I am planning to retire to a life of crappie fishing at the end of this year (in Kansas). I currently have a 1988 Allison with a 2004 Mercury Racing XS200 and a full complement of newer electronics. At 66 years of age I have a strong hankerin’ for something more roomy and stable than the Allison and I am facing a dilemma with my new boat search. My estimate is that I can sell my boat outright for about $10,000 with everything on it but I would guess that by eliminating the motor and electronics from a new boat purchase I could save $20,000 – $25,000 off the price of the boat which seems to be saving me $10,000 – $15,000. I have settled on a budget of $40,000 for my new boat (I don’t want to finance). If I have to, I will strongly consider one of the 18′ complete packages from Skeeter or Nitro which are right around that $40,000 number complete but I would prefer at least 19′ and a more premium boat (I’m not really interested in the Pantera Classic). I have narrowed my search to the 19′ models from these brands/models (in ranked order) Bass Cat (Caracal) , Caymas (CX19), Phoenix (PHX 19), and Falcon (F195) – (I’m a Brian Latimer fan). The reason I am looking past the Pantera Classic is that I would rather get the new motor if I’m settling for an entry level boat which means cutting myself short on amenities and taking on the risk of issues associated with running an older motor (mine has less than 300 hours but still). I am just curious of your thoughts as to any options I am not considering or whether I am way off base with my thinking.
Thank You…
Kevin Neeley
[email protected]
