Written By Don Seibert

When shopping for a boat, there are many things to take into consideration. Most importantly, you should know, as precisely as possible, what style, year, and brand of boat you want, what options are important to you and what your boating budget will be. The more homework you do before shopping, the more likely you will be pleased with your purchase.

To select the right boat for your family, there are several questions to ask yourself. How many persons will likely be on the boat when you are cruising, Will you be towing a skier, wakeboarder, or tuber? How fast should the boat go to satisfy your ‘need for speed’? Will you also be wanting to fish from the boat? How seriously? Will you be using the boat primarily on a lake or river or will you be venturing out into the sound or ocean, or Gulf? Will the boat be trailered to and from the water or stored at a marina. Do If stored at a marina, will you need to purchase a trailer? Will you be in the range of toilet facilities or should your boat also be equipped with a head?

Do you plan on purchasing your boat for cash or will you be financing it? Have you added operating costs, insurance, maintenance, storage, etc to your boating budget so that it is realistic? Are you primarily looking for a new boat or a pre-owned boat? Of the boat brands that you like the best, have you located the dealers in your state? Have you checked out the internet boat shopping sites for used boats of the type you want?

Boats depreciate more than 20% in their first year, on average. Many times, if you can find a year old boat in good condition, it may likely be just like a new one and at a much better price. Also, you may find a dealer with prior year models in inventory that can be bought at a discount and still have the new boat warranty, etc. It really pays to shop and to keep your options open

If you are considering a pre-owned boat, what is the high limit on engine hours which will be acceptable? Has the beat been used in salt water or fresh water. (Salt water takes its toll on boats and motors, so their value depreciated more rapidly).

It’s been suggested that boat owners seem to come down with a rare disease called ‘foot and foot’ disease. When you have that malady, you must buy a boat that is a foot longer or a foot wider to cure the disease and, therefore, it can be an expensive illness to cure! In any event, there are usually many quite good used boats to be found in the market, if you know how to seek them out and to evaluate them.

In selecting a pre-owned boat, it is very helpful if you are familiar with the various boat brands and their respective reputations for quality, length of time in business, and market share. If you know, for example, that boat is manufactured by a tried and proven boat builder who has a reputation for quality, you will have fewer worries than if the manufacturer has only been in existence for a year or two! Naturally, better made boats are going to hold their price somewhat better than lesser known boats.

Of course, there are certain advantages to buying a new boat versus a pre-owned boat. New boats and engines always come with a manufacturer’s warranty so that you can be certain of your maintenance and repair costs for some period of time, at least. Financing is generally easier on a new boat and the length of the financing period is usually longer on a new boat. Down payments are smaller or non-existent on many new boats. Of course, having that brand new feel and smell and knowing that you are the only family to use it – also has considerable appeal. That appeal can be expensive, however!

It is always a good idea to test drive any boat you are considering before you purchase it, whether it is new or used. All boats tend to look seaworthy when sitting on a trailer or boat rack, and you can only really tell about the adequacy for the engine’s power by driving under a load.

With a little homework, process of shopping for a boat and be exciting and fun! Have a great voyage!

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Don is a veteran of the U S Coast Guard and is a retired marina owner and boat dealer, His website, More Free Boating Articles (http://www.metrics-publishing.com/Boating), has many more articles related to recreational boating.