8 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Boat. 

Do the same sort of video for people who want to live on board (maybe even two videos were one is for people who needs crew)

I remember having lunch with a friend of mine talking about his boat! We added up how many days he used the boat that year and the total cost per use. I remember the shock on his face realizing he could charter a boat for half the money he had spent. He sold the boat within a month.

I have personally been spending months on the water every year, since I remember myself. Have owned fishing boats, sailing boats, motor boats ranging from 25 ft, up to 72 ft. Never saw this as a burden, or a cost, always saw it as an investment for my well being. Very rarely I bought a used boat, and never really this practice worked well for me, as you have to live with the choices someone else made… Certain things I have learned over time… - Your needs change, stay alert and ahead of the curve. As you grow older, you need comfort, less exposure to the sun and the elements, more party space, more speed, if you have young kids who want to get fast to the beach and the water toys… as the kids move out, speed is no longer important, comfort is… - Any boat is a small and restricted space. I don’t want to have crew on board. I find it uncomfortable to have to worry about what I am doing, what I am saying, how I look, and how I behave. - Yes, the kids have to like it and tolerate this lifestyle and the water, before you make an investment make sure they do. - Never buy a boat you can afford to own, buy the boat you need if you can really very comfortably afford it. - if you don’t need a planning hull, seriously look at steel boats. It seriously makes a big difference, and there are lots of primarily Dutch boats out there that are worth a consideration. - Manufacturers of propulsion systems sell exotic options, joysticks and promises of fool proof maneuverability and low fuel consumption. It’s all marketing. I would say the simpler the better. Good old shaft drives cost way less to maintain, are way more reliable, and if you feel insecure in close quarters, just add a second thruster at the stern, and you have the best of both worlds, for literally peanuts. - A flybridge looks appealing, but may not really be a wise choice. If you will not use the extra space (because of the exposure to the sun and the elements) then it is another area of the boat to keep clean and maintain. Think before buying a flybridge boat very carefully… - The ground tackle is the major safety component of the boat, together with life vests, life rafts, fire suppression, flares and collision avoidance equipment, VHF and EPIRB. Make sure you understand anchoring, because very few captains do. Make ure you have the right size anchor for your boat, enough anchor chain, chain counter, brightly colored floating shorelines... Hire somebody to confirm you have the right system in place, and show you how to use it. I would NEVER save money on the anchoring system, or any safely system on board. And remember, you do not want to drag anchor and end up on the rocks, at 3:00 am, 50 miles away from civilization… - Make sure you understand how much power you consume, and ensure you have ample battery capacity in place, and appropriate charging systems. On smaller boats you do not want to run the generator all night, since noice and vibration can be substantial. - Never save money on spare parts. A 5 Euro spare part, if it fails, it can ruin a few days of your precious holiday time. Always carry essential spare parts (impellers, desalinator filters, oil filters, some engine oil and coolant, cables etc) and train yourself on how to replace them. It only takes a jellyfish to block your raw water intake of your generator, and there goes you stabilizer, air conditioning, water maker, cooking facilities, everything. If you are not ready or willing to do such things (changing the genset impeller in a hot engine room is indeed a torture), have a crew on board, or forget boating altogether. - A comfortable boat these days costs more than a house, but depreciates a lot faster and costs a lot more to maintain. On the upside, having a good boat is like having a house on every island and every bay around the Mediterranean, most of the time away from noisy organized beaches and big crowds. Additionally you can move to another place as frequently as you want, and alternate between cosmopolitan places and totally secluded coves with crystal clear waters. Sounds appealing, but if you can’t comfortably afford it, don’t try to “force it”, because experience shows that 9 out of 10 times people who can marginally afford this lifestyle, at the end they bitterly regret trying it…

I'm not a boat owner yet, I have crewed on many sailing yachts and one thing I have learned is that maintenance is usually a forgotten child. It doesn't matter if you buy a new or used boat maintenance and running cost will be around 10-15% of the boats value. So buy a 100K boat you'll need 10k per year to keep her running. Also maintenance is a 365 day a year thing, salt water environment is harsh on any system even if it is marine graded stuff. Keep your boat clean and shiny (shiny 316 steel doesn't rust easy, dirty 316 will rust), meticulously cleaning your boat also makes you see potential failures before they become problematic. Dang I could write an essay about this.

