Those of you who have plenty of money and who expect that they wil keep one boat forever, should buy a brand new boat. If, like most, you have a limited budget and not entirely sure owning a boat is for you, should buy used.
Buying used is great for some, although it isn't usually the ideal choice. The oceans and lakes are filled with boaters who are far wealthier than most. Many boaters go well beyond their means and finance their boats at extreme levels and many get themselves in financial difficulties because thy bought a brand new sailboat.
The bottom line is that what really matters, whether it is with a used boat or a new one is being out there on the water. Someone who is out there every weekend on his old and well used boat is a real sailor. A businessman who only has time to ride on his 60 foot yacht once or twice a year is not really considered a proper sailor at all.
If you look around the water, you will see that it is mainly all the little boats that move. The big expensive boats are the ones that never move. Those that are too busy earning money and never have the time to go boating shouldn't really have a boat at all but they can afford the luxury of having an unused boat.
A brand new boat can lose half of the original value in under 2 years but a used boat loses a lot less. The previous owner of a used boat has already fixed the problems that are associated with new boats. The previous owner has also already hassled with the dealer to get the warranty service repairs taken care of.
A used boat is unlikely to have been used a great deal. Boats sit at moorings most of the time so it is very different to buying a used car. You can find many boats with less than a couple hundreds hours of engine time whereas a car will have been run for hundreds of hours and thousands of miles.
A used boat will have a few minor scratches and dings, so you won't feel half as bad when you add a few more of your own. When buying your used boat, you should leave at least a grand spare to outfit the boat and make any necessary repairs and improvements.
A used sailboat will normally come with dock lines, life jackets, spare sails, a radio, safety equipment, and other useful extras that don't come as standard with a new boat. New boat owners will have paid hundreds of dollars extra for these kinds of things.
You must check that the previous boat owner did the proper maintenance of the boat. Before agreeing to buy you should always get the boat surveyed to be sure that it's in reasonable condition and to find out about any faults that need attention. This way, you'll know your getting a great used sailboat.
