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Those of you who have the money and plan to keep

one boat forever, should buy it new. If you happen

to be on a budget and skeptical about owning a

boat, you should buy it used.

Buying used is great for some, although it isn't

always the most glamorous decision. The oceans

and lakes are filled with boaters who are far

wealthier than most. Many boaters go well beyond

their means and finance their boats at extreme

levels.

What really counts with a used boat is being out

there on the water. Someone who is out there

every weekend on his beat up boat is a great

boater. A businessman who only has time to ride

on his 60 foot yacht once or twice a year isn't

considered a boater at all.

If you look around the water, you'll se that the

little boats are the ones that move, while the

big boats are the ones that never move. Those

that are too busy earning money and never have

the time to go boating shouldn't really have a

boat at all.

New boats can lose half of their value in less

than 2 years. With a used boat, the previous

owner has already fixed the problems that are

associated with new boats. The previous owner

has also already hassled with the dealer to get

the warranty service taken care of.

A used boat normally hasn't be used very much

at all. A boat will sit a majority of the time,

which is nothing like a used car. You can find

many boats with less than a couple hundreds hours

of engine time. For the sake of comparison,

look at how many hours are on the engine of your

car.

A used boat will already have scratches and

dings, so you won't feel half as bad when you

add a few of your own. When you purchase your

used boat, you should leave at least a grand to

outfit the boat and make any necessary repairs.

A used boat will normally come with dock lines,

life jackets, spare props, a radio, safety

equipment, and other nice additions. New boat

owners will have to pay hundreds of dollars

for these kinds of things.

The wild card is, of course, whether or not the

previous boat owner did the proper maintenance

of the boat. Prior to buying you should always

get the boat surveyed to be sure that it's in

reasonable condition. This way, you'll know

your getting a great used boat.