Congratulations! You’ve decided to buy your own boat but do you know how to buy a boat? No more ‘Other People’s Boat Club’. No more watching boats from the beach and knowing that the people on the water are having more fun than you. You are ready to take charge of your leisure time … to experience the freedom that boat ownership brings. Lots of people own boats – it can’t be that difficult to turn a boat-owning fantasy into reality, can it?
Well … yes and no. Owning a boat is great fun. You can fish, sail, race, or just hang out with friends. You can day-trip to the closest bay or spend several days on neighboring islands. Tinkering with a boat can be an interesting hobby – it’s a great way to meet new people (who will wander over and tell you what you’re doing wrong), spend time outdoors (getting sunburned while cursing at machinery), and use up any spare cash you have laying around.
You can, of course, just run out and buy the first boat you see. However, it would be prudent to investigate the process before you buy to really learn how to buy a boat and do it right. This “How to Buy a Boat” series will provide you with some guidance, advice from experts, and places to find information about many aspects of buying a boat – some that you might not have thought about. Armed with knowledge, you will find a boat that you can afford and that is right for you.
From the rugged pirogues of the past to today’s high-performance sportfishing boats, Caribbean anglers have long relied on vessels that can tame rough seas. Explore how brands like Bertram, Hatteras, Viking, and Blackfin deliver unmatched seaworthiness, fishability, and legacy design—whether new or second-hand
10 essential questions to ask before buying a sailboat: budget, type of sailing, size, condition, equipment, costs, resale value.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This may apply to those looking for a deal among northern Caribbean yachts ravaged by Hurricanes
Does getting the latest and greatest always mean a buy a new boat or can a refit work just as well? Pros and cons.
I’ve had an intimate relationship with all the boats I’ve owned. Some of the shorter ownerships were more like dating. I’ve dated a lot of boats. OK, I admit it, I suffer from boat infidelity. In fact, I’ve never met anyone worse off than me when it comes to being a fickle boat owner. How…
Thousands of articles are written each year about the “Perfect Boat.” Amazingly, thousands of these vessels exist, mostly owned by (luckier still, eh?) marine journalists.
Most people wouldn’t buy a house without having it inspected first. You don’t know what defects might be lurking behind the walls, in the attic or under the floorboards, and inspectors are experts at finding unknown issues. The same applies to a boat. When you’re ready to make a major investment in your dreamboat, it’s…
So you’ve decided to buy a boat. If you read last month’s installment of this series (Choose the Right Kind of Boat), you realize there is a daunting number of decisions to be made before you choose the best boat for you. When you find yourself in irons with no clear course forward in the…
If you’ve picked up this magazine, chances are you own a boat. But there are a number of non-boaters among our readership who we’ll call “boat curious.” These are people who are thinking about getting a boat but have yet to take the plunge. For them, we present this series on “How to Buy a…
We’ve all seen them at anchor. Their designs are not easy to identify. They are boats we don’t recognize. They are probably steel.
Discover the joys of yacht ownership through fractional ownership. Buy the time of your life with this guide from All At Sea. #fractionalownership #yachtlife