NewBoater.com - How to Buy Your First Boat

Another Reason to Love Savannah

2007-12-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

Savannah has always been one of my favorite destinations, and I hope to actually boat there one day. Nathan Domnitz just reaffirmed my love for Savannah.

Nathan's article, which appeared in the Savannah Morning News today, is perfect if you are trying to figure out what type of boat to buy. The article, geared toward new boaters, is a fantastic piece that includes many questions to ask yourself, such as:

How many people are in the family, and how many would be on the boat? What about friends as additional passengers?

Do they have time for a boat? Do they need a trailer? Can they tow a boat that size with their current vehicle?

In fact, the only thing I don't like about the article is that it didn't mention NewBoater.com or even FirstBoat.com as resources that new boaters should look to for more information. Where are our "Props"?

Despite my disappointment, here is the link to the article:
Floating ideas for first-time boat buyers

A hidden gem or a bad egg?

2006-05-15T06:30:00.000-04:00

A neglected-looking boat is not always a hidden gem that simply needs new bottom or a tune-up. In my early days of looking for a boat I was often told by boat dealers that I should look for a used boat that looks like it needs a little T.L.C. if I want to find a great boat at a low price. They said that I should not pass over a boat that needs a little bottom paint, or new upholstery, or a new windshield, as the boat may have a solid hull and engine; further, because many boat shoppers may pass right over these boats due to their poor aesthetics, the price may be attainable for a wise boat buyer like me!

Well, I'm here to tell you to be wary of this thinking. Your original instinct - the one that tells you that the previous boat owner who kept the exterior of his boat a mess likely also neglected the "insides" of the boat - is likely the case. It is quite possible that if a boater didn't think it was important to keep the top of his boat protected from the sun and salt with constant washings and waxings, then he also didn't think too highly of keeping his engine maintained regularly or his boat covered in the winter.

Then, think of the person you know who gets their car washed and waxed regularly, and has their house power washed every year and keeps a meticulously landscaped yard. Doesn't this person also likely to bring his car in for regular maintenance, and have a structurally sound house?

I'm not saying you should judge a book by its cover; but when it comes to buying a used boat, you're likely to enjoy the boat more in the long run if you stick to boats that LOOK like they have been well-maintained.

Even then, of course, you have to be careful! There have been many stories, some of them even true (probably), of people buying meticulous-LOOKING boats only to find out that the vessel barely survived Hurricane Katrina but was salvaged and cleaned up for some unsuspecting boat buyer who thought they were getting a fabulous deal.

Trust but verify. My advice is to buy a used boat that looks well-maintained, but make sure you have the engine and hull thoroughly checked by a surveyor before making the purchase.

More on Fishing Boats

2006-05-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

Another consideration for fishermen and potential fishermen (I mean fisherwomen too, but that sounds funny, doesn't it?) is horsepower, engine size, etc. You may have already determined that you would "LIKE TO" go fishing off-shore every weekend, rain or shine.

The reality is, if you are a new boater, that your expectations might be too high! In fact, you may find after your first weekend that you prefer fishing at the breakers that are 3/4 of a mile outside your harbor, or that you realize the cost of fuel to get to the big game breeding grounds is too much! If this turns out to be true, you may be stuck with too big of a boat for your true needs.

How do you avoid this dilemma? Two ways: Either start off small in the first place, and by the end of the first summer, if you feel restrained and are yearning to go where your small boat can't, then simply upgrade for the following season; Or, put off buying a boat altogether, and try out some charter fishing trips before you buy. The cost of charters might seem high, but in the end, you could save thousands of dollars by buying the right boat when you finally do make the purchase.

What Makes a Fishing Boat a Fishing Boat

2006-04-12T16:29:00.000-04:00

Let me start with the easy stuff. Fishing boats are a relatively easy choice if plan to spend more time than not fishing from your boat. That might sound obvious, but there's more to consider along the lines of some of the questions in the previous post.

Obvious to some, but you have to think about the following: Many of the sleek, attractive cuddy cabins, bow riders, express cruisers, and of course speed boats, simply are not practical for fishing. And fishing boats are not usually all that sexy.

No matter what type of fishing you do, it all comes down to mobility. Essentially, you need a boat designed to let you move around easily to chase a fish that might be fighting hard - ducking under your boat - coming up on the other side, etc, etc. You don't have to be a big game fisherman to experience this, even a small bass or blue fish can give you this type of a fight. And for that reason, you need to look for open-designed boats specifically made with fishing in mind. For new boaters, these can simply be a bass boat (noted for having what looks like an office chair screwed to the bow) for many fresh water needs, or a Boston Whaler for your near-shore fresh or salt water single-day fishing trips.

