Tips For Buying A Boat

[Glenn]

I noticed a lack of comprehensive information about boat buying across the Internet.  Both written and videos don't go into enough detail to help people buy boats.  So I put this video together to address that need.

 

Whether you're looking for a new or used boat, or your first boat ever, this video dives into the details, including information you rarely hear about.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

[J Francho]

This video is loaded with great info, ideas, and tips.  Keep a pen and paper handy to take notes!

[Crankin4Bass]

Great video! Thanks Glenn!

[ATA]

Yeah man, I watched it twice already, it making me itch to buy my first boat 

[slonezp]

Any advice on buying my 5th boat? 

[Glenn]

Ya - take better care of it so you won't need to buy another!

 

[slonezp]

2 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Ya - take better care of it so you won't need to buy another!

 

2 foot itis is a real disease....

 

Only thing I disagree with as far as the financing advice is to take the max amount of months and pay it off early. As you said in your video "Life happens" I'd rather pay $400 a month on a $200 note than pay $200, because life happened, on a $400 note. Believe it or not the bank that financed my last 2 boats had lower interest rates for longer terms. I'm not sure that is still the "going rate" but it's something to consider.

[Glenn]

I don't think I said take the max amount of months, but I did say to pay it off early if you can.  But you're right, it pays to shop around for the best loan. I think I said that in my video (did I?).

[JK Jake]

Great video! Thanks for putting that all together. 

[Mustache Dave]

Great video for potential and new boat owners.  Even if you are looking for the next boat, watch this video.  Good job Glenn!

[MidwestBassAttack]

Thanks for opening this can of worms Glenn! Great info here which I will be putting to use hopefully next season!

[elway1983]

Great video

[airshot]

On 3/3/2021 at 9:43 PM, slonezp said:

Any advice on buying my 5th boat? 

I started thinking about all the boats I owned in my 60 plus years of boating...had to stop at twenty because I ran out of fingers and toes !!

[Cory Doras]

Great video Glenn! You hit all the points. Things we never consider when we're on the hunt for our first big boat. 

I'm on boat #13 at the moment and I never lost money on a boat which is in itself is a miracle. Buy something that everyone else wants! Basically, buy a boat that is desirable in the used market. There are dozens of 18' or 20' bass boats made but only a few are being sold for basically the same price they were new 10-20yrs ago. 

Another thing, buy used. Bass boats havnt had any significant changes in over 20yrs, motors and electronics have but hulls and trailers havnt. 

Follow Glenns advise and possibly mine and you'll have plenty of extra $$ for tackle and electronics.

[Swinghead]

I wish it cover what to look at on the motor as well. 

[ol'crickety]

An alternative title for this terrific video could be, "Whoa, Mr. Gung-ho!" In my twenties and thirties, I had three V-hulls in addition to my canoes and I foresee the day when I'll own a V-hull again, likely 12'-14' with a four-horse to ten-horse engine. This video raises lots of great points for me to consider.

[tcbass]

On 10/14/2023 at 1:27 PM, Swinghead said:

I wish it cover what to look at on the motor as well. 

 

 

There's so few options as motors it's different. Really mainly Mercury, Suzuki, and Yamaha now. Not much to cover.

 

 

I'd only consider Suzuki and Yamaha now, I think their reliability is going to be better than the Mercury. Look at offshore boats, mostly Suzuki's and Yamaha's. 


I went with Suzuki because it's far cheaper and arguably one of the most reliable outboards out there. 

 

 

I'm buying my, most likely, last boat. An Alumacraft Competitor 205 which is a Deep-V, multi species boat.

 

 

My last boat was a bass boat and that was the biggest mistake I ever made. Although the boat was fine I did not like 6 major things about it. 

 

 

I am a bass fisherman but a Deep-V, multi-species boat is just better for me. After I ordered ordered my new boat I realized I wanted to start jigging for lake trout on Lake Superior and a bass boat wouldn't have been safe on that lake. I will have 2 Raptors on my boat which will sort of be in the way but there is no way to quick disconnect them yet.

 

 

** With the advent of trolling motors and shallow water anchors a lot of the benefits of a bass boat can be had in a Deep-V, multi-species boat such as fishing in place.

 

One of the benefits of bass boats was that the lower profile kept the wind from blowing you around as much wherein a taller, Deep-V boat would get much more easily blown around. That can be negated with a trolling motor with Spotlock and/or shallow water anchors.

 

 

Also, with better design Deep-V boats are accepting larger and larger outboards allowing you to gain tremendous speed. Not as fast as a bass boat but even some into the 60mph+ range I believe.

 

 

With the new pods on the back of the Alumacraft Trophy and Competitors you can draft less water, go into shallower water than you used to be able to and mount a far larger motor, up to 350hp on the 205's (20.5" feet). This extra 100hp could maybe even get you close to the 70mph's which is pretty darn fast, but this is an estimate.

