subject: How To Decide What Pre-owned Speed Boat You Should Buy [print this page] With such a diverse array of pre-owned, second-hand, used speed boats, power boats and motor boats available in all shapes and sizes, it can be bewildering trying to decide which to buy. So if you are thinking about buying one, it's important to decide what you want it for first. Based on my experience, here are a few things I recommend you consider ...
How big should your pre-owned speed boat be?
Bigger is not necessarily better in your particular circumstances. A smaller boat can be towed by a smaller vehicle. The second boat I bought was bigger than the first one I had and I had to buy a bigger car to tow it!
When deciding on the size of pre-used speed boat you are going to buy, you need to consider where you are going to store it when not in use. If it can't fit in your garage will it have to sit on your drive? If so, will it be in the way?
A smaller, lighter boat is also easier to launch and recover from the water. If you are going to launch your boat from a slipway, this is quite easy to do so you might be comfortable with a bigger boat.
But if you are going to launch from a beach, you are going to have to push the trailer into the water until it is deep enough for the boat to float off. This is going to be hard work if you've got a heavy boat on a heavy trailer, particularly on soft sand. It will be even harder pulling the boat and trailer out of the water as this will be "uphill".
How many people and how much gear are you likely to carry in your pre-owned speed boat when in use? If you are likely to be in the boat alone, or with just one passenger, without any gear, you won't need a big boat. But if you intend to take your family or a load of friends, with wakeboards, waterskis, inflatables, and enough food and drink for the day, you will need a bigger boat!
What do you intend to use your pre-owned speed boat for?
If you intend to cruise leisurely on a lake, or to go fishing, you don't need a fast boat. In fact, there may well be speed restrictions on a lake or river. So you can buy a motor boat with a small engine which will be cheaper to buy, and cheaper to run, than a power boat with a bigger engine.
But if you intend to tow wakeboarders, waterskiers, kneeboarders or inflatables, and are likely to have several people in the boat, you will need a bigger engine.
What can you afford?
You need to decide how much you can afford to spend on your pre-owned speed boat. You will be hoping to find a bargain but don't forget that a boat that is cheaper to buy may end up costing you dearly in the longer term. You might end up spending more on the maintenance and repair of a cheaper boat than you would have on a slightly more expensive boat that is in better condition. So that "bargain" could turn out to be very expensive and you could end up throwing good money after bad.
by: Martyn Boaden
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