If you're looking for something bigger to accommodate more than a couple of buddies going fishing for more than a few hours, you need to look at cuddies and cruisers specifically designed for fishing. In addition to the obvious tubes or sleeves strategically placed around the boat to hold your rods, these boats are also marked by their layout... A good fishing boat will have more deck space and less cabin space (if any); it will have accessible compartments in the deck for storing fish or gear; and it will always have a wide, accessible walk-around area that will let you walk 360 degrees all the way around the boat. The smaller of these boats are referred to as "center console" boats because, yes, that's where their console is - in the center. The bigger fishing boats - with cabins - will have wider than normal paths along the sides of the boat so you can easily access the bow and follow the fish! Once you get up to the 25 foot and higher range, you can find a lot of great fishing boats that have practical space for doing what you love, as well as cabins that accommodate overnight fishing trips and beyond.

Here are a few fishing boat manufacturers for you to check out.

What type of boat to buy

2006-04-10T16:31:00.000-04:00

Now, on to the nitty gritty of what type of boat to buy, or rather, what do you want to do with your boat? Where will you boat? How far from shore do you hope to travel? Who will boat with you (really)? How long will you boat for (overnight, weekends, weeks at a time, just a couple of hours at a time)? Will you fish, and if so, a lot or just once in a while, or will you FISH? Will you water-ski or pull inflatable things that bounce behind your boat with people holding on for dear life. Do you want to keep it on a trailer and dump it in the water when you want to use the boat, or keep it in a slip at a marina (or dry-docked).

Seriously, these are the types of things that you need to ask yourself to narrow down the style of boat you will purchase.

Think about them for a while, and we'll discuss what they mean for you and they type of boat you will soon own.

3rd Post: Dream Big, Buy Small

2005-10-12T06:12:00.000-04:00

It is with these aforementioned scare tactics that I encourage you to consider a smaller boat than you currently anticipate purchasing, in order to make sure you buy a late model boat. Even if you have to spend slightly more than you anticipated now, your total cost of ownership (TCO) will be less if you buy a brand new boat or at least a high-quality boat that is less than 4 years old. Believe me, you will be much happier spending an extra $10,000 (spread over 10 years that may be only an additional $100/month) if it means you don’t have to go through the hassle of trying to sell the boat in a few years with a heavily eroded engine or hull – then you have to start all over again! Your best bet is to start smaller than you intended to, and work your way up after enjoying your first boat for a few years. It is sad when you first come to the realization that you might have to buy a smaller or less “fancy” boat than you had planned on buying.

Personally, I was in big-time denial when I first came to that realization as a buyer. Call it sticker shock or naivety, but more than one boat dealer told me that I had champagne taste and a beer budget! I was also told that I wanted the equivalent of a Jaguar for the price of a Ford Escort. What I found, as I came to the realization that I might not be able to buy the ultimate boat of my dreams right now, was that first of all, most people experience the SAME thing. Meaning, everyone I speak with at my marina wishes they had a bigger, faster or different boat than they currently enjoy. Second, by looking at the used boat classifieds and seeing the same boats for sale at boat dealerships over and over again, I came to realize the fact that if you buy a big boat that turns out to be a lemon, you may get stuck with it for a very long time – it will take longer to sell than a higher quality boat. Third, because of better and better designs each year, you may be surprised at how much more living space a brand new 24 foot express cruiser will have compared to a 10 year old 27 foot express cruiser. That’s right, a “smaller” boat in description built ten years later will likely have a bigger beam (that means it will be wider), and almost certainly will be designed to give you more room to move around in the cabin. Now, you just have to quell your ego! If you think it’s “cooler” to have a 27 ft boat built 10 years ago instead of a 24 ft boat built last year, you will be wishing you were “uncool” when your 10 year old boat is being repaired instead of letting you enjoy it on the water!

2nd Post: Used Boats

2005-10-11T17:49:00.000-04:00

Anyway, enough about me; let’s get back to the subject of how to buy a boat. Like most, you are probably thinking about trying to get the biggest boat possible for the least amount of money. If you are thinking of doing this by purchasing a used boat, beware. Unlike a car, there is no lemon law for boats, especially when buying from a private party. Additionally, there is no “Car Fax” service available for boats where you can view the history of a pre-owned boat’s insurance claims and the like. Even if there were such a service, it would be impossible for it to inform you of how well its previous owner or owners kept the boat. Such a report would not tell you how many times the engine needed repair or was left sitting in salt water for days or weeks. It would not tell you of makeshift repairs of damaged hulls or floors or electronics. It would not tell you how many summer days the boat was left uncovered and unprotected from the sun, and how many winter nights the boat was left dry-docked, but uncovered and piled in snow. Or even worse, how many animals made your new cabin their winter home before you purchased this so-called “big boat a fantastic price.” Even if the engine sounds okay to you during your sea trial (yes, you need to demand a sea trial – an on-water test-drive before you buy), there’s a good chance with a 5 to 10 year old boat, that sometime in the first few years the engine will probably die. This will result in anywhere from $5000 to $10000 if it is just a single-engine I/O (inboard/outboard) boat.

