Mercury Marine Survey - Would you loan out YOUR boat?

[rc5695]

Anybody else get the survey from Mercury? Not surehow I got it? Maybe thru Progressive insurance?

Anyways, they want to know if people would be open to renting out their boat to others vacationing in your area. And also if you'd rent somebody elses boat. I guess like they do houses (VRBO).

Anyways, no WAY I'd let some stranger go run my boat aground or jump on the seats with their shoes on or let their kids spill red Fanta all over the light colored carpet.

Would I rent one, maybe...

[KG's Supra24]

Nope, wouldn't rent it out to others. I'd rent one from someone.

Dusty's mom doesn't pay cash when she rides in the boat .... but perhaps you could say she pays rent. :o

[mikenehrkorn]

I think it's safe to say that most of the type 1 personalities on this forum would give a big NOPE to that question.....and personally I would have to think long and hard about even loaning it out to family let alone some total stranger off the street!!! :)

[New Guy]

I let a great friend borrow my boat so he could take his wife out for a day on the water because they are looking at buying. I was nervous all day at work not that they would intentionally damage anything but that something mechanical would fail and they would not know how to resolve it. It all worked out well in the end and I would loan him my boat again. He is one of the few people I would trust with my boat because if there was an issue he would make it right.

[Sharpshooter]

Well I would consider if they wanted to leave a $60000 dollar deposit lol


2013 Moomba LSV

[mikenehrkorn]

Well I would consider if they wanted to leave a $60000 dollar deposit lol


2013 Moomba LSV


Hahaha.....only consider it for $60K? :)


2013 Outback V
2003 SeaRay 182 -- gone but not forgotten...

[Cigars n scotch]

With MANY stipulations maybe but that contract would have to be iron-clad in my favor. Anything to help pay the boat payment I would consider. Not saying I'd do it but would consider.

[brain_rinse]

I'd rent someone else's wake boat, but no way I'd let some random wally take my boat out for a few hundred bucks.

[tater]

Uh............... No.

[blackout_58]

I would only if it were a few of my very good friends that I knew would take care of it, otherwise there is no chance unless they could buy it.....

[kaneboats]

No way! There are only a few people in the world I would trust with my boat and none of them are even family members. You can find them right here on this board!

[moombadaze]

no on renting mine out--now a couple board members on here could borrow it if needed as they have already drivin it. not even sure I would want to rent someone else's

[irish-racing]

No way I would rent mine out. I wouldn't even let my father take it out by himself, let alone some stranger. Hell my wife will barley drive it.

[996scott]

There are probably 3 guys I would let take my boat. All are best friends who own their own boats and I have been boating with for 10+ yrs. All would return it in perfect condition.

My brother on the other hand was dumb enough a few years back to start renting his out locally to make a few extra bucks. One afternoon he gets a call from the person who rented his boat and said a big storm blew in and the waves were crashing over the bow (it was a Ski Centurian with a really low nose if I remember correctly) and the boat was sinking. They called 911, got the coast guard out, but by then the boat had sunk! Thank goodness it was in shallow water and everyone was ok. The coast guard hooked up a tow rope and dragged it back in and up the ramp on its side. Sad day for sure...He learned a lesson for sure though.

[jpetty3023]

I would be hard pressed to let someone take my boat, don't see it happening. my son turns 16 in July and he's already asking to take it, and my truck, out with his friends while I'm at work I've raised a crazy person I guess

[parrothd]

If I lived somewhere with a year round season I'd be open to it, big deposit and extra insurance and post inspection..

I only have about 5+ months here in Chicago, that doesn't leave many weekends available with weather etc, etc, plus if something goes wrong the boat would be unavailable making the season even shorter..

But if the boat was sitting for long periods you could be really picky and rent it a few times a year which might cover a lot of payments...

:confused:







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[EricU]

I think it's safe to say that most of the type 1 personalities on this forum would give a big NOPE to that question.....and personally I would have to think long and hard about even loaning it out to family let alone some total stranger off the street!!! :)

Type 1! WTF?!!! I used to be a type 1 but now I have aged gracefully!! That is pure BS about this forum being a bunch of Type 1s!!!

And rent my boat to some vacationing a$$wipe?? F-NO! But like mentioned before, I would rent someone else's if they are stupid enough.

[brad460]

Anyways, no WAY I'd let some stranger go run my boat aground or jump on the seats with their shoes on or let their kids spill red Fanta all over the light colored carpet.

Would I rent one, maybe...

That would be a hell to the mother f-ing NO..

