Buying A Boat Guide For Cruising Yacht
Buying A Boat Guide For Cruising Yacht
Buying A Cruising Yacht
Everyone out there likes the idea of a
shiny new
boat. While buying a new yacht
is an accomplishment
in itself, you shouldn't spend over
your budget then
be unable to take it anywhere.
When you buy a
yacht, always look at what comes with
the boat
and decide if it's everything you
want.
Types of construction
GRP
Almost all cruising yachts out there
today are made
of GRP construction. GRP
material is long lasting,
strong, and easy to repair.
Osmosis is the only
real problem here, as the blisters it
leaves can be
sometimes costly to repair.
Steel
Steel is always a great a idea, as it
is by far the
strongest material. There have
been steel boats ran
into reefs and banks and received just
a few mere
scratches. Even though steel has
many advantages,
rust is the true enemy here. You
must keep all
surfaces thoroughly painted, primed,
and ready to
avoid all types of rust.
Aluminum
Although rare in the normal cruising
market,
aluminum is very popular with the
construction of
top quality custom built yachts.
If you are looking
for an aluminum constructed yacht,
always make sure
that it wasn't constructed by an
amateur yacht
builder - as this can cause major
problems later on
down the road.
Wood
Even though it's the most traditional
building
material, wood still has a lot to
offer. If you get
the right kind of wood, it can last
just as long as
any other type of material. The
maintenence costs
are very high with wood, especially if
you do your
own painting.
Ferro-cement
Concrete type boats have been around
for a long
time. A cheap method of hull
construction, it was
very popular in the 70's. If
done properly, it
can be a very strong method of yacht
construction.
Rigs
The most popular choices of yacht rigs
include sloop,
cutter, and ketch - in that particular
order. Sloop
has the virtue of simplicity, while
ketch and cutter
rigs will split the sail plan into
more easily
managed areas. A ketch rig can
sail under mizzen
and headsail alone, while cutter rigs
can offer a
simple twin headsail with downwind
option.
Essentials versus desirables
Before you begin looking for a yacht,
make a list
of what you must have then make a list
of what would
be nice to have. There are many
additions and add
ons you can get for yachts, although
they can get
very expensive in a hurry.
When you shop for a yacht, always plan
out your
budget before you even start
looking. A nice yacht
can cost a lot of money, which is
something you
may need to save up for. Yachts
are great to sail
on, especially for those who have a
lot of money
to spare.
Buying A Boat Trailer
A boat trailer is something you really
can't go
wrong with, as it is a dual purpose
device. It
provides a convenient way to store the
boat, and
also allows you to explore new areas
by taking
your boat down the road. Good
trailers must
perform both duties equally as
good.
Most people buying boats are into
getting the
boat, and not the trailer. They
are more than
willing to spend money on a boat, then
end up
getting a cheap trailer. If you
want the most
from boating, these tips will help you
with
buying a trailer.
- The total weight of the boat,
gear, and motor
should be in the mid range of
trailer's carrying
capacity. You shouldn't pick a
2,500 capacity
trailer if you have a boat with the
same weight.
- Go for larger diameter tires
and wheels. The
larger tires will rotate less times
per mile,
producing less heat and wear on the
tread. The
wheel bearings will last much longer
as well,
as they rotate less times per mile.
- You should look for trailers
with "drive on"
capabilities. These drive on
trailers will allow
you to drive the boat onto the trailer,
close
enough to the winch so that you only
need to
winch the boat up a few inches.
- Select trailer lights (for the
highway) that
are protected and sealed against
water.
- Pick your trailer based on the
environment it
will be operating in. If you plan to
launch in
salt water, you'll need a trailer for
that purpose.
There are many types of trailers
available, each
one designed for a specific type of
boating.
Although most are protected against
weather and
rust, you should always pick the one
designed
for the type of terrain you will be
using your
boat with. This way, you have no
worries about
your trailer not doing the job it
should be.
There are some trailers that include a
spare tire,
which is an excellent investment for
those who
plan to travel long distances.
Even though it
can be hard to find trailer tires in
the dark,
it's still great to have a spare if
you get a
flat while you travel.
All in all, a boat trailer can save
you a lot of
time and money. You can store
your boat on your
trailer when it isn't be used, even
take it to
other lakes or oceans. A trailer
will open up
new roads for you and your boat - all
you have to
do is find one that you need.
Buying Boat Insurance
Those of you who own boat will want to
make sure
you get watercraft coverage.
Often times, people
don't realize that they need this type
of coverage
for their boats. There are many
boat owners that
don't even realize this type of
insurance is
even available.
You need boat insurance if you own a
boat, it's
that simple. Before you buy boat
insurance, here
are some things you simply must know.