 

 

 

 

A bass boat wasn't for me because:

 

 

1.)  Loss of floorspace: 

 

With the layout of a bass boat you sit down to drive and that takes up approx. 3-4 feet of space. So if you have a 20' foot boat you really have a 16' foot boat. This sucks and is just the nature of bass boat design.

 

 

*** Many people are limited to boat size (length) due to their garage space.

 

If you want more actual boat footage and less wasted space and are limited in how long of a boat you can have you may want to look at a Deep-V, multi-species as you will get more usable floor space on the boat with the same length boat.

 

 

 

2.)  Cannot fish sitting down:

 

You can sit in a chair that's in the cockpit of the boat and still fish comfortably in a multi-species boat. Much harder to do in a bass boat since you sit so low and the chair does not swivel.

 

 

 

3.)  Grounded bass boat seats do not absorb wave impact, your back does:

 

I hit some hard waves with my bass boat and thought I broke my back one time. Having the chairs mounted to the floor leave you vulnerable to wave impact. It's just the way it is. I know some newer bass boats have cushioned seats now. How good they are, I don't know, I've heard you can still get whacked.

 

 

 

4.)  Water comes over the back:

 

Whenever you stop fast (who doesn't) water comes over the back of the boat which sucks. Not a huge problem but it can make some stuff wet.

 

 

 

5.)  Sit too low in the water for many docks:

 

I found that my boat sat so low that I would be sitting under the docks sometimes and it could scrape the top of your fiberglass gunwale up. 

 

You definitely have to be careful.

 

 

 

6.)  Harder to get in and out of the chair:

 

If you are getting up and down a lot from the seats it is a lot easier in a Deep-V, multi-species boat, it is like getting up and down from a chair. 

 

If you are moving a lot or doing stuff where you are sitting up and sitting down a lot doing so in a bass boat takes it's toll on you at the end of the day. Not good as you get older which all of us are doing.

 

 

 

Having a Starter Boat, like a Starter Wife is a good idea to see what you like and don't like.

 

 

 

 

***  When it comes to electronics on a used boat my friend, a former tournament fisherman said, "If it's over 3 years old it's considered obsolete. So if a guy is trying to tell you that he has $15k in electronics but it's 5 years old than it's not worth that much anymore."

 

Not saying the electronics are not worth anything just not what they were new. Electronics do not retain their value like the boat does.

[gimruis]

11 minutes ago, tcbass said:

I know some newer boats have cushioned seats now. How good they are, I don't know, I've heard you can still get whacked.

My parents have a pair of Wave Pro air ride cushioned seats in their 2090 Warrior specifically for this purpose. They won them in a tournament drawing 2 years ago. They fish on big lakes in walleye tournaments and the conditions are often pretty nasty out. These seats greatly cushion the ride when you a going through chop at a relatively high speed.

 

There is another brand out there too called Smooth Moves. I don’t personally know anyone with those.

[tcbass]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

My parents have a pair of Wave Pro air ride cushioned seats in their 2090 Warrior specifically for this purpose. They won them in a tournament drawing 2 years ago. They fish on big lakes in walleye tournaments and the conditions are often pretty nasty out. These seats greatly cushion the ride when you a going through chop at a relatively high speed.

 

There is another brand out there too called Smooth Moves. I don’t personally know anyone with those.

 

 

You are correct.

 

I actually upgraded my seats to captains chairs with the cushioned seats, I don't even know which brand they use. 

 

 

I'm getting older and don't need to be breaking my back on hard waves. Once you're spending what I'm spending on most likely my last boat ever best to get it rigged right and enjoy it.

 

Buy once, cry once.

[MN Fisher]

26 minutes ago, tcbass said:

I actually upgraded my seats to captains chairs with the cushioned seats, I don't even know which brand they use. 

I didn't go that far - Bass Trek was originally equipped with a 'butt-seat' up front...after two seasons I was tired of my butt getting numb...so front seat this year is a standard low-back folding seat, just like the aft seat.

[gimruis]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

so front seat this year is a standard low-back folding seat, just like the aft seat.

I have both. In the spring when I am crappie fishing I use a standard height fold down seat. In the summer and fall when I am bass fishing I use the taller, lean-to butt seat. I stand a lot when I fish too.

[Loomis13]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

My parents have a pair of Wave Pro air ride cushioned seats in their 2090 Warrior specifically for this purpose. They won them in a tournament drawing 2 years ago. They fish on big lakes in walleye tournaments and the conditions are often pretty nasty out. These seats greatly cushion the ride when you a going through chop at a relatively high speed.

 

There is another brand out there too called Smooth Moves. I don’t personally know anyone with those.

We have smooth moves. Absolutely fantastic.