Orange Fanta?! Can you imagine the kids eating a bag of Cheetos on your boat?? Haha

My sister and her family live in Malaysia and they rent a Mastercraft occasionally on the weekends, but that comes with a driver. I would consider taking someone else out if they want to rent me and my boat...this way I am there to monitor everyone. I think they pay around $200 USD per hour. ...which is about what I pay an hour to own and operate my own boat ( loan payment, insurance, gas, winter storage, etc.).

[Boonejeepin]

No way! There are only a few people in the world I would trust with my boat and none of them are even family members. You can find them right here on this board!

I feel the exact same way.

[beat taco]

Why not, I mean what's the worst that could happen.


One of my idiot friends loaned my dad his boat back in '06. Some how the alarms on the outboard were disabled and the impeller quit peeing and blah blah, no more compression. I was actually moving into a new house at the time and missed the week long trip which is why he borrowed the boat (notice he didn't borrow mine !!). We got moved in and decided to rally over to the vacation spot for a few days, when I arrived people told me the boat was broken. I was like no biggie we can get it running and they were like NO, it doesn't have any compression.
Then they said he ran WFO the whole time and blew it up. So to this day we still make fun of my friend and talk about my dad running his boat WFO until it grenaded. $11k later it had a new outboard at my buddies expense, so by the time we all die we should have our $11k out of this story.

[The_Robo_Fighter]

That would be a hell to the mother f-ing NO..

Orange Fanta?! Can you imagine the kids eating a bag of Cheetos on your boat?? Haha

My sister and her family live in Malaysia and they rent a Mastercraft occasionally on the weekends, but that comes with a driver. I would consider taking someone else out if they want to rent me and my boat...this way I am there to monitor everyone. I think they pay around $200 USD per hour. ...which is about what I pay an hour to own and operate my own boat ( loan payment, insurance, gas, winter storage, etc.).

I couldn't have said it any better! The risk is just to high. I'll work a second job if money gets tight vice let my boat get destroyed. Driving a powerful inboard takes practice and isn't as easy as driving a I/O or outboard. Boating experience isn't always equal.

[New Guy]

So to this day we still make fun of my friend and talk about my dad running his boat WFO until it grenaded. $11k later it had a new outboard at my buddies expense, so by the time we all die we should have our $11k out of this story.

Your Dad hung him with the bill?? WTF:mad:

[sandm]

thinking the same thing. you blow up anything, you replace it..

on that note, I would not loan my boat to anybody if I was not onboard. guess I feel I work too hard for it and someone else isn't going to take the same care of it that I do. I wouldn't ever ask to borrow another's boat either. I view them like motorcycles. you just don't do it..

[saskyrider]

I have 2 people that I would lend my boat two. .. and surprisingly one of them is 19. He is my go to guy for driving for me and is incredibly meticulous. I know he wouldnt be able to replace it but I also know he would never take a stupid chance. Without him I would get out about half as much. The other is my dad.

Sent from my apple crushin android device

[kaneboats]

Your Dad, not beat taco's Dad, right?

[rc5695]

some great stories in here... I'd let my dad take it, as he's the one to taught me to be how I am...Feeling sorry for my wife now ;)... My brother's the same way. About all he'd like is the stereo system and the cooler tho, seeings how he runs a 700+ hp 28' Checkmate :rolleyes: I know a few people on this forum I'd let borrow it.

My neighbor's had a few different boats. I've watched him beach it on the rocks, let his kids jump in and out off the land with muddy shoes on, leave it stranded on an island when the tide went out before they got back to it, etc. Some people just flat don't care... BTW, his boat isnt' a super expensive one to start with, but still a nice boat...But still... really?

[saskyrider]

Your Dad, not beat taco's Dad, right?

That is correct haha

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[beat taco]

Lol!
We did this trip every year. It's a fairly large group. I had another friend join the trip and bring his boat. By about his third year of coming he was on a mission a month before leaving saying this year your dad's not taking over and driving my boat!
So we get there and the first day we drop our boats and head to the day use area (my dad was already there) to put in our anchors for the day my friend asks for my tube. I shove it his way and go back to organizing and setting my boat up. I see his boat with my tube leave out the corner of my eye and finish up what I was doing and walk up to the beach. Then I see my friend still standing there! I'm like wtf? With my dad out with his crew on my friends boat we decide to go wake boarding. After we finish our sets we headback to the beach where my buddies boat is back anchored. As we walk up on the beach I see what use to be my tube with the entire front ripped out of it and the tow point turned into no less than 8' of 3" wide nylon strap! I see my dad approaching and he says "this thing got a warranty? Must be defective. We were just idling along and someone noticed it was floating away, at first we just thought it came untied."