What about the hull? Well, the first thing to consider is whether the boat was kept in freshwater or salt. The correct answer from the selling party is that it was ALWAYS used and docked in fresh water. Salt water on a boat is like an incurable cancer – it eats away at everything over time – the engine, the hull, the chrome in your cockpit, and the electronics are all affected by the sea and its spray, and even the air if a boat is used regularly in salt water. Knowing that the seller of the boat you are buying also knows this fact, can you be sure that they are telling you the truth about where the boat was used and stored? If they were not the original owners, can you be sure the previous owners were as trustworthy as these fine folks that are currently trying to sell their boat to you?

First Post - My First Boat

2005-10-11T06:47:00.000-04:00

So, you say, after that story why should you listen to me for advice on how to buy a boat? Well, I want people to learn from my experience. I was burned badly on my first transaction, and I don’t want it to happen to anybody else. I grew up in a boating household, the “son of a sailor” so to speak. My father already had a small cabin cruiser when I was born, and living 2 blocks from the beach on Long Island Sound was ideal for a young boy who loved rowing around in an inflatable and sailing a Sunfish on hot summer days. My father’s passion for boating and fishing combined with my family home’s proximity to the Sound, allowed me to be around boats my entire childhood. In addition to sailing on a classic 17 ft Sunfish lent to me by my brother-in-law, I enjoyed the various powerboats my father owned throughout my life, including a 21 ft center console fishing boat, as well as 25, 28 and 33 ft cabin cruisers. After finishing college and starting a professional life landlocked north of Hartford, Connecticut, I spent several years away from boating. In the spring of 1999, after cashing in some stock options from one of my successful dot-com businesses, I purchased my first boat – a 27 foot Chris Craft express cruiser.

As somebody who had worked in the Internet industry since 1996, the worldwide web was the first place I looked for information on everything from where to get a boating license, to how to get marine insurance, to how to name a boat. But content on these subjects was disparate – and it was hard to weed out sound advice from rumors and ramblings. So, at the same time that I bought my first boat, I also launched a web site (FirstBoat.com), where I began to aggregate information and resources for new boat owners. The site included either information, or links to other sites where you can find information, on subjects such as boating navigation and safety, how to choose a boat name, and information on boat loans and insurance. When I couldn’t find or write a good article to post on the site about a subject, I would provide visitors to a link to another website that might have the answers they were looking for. When visitors submitted a question that I couldn’t answer myself, I submitted it to an online boating forum where other experienced boaters might be able to provide an answer. By collaborating and staying on top of all the information that was pertinent to new boaters, I have essentially become a go-to guy for people looking for advice on buying or enjoying their first boat. New boaters know that if I don’t know the answer, then I can find the answer for them.

Introduction - How to Buy Your First Boat

2005-10-11T02:35:00.000-04:00

What's the best type of boat to buy?

Used boats are fine, but beware of pre-owned boats that look like they are a great deal!

When you really start to look, you may find that the majority of used boats on the market today are neglected. While the average boat-buyer assumes a coat of paint or polish will restore a boat that looks neglected, it's usually not true. More on this topic here.

Most people's first boat is in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. Buying the wrong boat will cost a lot more at the end of the day. I speak from experience. Read on...

The first boat I purchased as an adult cost me $19,000. I didn’t buy the boat from an Internet ad (these were scarce in 1999), or from a pushy used boat dealer. The seller was the husband of a woman that worked with my brother. The seller lived in the town I grew up in. I thought that loose relationship was enough to trust that I would not be ripped off on the purchase. I even overlooked the fact that the boat was dirty... there were empty soda and beer cans in the cabin even though it was spring and the boat hadn’t been used all winter. The boat was only 5 or 6 years old, yet the vinyl seats on the deck, as well as the paint on the hull, were desperately faded. I thought to myself that this was only aesthetic, and that it would actually help me get a better deal on what was a solid boat, as other buyers would be looking for something “prettier”. I was convinced that the lack of attention paid to the outside of the boat was not a sign of structural or engine damage inside the boat. Actually, I was concerned about a hairline crack towards the bow, so I had the boat surveyed (which you should always do anyway, more on surveying later). The surveyor told me the hull was in good shape, but I should have been wary when he asked “me” to climb down into the engine compartment and “have a look”. I am not mechanically inclined at all, as my friends and family will attest to (though they may not put it so politely). The end result was that after one summer’s worth of fun on the boat, I had to put her out to pasture due to a completely rusted out engine that my mechanic told me was the result of years of abuse.