As I ended my workday, I swung into a local liquor store to pick up a Red Bull. While paying at the counter, I had the clerk print me up a couple California State Lottery quick picks—one Super LOTTO Plus and one MEGA Millions, after all, I wouldn’t want to miss my chance to win either.

I, as I assume many of you have done, start thinking of what I’d do with all that money. On the top of my to-do list once winning the LOTTO, is building my dream boat. This thought process is quickly followed by the next thought that I couldn’t just build one dream boat, it’d have to be several—my tastes are just too varied and let’s face it, if you’re going to dream, dream big!

I’ve actually had the pleasure of having two good friends over the past several years win the California State Lottery. One for $5 million and one for $19 million. Unfortunately for me, neither was blessed (eh-hum cursed) with the passion for high-speed offshore boats like I am. So needless to say, I haven’t seen a LOTTO boat yet.

There is, however, those who have worked hard and built their own fortunes (whether from the ground up or the old fashioned way of inheriting it), and built spectacular machines that boggle the mind and match anything a lottery winner could dream of owning. But that was with hard-earned money. I think it’d be slightly different to build a boat with an open checkbook of virtually free money!

Then, of course, there are those who have more money than God and are content with what they have. Not that what they have is something to scoff at, but their boats are not the latest and greatest thing to tie up at the recent raft up or dock.

I was recently at dinner with one such friend who keeps his 43-foot Nor-Tech in Florida, though he lives in California. While extremely eye-catching and grandiose, his boat is an older model and is one of the first 43s to be popped from the mold. I asked him when he plans on moving to his next ride. He answered after minimum thought: “It’s running right, it fits my needs and it gets us where we need to go comfortably in all sea conditions. Why would I build something else?”

Of course my response was, “Because you can!” He smiled and we went back to our sushi.

Who hasn’t sat down and drifted off in deep thought about their own dream boat? Which boat? What power? What drives? What options? What custom touches? What paint? The possibilities could be endless.

No, the majority of us will most likely not win the lottery, but I say keep on dreaming. Even if you can’t afford that million-dollar-plus offshore custom monster, you can buy what you can afford and enjoy the water just the same.

So how ‘bout it, what’s your “money’s-no-option,” ultimate offshore power boat?  Feel free to post your dream boat in the Comments section below.