Cost of today’s Skeeter boats…Yikes!

Brad Dimond wrote:

I graduated in 1981 from a private college having paid $27k for tuition, room and board. That covered my son’s first year at the U of M after scholastic financial aid. Prices for college have multiplied at an insane rate.

It is crazy, I graduated HS in 2001 and here is my college financial journey. I got paid to go to Southwest State my freshmen year (athletic and academic scholarships), transferred to SCSU and wrote a check for $1300 for 12 credits fall semester, took a semester off, and then transferred to Gustavus which averaged $30k/year for the next 3 years and got no scholarships, grants or financial aid. Graduated with roughly $90k in debt, and thankfully my parents were adamant I make principal and interest payments right from the start and I paid it off in 10 years. My wife went to St Thomas at $30k+/year for all 4 years with no aid/grants/scholarships, and made interest only payments for 10 years, we adjusted that once we were engaged to principal and interest and we are finally nearing the end of her student loans as she is 37 years old. Both Gustavus and St. Thomas (and most MIAC schools) are over $60k a year now, and my sons will not be attending any of them unless they want to be Doctors/Lawyers AND get some aid/grants/scholarships!

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>supercat wrote:</div>
I paid to get my butt threw

Just out of curiosity how much did college cost when you went through it?

Tuition was just around 5k without room and board, books and food I was making $9 an hour working the trades in the summer. UW tuition currently ranges from $8500-$13700 now without room and board, books and food. Daughter is currently a junior in high school working for Kwik Trip making 16.30 an hour and has friends working in the trades for 20-22$ an hour. Doesn’t seem to be that much different.

supercat wrote:

Semester tuition was just around 5k without room and board, books and food I was making $9 an hour working the trades in the summer. UW tuition currently ranges from $8500-$13700

I think you mean $5k per year? When did you graduate? The current in state tuition at UW is surprisingly low, that’s encouraging.

Karry Kyllo wrote:

Like BigWerm says, do you know what college costs nowdays, especially advanced degrees?

Yes I do but there is a very wide range of college cost depending on what you want to do with your degree. If you just plan on a BS or BA degree you don’t need to do all your classes at a prestigious school. You can get your general threw a tech school or as my children have done make sure your ap classes in high school apply towards college credits that are free threw your high school. If you are planning on grad school or doctorate degree that’s when I believe the prestigious schools shine. Will you have debt yes but your wages will be much larger once you attain your full time job. Not trying to start an argument but we are all responsible for our financial decisions.

Part of the problem is kids are able to sign their life away via student loans when they’re 18-19 years old. Their frontal lobes aren’t even fully developed yet but they’re able to sign up for student loans that will take them the better part of a couple decades to pay off.

On top of that, many kids are taught from a very young age that college is the only way to go after high school. They don’t even think about the trades or other options like community college for generals. Even more concerning is a lot of them have no idea what they really want to do in life and could just be p*ssing away time and money while they figure out their career.

Then they sign up for a college with potentially not even thinking about how much it will cost them and how much of their life will be spent paying off those loans. Part of that decision making process falls on the parents. Hopefully they’re there providing overnight and guidance along the way. Unfortunately many parents aren’t providing the guidance their kids really need while navigating post high school life decisions.

Student loans are downright predatory in my opinion.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

Unfortunately many parents aren’t providing the guidance their kids really need while navigating post high school life decisions.

x2

Back to actual topic. I priced out WX2060 just they way I wanted it in 2019 or 2020 can’t remember now. Boat was 66k same rig is now over 90k. Kinda kicking myself for not pulling the trigger back then.

BigWerm wrote:

I think you mean $5k per year? When did you graduate? The current in state tuition at UW is surprisingly low, that’s encouraging.

Yes I corrected. And yes private colleges are exspensive.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Back to actual topic. I priced out WX2060 just they way I wanted it in 2019 or 2020 can’t remember now. Boat was 66k same rig is now over 90k. Kinda kicking myself for not pulling the trigger back then.

