Top 10 things to consider when looking for a new boat

[baz]

Subject: Top 10 things to consider when looking for a new boat

What would be or are your top 10 things to consider when looking to buy a boat ? List them in priority order if you can.

I'm curious and suspect the results of this will be all over the place. 😱

I'll start off with....

1) Can I handle boat single handily ?
2) Can I afford it (purchase price plus its upkeep such as maintenance, moorage fees, Insurance and fuel cost) ?
3) Suitability for the water I'll be using the boat in ?
4) Reputation of the boat builder ?
5) After sales customer service ?
6) Research of boat quality and operations - Reviews being +ive and/or -ive ?
7) Does it have my most important 'creature comforts' ?
8) Warranty ?
9) If trailering, can my current mule pull it safely ?
10) Does 1st Mate like it ?

 

[Les Blackwell]

I'm fascinated with your question...and requirements. Since reading your post I have spent a bit of time pondering the question. Over the years (since the mid 1960s) I have bought eleven new (not used) boats, ten of them sailboats however my last new boat is a Ranter Tug 25SC named adagio. Recently I turned eighty-four and realized I really could handle the sailboats anymore. Pity. But the Tug looked my speed.

With the sailboats I've watch the industry grow, get bette with construction as well as more efficient. I went from a delightful Cal 20 to a couple of Ranger (California company) sailboats, one of which was a 3/4 ton racing boat. We took second in the Straits of Georgia race one year but never did well in the Swiftsure (for those not from Puget Sound, this a major race out the Strait of Juan de Fuca and back to Victoria, BC). I did win Boat of the Year in Bellingham once with our Hunter 35.5 sailboat.

When I retired I took up being a charter boat skipper for several of the local chartering companies, ASA certified and 100 ton ticket from the Coast Guard. It was all on sailboats, old and new. But this Ranter Tug is my first power boat and it has been a gas (I know, it's a diesel--sorry). I'm learning a lot like watch your wake and the boat won't turn if not in gear. Things sailboats easily do all the time. Andrew had to bring in heavy artillery to train me in power boat behavior. I'm still learning.

So as to your question. For me my wife and I are partners, have been for sixty one years. We bought all our boats together as a team. She taught sailing at our local university but didn't like to race. But she could handle the boat as well as me--maybe better in light winds--I have little patience. So my first listing would be that we both like the boat.k

My second thought would be....how hard would it be to sell this boat down the road? Is it re-sellable? One of my sailboats, a Hunter 380, was bought for $129,000 and sold it for $121,000 after nine years of use. Still on some we lost a little, some others we made a little. But what we gained was the enjoyment of that boat at that time. That 380 is still one of my favorites.

A third point would be about financing. I like to use other people's money and somewhere in the past I learned that some banks, credit unions and brokerages seem to think that boats are a good investment better then houses or cars. A well designed boat that is well cared for holds its value.

I don't worry about warranties. Companies want their product to do well. I once bought a Canadian boat, hull number one, but after five years decided to sell it because it just didn't have the finish inside that I wanted. Good sailing boat though. However when I talked to the designer/builder later on, he got mad that I hadn't brought the boat back to him to make corrections. I hadn't thought about that.

Margaret Mead (sociologist) once wrote that we need seven different spouses over the years. Her point being that we change--and in the lucky marriages, both partners change at the same rate. I think it is the same with boats. Fortunately my wife and I have changed together and now think our Ranger Tug is the best thing for us. And we're in our eighties--

I like your question and agree with you--you are going to get answers that are all over the top. It will be fun to read them as they come in. Well done.