[kaneboats]

Some guys are just hard on stuff. Can't explain why. Others are malicious. When I was 16 I saved money all summer for a new O'brien slalom ski. I got it in August as stuff started to be discounted for the off season. I was so proud of it-- it was the nicest ski anyone had owned since the cool new wooden Taperflex one my Mom got in the 70's. Of course, I let everyone use it, including my Uncle Gordy. Gordy rode the ski and came back and said it was a good ski. Of course, this was on a rocky river. When he skied back to the dock and dropped he rode into the shallow water and grounded the ski on the rocks. So it was scraped on the bottom and had a ding in the skeg. He also seemed to have stripped out one of the adjustable binding screws. I never let him use it again and I found some new non-ajustable bindings for it so it only fit me.

[moombadaze]

^^ did something similar, working a summer sorting cherries and bought a HO mach one, got adjustable front binding with a rear toe strap, next summer bought double wrap bindings and nobody else liked having both feet strapped in that I didn't have to loan it out anymore

[patrick232]

Some of these stories are funny. I have never lent my boat out, but would to a few select friends that have allowed me to use theirs. I will admit, I will not try and borrow a boat again. We had no boat in 2011 so my neighbor Jeff let me take his to TN and I hit a bridge with the anchor light. Not as bad as it sounds, but could have been worse. Who would have have thought that in 1 hour after dropping off the wives and 4 little kids my buddy and I run to the marina and the water level+lighted load raised the boat enough to hit the bridge, had 4" of clearance before. Man those Nautique lights are expensive. Later the same summer my buddy Ray had is boat at Norris and offered for me to use it and tow it back for him. On the tight roads leading back to our condo, two trailers passing don't work so well. I caught the prop guard on when I dropped a wheel off the blacktop. Trashed prop guard. That has yet to be repaired, since I had already purchased a spare rim and tire for him. Maybe since I have his boat in my warehouse I will fix it and see if he notices.

[wolfeman131]

well, we now all know one guy to definitely mark off the list!

[kaneboats]

Nope. He's ok. He fixes the crap he breaks. Stuff on a boat is going to break every now and then. We don't keep 'em under glass cases. But the guy who was responsible has to be responsible. He can use mine.

[KG's Supra24]

well, we now all know one guy to definitely mark off the list!

Didn't you get marked off Dusty's list? :p

[bergermaister]

Was camping on the island a few years back, I had to go in to work for the day, so left my boat with my buddy who had the day off. (he's owned several boats and is my right hand man every summer). He drops me at the dock and it's like any other day at work during the summer - wishing I was on the water instead. Hit the dock at 5:00pm and he's sitting there waiting, big grin on his face. Boat is fine, but I'm looking at him going what? WHAT? WTF Man... He just keeps grinning and says nothing.

Later that night at the campfire I learn that he and his wife went out and "christened" my boat while I was at work... Bastard.

I suppose I'd still trust him with it - just make sure the vinyl is all wiped down before I see it again.


But never a renter - and not even family members for that matter!

[rc5695]

Was camping on the island a few years back, I had to go in to work for the day, so left my boat with my buddy who had the day off. (he's owned several boats and is my right hand man every summer). He drops me at the dock and it's like any other day at work during the summer - wishing I was on the water instead. Hit the dock at 5:00pm and he's sitting there waiting, big grin on his face. Boat is fine, but I'm looking at him going what? WHAT? WTF Man... He just keeps grinning and says nothing.

Later that night at the campfire I learn that he and his wife went out and "christened" my boat while I was at work... Bastard.


Buahahahaaha. Still trying to get the wife to go out and leave all the kids at home. lol. I remember when we ere just married we took my dad's boat up the river and we were not quite to "home run" status, and apparently the cars on the bridge we'd crossed under earlier could still see us...we started hearing people honking. lol

[wolfeman131]

Didn't you get marked off Dusty's list? :p

That was Dusty's Mom's list. She got tired of me wrecking the way she walked.

[moombadaze]

Was camping on the island a few years back, I had to go in to work for the day, so left my boat with my buddy who had the day off. (he's owned several boats and is my right hand man every summer). He drops me at the dock and it's like any other day at work during the summer - wishing I was on the water instead. Hit the dock at 5:00pm and he's sitting there waiting, big grin on his face. Boat is fine, but I'm looking at him going what? WHAT? WTF Man... He just keeps grinning and says nothing.

Later that night at the campfire I learn that he and his wife went out and "christened" my boat while I was at work... Bastard.

