Has it been your lifelong dream to own a boat? If you feel you are now in the position to buy your first boat, you'll want to make sure you get it right. If you are buying a secondhand boat, it's best to start visiting and having a good look around the boatyards, and talk to other owners about their experiences and ask for the contact of recommended surveyors.
Like any important purchase you shouldn't rush this research period, so spend lots of time seeing as many boats as possible and enjoy it. While doing your legwork think about the boat insurance implications your final choice will have, as it is all part of parcel of your financial commitment over time. Look to get a boat insurance quote for any model of boat you have on your list to buy before making any decision.
Have you weighed up the options yet between buying new or secondhand? Apart from the necessary legwork there are some valuable sources that you can research from the comfort of your own home, such as the Marine Directory article resources. Currently there are over 7000 PDF articles available which cover pretty much everything you will need to know.
For example there are around 600 buyers guides which specialise in various makes and models, and currently cost from 4.95 to download the PDF report. These can be found on the internet on Yachting and Boating World, Marine Directory. Of course there are also the boat shows to go to, from the second May bank holiday, 23rd to 25th May, there is the Brighton new and used Boat Show, in the Brighton Marina. This is one of the many shows you can attend.
On the internet you can also visit relevant forums to see what people are saying, as well as asking questions. There are also some boat buyers guides which have a quick search facility that lets you put in the number of cabins, berths, length and width, fuel and engine types, with a ballpark of your budget, which will then return the suggested boats from different manufacturers. This can be a good starting point, and Motor Boats Monthly has this facility for motorboats.
When you are considering the boat insurance policy that you will need when you have bought your boat, be aware that not all boat insurance quote policies are the same. For both your purchasing decision and insurance purposes the expense of a survey may be worth considering, in the case of buying secondhand. Just like cars no two boats will have had the same care and attention, and their condition can vary substantially. From the survey you will find out about any remedial work that may need doing in the immediate or near future, which you can evaluate before making your final decision. The assessment of the degree of risk will also be done so if this is high in turn your insurer will have to charge you higher premiums.
Another consideration is that insurers will ask for repeat inspections, so you will need to research how frequently various insurers need these done, as this is another important cost factor to include in your calculations. Finally be aware that insurers will use the survey as a tool to assess the degree of risk but when it comes to a claim they will not pay out on defects which were not noticed by your surveyor. Naturally this reinforces the importance of finding a very good surveyor, and having a thorough survey done.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