- Many states now require that
you carry watercraft
liability coverage. What this
coverage does, is
protect you against any damage that
you cause to
other people or their property with
your boat. This
insurance will also cover you for
vandalism, theft,
fire, stranding, sinking, and even
collision. You
should always call your insurance
agent and see
what's required with your state and
what policies
they cover.
- There is also optional
coverage that you should
really consider. One type of
coverage that you
should strongly consider is Wreckage
Removal. In
most areas, the removal of sunken or
wrecked
boats is required by law, and the
responsibility
of the owner to pay for the removal,
which can
easily be very expensive.
Wreckage Removal coverage will pay
these costs for
you. You should also consider
adding coverage
that will pay for repairs and
mechanical failure
as well, along with towing charges -
should you
ever need to be towed back to the
shore.
- Not all insurance companies
cover everyone who
operates the boat. This is
something you should
always ask about, find out who is
covered when
operating the boat. There are
several companies
that will only cover the owner of the
boat. Make
sure that the insurance agent defines
who is
covered when operating the boat.
- When you shop for boat
insurance, call your
current company first, then check with
other
companies to see what type of rates
they offer as
well. Always remember that
insurance agencies
are in competition with each other,
and they'll
work with you to get you to join
them. Let one
know about a better rate that you've
been quoted
and see if they'll go one better.
Before you shop for boat insurance,
think about
the investment you have made with your
boat. Boats
are not cheap, replacing or repairing
them isn't
cheap either. Therefore, you should
always make
sure you get the coverage you need to
protect you
against anything that happens with
your boat.
Buying A Fishing Boat
Selecting the right fishing boat can
be a real
challenge and also a lot of fun for
someone who is
new to boating. If you haven't
experienced buying
a boat before, it can also be a
daunting task to
say the least.
Before you start looking, it's
important to consider
the purpose of your fishing
boat. A fishing boat
serves but one purpose -
fishing. You have to
decide if you plan to fish in the
ocean, or in other
bodies of water, such as lakes.
This is very
important, as there are different
types of fishing
boats available.
If you plan to use your fishing boat
for ocean
cruising and overnight stays, it would
be ideal to
buy one that has a hull. This
design is meant for
rough waters, riding the waves, and
providing more
comfort for anglers while they fish.
When you buy a fishing boat, you
should know if it
includes a warranty. If it does,
you should really
study the warranty as not all are the
same. Buying
your boat from a dealer is always a
smarter decision,
as dealers will provide repair
services is the
boat is found to be defective.
It's also important when buying a
fishing boat to
note if the boat is certified by the
NMMA. This
agency will guarantee that the
certification they
give to every boat passes the agency's
standards
of excellence.
When it comes down to it, you should
do more than
just look around when it comes to a fishing
boat.
You should learn how to look for the
best details
to ensure that your boat is worth the
money. If
you take the time to look around,
you'll find a boat
that you can truly be proud of.
Buying A Used Boat
Those of you who have the money and plan
to keep
one boat forever, should buy it
new. If you happen
to be on a budget and skeptical about
owning a
boat, you should buy it used.
Buying used is great for some,
although it isn't
always the most glamorous
decision. The oceans
and lakes are filled with boaters who
are far
wealthier than most. Many
boaters go well beyond
their means and finance their boats at
extreme
levels.
What really counts with a used boat is
being out
there on the water. Someone who
is out there
every weekend on his beat up boat is a
great
boater. A businessman who only
has time to ride
on his 60 foot yacht once or twice a
year isn't
considered a boater at all.
If you look around the water, you'll
se that the
little boats are the ones that move,
while the
big boats are the ones that never
move. Those
that are too busy earning money and
never have
the time to go boating shouldn't
really have a
boat at all.
New boats can lose half of their value
in less
than 2 years. With a used boat,
the previous
owner has already fixed the problems
that are
associated with new boats. The
previous owner
has also already hassled with the
dealer to get
the warranty service taken care of.
A used boat normally hasn't be used
very much
at all. A boat will sit a
majority of the time,
which is nothing like a used
car. You can find
many boats with less than a couple
hundreds hours
of engine time. For the sake of
comparison,
look at how many hours are on the
engine of your
car.
A used boat will already have
scratches and
dings, so you won't feel half as bad
when you
add a few of your own. When you
purchase your
used boat, you should leave at least a
grand to
outfit the boat and make any necessary
repairs.
A used boat will normally come with
dock lines,
life jackets, spare props, a radio,
safety
equipment, and other nice
additions. New boat
owners will have to pay hundreds of
dollars
for these kinds of things.
The wild card is, of course, whether
or not the
previous boat owner did the proper
maintenance
of the boat. Prior to buying you
should always
get the boat surveyed to be sure that
it's in
reasonable condition. This way,
you'll know
your getting a great used boat.