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Boat GuideIntroductionA boat! If you’ve ever gunned the engine of any watercraft, whether it’s a ten-foot dingy or a thirty-foot cruiser, or raised the sail on the smallest sailboat, you know how exhilarating boating can be. Who can worry on the water? Well, actually, you have reason to worry a lot on the water if you haven’t done your homework before you become the captain of your own vessel.
Third, virtually no mandatory safety and quality guidelines are in place to protect you from buying junk or dangerous boats. Some boat sellers take advantage of this, and unfortunately, the worst boat salespersons make the worst used-car dealers look like saints. Oh, we forgot to tell you the major reason buying a boat smart is harder than buying a car smart: Boats eat money. The cost of the boat itself and key accessories such as radios are only the beginning of the cash outflow:
Aside from budget items, the consequences of buying the wrong boat can be pretty heavy. Breaking down on the side of the road in a car can be inconvenient, but sinking can be really inconvenient. That’s why you need tough, unbiased information, both before you buy and after you buy. And that’s why you’re reading the IQ Boat Guide! Our guide will help you answer key questions as it saves you thousands and thousands of dollars. We also provide great, trustworthy links to teach you even more. Use these tools wisely, and boating will be the great escape you’ve always dreamed it would be. So, let’s go boating!
IQ Boat Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Developing a Boat Budget   
Do it wrong and your boat will probably gather cobwebs from lack of use (it happens to tens of thousands of boats each year), or, worse, you’ll be forced to sell it at a hefty loss. There’s a piece of good news here, too: At times, the best boat buy is a slightly used boat owned by a person who didn’t budget in advance. Your objective is to be the buyer of that boat, not the seller! Here’s how to develop a realistic budget:
IQ Boat Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Sail or Power?
What type and size boat fits the recreational activities you desire?If you already enjoy boating, you probably already know if you are a “stinkpot” lover or a sailor at heart. But you may not yet know just which type and size boat will meet your recreational goals—or fit your budget. The sites below can help you consider all the options. A tip if you’re not a boater yet, or can’t decide whether you want to sail or motor. Becoming part of a local boating club before you buy is a smart thing to do. Become involved with the right group, and you’ll learn about all types of boats, learn how to become a good crewmember, and generally gain your “sea legs.” The links below under “Find a boat club” can help you find one in your area. What type of boat is right for you?Boat Types, a page from discoverboating.com, provides a short description and sketch of 37 types of power boats and sailboats. Boating Activities. From fishing to skiing to cruising or day sailing, discoverboating.com lists boats suitable for a variety of activities. “Finding the boat you want.” This article raises questions to consider in choosing the right boat. It’s from Boat U.S., the Boat Owners Association of the United States (boatus.com). Information about sailboatsdiscoversailing This site from SailAmerica.com bills itself as a “convenient way to get connected to the world of sailing.” It offers the Sailboat Wizard, a questionnaire that may help you determine what type sailboat fits your interests and budget. US Sailing, the national governing body of sailing in the United States, provides “Getting Started,” a site that provides a discussion of different types of sailboats and other resources. “The Sailing Life and You: Choosing the Right Boat” by Tom Linskey, published by Sail Magazine and available online on Discover Boating, profiles three popular types of boats—off-the-beach boats, daysailors, and coastal cruisers. Information about power boatsdiscoverboating.com Sponsored by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, this site offers introductory information and numerous articles about power boating, links to other power boating sites, an international calendar of boat shows, and other information on safety, maintenance, and boat owners education. Find a boat clubThe Council of Sailing Associations provides lists by state of sailing clubs, yacht clubs and other member organizations. United States Power Squadrons is a non-profit organization of boating enthusiasts who emphasize boating education and service to the community. Members belong to many local power and sail squadrons. They provide a search program to help you locate local squadrons. Boatlinks.com lists yacht, sail, fish, and power boat clubs. In addition there are hundreds of boating clubs with a Web presence. A good way to locate other clubs near you is to enter “boating clubs” plus the name of your city and state on the search line of your favorite search engine. IQ Boat Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. What Type of Engine?
Manufacturer’s websitesDon’t expect the seller of any engine to tell you to buy some other manufacturer’s engine. But the engine manufacturers do give you specifications, including fuel consumption. The manufacturers’ sites also give you a chance to see the different types of engines available to you. For instance, what are the advantages of four-stroke over two-stroke? Here are links to key outboard engine companies.
Boating magazinesMany boating magazines provide useful comparisons of various outboard and inboard engines as well as general boat reviews.
Independent resourcesSeveral independent authorities such as marine surveyors and technicians, can help educate you about marine engines (and lots of other topics, too.) Try these for a starter:
IQ Boat Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Buy New Or Used?
