Sounds good to me! Thanks for sharing your opinion! This first "blog" post might be a bit long winded, but I wanted to do something different than most I have seen and include an itinerary/cost sheet that you guys can refer back to and follow along with me as the build progresses so that you can see how much it is costing me and what else is left to do. I thought it might be a fun little thing to add. But first is a quick informal introduction and story of the boat and myself.
First my name is Ethan, and I plan to pick up the boat next week. I am not sure what brand it is, I just know it is a 15x42 that doesn't have any major leaks with a basically brand new electric start 25hp Merc that has only 20-30 hours on it. The amount he wants seems kind of expensive for the boat, but the motor alone costs about 4k. So in my thinking, I am basically buying the motor for half price, and getting a boat and trailer as a bonus. See, I was with my cousin when he bought the motor, and I know for a fact that he paid like 3k for it and when he jokingly offered the boat, motor, and trailer to me at $2,500 during deer camp saying "I'd sell it to you for $2,500 cause you're family" Well, I kind of laughed it off and said "for that price I may think about it man" I didn't think he was serious, and I certainly was not looking for a boat so there wasn't much said about it at that time. It wasn't' long before we changed the discussion to the deer we had seen that day and then whatever else guys talk about at deer camp. About a week later at thanksgiving dinner I asked him if he was for real on the boat offer and he said he was joking at camp but after thinking about it, he hasn't used the boat but twice (just two test drives basically) after I went with him to buy the 25hp Merc and would sell it to me if I was going to get more use from it, so I decided to buy it from him and the rest is history.
As for me, I am an avid outdoorsman that works as an accountant to support by hobbies. I am not the normal accountant, so I am told by my colleges in the sense that I enjoy getting my hands dirty. To them, this means that I don't take my vehicles to the mechanics for maintenance or repairs, and also because I hunt, fish, and love the outdoors more than the next guy here in the office to say the least. I have to admit, it does suck sometimes working in the office with people that would rather read books or talk about the ball game they saw last night than about that monster fish they caught or even better, the boat they sunk last weekend! But it is what it is, I like them, but its fair to say our common interest don't relate much in the office.
Now that I have deeply depressed you with boring accountant stuff, you must know that I love to live in the details and analyze data or I would hate my job. I absolutely love to live in the details. SO, without futher a-due, I have gathered the "details" to share with you and listed them below. Everything with a star (*) at the end is an item that I have made an educated guess at the cost, and everything without a star (*) is something that I have added to my online shopping cart or have actually purchased. The reason for this is that I want you to know the known costs vs. the costs that may change in the future. Furthermore, the ($0) items are items that I have laying around the house and will most likely use. This list is subject to change, and is not concrete by any means but I will update it as those things change and let you guys know so that you can still follow along. I will also probably make a Project Completion Time Schedule so that you guys can keep me accountable for when I slack off. But that will be at a later date. So seriously this time, here is the list.
Boat
Jon Boat - $2,500
Livewell Setup - $52
Trolling Setup - $329
Console & Storage Setup - $470
Boat Layout Cost - $1,072
Total Cost - 4,469 w/boat cost or 1,969 for just mods
Items For Each Setup
Livewell
Cooler - $0
Bilge Pump - $17
Hose - $20
Catch Bucket - $15
Trolling Setup
Motor - $0
Battery - $174
Voltage Meter and Power Switch - $19
Minnkota Battery Box - $55
ProMariner On Board Charger - $81
Console & Storage
Garmin Striker 7 SV - 369 (caught a sweet deal on this side imaging sonar)
6 Gang Power Panel - 41
Building Materials - $60*
Boat Layout
LED's - $20
Seats - $167
Casting Seat - $94
Anchor Lock - $72
Casting Deck - $210
Bilge Pump - $17
External Fuel Fill - $41
Stabilizer Pod Welding - $60*
Removable Outrigger - $120*
DIY Power Pole - $25*
Closed Cell Foam - $15*
Boat Carpet - $160
Electrical Hardware - $70*