Are You Thinking of Owning a Boat? Here’s What You Need to Know

The sale of recreational boats was estimated to increase by 6 to 8 percent to 68000 units in the year 2018. The reason why so many people are buying boats is because the boating lifestyle is a great way to spend time with friends and family while enjoying what marine life has to offer. But owning a boat comes with realities most people don’t often consider while they’re daydreaming. You have to ask yourself, can you afford having a new boat or buying used boats for sale, where will you be boating and perhaps most importantly, what kind of boating lifestyle you envision for yourself once you have achieved the dream of owning a boat.

Insuring your boat

Before buying a boat, you need to find out whether you can afford to pay the costs that come with it such as insurance premiums. When it comes to getting a cover for your boat, it’s best to separate your boat insurance cover from your homeowners’ insurance. This is because many homewner’s policies do not cover marine-specific risks such as salvage work, wreck removal or environmental damage. Also, most homeowners’ insurance only cover your boat when used inland waterways, lakes and rivers. So if you plan to boat around beaches or coastal inlets, shopping for an experienced marine insurer will come in handy. Saving money on insurance is also important. Looking for better rates every year will help in reducing the amount of premiums that you pay. For example, even if your insurance is just $70 a month, over the course of the year that will add up to $840. Lowering it down to $60 per month will save you $120 and that kind of money can be useful in doing other boat repairs.

Doing Maintenance

When doing maintenance on your boat, the basic tasks would be keeping things clean and, where necessary, well lubricated. Doing this makes a huge difference on a boat. The fiberglass gel coat, for example, will become pale if you don’t wash and wax it frequently after going on a ride plus spraying your boat with fresh water will reduce the buildup of salt residue. For the more demanding maintenance tasks, it may help to do most of them on your own in order to save money. Obviously, there are things that you won’t be able to do by yourself, for instance if your engine block cracks, you would definitely need a mechanic. However, you can learn to do your own oil changes(in comparison, a dealership would charge you several hundred dollars), work on the water pump and fix problems with the fuel cell pump. Also, instead of taking your boat to a shop, you can flush the engine after boating in order to prevent water from freezing inside.

Responsible boating

Whenever you’re driving your boat it is important to boat only on waterways designated to your type of boat. Operate your boat at a reasonable speed and always be on the lookout for other boats, objects and swimmers. This way you will be able to ensure the safety of you and your passengers. Also, if you didn’t know, there are rules for driving on the water. So try to learn the rules in order to avoid expensive fiberglass repairs or severe structural damage resulting from avoidable accidents.

Owning a boat can be expensive or challenging especially if you are a first timer. But overtime you’ll get back what you put in so just be patient and it will definitely be worth it.

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