First time boat owner from Arkansas

[drummer13]

Hey I'm not too sure where to start. I have wanted a boat my for most of life and didn’t really have a preference as to which type. I'm 34 years old with a family so it has taken me nearly 10 years to save enough money to buy a boat as I didn't want to have a payment or anything. I have 2 boys who have taken to fishing and the youngest is convinced that he will catch many more fish if he wasn't stuck on the bank. I began really doing some research on a boat that would fit the whole family. Originally I thought about getting a bass boat and was really familiar with Nitro's as my friend had one, and Ranger since they are locally made. I quickly realized that the prices of even a 20 year old Ranger was way out of my price range. One day I saw a listing of a Nitro 185 and it was love at first sit. I didn't even know that a fish/ski boat existed and it would be perfect for my family. After looking at all the other fish/ski boats it was obvious that Nitro had perfected the boat. To make a loooong story short I had 14 (yes literally 14) different boats fall through either from fraudulent sellers or people selling the boat before I got there including one who told me when to come and sold the boat the day before I flew to California, who said "we didn't have a deal due to not having a meeting of the minds" which to this day I still don’t know what that meant and after was pretty crushed and really wanted to give up. Then a really good friend of mine sent me a link. So just 2 days ago I drove over 500 miles and bought an amazing 2007 Nitro 189 Sport with less than 50 hours on the motor. I am so excited and still cannot believe it is in my garage. The boat is missing a few things and needs a good cleaning but it is all mine. I'm excited to meet some fellow Nitro owners. If anyone has some ideas where I could obtain a copy of an owners manual and where to purchase some accessories for a boat that is 13 years old as everyone I have reached out to has not been able to provide me with any info. Thanks in advance!

 

[FastZ8]

Welcome! I would start with TH Marine. Performance and other items they have are great! Nice people to work with too. Also, make sure you find a mechanic you can trust in your area and have him take a look at the boat/ trailer to make sure you and your family are safe. I would watch YouTube videos on boating safety and rules as well.

 

[Major Mark]

original owner manuals are/were so vague, they literally cover general boats, not specific to actual models from my experience. There is a boat supply distributor that is near by me in Wisconsin, but does ship ANYWHERE. They have such an inventory that a person can browse the aisles for hours. If there is a specific item needed for your specific model rig, they'd be a good option to call. They have a huge online searchable store of many take-offs, new or used boat parts.
Kendor Marine Main Site
Great Lakes Skipper Their online store

Nice looking family toy!!