“How To”

Buying your first boat is exciting—but it can also feel overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. From choosing the right style to understanding ownership, there’s a lot to consider before making the jump.

To help you feel confident in your decision, here are some simple dos and don’ts every first-time boat buyer should know.

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✅ DO: Think About How You’ll Use the Boat

Before anything else, ask yourself how you plan to use your boat:

• Relaxing cruises
• Fishing trips
• Family outings
• Watersports

Different boats are built for different experiences, so knowing your main goal will help narrow down your options quickly.

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❌ DON’T: Buy Based on Looks Alone

It’s easy to fall in love with a sleek design, but looks don’t tell the whole story.

Make sure the boat fits your lifestyle, has the right features, and is practical for how you plan to use it—not just how it looks on the showroom floor.

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✅ DO: Set a Realistic Budget

Your budget should include more than just the purchase price. Be sure to factor in:

• Maintenance
• Storage
• Insurance
• Fuel

Planning ahead helps you avoid surprises and enjoy your boat stress-free.

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❌ DON’T: Overlook Boat Size and Storage

Bigger isn’t always better. Think about:

• Where you’ll store it
• How easy it is to tow
• How many people you’ll typically have onboard

A boat that fits your lifestyle is always better than one that’s too much to handle.

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✅ DO: Ask Questions and Learn the Basics

A good dealership will walk you through everything you need to know. Ask about:

• Operation and controls
• Maintenance tips
• Safety features
• Required equipment

The more you understand upfront, the better your experience will be.

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❌ DON’T: Skip the Walkthrough

Never skip a full walkthrough or demo. This is your chance to:

• Learn how everything works
• Ask specific questions
• Get comfortable before you hit the water

It makes a huge difference for first-time owners.

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✅ DO: Consider New vs. Used

Both options can be great depending on your situation:

• New boats offer the latest features and warranties
• Used boats can be more budget-friendly

Take time to explore both and see what fits you best.

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❌ DON’T: Rush the Decision

Buying a boat is a big investment. Take your time, compare options, and make sure it feels right.

The goal is to enjoy your time on the water—not second-guess your purchase.

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Final Thoughts

Your first boat is the start of a lot of great memories. With a little planning and the right guidance, you can find something that fits your lifestyle and your budget.

Take your time, ask questions, and enjoy the process—you’ll be glad you did when you’re out enjoying your new boat.

 

#1 You’ve probably already heard the cardinal rule of docking a boat: Never approach the pier any faster than you’re willing to hit it. In other words, you never know when a sudden “oopsie” will cause your precious fiberglass chariot to do the opposite of what you had intended. Just in case, always approach solid objects slowly enough that if your docking job turns into a ramming, the results won’t be tragic.

 

#2: Use enough juice to get the job done. When it comes to causes of disastrous docking, applying insufficient power comes in a close second to applying too much. You need to counter and overcome momentum, wind, and current. If you don’t tell your boat what to do—with authority—one or more of these other factors is likely to take over.

 

#3: Always look before you leap. Give your slip a hairy eyeball, even if you’ve backed into it 100 times before. The biggest issue here is mooring lines. If any lines of yours or a neighboring slip fell off a piling and into the water, current could stretch it out across your path. Tangle a mooring line in your propeller, and that docking job will go south in a hurry.

 

#4: With twin inboards, don’t touch the wheel. Ever. You’ll be tempted, but you have more control if you leave the wheel centered and use only the engines. If you do turn the wheel, then when you try to use the engines and the prop-wash hits a cockeyed rudder, the boat may take an unexpected path.

 

#5: In heavy winds, reduce your windage. Particularly in a small boat, this can have a dramatic effect on how easy or how hard it is to dock. A Bimini top or an Isinglass enclosure can act like a sail on a powerboat, and throw you out of kilter. On a sailboat, a sail lazily left unfurled can have the same effect.

 

#6: Never kill the engines until all the lines are secure. Many people who don’t know how to dock a boat well make the mistake of shutting down as soon as the boat is in the slip, but you never know if a crewmember is going to drop his or her line(s), or when a piling will slip out of reach. Keep the powerplants on, so you can maneuver as necessary.

 

#7: Don’t be afraid to abort. This is especially important for sailboats, single-screw inboards, and other boats with a limited ability to maneuver. If the approach doesn’t seem to be going well don’t try to force the issue; instead, circle back for another try.

 

# 8: Learn how to dock a boat using fenders that are placed with precision. There’s more to this than merely hanging the fenders over the side; you need to judge where the boat will kiss a piling, and how to orient the fenders so they don’t get caught under the pier or swing freely above it. Position them properly and you’ll find that even the best boaters in the world can do a better job of damage-free docking, with the pressure-points protected.

 

#9: When docking any type of single-engine boat, always turn the wheel before applying power—not during or after. That way, you won’t get a blast of forward or reverse before the blast of port or starboard kicks in.

 

#10: Always apply short bursts of power, instead of steady power. This allows you to maneuver without building up a lot of momentum, which can quickly get out of control.