The process of buying a boat is not one to pursue alone, even
if you know what you want and have been around boats all your
life. There is a “cast of characters” from which to choose,
and who you pick to be on your “dream team” of advisors will
depend on your personality, level of knowledge/expertise, and
business acumen. Here are some examples of the roles to cast
in your boat buying effort.

Yacht Broker
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You don’t absolutely need a yacht broker to find and buy a
boat. There are many qualified candidates in marinas, in
magazines, and on Internet sites that are for sale by owner.
I think that the reasons to use a yacht broker to buy a boat
are similar to the reasons for working with a real estate
broker to buy a house or a car dealership to buy a car. For
example, the paper chase gets simplified, you can (at least
theoretically) rely on the broker’s expertise and resources,
and you can bypass concerns regarding authenticity of title.
As is the case with houses and cars, you will also likely pay
more for these extras.

The business of being a broker is probably the one
disadvantage of using one as an advisor. Can you be absolutely
certain that the input he or she gives you is really based on
what’s best for you, or are there other factors? I think it’s
important to keep in mind that the individual with whom you
are working is in the business of selling boats, and that
you may not get a 100% unbiased view.

One point: Whether you work exclusively with one broker or use
several in your shopping exercise is completely up to you.
There is neither a need nor a “rule” demanding that you ally
yourself with one broker or company. Look on your own, look
with multiple brokers, or “hire” one specific agent to work
with you—it’s your choice.

Marine Surveyor
Whether you buy the boat directly from the owner or use a
broker as an agent, you will need to hire a marine surveyor.
The best approach in either case is to find and hire your
own surveyor rather than use someone that the broker
suggests. To ensure that the surveyor has no real or
imagined ties to the owner or any broker involved in the
transaction, you need to arrange for the survey
independently.

Keep in mind that different surveyors specialize in
different designs of boats and construction materials. Ask
around the waterfront about professionals who deal in the
kind of boat you have in mind. Other referral sources are
your insurance broker and your banker, if you will be
financing. If possible, start this inquiry before you
actually have a vessel in your sights so that you have the
time to get to know different surveyors and find the one who
fits the bill.

The main focus of the marine surveyor should be the basic
boat and its integrity. He or she should be looking at hull
condition, inside and out, as well as the structural
components of the boat. You will need to provide a copy of
the survey to your insurance company in order to obtain a
policy, so make sure you understand what they will need.
Most surveyors are aware of what insurance companies require,
but it doesn’t hurt for you to know as well.

Insurance Broker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you will be insuring your boat (this is by no means a
given—some boaters “go bare”), look into your company’s
requirements while you are still shopping for boats. Knowing
ahead of time what is insurable and what is questionable may
guide you, especially if you are looking at “off the beaten
path” construction materials like ferro-cement, which I’ve
heard can be hard to insure. If you have a good relationship
with an actual human being at your insurance company,
person can be another mine of information to help you locate
the right boat.

Specialty Surveyors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two other areas that should be surveyed before you buy are
the engine and the rigging, as neither of these crucial
areas will be covered by your marine surveyor. Again, ask
around well in advance of need to locate the right people
to provide these services.

Designer
~~~~~~~~~
If there is a way to do it, contact the designer before
purchasing. He or she can answer questions about the design
and may be able to give useful information about the actual
construction of the boat you are considering. As an example,
Bob Perry, who designed a number of traditional
double-enders, is available for phone consultations both
before and after purchase.

If you are unable to get into direct contact with the
designer, next best choice is to do as much independent
research on the designer as possible. The Internet is a great
ally here, in the form of web sites as well as online
bulletin boards for boaters.

Builder
~~~~~~~~~~
If the yard that built the boat in which you are interested
is still in business, contact them and ask for specific
information about the vessel (you will need to provide the
hull number and date of manufacture so that they can look
it up). The yard may also be a good source for parts in some
instances. If you are looking at a new boat, you might want
to check on the manufacturer’s financial health as a proxy
indicator. A yard that is barely staying in business may be
cutting corners.

Copyright (c) 2004 Kerry S. Mason
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Kerry Mason is the webmaster for finesailing.com, which is
the #1 Internet resource for sailing/boating information, gear
and apparel. Be sure to visit his complete archive of articles
at http://www.finesailing.com/articles/'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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