Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Just four to five months ago, the winter boat show season was in full swing and I’m sure a lot of folks are right now enjoying every inch of the shiny-new vessels they bought back then when the snow was flying and our local canals were skimmed over with ice. Now look at things! Here we are creeping up on the middle of the summer, and while most folks probably consider this to be more of a time for “boat-using” than “boat-buying”, this is a good time for anyone contemplating a future purchase to start doing their homework and attempt to learn as much as they can about what’s available so they can wisely choose a rig that suits their future needs and abilities.
Right now our local docks are chock full of boats and many of their happy (and some not so happy) owners are available to talk to about what they like and don’t like about their boats. What better time to research the purchase of a new boat? After all, while boat dealers are able to make the actual buying of a new or used boat seem almost too easy, choosing the right one, among the thousands of sizes and types available, can be a whole different story. Whether someone is mostly interested in fishing, cruising, sailing or skiing, picking the perfect boat can be a daunting task even for those who have had more than one or two in their career. Considering the price of boats these days, choosing the wrong one can be a very costly mistake that no one deserves to make.
Naturally, without knowing the individual needs of every reader I’m in no position to recommend one boat over another. But in contemplating some useful advise that I might impart on the subject, I can’t help but consider a few rather trite cliches that would seem quite appropriate.
“Every boat is a compromise.”
There are so many recreational activities to do on the water that there will never be a single boat design that will allow it’s owner to do them all. A boat that’s great for the bay will probably not do too well on the open ocean. One that’s built for the offshore waters will likely have trouble getting around in the bay. Good water ski boats aren’t much for fishing or cruising. Some boats will do a little bit of anything, but no one boat will do a whole lot of everything. To get the benefits of one feature requires giving up something else. In other words “compromise.” With this in mind, those looking to buy a new boat should maintain a clear understanding of the primary use they will have of the vessel. Such thought will surely help maintain product satisfaction by dispelling any unrealistic expectations.
“A boat is nothing but a hole in the water in which you
throw money.”
What might seem to be just a silly saying is certainly one for which beginning boaters should take heed. The fact is, as steep as the initial coast of a boat may be, the expenses involved in properly maintaining it can be absolutely staggering. A lot of boaters eventually come to find that even though they can make the monthly payments, the annual costs involved with such things as maintenance, repairs, storage, fuel and so forth are just too much to handle. Boats aren’t like cars where as long as they’re not used they don’t require much out of pocket expenses other than insurance. Even if you buy a boat and simply park it on a trailer in your yard, it’s still going to be nipping away at your wallet every chance it gets!
“The happiest two days of a boaters life are the day they buy their boat and the day they sell it.”
This is another very overworked, yet true, saying. There are a lot of boaters out there who end up in a love/hate relationship with their vessels, and that need not happen! Those who start by purchasing the proper boat, and then treat it right by keeping it clean and in good working order, may come to enjoy owning it so much that they never want to get rid of it. On the other hand, those who neglect their boats often end up with nothing but a big expensive headache that they cannot wait to get rid of.
I know from experience that there is nothing like owning your own boat, and with all the dealers we have around here and the winter boat shows, buying one couldn’t be easier. But no matter what time of the season it is, choosing the right size and type of vessel and having the time, resources, and ability to properly maintain and use it is the real challenge of being a boat owner.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