 

[Boris the Tug]

1) Enclosed cabin (pilothouse) - so I can cruise in comfort
2) Don't have to cover it all the time - cause you know no one else is gonna help
3) No vinyl seats or material that sun will destroy easily - brutal sun here
4) Low maintenance engine - should start up every time
5) Don't have to Bust Out Another Thousand
6) If buying used outboard, must be Yamaha or Honda
7) Preferably fresh water only - of course, but hard to find unless Great Lakes area
8) Unique, has character and style - martinis anyone?
9) Seaworthy - in case I want to venture past the GG bridge
10) Looks good at my dock! - maybe I should have made this #1

 

[baz]

I'm fascinated with your question...and requirements....snip...

I posted this primarily because I've gone through 3 Ranger Tug boats over past 8 years. During this period my boating requirements and situation have changed. With each boat purchase my Top 10 items were ordered differently and some dropped of the Top 10 altogether.

The "enclosed cabin" is a requirement of mine also, but did not include that and considered it as being a 'creature comfort'.

The boat's unique styling isn't one of my Top 10 but is for 1st Mate. However, I do consider styling important.

Peoples requirements do change so what may be important 5, 10, 20, 30 yrs ago will most likely change every 7 to 10 years based on my experience.

I look at the various Tug Nut owners in this forum and many have upgraded/switched to other Ranger Tugs and even non-Ranger Tugs and it must be that their requirements, boating experience, creature comforts needs, disputes among the Captain & 1st Mate 😉 😱 , their changing family comittments,their financial situation, and so on.

For me I've gone from R-25 to R-21 and now to new 2018 R-27.

Others I know have gone from R-21, to R-25 Classic), to R-25SC, to R-27 (Classic) to R-29, to R-29S, to R-31, to R-38 and some to Non Ranger Tugs.

Probably the likely requirement changes are due to age and health.

I suspect many who buy a new R-21EC, R-25S and R-23 are not retired and maybe are considered to be in the 'young set'. They may not have kids at this time. When kids do arrive you can bet they will want something larger if they want to continue boating.... and so it goes. 🙂 At the recent Bremerton Trawlerfest I happen to overhear several young couples discussing things... "pay off some debt first....", "maybe next year when I get my bonus...", "...we don't need a big boat as there's just two of us...", and some older couples saying they want 'bigger' to be able to take along extra people beyond themselves...

My rule of thumb is that life style changes occur every 7 years. This is based on statistics that say people change houses every 7 years, change their furniture likes every 7 years, change their cars every 7 years, and so on.

 

[ixlr8]

What would be or are your top 10 things to consider when looking to buy a boat ? List them in priority order if you can.
I'll start off with....

1) Can I handle boat single handily ?
2) Can I afford it (purchase price plus its upkeep such as maintenance, moorage fees, Insurance and fuel cost) ?
3) Suitability for the water I'll be using the boat in ?
4) Reputation of the boat builder ?
5) After sales customer service ?
6) Research of boat quality and operations - Reviews being +ive and/or -ive ?
7) Does it have my most important 'creature comforts' ?
8) Warranty ?
9) If trailering, can my current mule pull it safely ?
10) Does 1st Mate like it ?

As we are going thru this now, most of the items you have listed are valid for us, but in a different order.
1- Does 1st Mate like it?
2- We are trailering, so can my current mule pull it SAFELY?
3- Can we afford it?
If we can't say YES to these 3 items then we move on to another boat.
4- Does it have our most important 'creature comforts' for our intended current/future use?
5- Suitability for the waters where we will be using it?
6- Reputation of boat builder?
7- After sales service?
8- Reviews?
9- Warranty?
10- Can I handle it alone?

 

[baz]

For those 3 top items it may take some reworking to move them from a NO to a YES. Compromises can be obtained at times. 😱 Don't let a NO stop you dead in your tracks.... work on them as best you can.

Some of my items were a NO but after some shifting around of things I turned them to a YES.

 

[kagney151]

I am looking at older Ranger Tugs 29, that have the sliding starboard door next to the helm. As I will most often be on the boat myself, I think that docking it will be easier with the sliding door. Anyone have any ideas? I like the idea of the 27's being trailerable but as I intend to be living aboard the boat for long periods I think the space of the 29 would be more comfortable. But my concern is docking. Any suggestions or input? I have owned a 28' Carver Mariner in the past with a fly bridge, and then a 28' SeaRay.

