Buying a Boat-Should You Look for a New Boat or a Used Boat?

Odds are, it may have taken you quite some time to save enough money, or get into a position to be able to afford your own boat. Once you have decided that a boat will fit into your budget, the next thing you should think about is whether you want to purchase a brand new boat, or a less expensive used boat. The best thing to do is do some comparative shopping, starting with new boats, and then going to used boats, and then use the knowledge you have gained in making your final decision.

Much like buying a car, with a used boat, you never really have any sure way of knowing what you are getting. If you buy new, you know that all of the pieces of the boat are new, and odds are, will still be under manufacturer warranty, in case of defect. You don’t have to take the extra time to check your boat out or do any routine maintenance; you can go straight the first day and put it in the water, if you decide to get a new boat. You rarely have that option when purchasing a used boat.

If you are planning to finance your boat, you will have a much easier time getting a lender who is willing to finance a new boat, and odds are, you will get a much better, more affordable interest rate with it. You will have the opportunity to really look at what is out there on the market, and pick a boat that will serve you and your family well for years to come.

If you take the time to look through the new boats on the market and decide that they just won’t fit into your boat buying budget, then you have no choice but to look for used boats. One great way to get an idea of what you are looking for in a used boat is to attend a boat show. You will be able to see many different types of boats, as well as check out their average prices, which will help you, get a better idea of what kind of used boat you are actually looking for.

If you are going to buy a used boat, you should have a marine survey done first, which will give you a much better idea of the overall condition of the boat. You can expect to pay a pretty hefty fee for this service, but it really is a good idea for all used boat buyers. You, the boat buyer, could easily overlook defects or problems with a boat, which could be quite expensive to repair. You also can’t expect the person who is selling the boat to be completely honest with you about its condition either. This is why it is so important to have a surveyor go over every centimeter of the boat, so you really do know what you are getting.

If your survey comes back with repairs that need to be done, you can use that information to try to get the seller to drop the price, or, move on to another boat completely! You have to decide whether or not you still want the boat, based on the survey results, the price, and your budget!

Half & half.(Champion 186 fishing boat designed for bass and saltwater anglers)(Evaluation)

What do you get when you take a perfectly good Champion bassboat and replace all that nice carpet with a non-skid deck? A Bass-n-Bay, or what some anglers might call a If you saw Champion's new 186 sitting at a launch ramp you would think nothing other than it was just another pretty bassboat. But

Publication: Trailer Boats

MAKING REEL DECISIONS Saltwater or freshwater? From boat or shore? Fishing gear needs vary

CHECKOUT LANE - Smart shopping for you Whether you're a novice or a seasoned angler, reeling in a trophy fish requires the right gear. If you want to avoid telling a story about the one that got away, consider some pointers before you pull on your waders and cast your lures. The first thing to

Publication: The Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA

OUTDOORS; DIFFICULTY IS LURE OF SALTWATER FLY FISHING - New York Times

LEAD: SALTWATER fly fishing isn't wildly popular in the Northeast, but some of those who do turn to it lose interest in all other forms of angling. SALTWATER fly fishing isn't wildly popular in the Northeast, but some of those who do turn to it lose interest in all other forms of angling. The

Publication: The New York Times

Saltwater fly-fishing is a big hit; One of the East Coast's top fly- rodders gives some suggestions for fishing on the ocean.

Big water, big flies and big fish are attracting growing numbers of anglers to fish the saltwater of the Chesapeake Bay and the New Jersey coast. Bob Popovics is one of the top saltwater fly-rodders on the East Coast. He lives near Island Beach State Park, just across the inlet from Barnegat

Publication: Sunday News Lancaster, PA

Study in Science Reveals Recreational Fishing Takes Big Bite of Ocean Catch; U.S. Saltwater Recreational Fishing Catch Rivals Commercial Fisheries for Many Depleted Fish Stocks Including Red Snapper, Black Seabass, Lingcod.

Byline: SeaWeb WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- Taking a hard look at the common belief that recreational fishing accounts for only 2-3 percent of total landings in the U.S., a new study published in the journal Science (August 26th) reveals that recreational catches account for nearly a

Publication: Ascribe Higher Education News Service

The simple side of saltwater fishing.(Wild in New York)

If you're thinking saltwater fishing, you're thinking big, right? Big water, big boats, big fish, big excitement. While New York does have plenty of that kind of action, there's also saltwater fishing on a much smaller scale, a scale more familiar to the freshwater angler. Long Island has hundreds

Publication: New York State Conservationist