Captain, Is That Your Boat?

Listen to Buying a Used Powerboat

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A brand new, fresh-from-the-showroom-floor powerboat is a really expensive toy. A powerboat, even one without a lot of bells and whistles, can put you deeply in debt for a number of years and those monthly payments are painful…especially during the winter months when the boat is in storage and you aren’t even getting to enjoy owning it. For these reasons, many people purchase powerboats that are pre-owned….second hand…used…choose the term you like the best. The bottom line is that they aren’t new.

Now people sell their powerboats for many different reasons and just because a powerboat is offered for sale it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with it. Maybe the owner won the lottery and is going for bigger and better or maybe the owner has fallen on hard times and can no longer afford the cost of owning a powerboat or maybe his health has gone downhill and he is no longer physically able to use and enjoy his powerboat. For whatever the reasons, you can find used powerboats for sale if you look for them.

If you are considering buying a powerboat that is not brand new, you should take it to a marine mechanic and have it checked out. Have the hull examined for wear or repaired damage. Have the electrical system checked out to make certain that any repairs have been made using marine grade wiring and cables. Have the marine mechanic check out the engine to ascertain that it is in good working condition and that major repairs are eminent.

Never buy a used powerboat until it has been checked out by a marine mechanic and after you have put it into the water and tried it out yourself. You want to buy pleasure and not somebody else’s problem.

[ad#co-1]You have always wanted to own a powerboat. You have no problem picturing yourself flying across the water in a very VERY fast powerboat, the wind in your face, the spray making little rainbows of colors…the green-eyed envy of your friends! You can just about taste the pure joy, can’t you?

Whoa, buddy! Take a step back and don’t call your banker yet. You need to think this major purchase over before you commit yourself and a whole lot of future earnings to the ownership of a powerboat. The first thing that you need to decide here is just how much boat you need…not WANT but NEED.

Will you use a powerboat just for one day boating outings or will you need sleeping accommodations? If you do want sleeping accommodations on your powerboat then how many people will you need those sleeping accommodations for? Take notes here…write down your sleeping or non-sleeping requirements.

Do you need to be able to actually cook onboard your powerboat? Do you need a full blown galley or would just a refrigerator serve your needs? Add your answer to your list.

If you are only going to use your powerboat for one day outings, you won’t need sleeping accommodations or a galley and that cuts the overall price down by a great many dollars.

What kind of activities are you planning to use your boat for? Will you only use it for fishing or will you want to use it for water skiing, as well? If you are only going to use it to fish, you don’t need a lot of speed. Remember that the speed capability is going to add a lot of dollars to the price of the powerboat.

The purchase of a powerboat is certainly a major purchase. You need to buy what you NEED and not pay a lot of money for features that you don’t need and will never use.
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