That’s why used boats, bought the IQ way, may be a very smart buy: you’ve let the other person pay for the depreciation. Unlike new boats, the wholesale and retail values of a used boat are more easily determined. We’ll give you links to help you with that. But we can’t help you find the “dealer cost” of new boats. So far, no one has published a reliable new boat invoice guide. New or Used? What’s Your Boating PleasureWant to take a break and daydream a bit? Here are some sites that will let you look at literally thousands of boats, new and used. You can also search most of these sites for specific boats by model and make, new or used. A little “window shopping” can help you identify boat makes and models that interest you and generally fit your budget. Caution: All these sites sell boats, so remember you are just browsing right now. Make a note of the makes and models that seem to meet your needs. Note if those in your approximate price range are new or used. Then go to the next step—checking out their record of safety and reliable performance.
IQ Boat Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Is the Boat Safe and Reliable?
Check out boat reviews on the models you like.The following are just a few of the many websites that offer boat reviews. You can also enter the name of the model you like into your search engine followed by “boat review” to search for reviews of that specific model.
Considering a used boat?Critical Tip! Don’t buy a used boat without talking to the previous owner!Ask them:
Critical Tip! Don’t buy any boat without taking it for an extensive “test drive.”Even if you’re not a boater yet and are very uncomfortable at the helm, you must do this. Boats are like cars in many ways: you’ll feel comfortable in some of them and very uncomfortable in others. If you’re really too uncomfortable to take the helm, why not bring along an experienced boater to help you evaluate the boat in the water? A friend or a member of a boating club would do this just to help you. Or, you can retain a mechanic or marine surveyor to be the captain (not a bad idea, particularly if you are spending a lot of money on a boat. More on these people in a second). What about buying a used boat and installing a new motor?Remember that many boats themselves have a much longer useful life than the engines on those boats. You might be able to find a great older boat hull for little money, for instance, then put a new engine on the hull. Give a used boat an initial check yourself.If you've found a boat (particularly a used boat) that fits your wish list and budget, use the following checklists yourself to see if the boat has enough potential to have it checked-out thoroughly by a marine surveyor or mechanic. If the boat flunks your examination, you'll save time and money by crossing it off your list.
Critical tip: We can’t say this enough—don’t buy used marine engines or hulls without having them checked out by a marine mechanic or surveyor.
Another big tip: “Safe and Reliable” applies to both engines and hulls.Is the engine safe and reliable? Is the hull safe and reliable?
Checking out the hull and general constructionGenerally speaking, in boat hulls, you get what you pay for. Some boats are virtually unsinkable because of expensive construction techniques (Boston Whalers, for instance, are regularly sawed in two to prove their unsinkability). Others can look just as seaworthy, but are flimsy in construction and durability. At times, the least-known brand makes a boat better than the more expensive brand. Remember that at all times, the seller’s job is to tell you their boat is best! Here are some tips to help you gather relatively unbiased information about construction quality and general reputation concerning specific hulls.
Checking complaints on engine and hullsBoatUS.com offers a great service which both reviews owners’ problems with specific boats and provides a mediation service when problems develop. You might want to bookmark this site. BoatU.S. National Recall Alert Registry provides access to the USCG recall database, lists new recalls, and allows you to register your boat information so you can be notified in case of a recall. IQ Boat Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Read more...Page 1 of 2 12 |
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Why? Buying a boat smart is probably harder than buying a car smart. First, there are literally thousands of boat manufacturers, including backyard entrepreneurs. Second, even the biggest boat builders produce relatively small numbers of crafts. Evaluating quality and reliability, therefore, is much harder to do.
There’s an old saying in the boat world: A boat is a hole in the water to throw money into. That’s fine if you’re a smart planner and determine in advance how much money you’ll need to support your boat’s lifestyle—and if you can afford the sum.
Outboard or inboard? Gas or diesel? Four-stroke or Two-stroke? The choice of engine and engine type dramatically impacts your pocketbook. Because many boat manufacturers are allied with engine manufacturers, these companies are always trying to limit your choice of engines to their partners. How do you know what’s best for you?
Buying a new boat, rather than a used boat, may assure you of fewer problems and also usually gives you some type of manufacturer’s warranty. But boats generally depreciate much faster than automobiles (which is very fast), and some boat owners tend to give up boating quickly, thus sending some nice, lightly used boats to market at fire-sale prices.
Whether you buy new or used, the key to smart boat buying is knowing the quality and condition of the specific boat you want to buy. We’ve got lots of good tips and sites here for you.