Buying A Boat Takes Some Serious Planning

It’s said the nine most romantic words that a spouse can say are, “Honey, why don’t you just buy a new boat?”

But before you become a babbling zombie in a dealer’s showroom, try to remember good consumer common sense when it comes to a major purchase like a boat.

The idea is to get a boat that serves your purposes. Ask yourself what type of boating you anticipate doing.

Do you want to cruise Lake Coeur d’Alene for some sun and fun primarily and maybe a little waterskiing?

Or maybe your cup of tea is quietly trolling for trout with an electric motor in one of Eastern Washington’s many small lakes.

How about muscling up the canyons and running whitewater on the Snake River in Hells Canyon?

Knowing your boating needs helps change a confusing venture into a reasonable task.

Keeping in mind a few facts about boating make for a wiser purchase, too.

Sit down with a pencil and paper and rough out a budget. Realize that the average non-aluminum boat sees 35 hours of powered use annually in the Northwest, according to studies done by fiberglass manufacturers. Their life expectancy varies greatly with use, storage and trailering.

Welded aluminum craft average about 150 hours of powered use per year and have an expected life of up to 2,500 running hours, according to Perry Heinecke, president of Duckworth Boat Co., based in Clarkston.

Consider, too, where you intend to keep your new boat. Many city ordinances don’t allow on-street parking of boats or RVs. Neighborhood covenants may prohibit the same thing.

If you intend to keep a boat moored at a marina, don’t forget the rental cost.

In this region, most marinas close for the season and require owners to haul out their boats, too. Where will you put it?

Have you looked into operating and maintenance costs?

According to the BOAT/U.S. Consumer Protection Bureau, the average yearly cost for operating, maintaining, repairing and replacing a boat’s equipment is about $50 per foot. And that’s if the owners do the work themselves.

And don’t forget annual registration fees, safety equipment, sales tax, winter storage costs and insurance when penciling out a budget.

For the long-range boater, figure in extra fuel costs at dockside pump prices.

Many times I’ve seen a jet boater pull up to the pumps with the boat behind the pickup, and the truck takes 20 gallons while the boat takes 75. Ouch!

Now I don’t mean to be a wet blanket when it comes to boating. But poorly thought-out purchases are what make for sayings like: “The two happiest days in a boat owner’s life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.”

For more information on purchasing a boat that will suit your needs, contact the BOAT/U.S. Consumer Protection Bureau, 880 South Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304, or call (703) 461-2856.