#Lake Union Sea Ray in Fife

[puget-sound-boating-blog]

First Time Buying A Boat

Being from Colorado I have zero experience with boats. I do come from a wheeled vehicle maintenance back ground so I understand the concepts of the engine, besides that, no clue. 

We live in Federal Way, WA about 5 minutes from the Redondo boat launch. This launches right into Poverty Bay in the Puget Sound.  There is crabbing, shrimping fishing for everything from Halibut to 65+ lbs King Salmon. Live here without being able to utilize this resource seemed like a huge waste to me. I’ve been researching and learning as much as I can on crabbing and trolling for Salmon. 

Initially I was thinking about just purchasing a 14″ Aluminum boat to complete these two tasks. The more and more I looked at the map and realized how many islands that were around and all the little parks and other things they contained that I have never been to, despite living in the South Sound for a total of 8 years now, I thought what a better way to explore the area with the family then on a boat. 

That idea morphed a 14′ Aluminum boat into something I could use for crabbing/fishing and also accommodate the family (wife, 14 yo son, 4 yo son and 1 yo daughter). 

I went to the nearest boat dealership, which just so happened to be Lake Union Sea Ray in Fife. I spoke to the “next salesmen up” and informed him of my lack of boating experience and what I was looking to do with a boat. the salesmen, Josh, showed me a few center console boats, which more than meet the needs for fishing but was lacking in the accommodating the family department. Next was  deck boat, this could be used to fish/crabb and would be more comfortable for the family; however, this boat lacked a windshield. Being in the PNW where a hot day is 85* inland it is usually a few degrees cooler and breezier on the water, not to mention we only get a handful of those days a year anyhow. The third boat was a Bayliner 175 Bowrider. This boat had seating for 7 (plenty of room), had a windshield, bimini cover, and swim deck on the back. I really like the swim deck as it could be used to strap a few crab pots to without ever having to bring them into the passenger area. The windshield and bimini covers were all going to help make the rides/trips so much more comfortable for the family. I really liked this option. 

A few days later I brought the wife to check out the boat and she was, lets just say, on board as well. After speaking to another salesman Bill, Josh had the day off. He suggested we take the boat for a demo on American Lake, and see if we really liked it before signing any paperwork. 

Three days later we meet Josh back at the Fife dealership and followed him to American Lake. It was a typical Western Washington day, 55* and drizzle, not ideal to go out on a boat. Josh left the bow cover on and the walk through portion of the windshield closed. Those two things made a huge difference. The cold wind kicked right up and over us even at 25 mph on the lake, even after 45 minutes on the water we felt fine. Josh took the time to explain to me how to dock, then had me practice it a few times. Then it was time to load the boat onto the trailer, Josh backed it into the water and I maneuvered the boat onto the trailer no issue. 

Despite the cold and rain we had enjoyed it so much that on the drive home I called and put a 10% deposit on the boat so no one else would buy it. I guess its worth mentioning this was the last new 2016 left in stock, it was listed right around $3,500 less than a 2017 model.

I waited a few more days to do the actual purchase due to a tent sale they had coming up. While waiting for the tent sale I had the bimini cover made and dropped off a Raymarine Dragonfly 7 Pro dropped off and installed. 

Tuesday May 2, 2017 we went back to the dealership to pick the boat up. The bimini cover looked amazing and the fish finder was mounted perfect, despite the fact they had never installed this model on this style boat before. 

I trailered the boat home, and honestly, that was what  I was looking forward too almost as much as getting out on the boat, I love towing stuff lol. The boat and trailer pulled easy and didn’t wonder, this setup is light enough the ‘09 Tahoe couldn’t tell it was even back there. 

All in all the whole boat buying experience was great. At no point in time did we feel pressured into purchasing something we didn’t want, or anything for that matter.   The salesmen all made us feel very comfortable, the parts and service department are all very knowledgeable and get you what you need without up selling. 

When its time to upgrade to a bigger boat in a few years we’ll go right back to Lake Union Sea Ray in Fife.