dub a "harbor boat". Maybe someday. Good luck!!