Boat Buying Basics (for all types of boats - sail and power)
by By Melanie Sunshine Neale 13 Sep 15:33 PDT
The boat-buying process in today’s environment can be confusing, whether you’re looking for a fishing boat, a sailboat or powerboat, or a yacht, and whether you’re planning to spend weekends offshore or become a live-aboard cruiser. The typical consumer has many options, from searching for boats on eBay or Facebook Marketplace to engaging a buyer’s broker to stand by your side and guide you through each step of the process.
Boat Buying Basics takes you through how to find and purchase the boat that will best fulfill your dreams and needs. The process is presented chronologically, starting at the very beginning—when boat ownership is just a dream—with a focus on educational steps, such as attending boat shows and the pros and cons of renting or chartering. From there, veteran broker Melanie Sunshine Neale provides clear, step-by-step guidance on researching and analyzing boat listings, understanding the survey process, making the purchase, navigating the complexities of the closing process, and securing insurance and financing. This guide also includes suggestions of further resources that will enable you to enjoy your new boat to the fullest. Helpful checklists and questionnaires throughout make this an accessible resource to bring with you on your search.
Excerpt from Chapter One
Some people go boating to meet people (we had the expected responses, such as “inviting potential romantic interests aboard”) and some do it to get away from people. Freedom is a common theme—freedom to leave a place if you don’t like it, freedom to escape the daily grind.
But before you decide what kind of boat you want, you’ll have to think about what you want to do aboard that boat. While the process of choosing a boat isn’t simple, it can be a lot easier with some organization and planning.
Types of Boats
There are many types of vessels, each designed for specific purposes. Understanding the different types is a good place to start your voyage. Here are some of the most common.
• Sailboats are propelled primarily by sails and wind power. They come in various sizes and configurations, from small dinghies to monohulls (single hull) and catamarans (double hull), to large oceangoing yachts. Sailboats are popular among those who enjoy the challenge and serenity of sailing. They appeal to the environmentally conscious, as use of fossil fuels is minimized, and are considered by many to be the most wholesome and serene way to commune with the ocean.
• Powerboats rely on engines for propulsion and are known for their speed and versatility. There are many styles that can be used for different purposes. Cruisers, for example, are designed for comfortable long-distance travel and often feature amenities such as cabins, galleys (or kitchens), and heads (or bathrooms).
•Trawlers are slower powerboats that tend to have a higher level of fuel efficiency and a longer range and are often used for long passages either offshore or through inland rivers.
• Runabouts, bowriders, and center consoles are small powerboats suitable for a range of activities, including fishing, watersports, and leisure cruising. Runabouts are small open boats powered with an outboard motor that is steered directly by the motor’s combined tiller/handle/throttle. Bowriders feature an open bow area with seating, making them ideal for recreational activities such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, and sunbathing. Center consoles have a single open cockpit with the steering console located in the center, providing ample space for fishing and other activities. These three types of small powerboats represent the vast majority of boat ownership, due to their affordability and ease of storage. Go to any boat ramp on a Friday afternoon and experience for yourself the excitement and flurry of activity as people head out for a weekend of fun.
• Pontoon boats (also affectionately referred to as “party barges”) have a flat deck mounted on pontoons, typically aluminum, offering stability and ample space for socializing and leisure activities.
• Jet boats use water propulsion for maneuverability and are well suited for shallow waters and watersports. These can include small jet skis (also called personal watercraft or PWCs because of their limited capacity to only carry one or two people) or larger jet-propelled boats. In addition to being operable in shallow water, these boats tend to be safer to operate as there is no risk of being injured by a moving propellor.
• Fishing boats are designed specifically for fishing activities and come in various shapes and sizes. Among them you will find bass boats, which are designed for freshwater fishing and are characterized by their low profile, high speed, and casting decks. Center console fishing boats feature 360-degree access to fishing areas (popular for offshore and inshore fishing), and sportfishing boats are larger vessels equipped with amenities such as viewing towers, outriggers, and live bait wells for offshore fishing (think marlin, tuna, mackerel).
• Yachts are what we think about when we envision luxury. They are large vessels typically used for leisure cruising and entertainment. They come in various sizes, from small luxury yachts to superyachts equipped with lavish amenities such as multiple decks, swimming pools, and helipads. Many of these yachts require a professional captain and crew and may also need chefs, stewards, and engineers, depending on size and use.
• Dinghies are often “tenders” to a larger boat and function much the same way a car does for people who are cruising from place to place. Many of them are inflatable and crafted from PVC or Hypalon.
• Airboats aren’t as common as many of the other types, but they are essentially skiffs that are operated by a large fanning propellor located in a cage on the back of the boat. The propellor is similar to a helicopter’s, and the benefit of these boats is that there is no operational apparatus under the water. Airboats are used in marshy areas and are amphibious (with limitations).
• Houseboats are floating homes equipped with living quarters, kitchens, bathrooms, and other amenities. They offer a unique lifestyle for those who wish to live on the water permanently or for extended periods. Many houseboats sit in one place and don’t move. Some don’t even have a propulsion source and must be moved under tow. Areas such as Seattle and Sausalito are known for their unique houseboat communities.
What did you see in this list that piqued your interest? There are so many choices. But once you start narrowing down your desired activities, you will also be able to narrow down the best type of boat for you.
About the Author
Melanie Sunshine Neale earned her US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master Captain’s License before she got her driver’s license. She grew up living aboard her family’s 47-foot GulfStar sailboat, cruising up and down the East Coast and through the Bahamas for nearly twenty years. Melanie has bought and sold six boats of her own and has facilitated the sale of hundreds of boats during her tenure as a yacht broker with Edwards Yacht Sales and currently as founder and owner of Sunshine Cruising Yachts, a medium-sized yacht brokerage located in Florida but with brokers worldwide. She received the 2022 Sailing Industry Distinguished Service Award.
Melanie is the author of the memoirs Boat Girl and Boat Kid (Beating Windward Press). She has worked as everything from minnow scooper at a bait & tackle shop to adjunct professor at a university. She’s a single mom to a teen and lives in St. Augustine, Florida, with a six-toed cat and a Boykin spaniel. Melanie is dedicated to matching people with the right boats.