Buying a power boat is a significant commitment - financially and in terms of your own time and effort. Prospective power boat buyers need to be prepared to commit to lots of hard work to care for and maintain their vessel. Of course, for lovers of power boats, the hard slog is worth it – endless fun on the water is more than enough of a pay-off.
Shopping for a power boat can be pretty overwhelming – the trick is to approach your search in a practical way to make sure you buy a power boat that suits your needs.
What power boat should I choose?
The qualities you need to look for when buying a power boat will vary greatly according to what you plan to do with it – whether you want to use it for fishing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, transport, weekend getaways or all of the above. Decide on what the boat’s main purposes will be, and get some advice on what engine type you’ll need for these activities (inboard, inboard/outboard or outboard engine).
Determine what kind of body of water you’ll generally be boating on. This will also help establish what kind of engine you need, and what size power boat you should be looking at; for example, larger boats handle rough water better than smaller boats.
How much should I pay for my power boat?
The amount you spend on your power boat will basically depend on how much you can afford. In the same way as you would when buying a car, you need to consider factors beyond the actual price of the power boat, such as compulsory fees and charges, boating equipment and general maintenance and repair costs.
Determine how much you can afford to pay to purchase your power boat and keep it in good condition, set a firm price limit before you start shopping and be prepared to do a little haggling.
Where should I buy a power boat?
Start by attending a boat show – this will give you access to numerous manufacturers at the same time, so you can compare without having to travel all over the place. If you’re lucky, you make even come across some good deals and discounts.
If you’re planning to visit boat dealers, ask amongst boating friends to find which ones have the best reputation and a good service department.