 

[baz]

I've seen several solo R-29s docking and it seemed to work out AOK. Mind you, in a strong apposing current and wind it could be more difficult. I think the trick is to at least get one line attached to the dock's cleat and then run back to the cockpit as quick as you can and leap :lol: onto the dock with a stern line in hand.... this is my method when solo, which is most of the time. Good luck... 🙂

 

[scross]

For airplanes we seem to do this analysis a bit different.
First: Define the mission. What are you going to do with the aircraft??
One hour pleasure flights in the local area? Aerobatics? Hauling 6 passengers? Long x-c flights? Flight in all weather conditions?
Once the primary mission of the required aircraft is determined them you need to determine what aircraft capabilities, aircraft capacities and the instruments that are required to fulfill the mission. Then you need to find an aircraft that will meet the requirements of the mission.
If your primary mission changes over time you may need a different aircraft to meet your new mission requirements.

For Vicki and me, the mission changed when we decided our 24 ft Monterey was not the best boat for extended cruising to remote locations in the San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands and eventually the Desolation Sound area. We no longer wanted to be limited just going from one marina to the next marina.
One unexpected fog encounter getting home to Anacortes etched in our minds that while GPS was mandatory, radar would be very good to have. A very rainy trip from Roche Harbor to Ganges convinced us that a fully enclosed cabin would be helpful. We decide we had to have an easy to deploy dinghy. And a full galley. Plus a head big enough that we could use with the door closed that was not next to the bed so we had some privacy. The Monterey was trailerable and our next boat needed to be trailerable as well.
Given that new mission definition, the R25 seemed a good solution. So we switched boats to one better suited to our new mission requirements. So far so good!
Sending this from Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island in the San Juan's. It was a fabulous day cruising up from Roche Harbor!

 

[doke01]

The most important question of all is, what are you going to be using the boat for? Once this is answered a lot of the other questions you have answer themselves.

 

[McThomas]

Most important question for me is will I look back at her with pride and affection every time I go ashore? If yes, chances are all other considerations have either been met or don't matter.

 

[NorthernFocus]

Most important question for me is will I look back at her with pride and affection every time I go ashore? ...

Unfortunately there's no way to know that pre-purchase. Kind of like knowing a person's character. Regardless of appearance and features if a boat gives one a lot of trouble or fails to bring you home once or twice it becomes much like an unfaithful spouse. The inherent beauty pales due to the betrayal. But the boat is possibly less costly to part ways with.

 

[SgtAlf]

1. Does the wife like it?
2. Does the wife like it?
3. Does the wife like it?
4. Does the wife like it?
5. Does the wife like it?
6. Does the wife like it?
7. Does the wife like it?
8. Does the wife like it?
9. Does the wife like it?
10.Does the wife like it?
If yes, buy it.
If no, keep looking.

 

[JamesTXSD]

...

Sending this from Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island in the San Juan's. It was a fabulous day cruising up from Roche Harbor!

Off topic, but...

Sending that from Prevost Harbor means you have a data signal. Just a heads up: depending on where you are, that signal may be coming from Canada (the only cellular service to be had in the San Juans comes from Whidbey Island or Orcas Island. Last time we anchored there, I got a surprise "international roaming data" charge on my cell bill. It was a good signal... my phone would have told me I was getting "International Roaming" - the Mifi we used at the time did not.

One of my favorite anchorages in the San Juans. Enjoy!

 

[scross]

We spend about 2/3 of our PNW cruising time in the Gulf Islands. So we have a Verizon Wireless plan that treats Canada and Mexico calls and data just like we were in the USA. I’m pretty sure in Prevost we were linked to the cell towers on Saturna in Canada. But for us it doesn’t matter.