Depending on your fitness level, boat size and boat type some boats can be more physically challenging. If you won’t have a crew onboard and the boat layout requires a lot of bending, stooping, crawling, sleeping in a bunk style bed, managing small spaces or walking on narrow gunnels and you are not up to the physical demands of operating a particular boat you may want to consider a boat more suitable for your ability or overall comfort.

i bought a 15ft boat with a running 2 stroke engine. 2 weeks ago, the starbord, port lights are brand new got them for free since they followed with the boat., lantern i got for free, the only thing i paid for was the new paint, ancher, rope, and some boat cleaner, there is no fee to let your boat out at the marina here, i already have first aid kit, and a fire estingusher, i only use it in the lakes here to fish. the boat cost me 1709 pounds including a good trailer. and i have just bought 175 pounds worth of items. so it really depends on person to person, but i really like your opinion it helps people understand that owning a boat is not cheap, and i have a boat saving fund of another 2000 pounds just for emergency if i need new parts or anything. so money wise its planned out, and i love taking my dad and brother out fishing every chance i get, its really worth it the memories i get is priceless. and im the same as you i want my kids to grow up with boats and make a good memory with them, when it comes to fishing and the ocean. in my personal opinion if you have the money and the time i would say buy a boat, you will not regret it, but dont buy a to big of a boat.

Many friends and family purchased boats of all sizes over the years, only to lose interest over a relatively short period. Hard to know until you take the plunge, but research and rentals/leases sure help answer most questions beforehand.

I run a percentage of my boat's value in a "boating account" per annum. This helps with timely servicing requirements and also if the law of averages is on my side, the amount accrues into the next season and makes unexpected costs affordable.

Great Material, Captain, in my opinion! I recall 2 anecdotes that may be pertinent: "A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money"; "Ocean racing is like standing under an ice-cold shower tearing up $100 bills" (the 2nd is a quote from William F. Buckley, Jr., from the 1960s when the USD was actually worth quite a bit more). The mal de mer question is one I always consider when I meet a new woman (since I am single again now). "Can you swim?" "Yes? Have you ever been offshore in a small vessel?" (If she's good to go on those... "What's your favorite red wine?") LOL! And you bring up the charter-first question. I see an analogy with owning an electric bicycle/renting a Humvee as required, and swimming to the island/hiring a Class 1 + throttle man to cast a shrimp net off the beach: the former is likely a more frequent activity (and you stay in better shape). Note that weekenders have a different set of requirements from passage-makers. {Not tryna to undermine anyone's choices here: I do find it a little dismaying that people who have the means to buy and maintain a yacht, realistically or not according to the bank, may never have designed and built, with site planning, for example, a home for themselves and family. I suggest you're not likely to drown in an owner-built home.)

Two things: 1. Also make sure you know if it’s been in fresh water or salt water and for how long, because they cause different types of damages and different amounts. 2. If you feel like chartering means you’re ‘cheating’ or something - even boat owners charter when they want to go boating somewhere difficult or annoying to get to with their own boat. Like people who keep sailboats in the Florida area might charter a boat in Greece instead of taking their own boat over somehow.

If your buying for the first time, it's like anything don't let your heart rule your head, take along someone who has done the rodeo before you and listen to there advice

The voice of reason! Good advice there, captain! You're the most level-headed RU-vidr :) There's also the possibility that if the boat is suitable, and the owner is up for it, it can generate some income from charter to offset some of the running costs and keep the boat running, and the crew sharp! AWOL was a charter boat; some seasons maybe returned a profit as well

I would say Cap... having support of your immediate family... should be first thing!

