El and Bill
New member
Before buying a boat, what are the major factors to consider? In other words, if someone asks you, "What should I know before buying a boat?", what would you answer?
This is the procedure we suggest to help make a decision:
1. What is your purpose for your boat?
Mostly day trips? Mostly fishing trips? Mostly short several day overnight trips? Mostly for long distance cruising?
Or, put another way, out of your time on the boat, what percentage for each of the above uses. How you intend to use your boat dictates the boat, to a large degree.
2. Are you going to trailer your boat?
a) If no, then it opens a whole different ball game.
b) If yes, do you need the easiest boat to trailer?
3. How deep are your pockets?
Bigger boats cost more, not just to purchase, but to operate.
4. What level of comfort do you need (not want, but need)? Do you need an enclosed head? Do you need more 'elbow room? And how do you balance your needs with questions 1-3 above?
5. How fast do you want to go? A planing boat can go faster than a displacement boat. If you want to "push" a displacement boat to the limit, you generally put all that extra fuel into making a bigger wave. The laws of physics place limits on the ability of a hull to displace water. Planing? -- sky (literally) is the limit.
a) With a Dory hull, we feel we must go slowly in any waves of size -- so, in heavy weather we are generally moving 5-7k max -- we are then a displacement boat, so our planing hull is not being used. There are advantages and disadvantages to this slower speed.
6. Did you consider the reputation of the manufacturer and the dealer, and talk (or read) comments by owners? How well-built is the boat?
These are some of the questions the answers to which help dictate the size, kind, and brand boat you might wish to purchase.
How about the rest of you Brats? Other basic factors to consider?
This is the procedure we suggest to help make a decision:
1. What is your purpose for your boat?
Mostly day trips? Mostly fishing trips? Mostly short several day overnight trips? Mostly for long distance cruising?
Or, put another way, out of your time on the boat, what percentage for each of the above uses. How you intend to use your boat dictates the boat, to a large degree.
2. Are you going to trailer your boat?
a) If no, then it opens a whole different ball game.
b) If yes, do you need the easiest boat to trailer?
3. How deep are your pockets?
Bigger boats cost more, not just to purchase, but to operate.
4. What level of comfort do you need (not want, but need)? Do you need an enclosed head? Do you need more 'elbow room? And how do you balance your needs with questions 1-3 above?
5. How fast do you want to go? A planing boat can go faster than a displacement boat. If you want to "push" a displacement boat to the limit, you generally put all that extra fuel into making a bigger wave. The laws of physics place limits on the ability of a hull to displace water. Planing? -- sky (literally) is the limit.
a) With a Dory hull, we feel we must go slowly in any waves of size -- so, in heavy weather we are generally moving 5-7k max -- we are then a displacement boat, so our planing hull is not being used. There are advantages and disadvantages to this slower speed.
6. Did you consider the reputation of the manufacturer and the dealer, and talk (or read) comments by owners? How well-built is the boat?
These are some of the questions the answers to which help dictate the size, kind, and brand boat you might wish to purchase.
How about the rest of you Brats? Other basic factors to consider?
