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Ready To Purchase A Boat? Tips For First Time Buyers

If you have been debating buying a boat and you have never went through the buying process of a marine vehicle before, there are some things you want to do. Just like when you purchase an automobile, you want to make sure that you are getting a good machine, and that the money you spend will be a good investment. Here are a few of the things that you should do on your own, and with the help of a mechanic, to see if the boat is a good buy.

Look at Title History

Look at the title history to see how many owners there have been, and to see how much use the boat has gotten. If your seller is telling you that the boat has only had one owner, or that they bought from someone who was only the second owner, you want to find out if they are being truthful. If they are lying about the path of ownership, they could be lying about other things.

Get a Mechanical Inspection

Get a mechanical inspection performed by marine mechanics to see what condition the boat is in. If you are buying the boat from a dealership, they should provide you with some type of inspection documentation, and provide information about any work that they did to the boat. They also may offer some type of buyer warranty.

Consider Additional Expenses

There are certain brands of boats or types of boats that can cost more money to fix or maintain overtime, because of the materials. Consider the following things:

  • Wood boats require sanding, sealing, staining, or painting regularly
  • Boats with duel motors have the potential for double the repair costs
  • Custom paint costs more to touch up
  • Foreign products can be cost to work on or to get parts for

These are just some of the things that you can look for when you are shipping around, so you don't have to worry about paying for costly repairs in the future.

If you are looking into a lot of different boat dealerships and for sale options, then make sure you set up a realistic budget for yourself, and be sure that you stick to it. Add in the cost of insurance, storage, and hauling the boat if you haven't thought of those costs already. There are a lot of ways that you can make a great purchase if you're smart. 


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