Being a yachtbroker and yachtowner (Princess 55ft) myself, I always recommend to keep about 10% of the actual value of a previously owned boat available for maintenance costs. One year will exceed that amount, the other you may be spending it (or more) on upgrades. It may seem a lot, yet keeping a yacht up to date is key to avoid rapid depreciation. The older the boat gets, the more care she needs.

Work out the total amount that you will need to pay on a yearly basis. Divide it by 12 and then pay that amount into a separate account every month, you always have money available then to cover the costs. My tip is once you have worked out your costs for the year add 20% on to cover things that crop up that you hadn't thought of.

Its a good idea to also check on licence requirements weather its the USCG safe boater course or the European equivalent. This is especially important if you plan to operate the vessel yourself. And thanks for the VPN recommendation been looking for a new one

About dealer over charging, just yesterday I was looking for an anode for my client and the Mercury dealers sell it for $90 and I can buy the exact same thing online for $15. But the part doesn't have the "Mercury" logo! 😕... like I care about the logo! 🤣

Used to own a 47ft motor yacht based in Mallorca, cost me £50k a year to run it, 😳 got to be wealthy to own a boat no just have a good job, it’s the unexpected bills that hurt, £10k for blown gearbox for example 🥴🥴

Lots of great advice Tristan. It will be a few years still before I’m looking, but all good things to remember

Treat a boat purchase like getting married. What are the cost of running and what are the costs of disposal

You NAILED this!!!!! "Whenever you think it's going to be a certain cost, it's always more....just accept that." Truer words were never spoken! I'm in my 60's and have been on and around the water since I was a young child, and everything you mentioned was absolutely correct. The only other points I would add are these: 1) if you are going to trailer a boat, practice backing up a trailer BEFORE you get to the launch ramp on a busy weekend--you will save much time and embarrassment by doing this--and 2) if you are new to boating, reach out to local chapters of organizations that teach boating classes, like the U.S. Power Squadron, or to private training facilities, and get some practical experience before you buy a boat so you know if you have any aptitude for boat-handling, and can make your mistakes with a qualified instructor at your side for safety and learning purposes. Also, unpaid endorsement: I've used Surfshark VPN for a year or so and I love it.

Saved me a fortune there Tristan, was just about to buy MY IJE but realise that it will not actually fit in my garage during the winter.

@5:00 robert kyosaki would have had an heart attack ;) Boats are definitely liabilities not assets.

Tip: Make sure that your partner/familj REALLY wants this as much as you. If they are unexperienced, test how they like it in real life as you said by renting for exemple.

Very good advices... Thank you!

buy a beater boat first to see if you actually enjoy boating. also understand that if you are on a budget, its much cheaper to limit the boat to fresh water as salt water is super corrosive and basically destroys boats. theres tons of other ways to keep cost down. for example if you keep the boat on a trailer when its not in use then you dont need to apply antifoul paint. also be carefull of having the shipyard do everything on your boat, for example if they have your fire extinguishers services its more expensive than if you remove them from the boat yourself and send them to the fire extinguisher service place directly.

I always trailer my 50m boat at the end of a day. Tow it home with a Yugo too.... Operating costs can be extremely expensive.

Really enjoyed this video. I've always said a boat is a hole in the the water to chuck money at 🤣 The advice in this video is spot on. My local marina is full of boats that hardly ever move and 70% of them are for sale so ask yourself why 🤔🤣

A cost that often gets missed certainly on smaller boats is life jacket servicing in particular auto lifejackets. As always a great video

I'm looking at buying a boat. I'm looking at around 100k for a 30-50 year old boat. I am planning on budgeting 250k in anticipation of repairs. I'm hoping this will be enough, but I'm scared it won't be.

