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How to Buy, Own and Sell a Boat (Without Going Broke) 1990
The most oft quoted (and hackneyed) saying in the pleasure boat industry goes something like this. "The two happiest days in a boat owner's life are the day he buys that boat and the day he sells it." While we still all laugh at that saying when we hear it, unless it contained some seed of truth, it wouldn't be such a best seller.
Those who do take the plunge into boating often end up miserable with their decision. Not because the sport wasn't enjoyable; more likely because boating turned out to not be affordable, legal and tax hassles arose, the boat was poorly insured....whatever.
People in the boat business are fond of saying that boat buying is an emotional and impulsive experience, with much talk of a phenomenon known as "buyer's remorse", a deal killer that sets in quickly if a prospective owner thinks about the purchase too long. It's as if the only way a boat can be bought is without advance thought and consideration, implying that a purchase cannot be rational. structured and planed. Rubbish! Unfortunately, many purchases are carried out in just this manner, but it does not have to be.
The sad fact is that a lot of would be boatman don't get into the sport because of all the "bad news" stories they hear - from friends and relatives the media, or the guy in the next office. Perhaps no one can tell how to experience successful boat ownership. And what can be more frightening than becoming a bad news story yourself? Indeed, buying a boat does represent a major expenditure of capital that will consume a substantial amount of discretionary income far into the future. In this sense, it is as significant to buy as a house, and is deserving of the same effort.
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books written on the subject of boating covering a wide range of topics from designing and building to cruising and cooking. But it occurred to us that nowhere in a single volume was there a comprehensive guide to buying and owing boat that addressed the many topics related to ownership outside the straight product issues. Topics such as financial planning, insurance, registration, legal considerations and so forth.
This book, then, attempts to present in logical order all the facets which the average buyer will encounter in purchasing a boat, whether it be a 28 foot sailboat or a 75 foot motor yacht, The discussion is implicitly slanted toward larger boats, those costing in excess of $30,000. Smaller boats, because they don't cost as much, require less planning. Nevertheless, many of the topics apply to smaller boats as well.
We will not provide any details or recommendations on the type of boat you should buy (other than demonstrating some interesting size/cost trade-offs) and only in one appendix do we describe some basic design differences intended as background for the less experienced buyer.
The book was written for both the first time owner and the experienced yachtmen. The former will find it a useful guide in directing planning while covering all the bases. The latter may discover interesting ideas for restructuring ownership and preparing for the next boat. Both will hopefully find it interesting as we have endeavored to keep it easily reachable although not at the expense of necessary detail and description.
