OK,
so we have decided on the boat we are about to fall
in love with. We sort of think and dream, depending
on the size of our finances and having spent endless
hours reading the appropriate sail or motor boat magazines
looking at pictures and endless hours on the boating
web sites, how big a boat we can afford. First of all,
you must set a budget and it’s always good advice
to stick within it. If you can wave some of the folding
stuff around when you are bargaining as your deposit,
it’s surprising what effect it can have on a seller
to clinch the deal. Like I explained in Tips No 2, if
it’s bigger than a trailer boat, it will have
to live on the water or on a hard standing generally
in a boatyard or a farmers field. Boats don’t
mind getting wet living on the water, providing you
take them out generally once a year and paint the bottom
with Anti-foul. After all, that’s what they are
built for. Any boat will happily live in a marina, alongside
on a river mooring or even out on a buoy mooring in
the middle of a river or estuary, the only difference
being cost and availability. Don’t ever buy a
boat of any kind no matter how cheap it’s being
given away for, without having somewhere for it to live.
You could find yourself with several tons of wood, fibreglass
or even steel desperately looking for a home. The above
is a major consideration in any boat purchase.
Having
determined a home for your future love, the vessel and
its equipment you intend to buy should be thoroughly
surveyed preferably by a professional. A marine surveyor
could save you a lot of heartache and pots of money
by advising and reporting on any obvious or pending
faults. They don’t cost the earth and are a sound
and wise investment. This is the start of your bank
account starting to grow holes and the numbers on the
bottom of the statement getting less with each viewing.
But don’t worry, you can’t take it with
you and if you don’t have your boat then some
loving relative is going to spend it for you.
Also speak to several insurance companies and get some
quotations on the type of boat you are thinking of buying.
Like car insurance, it is essential and accidents on
water can be very costly.
Ask the owner of any intended purchase you are considering,
how long they have owned the boat, have they proof of
ownership and their reason for selling. Ask has the
boat ever been involved in any accidents or suffered
any damage and what if any repairs have been carried
out. Invoices and service records are a must and the
most important invoice you need to see is that the VAT
been fully paid at the time of original purchase. If
you go into a foreign port or on the continent, you
must always have this documentation together with the
usual passports available otherwise your boat could
be confiscated.
Right, the survey comes back with advice to carry out
some repairs to ensure that the vessel is seaworthy
which will be a major consideration when you come to
make an offer, any defaults are bargaining pawns that
determine the actual price to pay as are any extras
such as life belts, life rafts, tenders and outboards.
Crockery, gas bottles, flags, flares (in date) ropes
etc, etc. Always try to get as many extras thrown in
because these can put extra hundreds on the price. It’s
only when you get home that you realise “Where
are the Fenders”. They start from about £10
and go up. So make a list of everything included and
make sure it is complete at point of purchase.
Author: A Shea
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