Sara Clemence
Buying a boat can seem a lot like buying a car. Choose the model, color and accessories, cut a check and you're done. In fact, it's far more complicated that that--more like buying a house. A house that floats.
There are a limited number of car manufacturers and a seemingly infinite number of boat companies. All cars have four wheels, while sail configurations can vary widely. There are dozens, even hundreds, of factors that come into play when buying a boat. What size? What brand? New? Used? Custom-built? Will it have racing sails? A washer and dryer? Wood trim? What kind of wood? What kind of stain?
"A boat can be a very emotional purchase," says Phil Bennett, senior sales director for The Hinckley Company, which has been building luxury boats since 1928. But because it can be a complicated process, fraught with fantasy, buying a sailboat is part love, part logic. You may imagine yourself at the helm of that 70-foot wooden racing boat, but it may not suit your real-life needs. Bennett advises: "Make sure that you use a little bit of rational thinking, or you may end up with more boat than you need."
As with cars, safety is paramount in a boat. "You don't try to get the best price on a parachute," says Bennett. "This boat is going to be carrying you and your family offshore. It is in itself a safety item."
http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/24/0724sport.html
Sailboat Buying Guide
1. Intro
2. Location
3. Brokers
4. Bigger can be better, but..
5. Pedigree Counts
6. Turning a Profit
7. Used? New? Custom? In-Between?
8. International Buying
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