These days, you can order just about anything—from tacos to socks to barbecue grills—with the click of a button and have it delivered to your doorstep. It might be tempting, then, to take advantage of technology in making your next boat purchase. And you should—but there are still advantages to going brick-and-mortar, either by walking the aisles of your local boat show or paying a visit to a reputable boat dealership. Here’s a quick rundown on how to navigate buying your next boat in the digital age.
Research Rules
A good way to start your research is by asking general questions in search engines (or even an AI app) to find out which type of boat best serves your needs. Once you get the style down, pick a few manufacturers and head directly to their websites. Many builders have a “build my boat” prompt that will let you pick an engine as well as any options you’d like and, in the end, provide you with a national manufacturer’s suggested retail price. With that, you can build a comparison framework to see which boat fits into your budget and which builder offers the most bang for your buck. (What comes standard on one could be an option on another.) The caveat is that a suggested retail price is not set in stone, and the price you actually pay will likely be negotiated between you and your local dealer. Also, the dream boat that you assemble on the website might not be available in anyone’s inventory, and so you might have to settle for what’s available on a dealer’s showroom floor or schedule a build that could take months to complete.
Third-Party Sources
An additional drawback of using a boatbuilding website is that you’re looking at every boat through rose-colored glasses—and you won’t get a full sense of why a particular boat will or won’t work best for you. Thankfully, Boating has an inventory of boat reviews online to give you expert analysis on a particular boat, so go to boatingmag.com for deep dives on any kind of boat you’re considering. You can also watch our video walk-throughs on different boats to see how they look on the water in use and not just on paper. Be sure to keep an eye out for our “roundup” articles that compare several brands of one type of boat—for example, center-consoles—in one place so that you can see how they stack up head-to-head.
Read Next: How to Buy a Boat in a Boom Market
Up Close and Personal
It might be tempting to take the wealth of information available online and make a purchase, either from a manufacturer, dealer, broker or private seller, sight unseen, but nothing beats viewing a boat in person. There’s no better way to check out several boats that you might be interested in all at once than a boat show. If you’re interested in a specific brand or style, take the time to walk through not just that boat, but also all of its competitors, and maybe even different styles that could be a better fit. You might find that one has a preferable seating arrangement but another has a better sports package or overnighting amenities. There’s no way to know for sure unless you put boots on the ground. Plus, you might be able to schedule a sea trial to see how it actually runs on the water.
Once you’ve narrowed your choice, your best bet is still buying through a dealer. For one, dealerships generally beat the nationally listed MSRP and can work with you to rig your boat exactly as you’d like it, with the ability to install electronics and amenities that might not be offered directly from the manufacturer. But most important, the dealer will be able to service your boat. If you buy through other means, you may have less service opportunities and support.
And the good news is, if you’ve spent your screen time researching boats instead of doom scrolling, you’ll be so well-prepared that there should be no surprises.
