Buying the Right Boat
Before you dash to the nearest showroom to buy that glitzy boat you have admired for a while, do a bit of research. Get as much information as you possibly can, learn about the pros and cons
of different designs and different solutions, to be able to make a good qualified decision.
Buying a boat is a major step with long-term consequences. In this, boats are much different than cars. While every new car you like can be reasonably good in use, boats show great differences
in capabilities, behavior, comfort, maintenance, running costs, and safety in adverse conditions met on water.
A wrong choice can turn out to be not only a very expensive error and a source of great frustrations, it can even put your safety at risk.
Firstly, have a good look into a few design concepts and solutions. In this age of Internet this is easier than ever. Just sit at your PC and spend a few focused hours, even days researching boats
within the category of your interest and within your budget and even above it. Of coarse, it is all too easy to drift away into big
luxurious boats that are so out of reach for most normal people. Yet, for a number of reasons, even that can give you some ideas what to look for and add some practical value:
- Think where would you be using your boat most of the time, on what kind of water and under what kind of weather conditions. How many people would you like to have on board? There are legal
requirements that define for each boat the maximum number of people it should carry at any time, where children count the same as adults.
- How far do you live from your favorite water area? Where would you keep your boat when you are not using it? Should it have a permanent mooring, or are
there some other options. If the boat you intend to buy is not too big, would you consider a trailer boat as a practical solution? If yes, do you have a vehicle that can safely tow your
intended boat through the road traffic?
- What would you like to do with your boat? Where would you like to go? How many people would you take with you?
- What kind of boat actually appeals to you? A fast planning boat capable of pulling a skier behind, a more comfortable displacement boat, a fishing boat or a family cruiser? Or, would you rather
have a sail boat, a long voyage capable cruiser or a fast racing yacht? A monohull, a catamaran, or even a trimaran? How is your experience in sailing the boat of your choice? It it is a
fast sailing vessel, do you have the physical strength and agility required? Do you plan to use the boat alone even occasionally?
- Research the subject as much as you can. Learn about different options and see if and why they would be important to you.
- Find out about the designers and the manufacturers behind the boats that interest you. A well known and respected names can offer real experience and value.
- Do buy the biggest boat of the best quality you can afford. Not necessarily the most expensive one, as the high price is still no guarantee of a good design solutions that will
make your time on the water safer, more comfortable and more enjoyable. Good functionality and quality cost more to produce. But, when you buy them, you pay once, but enjoy the boat
for many years.
- Remember, you will finally know your boat only as you take it out under different circumstances, you at the helm.
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A DRAFT TEXT. Thank you for your understanding.