Hurst01,
Had to laugh at the "...at what point in life can anyone afford a boat?" A hole in the water that you try to fill with money, right? Sounds like you're off to a good start on the one you got, though! A $35K ride for a $10K investment is pretty good, and who knows you may run into someone at the marina who falls in love with it, and forces you to take their money!
Sounds like you're a pretty self reliant guy with a wide range of talents, and I expect that your buddies see you as the guy who's always there to help them, but not as a guy who welcomes helpers. Some times you've got to just put out the word, "Hey, it's payback time, guys! I'm going to be working on my car Saturday and I could really use some help!" Your buddies may be leery, thinking that you might be offended by them thinking you can't do it all by yourself.
Got any pictures of the boat?