I deal almost exclusively with boats used for “cruising” . Going from Point A to Point B, spending the night and then heading to Points C and D, not roaring around the lake with a 4 case capacity cooler-which is also fun. When I am working at the boat shows one of the most common comments I hear is “when I retire”. However, you are not going to go from “no boat” to “boating every day” just by buying a boat. There will be a break-in period, definitely for you and probably for the boat.
Boat Handling– Boats are not like rental cars where you can just hop in and go. Each style will handle differently in wind, waves and current. When you are docking or underway you need to take some time to learn how to handle the boat with your normal crew. If you have no experience with the size and configuration of your new boat, then I recommend budgeting for professional training. A bad experience or two could keep you from ever leaving the dock again.
Equipment Add/Deletes– Most people want to start making changes as soon as they purchase a vessel (unless new). I recommend that you cruise for a while with the boat’s existing equipment before you start making a lot of major changes. You may find that the item you thought was pointless actually has a purpose. After a little time the $20,000 in upgrades may only need to be $5,000.
Shake down Cruising-When your new-to-you boat has not been boating much lately some stress testing will show up any weaknesses. It is not uncommon for a seller to hold off selling even though the boat is getting very little use for a season or two…or three before deciding it is time. I know everyone wants a boat to have low hours but when a boat is underutilized it has a tendency to have minor items go haywire until you have worked all the kinks out. Better to work through this on a series of smaller excursions instead of shoving off for months only to find yourself in a quiet cove without a critical replacement part-for the toilet!.
New Boats-Even if you are purchasing a new vessel, there will be some break in time. Warranty items will come up and need to be addressed. A cruising boat is one of the most complicated things you will own and it will take some hours of use to get all the minor adjustments worked out. Buyers spend a lot of time analyzing the warranty, which is good, but seem surprised when they actually need to use it. It is simple part of the process of getting your boat ready to go.
Finances- Your budget is about to go through a bit of a shock once the annual maintenance of your new vessel settles in. Even though you have run the numbers and you know you can afford it, it will still be an adjustment. This is a little easier to absorb emotionally when your money-making capabilities are still in place.
All this adds up to buying at least one but probably two years before retirement. The time between purchase and actual retirement will not be wasted. Each trip will be a step in getting to know your boat with plenty of time in between shorter cruises to make all the adjustments we just discussed. And it will help prevent you getting impatient to start serious cruising before you, or the boat of your dreams, is ready.
Todd Powell Boats 