june 1963 boating issue - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

BOATMNG—HOW MUCH HOES IT COST?
More than %2 x /t billion was spent by 4.5 million
American boaters last year for new and used boats,
motors, accessories, safety equipment, fuel, insurance,
docking, maintenance, launching, storage, repairs and
club memberships. If you are one, out of the hundred
thousand or so newcomers who intend to try boating
for the first time this season, then you might be asking,
"How much does it take to get started?"
It might come as a surprise, but it costs less than
$1,000 to begin boating, or about the price of a good
used car. Although this sum won't buy a yacht, here's
what you do get, with everything new, for this amount:
14-16 ft. boat ($355), 15-18 hp motor ($355-$385),
trailer ($150), accessories which include lifejackets,
lights for night operation, fire extinguishers and horn
($100). Used equipment costs half to two-thirds as
much.
This family's "first rig" is a perfect, all-purpose
boat that can be used for fishing, skin diving, cruising
in sheltered waters or for a host of other water activities.
Low priced, but reliable outboard engines such
12
By WAYNE HEYMAN
as the 15-hp Gale Buccaneer, 18-hp Evinrude Fastwi"
or 18-hp Johnsons Sea-Horse will give this length boat
enough power to tow one adult skier, or two youngster-"
at a time.
The family searching for low cost luxury can enjoy'
boating in a more elaborate runabout, of fiberglas C
plywood construction, priced between $500-$1.200. Afl
average boat at the top of this price range might be a
15-16 footer equipped with complete convertible topventilated
mahogany windshield, shipping cradle, running
lights and upholstered seats. Outboard motorboat^
in this class should be powered with 40-hp engine
($570), and towed to water with a sturdier trailei'
($300). When fully fitted-out with motor, trailer an' 1
accessories, the final cost will be far less than a nevv,
1963 "low priced" car.
Prefabricated boats have been around for nearly
half a century. For the do-it-yourself builder that
enjoys assembling and painting, these kits save the
home craftsman between 30 per cent to 50 per cent ot
the cost of similar factory finished crafts. For example
an 8-ft. pram, suitable for motors up to 2>y2 hp cost?
about $50 and can be put together in a few hours' time-
The more elaborate minded builder can purchase a 20ft.
outboard cabin cruiser, designed for engine power
up to 75 hp, at about $850. A kit of this caliber usually
takes several months of spare-time work to construct.
Boat owners who have neither the time to spare nor
the urge to build, can purchase hulls in semi-finished
form, minus hardware and paint. Finish-up kits in this
form usually save boaters around 10 per cent to 20 per
cent, depending on the boat's size.
It might pay well to investigate completely the wide
choice of prefabricated boats available. Several companies
sell "short kits," a type that increases boat construction
substantially, but cuts the cost of spending
60-70 per cent off the price of a factory-made craft.
Short kits come complete with such lightweight items
as seats, frames, stem, transom, windshield and hardware,
but are minus the more bulky pieces of material
such as marine plywood planking, decking and chine
logs. Paper patterns and instructions are supplied for
all missing parts. This saves the boat owner a considerable
amount on freight charge. In the meantime,
the missing sections can be purchased locally at further
savings.
With the precision of today's production methods,
kit boats have proved a big boom to boat owners. Manufacturers
have gone to great lengths in making sure
various parts fit with an amazing degree of tolerance
so as to enable buyers to assemble their crafts with
PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER