Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Buying A
17' - 30' Family Powerboat...But Were Afraid To Ask.
Buying a boat can be a thoroughly unnerving or a completely enjoyable experience. It all depends on how well or ill - prepared you are for the "excursion." A good grasp of the "basics" will go a long way in transforming the endeavor from a crap shoot to a systematic, rational decision. We hope the information enclosed in this report helps you avoid mistakes and allows you to find a boat you'll be very happy with.
Whether it's your first boat or your fifteenth, buying a boat is an exciting time, filled with high emotion. The possibility of going "out to sea" has impassioned people since the beginning of time. I'm sure you and your family can't wait to be out on the water enjoying yourselves.
But don't let common sense get lost in the euphoria of the moment. For most people the "boating world" is uncharted territory. Take a little time to get ready so you don't get "lost" out there.
Although any boat can probably be used for any purpose (they crossed the ocean in a 10 footer) generally speaking:
16' - 18': |
Easily trailerable, small lakes, some bigger lakes mid - week, rivers, 3-5 people. Popular size for inland fishing. |
19' - 23': |
Still trailerable, useable on most inland lakes and rivers, 8-12 people, most popular size for skiing and general use. |
24' - 28': |
Hard to trailer, able to handle rough water comfortably. Cuddy model could accommodate over - night use (barely). Open bow handles 10 or more people. |
29' - or more: |
A big boat usually used on big bodies of water or to sleep on board. The longer and wider have more room and amenities. |
Sport Decks: |
A general term for those boats with a wider, flatter deck on a modified hull. More open feel and able to |
NOTE: With proper initial instruction and very little experience you'll find that a 24' boat is as easy to handle on the water as a 16' boat. Seek out the size boat you really need - you'll be able to learn to handle it quickly and easily.
After you determine the approximate length read through these options to further narrow your choices.
Open Bow: Usually 18' - 29', more room, better weight
distribution, more area for kids to wander, easier
to dock or put on a trailer, easy to re - sell.Cuddy: Usually 19' - 30', enclosed bow area allows for storage, sleeping, bathroom and possibly a table and cooking if over 22'.
Cruiser: Usually 25' or more, all the comforts of home...And more...If you pay the price.
Aluminum: Usually 12' - 18', lightweight, cheaper, easier to
trailer, popular with fishermen.Fiberglass: Normally better looking and fancier, quieter, more solid ride, more comfortable, better skiing, normal choice for boats over 17' long, better resale.
Outboard: Lightweight, cheaper, easier to maintain, usually
Motor: Under 150 h.p.
Stern Drive: 4, 6, or 8 cylinder car engine, much quieter, uses less gas, fits in the boat better, better resale, more solid feel, 135 h.p. to over 300 h.p.Inboard: Used on big cruisers and also flat bottom ski boats. Difficult for most families to handle.
V-Drive vs. Stern-Drive
V-Drive. When choosing your family's boat you may find some manufacturers using a type of inboard motor called a V-Drive. A V-Drive is used on specialty ski/wakeboard boats because they plane quicker with more low-end torque. They also have tighter turning radius and produce a flatter wake for slalom skiing. A V-Drive needs a ballast system and/or some type of wedge or drag hardware to produce wakes for wakeboarding and tubing. A ballast system puts hundreds of pounds inside the boat which lowers safety, steering control and person capacity, while adding maintenance costs.
A stern-drive: is usually a better choice for families since it is quieter and safer to control in reverse and at low-speed maneuvering. It is much more comfortable and drier in rough water and has better performance because of the easily adjusted propeller angle. It is usually 20% - 25% faster and gets up to 35% better cruising fuel consumption. There is usually a better choice of seating arrangements and the wake can be adjusted to keep almost all kneeboarders, tubers, skiers and wakeboarders happy.
Once you've narrowed your choice to an approximate length and style, one other major consideration is how much horsepower. A 14' aluminum fishing boat is perfectly happy with 15 h.p. outboard. But a 20' fiberglass boat will be fairly disappointing with a four cylinder 120 h.p. stern drive engine. Although everyone's activities and preferences vary the chart below will give you some indication of what you will need.
| Cruising/Fishing | Boating/Skiing | |
| 15' - 17' Aluminum | 30 h.p. - 60 h.p. O.B. | 50 h.p. - 90 h.p. |
| 17' - 18' Fiberglass | 60 h.p. - 80 h.p. O.B 115 h.p. + I.O. |
70 h.p. - 120 h.p. 130 h.p. + I.O. |
| 19' - 21' Fiberglass | 130 h.p. - 150 h.p. I.O. | 170 h.p. - 230 h.p. I.O. |
| 22'' - 24' Fiberglass | 170 h.p. - 200 h.p. | 220 h.p. - 300 h.p. |
| 25' - 30' Fiberglass | 260 h.p. 350 h.p. | 300 h.p. - 400 h.p. |
(NOTE: O.B. = Outboard Motor, I.O. = Inboard/Outboard or Stern Drive Motor.)
Hopefully by now you have been able to determine who will use the boat, plus where and how it will be used. The preceding charts should also have helped to further solidify your choice of the exact boat that you want and need. You should now be able to tell anyone "We want to look at boats that are roughly feet long, made of (fiberglass or aluminum.) We prefer style of boat in this horsepower!" What boat to look for is just a simple matter of filling in the "blanks!"
This procedure has taken a little time but it will be worth it. You have to know what you are looking for or you will never know when you find it. You want to end up with the right boat, not what somebody else thought was a "good boat" for you.
Now that you have a good idea of what you are looking for, it is time to head to the boat shows or the dealer's showrooms. Now things can start to get exciting, but also very confusing. There are over 400 manufactures of boats and they all think they have the best. Probably within 40 miles of your house there are close to 50 different brands offered by the surrounding dealers. They all think they carry the best - even if they offer more than one kind!
If you felt the need, you could study every boat made, correlate all the information, (maybe even let a computer digest it) and possibly get somewhat of a handle on the boat business. Realistically, most of us have neither the time or the patience for such a project. Fortunately, in today's market, 80% of the manufacturers build a decent boat for the amount of money they ask. Using this report can help you avoid those other 20% where you get less than what you paid for.
When checking over a boat you should initially stand at an angle to the hull and use the reflection of the sun or a bright light to help you judge both gelcoat smoothness and the hull fairness. By leaning your head left or right, you can "move" the reflection. A smooth, well - made gelcoat reflects light evenly along the entire hull. There will be no dull spots or color changes. A sudden "jump" in the motion of the reflection indicates an unevenness, possibly a "hard spot" or protrusion caused by improper installation of the bulkheads. Similarly, check the bottom and the deck.
Next, look for print - through of the underlying fiberglass material. This shows up as a faint basket weave pattern from the woven roving and can best be seen with the light at an oblique angle to the surface. Severe print - though suggests possible quality control problems in the overall layup. Print - though is acceptable on the hull's inside as long as it is out of sight.
You can ask to find out exactly how thick the gel-coat and fiberglass are on each model. Also ask how they were applied. Another, quicker way to find out about the hull integrity is to make a fist and pound on the boat. Does it feel solid? Sound solid? Any movement in the surface? It should all be very sturdy with very little flex if any at all. Stand on the swim platform and deck to be sure they are also solid.
Most boat bottoms have a "V" shaped structure. Generally the flatter the "V" of the hull the quicker the boat planes off and the faster it goes. Unfortunately the ride can be very rough as the water gets wavy (the flatter "V" is used on less expensive boats so they can use smaller horsepower engines to keep the price down.) If you will be on busy or choppy lakes and rivers, be sure to get a "deep V" hull. Deadrise is a term used to describe the "V-ness" of the hull (flat hull is 0 degrees and a very deep V is 24 degrees.) A hull for use on busy water should be at least 18 degrees. Even better if it is 20 - 22 degrees. Your family and your backside will be glad you purchased a "deep V."
The hull of a boat is initially like a large empty bathtub so the manufacturer has to build in supports for strength and stability. You'll have to ask about framing in the boat's bottom. Beneath the floor there is always longitudinal stringers and frames fiberglassed into place to stiffen the bottom. Ask the dealer if the stringers are wood or the fiberglass framing system. Fiberglass stringers are less expensive to build and are sold as "never rotting." Properly installed wood stringers never rot plus they give a more solid ride with much less noise. Almost all of the better, larger boats use wood stringers. Do the stringers run the entire length of the boat and how many are used? Is there foam injected into any empty cavities below the floor?
In order to further check the hull you'll have to stick your head deep inside the engine compartment, under the gunwales or in the storage areas. Use a flashlight and see what was really done to hold the boat together. Look for carefulness, solidity and thickness for strength. Take a close look at the seam where the deck was attached to the hull. Is it straight and uniform? What kind of screws did they use or were insufficient pop rivets used? What kind of sealer was used to prevent leakage, reduce flexing and further bond the deck and hull together? (3M adhesive is much better than silicone.)
Most boats lay the floor solidly on the stringers. Any floor flexing indicates poor workmanship and probably future major problems. The floor is normally wood that has been coated in fiberglass resin. Check to see that this was done by feeling or seeing underneath as best as you can. There should never be any bare wood this near to where water will be.
Another type of floor is fiberglass although it is harder than the wood floor to fit and make solid. A properly laid wood floor is your best bet in the average boat. The higher quality boats will incorporate the fiberglass floor into a complete one piece inner - liner. Sometimes called a fiberglass cockpit liner. The inner liner will include the cockpit floor, seat bases, storage areas and the open bow area all in one large fiberglass unit. It is dropped into the hull and attached to the stringers, deck, and hull providing the strongest, cleanest and longest lasting construction technique. Only the more expensive boats use this procedure but a fiberglass inner - liner is a valuable option.
Once inside the boat you could start with the windshield. Is it all safety glass with good visibility and no distortion in the rounded corners? Does it feel solid when you shake it or lean on it? Check for rough edges or sharp corners.
Be sure the rails and cleats are stainless steel or chrome plated bronze. They should be attached with bolts, nuts and washers through a metal or wood backing plate under the deck. Don't settle for less! Measure the cleats to be sure they are at least 6 inches long to handle a good sized dock line.
You will want to take a look at the engine area. Even a quick look will tell you many things about the builder's attitude. The better built boats will have easy accessibility to the engine for repairs or checking the fluids. The wiring will look neat and the bolting of the engine to the hull will look solid and durable. Is the battery, trim and power tilt motor easy to check and remove? The motor cover box itself should be fiberglass for longevity rather than wood and have a liner of insulation to keep the noise diminished.
As you walk around the cockpit area be sure that the boat includes: non - skid material where you step on the deck, grab handles where all the passengers can reach them, ski tow ring on the transom, a ladder with at least three steps, plenty of storage and a ski locker that is ventilated and carpeted. Some companies expect you to store your skis and equipment at the very bottom of the boat where water and oil might collect. Be sure there is a "floor" inside the ski locker to protect your valuable equipment. If you are considering a boat with a cabin, climb inside to check for headroom, length of the V berth and size of the hatch - in some models you leave feeling that you were just in the trunk of a small car!
When you sit in the driver's seat be sure it is adjustable for different sized drivers and comfortable. The shift handle should be easy to reach and operate. You should be able to readily see out the windshield forward and to the sides. Most dashboards will have a tachometer, speedometer, oil pressure, volt meter, trim indicator, temperature and fuel gauge. They should be easy to read, tightly secured when you wiggle them and the wiring underneath should look professionally done.
Much of the enjoyment when using your boat will depend on how comfortable you are when you are sitting down. Boat seats should not be soft and cozy like a living room sofa because the boat will be bouncing much more than your living room ever will. Be sure the boat seats are firm and solid yet comfortable. The better seats might feel a little "stiff" but that occurs when the manufacturer uses denser foam so you won't "bottom - out" while on the water.
The seat bases and structure should be fiberglass or plastic rather than wood for longevity and to prevent rotting. There should be holes in the seat bottoms for evaporation. The vinyl should be at least 32 oz. Marine grade so it lasts longer and retains its shape. Even if you sit or stand on the seats the original shape should bounce right back. Be sure the vinyl is attached with non - rusting staples. Check the stitching for strength and easability of cleaning. Poorly made seats can be the first area that makes a boat look old and shabby.
I realize that the previous few pages may have been a little too technical for many people. But even if you remember just 4 or 5 places on a boat to inspect you'll probably be able to determine whether this boat deserves a grade of A, B, C, D, or F.
Also be aware that you should be "grading" the dealership right along with the boat. The relationship with your dealer can make boating very easy if the dealership is grade "A." How long have they been in business? How long has the personnel been there? Can you deal with the owner if necessary? Do they have a well run and reputable service department? Is your salesperson informative and helpful? Does your boat purchase come with a written guarantee that you can return if you don't like it within 30 days?
I haven't spent much time on the actual boat lay -out, seat choices, color or accessories. These are important but I felt they are subject to personal choice and needs. Just be sure you get the quality level that you deserve.
If you have decided upon a boat that you think you'll like at a dealership you can work with, then you are ready for the most important step in the buying process - the test ride! You cannot tell if a boat is going to be right for you and your family unless you go for a test ride. Do not make any deal or give someone any money unless it is contingent on you and your families total approval after a test ride. And not just a 10 minute test ride where the bottom barely gets wet and you get to make two turns. A test ride should be at least 60 minutes and cover all aspects of the boat's operation.
If you are going to trailer the boat insist on being taught how to back up the trailer, launch the boat and put it back on the trailer. Once in the water adjust the seat and tilt wheel so that you can get comfortable. Notice the position of the throttle and the gauges. Does the engine start easily? At idle speed is it quiet enough to hold a pleasant conversation? Does it turn easily at all speeds? Even high speed hard turns should feel solid and always have you in control, never hopping or sliding. When you accelerate from slow to fast does the boat respond quickly and get to level plane in four seconds or less? (If not it won't ski well.) How does the boat feel, sound and respond at top speed? Drive over the waves (even if they are your own) and feel if the boat "pounds"through them or smoothly cuts through the waves. Any annoying vibrations or rattles in the boat? If you lift your hands slightly off the wheel does the boat continue straight ahead or does it pull to one direction indicating a problem? When you throttle down from fast to idle does the boat gracefully glide forward or does it "sink" in it's own wake indicating a hull that is sluggish and insufficient? Practice parking at a pier and learn to use reverse. Does it shift smoothly and handle easily? Did everybody have a good time and stay dry - then it passes the test!
I end this report with a wise quote from Brock Yates of Powerboat Magazine. "I believe that the boat of your dreams is worth reaching for. If you're going to make one major sacrifice in your life, why not a boat? After all, a good boat is not some disposable item like a car that is going to get all punchy and clapped out like an over - the - hill prize fighter in a few years. With decent maintenance, a proper boat will last a lifetime. Therefore, a boat should be purchased as if you're going to keep if for the rest of your life. Unlike a car or a television set or a washer/dryer combo, good boats don't wear out. So they are worth a little wallet stretching that might not make sense when shopping for something else."
Good Luck in your search and please let us help in any way we can.