Two things boats are good for: 1) a hole in the water to throw money into and 2) a nasty way to die if you don’t know what you’re doing.
If you research the boats that are attractive in your area they truly are pleasure boats and not money pits. I bought a 17’ Carolina Skiff and used it for 4 seasons. Paid 17K for it new and got 12.5K back. Used it for just cruising the lake, picnicking, swimming off of, fishing, wake boarding, and tubing with friends and family. Now your part 2 is absolutely correct.