On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 05:45:06 GMT, "Stanley Barthfarkle"
wrote:

Apologies for top-posting. Here are a couple of things that I've found since
owning a boat:

1)- It will cost twice as much as you planned for maintenance and repairs.
2)- If you "do-it-yourself", you're sometimes going to end up doing it
yourself, then paying a professional to fix it.
3)- That my Bayliner is like a Ford Probe- it will get you there, but it
will fall apart long before a Cadillac or Oldmobile.
4)- Things will break, you'll get them fixed, and then they'll break again.
5)- That a used boat that has been used regularly and has more hours on it
is much better than one which has been used sporadically, or whose owners
have neglected to repair things. (what else have they neglected?)
6)- That I'm glad I started with a small boat to "get my feet wet" and learn
more about boating before wasting a lot of money and repair expenses on a
bigger boat.

If this is your first boat, my suggestion would be to start with a smaller,
less expensive boat and learn all you can about all of the things that will
inevitably pop up, and also about the general quality and quirks of
different brands and models of boats. Owning our little '85 Bayliner cuddy
and hanging out at the marina has taught us a great deal about boats this
last year, and we now know many of the things to look for when buying our
next boat, and what to avoid. We also now know just how expensive our new
hobby is...

Also, there is very likely a reason you are getting a "very good deal" on
this boat- think about it.

Knowledge is the best defense.

Nice post.

Later,

Tom