Great video! Thanks for the information!! 👍👍👊👊

I did a similar check list for my boat. There's always extra costs, so tot up a whole year of ownership, then add 30%. If you can still afford it, do it. If you can't afford it, consider chartering it out for a month or so, to make some money back. Do ALL your homework before even looking for a boat. 20-30 footers can cost 10k a year to keep. Also factor in depreciation in value, & don't expect boating to be cheap. It isn't. But it is great fun.

Loved this video. No long, unnecessary intro

As someone who wants to buy a boat one day, this is incredibly helpful Tristan!

What about a life aboard? Living on it full time. If it's at anchor most of the time costs will be less. Is the 10% rule fair?

I’m buying one to live aboard permanently and sail the world. I had plenty of budget until inflation and pootin tanked the market 😡. Now I wait and hope.

Thankyou..excellent 👍👏👏

Great Information.

From the beginning it was to do something different. It's cheaper than owning a vacation home for us. We own our slip. Our harbor owns their own travellift. All are boats are stored on property.

FUEL COST !!! if you plan on driving a few hours or a day or a few days a week and at what speeds it will make a huge difference in cost

SYC, great video and good points, I am on my 5th boat, all small o/b's and one thing that I have witnessed in my days are most boat owners or potential buyers see a nice small boat (although many larger boats are now going o/b power) and the engine is weak or worn out. They think "Oh I will just buy a new engine-repower" and are shocked at the price of o/b engines, they think , my car has a 300hp engine and I can buy a new long block for 4K, but why is the 150hp o/b 15K?

This is a great list, I wish you had done this before I bought mine as I would have took a different view before buying as I got it all wrong.

Terrific video! Love from Vermont

Would like to see a video comparing using a boat as a holiday home as opposed to buying a property on land

When a man's life is involved people tends to make excuses for the woman but immediately it's the other way round even men will all come out to crucify the man 😢may God bless we men 🙏.

I have now my 2. and 3. boat (one is for sale.) I don't know the running cost of them, don't want to know, it takes away the pleasure of boating.

Ok Tris,are you waiting for a boat to become available for your next job?

That was very informative thank you I am a gentleman looking to get into but purchasing about I am in the northern hemisphere of Nova Scotia which is cold in the winter and great in the summer but looking for a boat that one or two people could handle with ahead what size would that be do you think thank you for everything Tristan you're a great guy your videos are great and I appreciate watching them

Excellent video. Thanks!

Why only have one boat? I haven't found one single boat that does it all so , I've got five boats for different applications: 1. 38 ft family cruiser. 2. 21 ft fishing boat. 3. 18 ft sailing boat. 4. 16 ft utility boat. 5. 9 ft fishing canoe.

It's a hole in the water to throw money into. LOL welcome to the boat basin ACK Nantucket

Thank you Captn'

I wonder why you kept switching your image and background from lefthand view to righthand view? Disconcerting at first, but I got used to it. Good practical advice.

Bring Over Another Thousand

i have 3.5 years ago. got an offer. To take over a 36 meter rental boat. for groups up to 62 people and my license up to 20 meters will be updated to 40 meters at their expense.

Is it possible to get “land” sick? I’ve been on several cruises and have no problem at sea, but when I return home I walk down the hall like a drunk.

An old definition of a boat: a hole in the water into which money is thrown.

I have just converted my boat to make it 'disabled friendly' .As we get older a member of the family may have restricted movement , if they can't then get o the boat??? Few builders give this any consideration sadly.

cheers brother thx for sharing your vast wealth of knowledge, I'm very glad you are still around it's greatly appreciated .... I do have a question, I came across a 1974 30ft Fiberform with the original 160 merc motor, lots of extras on it, It's in need of restore but that's no biggie, I'm wondering how to best test the haul due to the fact it's been sitting out for about 4 yrs, given that's good and the motor is not seized, then I will restore it, if you or others may know how best to test the haul please let me know.... thx again Roger....

