BOAT BASICS
Tips on buying secondhand boats By Craig Stubbs
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HE best boat you’ll ever have, is a friend’s boat, they say, and for the most part that’s pretty true, but every man wants his own boat sitting proudly in his driveway to greet him each and every day when he gets home. And nothing gives one as much joy as getting a good fish off one’s own craft, or having a great day out on the water with one’s mates, family or kids on one’s own boat. Nowadays the boat market is much more accessible than ever before.At the same time, it’s also much more daunt-
ing, and one mistake on the buying journey can potentially lead to a disaster, ruining what should be an exciting and fulfilling experience. In this article we are going to focus on the secondhand/pre-loved boat market, and I hope to give you some pointers and perspectives on this journey you plan to undertake. My first piece of advice is to know what you want. I have seen a number of posts where prospective buyers ask:“Is anyone selling a good cat in the 16- to 21ft range? This is akin to shopping around for a double cab bakkie, but also considering a four-seater sedan.
Before you begin looking at boats you need to know a few basics: • Where will you be doing the majority of your launching? Harbour or protected launch, tractor or hand push? • How many people will you mostly be fishing with? • Will you be towing long distances? • Based on your experiences, what aspects of fishing off other people’s boats, appealed to you the most? Once you have properly considered and answered these questions, then you can narrow down the size and style vessel that will be most suitable for you.
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