The time has come. You’ve been considering buying a boat for years, but you’re now ready to take the plunge and purchase your vessel. Buying a boat is a big decision, but if you find the right boat for you, the purchase will provide rewards for you, your friends and your family for years.
When looking for the ideal boat for you, you will be presented with plenty of options, from inboard our outboard engines to fly bridges, outriggers, cabins and trailers. There are many decisions you’ll have to make along the way, which can sometimes be complicated. However, asking yourself some basic questions can help guide your decision on what boat is best for you.
Who’s Coming With Me?
So you’re going to buy a boat. Who are you going to take on your fishing trips and cruises around the water? Will you be fishing alone most of the time? Do you plan on taking your family out every weekend? Will you be fishing with friends? Will you be fishing with your friends and family?
Understanding who you’ll be using your boat with should help determine the boat you are looking for. Is there room in the cockpit for the people that I’ll be fishing with? Will they be comfortable?
Is There Room?
You’ve found the boat that accommodates all of the people that you plan on taking with you when boating. Now, does the boat have enough room for peripherals and gear? Is there room for all of the electronics that you’ll put on the boat? Remember, if you’re using the boat for fishing, you’ll definitely need a depth finder/fish finder, and you’ll most likely want a GPS. A VHF radio is necessary when you are cruising in the saltwater, and depending on where you’ll be fishing, you may also need radar.
Where are you going to store all of your fishing gear? Does the boat that you’re looking at have the room for storing all of your lures, tackle and rigs? Is there somewhere where you can store fishing rods? On a boat, everything needs to have a storage place, so be sure that you’ve considered where everything will go.
Where Do I Plan On Going?
One of the largest contributing factors when deciding what kind of boat you will buy will be where you plan on fishing with the boat. Those that love fishing in the backwater and bays don’t buy 40-foot sportcruisers, and those fishing the canyons don’t purchase 18 foot center consoles that have 20 gallons of fuel storage. Asking yourself where you be fishing with the boat is critical to the size and type of boat that you buy.
Depending on where you fish, you’ll need to determine what type of boat hull is best. Boats made for shallower, calm bays and backwater usually have less of a “V” hull and draft; these boats can often float in inches of water. Those boats that will be cutting though the sometimes large waves in the ocean need to have deeper “V” hulls, taking up more draft and requiring feet of water to operate. Both types of hulls are beneficial for different types of water, and understanding what type of water you’ll be fishing in is important before you take the plunge.
Those that are looking to fish offshore will need to consider how much fuel they can store and the boat’s fuel efficiency. How many gallons of fuel does the boat burn per hour? Does the boat have a diesel or gas engine? What’s the boat’s top cruising speed? Can I make it to my fishing spot, troll around for hours, then return given the boat’s fuel efficiency and capacity?
What’s My Budget?
Clearly, budget is one of the critical factors for anglers looking to buy a boat; if boats were not so expensive, almost everyone would own a boat. You need to ask yourself if you’re willing to make the investment. How much are you willing to spend for a boat? Are you looking for a new or used boat? Buying a used boat can be more cost-effective for some, but the consumer may be taking chances with a used vessel.
When thinking about purchasing a boat, be sure to think about all of the other costs that are associated with owning a boat. What do you expect annual maintenance costs on the boat to be? If you have purchased a used boat, you’ll need to budget more for maintenance costs, but all boats require basic maintenance, which includes annual preparation and winterization.
The biggest cost of owning a boat can be storage. If you are looking at keeping a boat at a marina, annual charges can be more than boat payments. Be sure to factor in these costs, as well as winter storage charges, when considering your boat purchase. If you’re planning on buying a boat that you’ll trailer to the water, you won’t have to pay for mooring your boat, but you’ll still have to pay for launch fees. These fees can vary from $5 to $25, so they can be reasonable.
How Can I Finance The Boat?
There are many different types of loans available to the prospective boat buyer, from bank loans to financing offered by some boat manufacturers. Like other types of loans, these applications can be approved in minutes, and you could have the boat of your dreams before you know it. Be sure to stop again, however, and think about how much you want to finance and for how long you want to make payments on a boat.
Financing a boat can have several advantages. Boats with gallies, heads and a sleeping area can be considered a second home, and therefore parts of your payments can be written off of your taxes (check the most recent IRS tax regulations for more specific instructions). In addition, the payments can sometimes be spread out over 15 years, making a costly boat purchase not as costly.
