First-time boat buyers must do their homework
5/25/2004 5:46:36 PM by Dale K. DuPont
Memo to first-time boat buyers: There are no brakes -- or turn signals. But there are thousands of other bells and whistles that might help get you out on the water and back safely.
Many are on display at such places as the Palm Beach Boat Show and the recent Miami International Boat Show, major events designed to boost an industry that generates about $30 billion in business annually in the United States.
But, before you start peeling off the hundred-dollar bills, think about why you're buying a boat. Then consider storage, financing, insurance, fuel, maintenance, new or used, power or sail and how to avoid getting stuck in shallow water (or, in nautical terms, running aground).
The biggest mistake people make, Keith Ammons said, is buying the wrong boat. "They want to fish, and they buy a boat for water sports," he said.
Ammons is also known as "The Boating Guy" and worked for the Miami boat show's producer, the National Marine Manufacturer's Association, to answer all questions about boating without recommending any particular product.
He first asks three questions:
*What do you want to do -- fish, spend the night or go for an afternoon outing with the family?
*Where do you want to do your boating -fresh water, saltwater, along the coast, at a lake?
*What kind of budget do you have? Then he can pick a category and give a list of manufacturers.
If you have small children and just want to have fun for the day, he suggests a bowrider or deckboat. They have lots of room for family and friends and are good for tooling around the calmer waters of Biscayne Bay or the Intracoastal. The kids can go swimming off the back.
The price can range from $10,000 to $40,000 for these 17-to-22-footers.
Heavier, more powerful boats will get you over to the islands. The entry-level might come with a 130-horsepower sterndrive engine and some electronics. For $40,000, you get a more powerful engine, nice cushions and other equipment.
Engines can be outboard, inboard or sterndrive. Each has pluses and minuses on basic cost, fuel consumption, noise level and ease of maintenance.
"Buy something as multipurpose as possible," said David Witty, senior vice president, southeast, for MarineMax, the nation's largest boating retailer. "We're taking your living room out in hot salty water, shaking it up and then putting it away and not using it for three weeks."
If trying to involve your family, you'll want something that can go fishing or cruising, said Witty, who's based in Miami.
One of the great misconceptions in Florida, he said, is that you need a 22-foot boat with a little cabin. It's hot here. You're not likely to spend the night in an unair-conditioned cabin rarely used for anything but storage.
For a family with kids, he'd also recommend a sundeck-style boat, sort of an SUV versus a bowrider, which he likens to a sports car.
Capt. Dennis Forgione, who owns the charter boat Free Spool, based at Haulover Inlet, suggests that buyers do a little research about the manufacturer before buying. "It's so easy to just go to a show," he said. "All boat show boats look great. Spontaneous buying is a mistake."
Open all the hatches, and examine a boat carefully. Even if you're not sure what you're looking at, you can recognize good or poor workmanship.
"They can make boats look real pretty on the outside," Forgione said.
And, make sure you get the price of everything. Some boats don't always come with electronics or safety equipment, which can be thousands more.
If you want to work with a broker, "find one you're really comfortable talking to, just like you would in real estate," said J.B. Marshall, a yacht captain and broker with Marshall Marine Group of Pompano Beach.
"Every boat's a compromise to your situation. Find the boat with the least amount of compromises."
And, keep resale in mind.
"You're probably going to sell," Marshall said. "It's not important to you at the time you're buying," but it will be.
There are books and websites -- just as for used cars -- on used-boat prices. Brokers have access to recent sales figures as well.
Marshall also suggests that you deal with someone who has marine credentials, who's been around boats and the water for a while.
Once you've decided to buy, "a safe boating course would be a really good idea," Forgione said.
If buying a sailboat, take a short sailing course to learn the basics. The Marine Industries Association of South Florida offers information at www.miasf.org on boating-safety and other courses offered through such organizations as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadron.
MarineMax will spend as much time with a customer as needed, Witty said, adding: "We ask you to reserve at least a half-day when you take delivery."
You will be walked through the systems on board so that you can see -- and try -- how everything operates.
Then go out on the water.
"Paying a captain for half a day is sometimes the best money you can spend," Witty said.
Acaptain can show you how to operate the boat and provide local knowledge about the waterways, such as the locations of dangerous inlets, shallow spots or channel markers or how to get a bridge tender's attention.
Advice from the pros: Start slowing down well before you have to, and, if necessary, put the boat in neutral or reverse.