[stealthycat]

1997 Charger Foxfire 395TF - 1997 200 HP Johnson Venom

I've never had a boat like this, recently I've been wanting a boat to take the wife and 2 kids out on (9 and 7 years old) and my 7 year old son is wanting to fish.

I had a couple of bass boats when I was younger, smaller 16'-17' Bass Cats and some of my most vivid and special memories are from fishing and playing on the lakes with my family and friends.

So even though the economy sucks, and my job unstable, and as much as it doesn't make sense to buy this boat, buy it I did as of last night assuming everything works out well in the deal and the boat runs well when I pick it up Saturday.

My uncle fishes Charger boats, loves 'em, this is a 19.5" boat, big, takes rough water easy - by far the nicest boat I've ever owned. I paid $7500 for it, this economy makes it a nice buyers market, the condition and all I thought that was a nice price.

Thought ? I'm tickled to death !


http://i37.tinypic.com/2uhojf5.jpg

 

[shawnee_creek]

Nice boat. Looks like it was well cared for by the previous owner. Bottom line is if your happy, that is all that matters. Enjoy it.

 

[stealthycat]

you think I overpaid shawnee_creek ?

 

[Manybeards]

Nce boat :thumb: I think that's a great deal

 

[buckhorn]

Sounds like a pretty good deal and looks like a sharp boat.

Congrats. :up:

 

[TheBattman]

That is one nice boat! You are going to enjoy it (assuming you can afford to put gas in it!).

 

[squirrelhunter9]

nice boat

 

[stealthycat]

its going to use gas no doubt - I considered a fish/ski with a 115 or something equivalanet but I thought this boat looked so fine, so nice, and the price seemed very good too ...... I'll just run her easy, not up/down the lake all day etc.

 

[huntin24_7]

great lookin boat ! sounds like a great deal too !

 

[flintknapper]

A seriously nice boat. I'm sorta in the market myself, suddenly there are construction workers all over NWA wanting to sell toys fairly cheap....Hate to take advantage, but one buys when the buying is good!

In our family, such a nice, BIG motor on the boat means you run out to the middle of the lake, drop anchor and swim all day, then motor gently back to the ramp. Those big V6's are torque monsters, but they have an appetite!

 

[shawnee_creek]

you think I overpaid shawnee_creek ?

No, not at all. That boat looks like new to me. I said it looked well cared for and for $7500 it is a great deal. It looks to be in excellent shape and is way less than a new one. Just don't second guess your decision, there will always be a rumor of a cheaper boat or a boat in the paper for less.

I bought a camper last fall and thought I got a good deal. We looked at about 50 new and used campers. I bought a 2007 slightly used IMO. Every once in a while I look at the ads or on the net and see a bigger one for just a little more or the same size for less. I don't go look and one person's idea of excellent shape is the next person's idea of abused. That is what I was refering to. No more, no less.

Enjoy it.

 

[stealthycat]

I know what you mean. There is always a better deal out there, isn't there ?

I don't think I'll be unhappy unless that motor blows up this winter

 

[UCNE]

The one I had like that was a nice boat but 27 gallon a day of gas ...........:smack::banghead:

 

[stealthycat]

I've been told 2-3 miles per gallon - 27 miles would be like 50-60 miles a day

 

[jakelogsdon]

You might be shocked the amount of gas it uses. You can't really figure miles per gallon when on the water, but my dad runs a 150 johnson exactly like yours and It will burn six gallons of gas in less than one hour of run time. idling, running, slow trolling, normal use. He has a 25 gallon tank and we have never been able to get more that 5 hours of run time. It loves to drink some fuel, I myself am opting 4 stroke.

 

[stealthycat]

He has a 25 gallon tank and we have never been able to get more that 5 hours of run time

5 hours run time is 5 gallons per hour - I don't think thats bad at all.

I'll find out soon enough though - on Monday I'm going to run it with the family on Greer's Ferry just playing around

 

[flintknapper]

Most young ships like that are rated in "gallons per hour."

Had a buddy with an older Sanger V-drive dragboat sportin' a Dodge 440 with tunnel-rammed dual 4 bbl's. It would cook through one of it's three 15 gallon tanks in just under two hours, and that's cruising. It's been known to drink a tank in under an hour if you whup and spur it.

I'm glad we got all that out of our systems when gas was 1.50 a gallon!

 

[jakelogsdon]

I guess it's not too bad, but it seems to be. When you go fishing for a half a day and spend $60. figure 3 hours run time at 5 gal per hour 15 gallons at $3.85 per gallon $57.75. High enough for me.

 

[stealthycat]

I figure if I spend $60-70 taking the kids and wife to the lake, for a day, thats $15 per each person.

Hell a movie ticket at Rave is $10 each plus popcorn I wonder if a day on the lake running that 200 hp isn't cheaper !

 

[jakelogsdon]

that's true about the movies. I personally don't have a family, so I find it hard to spend 100 bucks to go fishing by myself. I went with a Yamaha 115 4-stroke. I fish all day run the boat 5 or 6 hours and spend less the $20 in fuel.