I'll say it...buy a glass boat. You'll be happy you did.

Trailer? Like others said above...the boat is a pretty simple tool, the trailer is where half the money and 3/4 of your work will end up...always. Fuckin trailers.

Have a buddy who knows how to row...people who think they'll get to fish more now that they own a boat are fooling themselves...what you'll get to do is row more, fish less...having a buddy who can row, too, will ease the pain a bit.

Don't worry too hard about the raft/pontoon/drifter thoughts...whichever one you buy, if you like it, you'll end up buying one of the others within a few years, too...that's the way it goes.

Repeat after me: BOAT stands for "Bust out another Thousand"...and it doesn't have to be a motor boat for that to happen!

Good luck, and have fun.

Fish on...

Todd