New Jersey Boating Question...

[woodentoe]

Ok:

I'm purely a recreational crabber.  When I was a kid we used to crab in Staten Island, where I grew up.  More recently, I've gone our of Oceanic in the Navesink  and rented a skiff for the day.

My long term goal is to purchase a boat to fish and crab from.  I'm nowhere near being in the market for one, but here is my question.

I live in Woodbridge, NJ and there are a number of marinas in Sewaren as well as a public boat ramp.  I'm wondering what the best option is for me regarding aboat purchase.  Should I look into a skiff and a trailer that I will have to drive down to Navesink to go crabbing?  How long of a trip is it from Sewaren to good crabbing grounds travelling by boat(Navesink, Shrewsbury Rivers)?  How much boat should I need to travel that range?  Is it worth it?  I'd love to make use of the public boat ramp in the future, but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew boat-wise.  I can't really fish/crab in the immediate waters (Arthur Kill), and would need to be able to travel into Raritan Bay, and Sandy Hook, Navesink, etc.

I'm a complete newbie with regards to boating.  But, you know what they say...

"The happiest day of a man's life is the day he get's a boat..... and the day he gets rid of it!"  lol

-Toe

[CHIEF]

welcome this site will help u alot as far as your boat stick with renting
Chief

[woodentoe]

lol.

I'm considering it, trust me.

But, $80.00 to rent a skiff every time I want to go crabbing, plus bait, plus food fro the trip. I could practically buy a bushel for that.

BTW, I've been here for a while.  I'm a lurker not a poster...lol

[CHIEF]

now your in get ready to have your balls busted

[tattoo]

Welcome aboard , I have a 12ft boat , when I could use to hall it around in the bed of my truck, could put it in the water almost anywhere. GOOD luck with your decision, If you get a boat you won.t regret it. have a Great crabbing season.

[R D]

lol.

I'm considering it, trust me.

But, $80.00 to rent a skiff every time I want to go crabbing, plus bait, plus food fro the trip. I could practically buy a bushel for that.

BTW, I've been here for a while.  I'm a lurker not a poster...lol

With buying a boat and upkeep you will probley have that up to $300 a bushel

[woodentoe]

BUMP!

[CHIEF]

BUMP!

What ? you been drinking now your bumpin in to everything?

[woodentoe]

Hic!

[PHILLY JOE]

WOODENTOE
How handy are you mechanically. Getting your motor worked on by a marine mechanic is expensive.  In Philly, it's around $80 or more per hour plus parts. I found out last year how expensive.. I then bought a book and started doing repairs my self.  Most of the places I see are manufacture approved repair places and they use manufacturers parts which are expensive. If you are handy, you can get good off market parts alot cheaper and save money on repairs by doing it yourself. . Also you have yearly maintenance such as replace impeller, grease the motor as per manufacturers instruction, change lower unit oil and any other repairs needed.

I bought a used boat last year. A 14' alum. semi vee which has good control steering and can get in shallow water where the crabs are.    I now have access to places I could never get to before and my fishing and crabbing season starts earlier and ends later in the year. Also, most of the boat rentals docks in NJ that i use to go to  sold out to developers and the ones that are left charge high fees.

The boat I have is good for creeks and calm bays but I had it out on Delaware bay last year and it was a mistake. Del. bay is not like some of the other bays which are calm. It can raise up very quickly and I got worried. Ive been to sandy hook with my bother and he had a 16' vee with a center console and a 40 hp motor and it was sea worthy. I dont know if mine would be ok up there. It can get a little rough. Before you buy, figure out what kind of boating activities you are going to do and where you want to do them. Talk to people that go to them places ajnd see what kind of boats they use or call a bait an tackle shop and ask what they recommend. Most of the people in the tackle shops are helpful.

One last thing to consider if you are thinking of a boat and trailer.  I have a ford f150 2 wheel drive truck and there are some public ramps that are too steep and  you have to back  far down the ramp at low tide to launch and  retrieve boat. I cant use these ramps. you need 4 wheel drive. The concrete ramps are the worst that I found. Moss and weeds grow on them and they are slippery. Usually when I go to a new ramp, I'll ask on this site if anyone has been there and if my truck is ok on the ramp. If I get no reply, i call the ramp if there is a phone no. If no number, I call a bait shop close by and ask them. I then usually use that shop to buy my bait as a return favor.

If you can swing it, and you are into fishing and crabbing, get a boat . If you dont like it, sell it. I found there are alot more opportunities and places available with your own boat.



B.O.A.T.   Break Out Another Thousand

[captaincrab55]

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