Tips for First Time Boat Buyers
Thinking of Buying Your First Boat? 6 Questions to Think About
Buying a boat for the first time is a big step. Scary. Stressful. You’re thinking about spending a lot of money on a machine that you hope works well for years to come. So what question do you need to ask before, during and after the process?
Fear not…we’re here to help!
We recommend that you stop in to Atlantic Boats and talk with one of our experienced sales representatives. They know all these questions to ask, and they’ll probably start off by asking most of them. These questions are fairly basic to the boat purchasing experience.
But you should start thinking about them before you begin your search for the perfect boat.
- What do you want to do with your boat? Pretty basic, but also pretty important. Are you looking for a great fishing boat? Or a vessel that you and your family can enjoy for outings, cruising, picnics, and watersports? Or both? Do you plan to keep it local? Or do you want to explore nearby ports and harbors, venture out to some nearby islands, or maybe spend some time on an extended trip down the Intracoastal Waterway? Thinking about all these things will help you narrow your search down from all the myriad types and sizes of boats on the market.
- What’s your budget? Heck, we’d all like to buy one of those hundred-foot mega-yachts that come with a helicopter deck and a crew of seven. But we might need to win the Powerball first. Have a realistic budget in mind when you begin your search for a boat. That will help narrow down the choices, say between a new boat and a used one.
- Start (with) your engine. Outboard? Inboard? Diesel? Thinking about the power plant is important. There are costs to think about, of course, but also ongoing maintenance considerations. Again, if you’re not mechanically inclined, talk to a boating expert (like our sales reps) and ask a lot of questions.
- Amenable to amenities. How many bells and whistles do you want? How many do you need? Many people think it’s great to have a stove, a DVD player, a shower and a cuddy cabin, only to find that they never use these things. And what about a head (toilet)? For most families, this is a very important concern!
- Where do you keep it? Another basic, but basically important question. During the boating season, where are you going to keep your boat? At a marina, tied up to a slip or a mooring? Trailer it into and out of the water? There are costs and other considerations for both. And what about the off-season (known around here as ‘winter.’) Warehouse? Shrink wrap? Your backyard on the trailer? The questions keep on coming!
- Maintenance. Often overlooked, the cost of maintaining your new boat is important. It takes a bit of work and a lot of regular care to ensure your boat and its engines will continue to work properly and efficiently for years to come. Even on a brand new boat, things wear out, need checking and require periodic replacement. The best time to find out the cost of maintenance on your boat is before you purchase it.
Those are just a few areas to get you thinking. There are many more. But don’t panic. People successfully figure all these things out and happily buy boats every day, week and year!
We just want you to start the process with lots of questions. And when you need some good answers, come see Atlantic Boats, Inc. We’ve been helping people buy the right boat for many years now!