Some mechanical knowledge is important and may save you a lot of money

ALWAYS testsail a boat prior to purchase!!! A sailboat might disappoint with poor performance and handling. A motorboat might be underpowered when fully loaded. The emotional experience has to be right.

Hi Tristian, if you are thinking of doing another type of video like this, could you please explain what difference size makes with boats, ie if I bought a launch of 30ft, in practical terms if I went to 40ft what issues do I need to think about? obviously it seems like a great idea to get as big a boat as I can afford to have maximum space, but is that a good idea? also one motor or two? it all gets a bit confusing.

I love your videos Tristan but the constant background music was very distracting when listening to you.

The first 'thing' for commissioning a new build... put it up for sale.

EGO, but i plan 3 times the purching price fpr a 20 year adventure(10 % /year rule).

I have a question for you. I just cleaned My parents teak furniture it came back golden color it looks great. Now do I use a teak oil or a teak sealer to keep it looking as good? Most things I’ve read say don’t use teak oil. Can you recommend and products for me. Thank you great show hope to see you as a captain soln

How does running cost and all insurance and fees on dockage and such slip people mind?

Tristan, Good advice but......The part in your hair keeps changing from right to left. 😋

(From an Alaska port) Up here, a boat equals a "hole in the water you throw money into". wink

You are clearly knowledgable and have certain advantages when it comes to boating due to your knowledge. Why don't you buy your own boat, manager and run it yourself? You get all the profits. When I say profits I mean profits based off your experience. You are primed up to run a super yacht in the best situation possible and running it yourself. Thus making more money. Pay the captain (you) and yourself. Why not?

The worst reason and worst boat owners are credit card captains, they buy one because they can afford to, they just want to show off, of course they're convinced they can Captain one easily, usually they can't, cause mayhem and refuse all advice, i've met many of them.

Just see how many years you can finance a boat and dont worry about the rest. You will look wealthy and have lot's of friends till the bank repo's it lol

Good advice....but its to late now 😀

Tristan, please ditch the irritaing background music, thanks.

If it flies, floats or f*cks, rent it. It‘s cheaper.

If I win the lottery, I am hiring Tristan as my Captain on my brand new super yacht 😂😂, #pipedreams

Wtf I pay for premium so there's no adds and he does that

Maybe a rowboat...

To me the most important factor in buying a boat is ensuring one that has been maintained properly. As was stated, a good independent surveyor (not broker related) is essential. It is easy to spend far in excess of the purchase price of an older boat in getting it seaworthy.

You gotta learn to sell ..

I've really enjoyed your videos. I've learned a lot. I'm buying a boat because I can! I've tried asking questions but never at any time recieved a response. Until I found out you havé to send money. I understand You probably get a lot of questions. You used to be nice and sweet, but there's something that has changed. I love a channel that is a little more personable. You were connecting with the people. Bring yourself into their living rooms and offices. Talk to people not at them. You must be approachable. Even if you are an internet sensation! Now, go get 'em! I'm a grandmother, single, and live with a dog that's a drama queen. I didn't get this old by being stupid. Relax.

more action please blabla ):

Only two good days when you have a boat: the day you buy it, and the day you get rid of it.

BOAT means, Break Out Another Thousand. The average person can realistically only afford a home or a boat. I liked the boat enough I went livaboard

No 9: Don't be a Russian boat owner. lol

#9 Check it's not currently owned by a Russian oligarch 🐻

I've always loved your videos and advice Tristan, but please don't keep using this editing style where you cut, zoom in, cut, cut, zoom out, cut, cut every few seconds... I know it's 'on trend' but you don't need editing gimmicks to keep people's attention. People come here for your knowledge and advice so you really don't need these motion sickness inducing edits! 🤢 I could only watch a couple of minutes before I had to stop because it was making my eyes hurt 😩

True this guy was fired ?

If it floats, flys or you have sex with it’s cheaper to rent.