If it makes you feel any better, if you put that $66k into S&P index funds on 1/1/19 and let it ride, it’d would be worth almost $110k right now. Much better investment in the long run. Hopefully that was your alternative!

Hard to catch a fish in a fund.
Obviously it’s a better investment than a boat. Not really the point however.

Newsflash. You can catch just as many fish in a $10k boat as you can in a $90k boat. Creature comforts are nice but so is early retirement.

Prices are getting crazy, but so is the accompanying technology on boats or what many deem as necessities. Think about just trolling motors, sonar units, advanced throttle controls and kicker control systems, live imaging, lithium batteries, etc. Other little convenience things like custom steps, d-rottos, air ride seats, and so on have become commonplace and are not cheap to add on.

My wife gets me and sees the big picture. The other day we were talking about innovation, prices, AI, the future, etc. and she openly said that the sooner technology advances, the sooner she won’t have to worry about me buying another boat or spending time fishing. She knows I appreciate the sense of accomplishment or “working” my mind a bit when fishing to have success at something that a novice person cannot get instantly. As soon as technology makes fishing success a given, I’ll be out of the game. It won’t matter what a boat costs. Being in my 30s still with a plan to retire in 20 years while following that train of thought… I should find a new #1 hobby for retirement. 20 years of technological advances will have taken the sport right out of it anyways.

Maybe I’ve already purchased my last fishing boat?

buckybadger wrote:

Prices are getting crazy, but so is the accompanying technology on boats or what many deem as necessities. Think about just trolling motors, sonar units, advanced throttle controls and kicker control systems, live imaging, lithium batteries, etc. Other little convenience things like custom steps, d-rottos, air ride seats, and so on have become commonplace and are not cheap to add on.

My wife gets me and sees the big picture. The other day we were talking about innovation, prices, AI, the future, etc. and she openly said that the sooner technology advances, the sooner she won’t have to worry about me buying another boat or spending time fishing. She knows I appreciate the sense of accomplishment or “working” my mind a bit when fishing to have success at something that a novice person cannot get instantly. As soon as technology makes fishing success a given, I’ll be out of the game. It won’t matter what a boat costs. Being in my 30s still with a plan to retire in 20 years while following that train of thought… I should find a new #1 hobby for retirement. 20 years of technological advances will have taken the sport right out of it anyways.

Maybe I’ve already purchased my last fishing boat?

You should take up golf. That seems to be the trend with guys I know who decide to give up fishing.

I love golf. It keeps a lot of people off the lakes.

I remember my father saying one day as he was looking at my brand new 1790 skeeter, I’ll catch more fish out of my 14 ft lund than you will in that SPARKLE BOAT.Hate to admit it but he probably did

Golf isn’t that cheap. I used to play it, a lot of it. It’s time consuming and very expensive.

Anyone that has kids should know how expensive they are. Boats are dirt cheap compared to kids. A $60k boat seems like pocket change compare to what it costs to raise a damn kid these days.

Heck, how’s one health even into early retirement, one might not even be able to launch, let alone get in their boats of any cost by then.

Life’s short, some like to create all those memories before they get old, kids are gone and moved away, friends are busy w their own lives etc. People make alot of money telling us debt is bad and how they can fix it, lots of folks who make money off that debt, lots who manage just fine w it and others dont, find yourself somewhere in the middle and live life, YOLO.

buckybadger wrote:

Prices are getting crazy, but so is the accompanying technology on boats or what many deem as necessities. Think about just trolling motors, sonar units, advanced throttle controls and kicker control systems, live imaging, lithium batteries, etc. Other little convenience things like custom steps, d-rottos, air ride seats, and so on have become commonplace and are not cheap to add on.

Let’s see:
My retirement present to myself in 2020: New 1875 ProGuide with Yamaha 90 SHO, 36-volt Ulterra, 36-volt Vantage, Walleye Master splash guards, Helix 12 with mapping chips, LiveScope, Drotto (in 2021-sweet), custom steps (in 2022-sweeter), on-board charger, 2 custom rods, 2 nice reels. Did not finance anything because I planned/saved for it. Did I need all the bells and whistles? No, but it sure makes fishing more enjoyable.