I suppose I'd still trust him with it - just make sure the vinyl is all wiped down before I see it again.


But never a renter - and not even family members for that matter! to funny......

[uniwarking]

Was camping on the island a few years back, I had to go in to work for the day, so left my boat with my buddy who had the day off. (he's owned several boats and is my right hand man every summer). He drops me at the dock and it's like any other day at work during the summer - wishing I was on the water instead. Hit the dock at 5:00pm and he's sitting there waiting, big grin on his face. Boat is fine, but I'm looking at him going what? WHAT? WTF Man... He just keeps grinning and says nothing.

Later that night at the campfire I learn that he and his wife went out and "christened" my boat while I was at work... Bastard.

I suppose I'd still trust him with it - just make sure the vinyl is all wiped down before I see it again.


But never a renter - and not even family members for that matter!

Lol!

I honestly don't think I'd trust anyone with my boat besides my wife.


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[rc5695]

Lol!
I honestly don't think I'd trust anyone with my boat besides my wife.


Hmmm. I'd trust a stanger almost as much as my wife.... :(

[uniwarking]

Hmmm. I'd trust a stanger almost as much as my wife.... :(

Gotta get her trained! I made my wife learn how to back the truck, pull the boat on and off, etc. She can put some of the boys to shame at the ramp :)

[bergermaister]

Careful with that one. A friend of a friend taught his wife everything about backing down, launching, loading, etc. She got so efficient that she decided to take the boat out without him a few times. Her and a couple girlfriends while he was at work. Drove him nuts!

Think of it- truck and boat pull up to the launch, 4 hot bikini clad women hop out and start prepping. No men to be seen. How many guys do you think zip right over and offer to help once they gauged the situation...

[kaneboats]

"Hi, ladies! We seem to have forgotten the key to our boat and we happen to have this cooler full of beer and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Plus we are certified wake sports instructors."

[patrick232]

Gotta get her trained! I made my wife learn how to back the truck, pull the boat on and off, etc. She can put some of the boys to shame at the ramp :)

Mine does put many to shame when backing the truck and trailer down. She is too concerned about damage to the boat when docking so no worries in her taking out alone yet.

[rc5695]

Haha. I don't think too many guys would come running when they saw a whole bunch of kids come running outta the van after her. lol

She could probably back it in, but I can't even get her to hold a speed so I can wakeboard, let alone dock it. She's done alright pulling it onto the trailer a couple of times. Usually let the older boys drive it off the trailer, pick me up & drop me off at the dock (not actaully docking the boat usually, just getting close enough for me to make the step off), and back onto the trailer. Some of ramps are pretty steep and you can't see the trailer once it drops down, but I need to teach the boys to back the trailer in one of these days. Ramps are usually busy enough I don't want them running my trailer into somebody's truck or something.

Not going to lie, I took off somebody's tailight before :( I have moved people's trailers by hand many times when they block me in ot out of a space though .

[kaneboats]

I need to teach the boys to back the trailer in one of these days. Ramps are usually busy enough I don't want them running my trailer into somebody's truck or something.

Go to a school parking lot at night when nobody is around and have them practice. I've done this with all my drivers to get practice. Have them back and turn till it's second nature. By the 4th time you go they will be pros. Then get to the ramp early (or kind of late) for their first try. Also, remember it is hard to see with the boat off the trailer. With your van they probably have to use mirrors anyway and that is the best way to learn b/c it's harder to learn later. When you practice, try covering the back window, the rear view mirror, then the side mirrors. Once they can do it under any conditions they'll be pros.

[rc5695]

Good idea. there's a school near the house too.

They have a little experience backing/driving with trailers pulling sleds/cushions, etc. behind dirtbikes and with the little lawn trailer behind the trailer. I"ve had them hook the van up to the boat and my flatbed a bunch of times, and back up my flat bed a few times down the driveway (its ~400' long). You HAVE to use the mirros to back it up since it is low and the vans tall. Good practice for them for sure.

[94Boom]

Rent it NO, loan it to a select few for sure, and mine is only a Boomerang haha. Those that I would loan it to all have better inboards than me. One time I was driving a 23' Scarab of a close friend of mine, his wife was with my ex wife and I, she was guiding us around there lake with me driving. I was just putting along looking at the beautiful cottages of Muskoka when I hit a rock. She refused to let me pay for the prop as she told me it was fine to go through there. A few weeks later we see some other friends that are friends with them as well and they tell us a story about Collen (scarab wife) destroying a prop. Long story short that is a good friend as she refused to blame me weeks later. They now have a Tige and are one of the few I would trust without a doubt.

Brian