For many people, buying a boat is the ultimate lifestyle accessory – lazy Sunday afternoons cruising around the bay with family and friends, fishing with mates or simply enjoying a sunset with a loved one while docked at the marina. But before all of this can happen, what are the key points to consider when purchasing a boat?
1. What will you use the boat for?
Just like many other modes of transport, boats too are built for specific uses. Therefore, it’s important to decide what the main use of the boat will be. If you want the boat for fishing, do you want to shallow or deep sea fishing? What about day trips with the family or even using the boat for accommodation purposes? Once you’ve pinpointed what the uses for the boat will be, that will ultimately determine the vessel’s size, features, build and engine power and capacity.
2. What is the right sized boat for your needs?
The size of the boat is very important – it will determine how many passengers you can have onboard, how much luggage you and your guests can bring, what kind of waters you can venture into and how much it will cost to run.
3. What kind of conditions will the boat be taken into?
Boats are specifically built for weather and water conditions from particular materials to ensure they can last the distance –this will impact where you can go and what you can do with your boat.
4. Where will you store the boat?
When deciding where to store the boat, you need to consider if you have the space available at home, or if it’s a larger boat - do you have the extra money to keep it at a marina? Also, it’s important to figure out how accessible the boat will be – moving piles of other things in your garage to get to your boat, or having to book in the use of your boat far in advance at the marina just isn’t practical.
5. Do you have a vehicle appropriate to tow the boat?
If you decide to store the boat at home, you’ll need a car to tow it when you do decide to take it out on the water. If you currently own a vehicle that doesn’t have the ability to do so, you will need to consider hiring or borrowing a car that does. If you intend to take the boat out quite frequently, it might even be beneficial purchasing a vehicle that can tow the boat.
These are all important questions to ask yourself, especially if this is your first time buying a boat. In fact, most first time boat buyers sell their vessel within the first two years – either because they need to upgrade or they give up boating altogether! Don’t let this happen to you – do the research, know what you want and buy the boat that suits what you’re looking for.