What do you look for when buying a USED boat?

Are you looking for price, size, speed or Payment amount?

Is a New boat as affordable as a Used one?

I purchased a used boat ('04 Nitro 750) from Jerry Whittle (Gary Carpenter was the sales rep) on I-35 in the fall of '06. I got a great deal: discount and extras. The boat was immmaculate, and they wouldn't let the signing take place until I took the boat out for a test run.

Of the things you mentioned above, only speed wasn't a consideration. I just didn't want to be underpowered - it has a 90 Merc.

I simply looked for value: boat condition vs. price vs. market and the ability of the dealer to take care of anything if needed. The only thing I have needed was two bunks on the trailer. I had all four replaced at the same time because of insurance as I figured the other two would soon need replacing too. I don't know about financing as I paid cash.

I looked at used boats from individuals and consignment. All needed some work of some sort. I got lucky. I was near Whittle and on a lark my wife and I stopped by. We knew it was the boat on first sight. It was very helpful to have seen a lot of other boats in the class I was considering and from researching on the internet.

Oh yeah, the boat and motor still had warranty remaining that was transferable for $40. I jumped on it. It expires next year some time.

Is a New boat as affordable as a Used one? Not in my opinion but this is not the best time to buy a boat, late fall or winter is. But there or deals out there. Take your time and do a thourough due diligence whether new or used.

Good luck.

If you buy a Used boat from an individual - don't pay a dime unless they have clear titles to the boat AND motor in their name. Without a title - everything else doesn't matter.

If it seems too good to be true - it probably is.

I consider all the things you mentioned. New boats are nowhere close to being as affordable as a used one. You can get a nice 6 or 7 year old boat for about half the price of a new one. Look at the hull, lower unit, and the bilge area. This will give you an idea how the previous owner has treated it. Take it to a shop and let them do the pre buy routine on it.

No matter how nice the person selling the boat seems get it checked out by a mechanic and not one that is recommended by the seller. It is worth the price of the mechanic and make sure you have a compression test.

Is this site good for buying /selling a boat?

What other sites are good for buying?

back when I was searching, the majority of used boats at dealers were listed thru the www.traderonline.com site. I found mine on there, and went and talked to Fain at Fun N Sun. remember to test it on the water, the tanks arent sufficient enough to really test the engine properly. I had an idea of what to look for inside the transom area. Fain took care of me on the sell. He did an excellent job of making it easy/painless.

1)lake test the boat- you might find problems with it
2)have a mechanic or buddy you trust check it out
3)title for boat/motor needs to be in sellers name
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good luck

I bought my latest boat, a 1992 Ranger 372V because I wanted something similar to my 1987 Ranger 373V Bassmaster classic, which had recently burned up in a boat shed fire. I wanted to stay within what the insurance company gave me as a settlement, if possible, due to not budgeting for a boat payment (my boat payment budget is tied up in my lake house mortgage on Sam Rayburn).
That said, I think that new boat prices are at least 25% too high. You can buy a good used boat, 1-2 years old, with relatively low hours, for about 75% of the price of a comparable new boat. If you are planning on making payments, the down side is that the interest rate on a used boat is going to be like the interest rate on a used car, slightly higher than if you were buying new.

Clear Titles on boat and motor is my main thing, when looking at a used one.

One of the problems with a boat versus a vehicle is the water element. Water damage is not always visible. You can have rot in a boat and not see any surface evidence at all. On a lot of the newer boats this will not be an issue because of the materials used but make sure you check.

I'd definately get the motor compressioned check