FinnyDinDin wrote:

As soon as technology makes fishing success a given,

This time is not very far away.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

Newsflash. You can catch just as many fish in a $10k boat as you can in a $90k boat. Creature comforts are nice but so is early retirement.

To each there own. Who are you to judge how I or someone else wants to spend their money when they are above ground. News flash, both are possible.

I find it funny that people with nice boats get ripped on by others for owning a nice boat when most don’t know that person. How do you know that person that has that 50k boat makes 50k a year or 750k a year but just assume he is in debt. Some are some are not but why would I care how others spend their money. If you pay straight cash or make your payment kudos to you. It’s paid for what do I care. Sounds better enjoying life for 50 years than worrying about life for your last ten years of it.

Even more concerning is a lot of them have no idea what they really want to do in life and could just be p*ssing away time and money while they figure out their career.

That’s called life.
I feel worse for those that think at 18 they need to have their life/career figured out and grind it out till they are 65 because that is what they thought they wanted to do at 18. Told what they should do , or think that is all they could acomplish at that age and were to afraid to try something else later in life. Especially when their frontal lobes are not even developed yet.
Glad we could take the price of Skeeter boats and turn the topic into life lessons for all.

Let’s see:
My retirement present to myself in 2020: New 1875 ProGuide with Yamaha 90 SHO, 36-volt Ulterra, 36-volt Vantage, Walleye Master splash guards, Helix 12 with mapping chips, LiveScope, Drotto (in 2021-sweet), custom steps (in 2022-sweeter), on-board charger, 2 custom rods, 2 nice reels. Did not finance anything because I planned/saved for it. Did I need all the bells and whistles? No, but it sure makes fishing more enjoyable.

Haters gonna hate.

must have struck a nerve with ol Rip . Burning the midnight oil eh big guy?

Ripjiggen wrote:

Glad we could take the price of Skeeter boats and turn the topic into life lessons for all.

Price of boats -> financing -> how and why people finance things. Pretty logical progression of discussion. If you don’t like the show, change the channel. No one is forcing you to be here.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

Newsflash. You can catch just as many fish in a $10k boat as you can in a $90k boat. Creature comforts are nice but so is early retirement.

This just isn’t actually true. I fish out of a 1982 Lund jon boat that cost less than Livescope on a regular basis, and enjoy it, but I can’t stay out in weather or travel nearly as far nor as fast as fishing in far nicer boats, which obviously means you won’t catch as many fish all other things being equal.

On a related note one of my HS buddies just retired at 40. He worked his ass off in the trades from a very early age, eventually became an electrician and saved/invested every penny he could along the way. Now he can buy whatever boat or anything else he wants, and do whatever he wants with his time. Living the American dream, only down side is he’s accustomed to working 16 hours a day, so not sure what he’s going to do with all his time after he’s got his land dialed in!

must have struck a nerve with ol Rip lol . Burning the midnight oil eh big guy?

Not really.
Just different strokes for different folks. Just seems some only believe in one way of life and that’s the only way.

Glad I bought my MX1825 (used 2018) when I did in 2019. At $47k, it was a bargain compared to today’s prices.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

Creature comforts are nice but so is early retirement.

Oh, and I did that too! 61 yrs and 3 months.

Aren’t the lund glass boats even more than ranger or skeeter? We were in Canada last week and this dude in our group said one powered in and spot locked right in front of him as he was trolling (dick move) and he said it was a 150k boat. Of course it had a 400 on it so that gotta be half of it

Rip is onto something. Far to much dick measuring going on.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Aren’t the lund glass boats even more than ranger or skeeter? We were in Canada last week and this dude in our group said one powered in and spot locked right in front of him as he was trolling (dick move) and he said it was a 150k boat. Of course it had a 400 on it so that gotta be half of it

Dutch were you out fishing again. Lol

Dutch wouldn’t do that on a weekday. Just weekends

Not nice…:???:
I was just joking cuz I believe he owns a Lund glass boat.