When does a boat become “old” and once designated “old”, are those boats no longer any good? Apparently, they were acceptable at one point, but now they are not? Perhaps it is our never-ending fascination with the new, which clearly must be better, more efficient, easier to take care of, less likely to break down, and has more gadgets that causes us to cast aside those older boats.
A car that is older than 25 years is considered a classic and will typically be brought out only for Sunday drives or the occasional car show. There are many 25 year old boats being used regularly as “daily drivers”. We are not calling them classics yet and personally, I would call them a great opportunity.
Let’s pick an arbitrary date, say the year 2000. Anything prior to that will fall into our old-boat category. If you wander the docks, you will see many boats built prior to 2000 and depending on their original build quality and maintenance program, their condition varies widely. However, with diligence and patience you can find solid boats that have had solid maintenance and will be able to take you where you want to go. A caveat: do not be taken in by the lower initial purchase price. Boats are complicated and many of the systems on an older boat can be near their end of life. A good surveyor can give you an idea how things stand and making sure you have some financial reserves set aside for your boat is always a good idea.
I suggest that we move away from the automotive mindset of buy new, wear it out and trade it in and move towards the house mindset. We find a house that works for us and we understand that at times it will need some significant repairs. We know that our house will need a new roof, fresh paint, wiring upgrades or some plumbing fixes. Don’t be surprised when your 25-plus-year-old boat needs the same.
I know that an older boat is not the right fit for a lot of folks and it is best to know your limits, but for many, it is a way to start living out their boating dreams sooner rather than later.
Todd Powell Boats 