Many people wonder if they are screwing themselves when buying a boat. Here are some things to ask yourself and keep in mind when thinking about and buying a boat.
Be informed and educated about boats and buying boats. If you jump without any preparation, you will definitely get burned. Before you even think about getting a boat, you must have significant boating experience. If you don’t, then it is very important that you study boater education and your state’s boater education test. You will need to check your state’s boating laws and regulations. Navigating is very different from just getting in a car and driving. You must be knowledgeable about the responsibilities of boating and have the skills to safely operate a boat.
When buying a boat, selecting the boats you are interested in is the biggest part of the job. You need to have a trained eye for this, as people new to boating won’t have enough experience to see some of the warning signs. Your trained eye should be a trustworthy, objective friend who has a lot of boating experience and has made good boat buying decisions.
Bring your experienced boater with you on the first trips you take to look for boats to buy. Ask them to look up the oldest and cheapest boats you like so they can point out anything that needs to be fixed or could turn into a financial nightmare. Pay close attention when they tell you what to look and look for. Bring a notebook to write this down and take notes on each ship you see. Also follow your friend’s advice and if he tells you to stay away from a boat because of something they found, do it.
Actually, don’t decide to test drive a boat or even buy one right now. You have to go home and check your notes on all the ships. Then decide if you want to try any of them. When you take a boat test drive, you need to know how to operate a boat legally and safely. During this test drive, you need to focus on the performance of the boat. Does it take a long time to start? Does it regularly die after the engine has warmed up to operating temperature? Does it hesitate for a long time when given significant throttle? Does the throttle cut off during cruise speed? Is there excessive vibration or unusual noise? Are any of the meters not working?
When buying a boat, you need to remember that there are no lemon laws to protect you when you buy boats from private owners. You must take the boat to a marine service shop for inspection.
