The Cost Of A Reposessed boat Part 2

We once considered buying a rather tired reposessed boat.

The owner was most eager to take us for a trip, for a very good reason.

The boat was a sparkling performer on the water, fast and responsive.

We were just about to write a check on the spot, but a more knowledgeable friend counseled us to think about it for a few days.

We are constantly thankful that we followed his advice, for the only thing the boat had going for it was boating performance.

Other than that one admittedly important quality, it was about as suited for our needs as a Laser is for transoceanic boating.

Finding the right boat is more than a matter of luck.

It is more than a matter of visiting boat shows or dealer showrooms, although both of these are important.

It is a matter of introspection and self-scrutiny, the patience to do your homework and to wait for the right boat, rather than jump at the first one that strikes your fancy.

Buy a reposessed boat for the type of boating you want to do now, not the type that you might do in five or ten years.

Your taste may change with the growth in your abilities.

Unless you are a remarkably single-minded individual with a goal absolutely incapable of being altered by the vagaries of life, buy for today's needs, not tomorrow's.

Dreaming is an important part of boating, one that cannot and should not be ignored.

A dream tempered by a healthy dose of realism has a far greater chance of becoming realized.

And the fulfilling of dreams, rather than the act of dreaming, is what being a practical sailor is all about.

A boat that doesn't have a local dealer is unlikely to have a substantial local following no matter how good a boat it is.

Having the only Bluewater 45 within 200 miles of your boating area may garner you admiration at the local yacht club, but it's going to cost you big bucks when the time comes to sell it.

Unless you're willing to put up with some headaches, it's better not to buy a brand new model, even if it's built by the most reputable builder in the world.

Every brand new boat
has some teething problems, and if it's a brand new model as well, the problems are likely to be magnified.

Every reposessed boat evolves during its production life, and this evolution is almost always for the better.

Changes in engines, hardware, components of the in­terior layout, even rig changes are not uncommon.

Independent of the actual condition of the boat or its age, where it falls in the production series is quite important. It may be nice to have the newest model, but that boat-show glow can quickly wear off in a series of warranty claims and factory retrofixes.