I understand what Ray is saying to be true about taxes on a used boat now. I think you have to get a paper from LDWF then bring it to the DMV to pay the taxes. Then once you pay the taxes they give you a form you have to submit to LDWF along with the Notorized bill of sale before they will register your boat. It does no good to fake the price on the bill of sale because they will compare the price on the bill of sale to the NADA book value of the boat. If so, to me that takes a big insentive away to buy a used boat.
About performance, I am coming up to this boat from a J16 Carolina skiff with a 50hp Yamaha 2 stroke. The biggest boat I've owned prior to this was a H56 Xpress with a 115 Yamaha 2 stroke. It would run in the mid 40's which was plenty fast enough for me. Most of the motors I have owned in the past were 25's to 50's with lots of mud motors thrown in. I have not been much of a salt water fisherman and did not need a big boat with a big motor. How fast would I be going in a 20' boat with a 150? I remember a few years ago a 150 was a HUGE motor. Is the hole shot so bad with a 150 on this boat that I can't get someone up on ski's? I will give it a sea trial before I buy it. Another thing I will try to do before I buy is to see if the dealer can get me a deal on a last year model HPDI. I really do like them. I have found a few last model V-Max's on the internet but they are all short shaft motors.
I looked at the SHO's when I was pricing this boat but they are only 20'' shaft motors. I need a 25'' for this hull. The dealer did not advise it. In fact the Nautic star dealer told me that Nautic star will be packaging their boats with SHO's but he won't buy any that way because of problems with the short shaft motor on a Hydralic Jack plate. Something about it hitting the cowling on something. That was Ricky at Degate's Marine in Houma. Ricky told me it is a great motor but they are not really the right choice for a bay boat. I trust Degate's and Southern Outdoors. I have bought several boats and many motors from both places. They have always treated me right. I will not own any motor other than a Yamaha. I have owned White motors in the past and those Black ones too. But the Yamaha's have never let me down.......so far.
What kind of speeds are other people getting out of their boats? What size boat and motors are you running? How fast do I need to go anyways? Where does the cost and the performance equal out? All of these are questions I am asking while I look at my next boat. The way I work I probably won't run the motor on this boat more than 80 hours a year and that will be during the summer. During the winter I will be hunting with a few fishing trips thrown in on occasion. How do I justify the additional $7000.00?
I hope no one thinks I am arguing the advise given here. I expected to be told to get the larger motor I am just trying figure out if I NEED it and if the NEED justifies the additional cost.
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