Owning a boat can have it's own challenges and it is important to know what to expect before you go out and buy a boat. 

 

By far the simplest way to own your own boat is to buy a small dinghy. What kind of dinghy will depend on the sailing you want to do. There are many types of dinghy out there and it's easy for you to get dizzy with choice and be misled into buying a dinghy that is unsuitable for you. 

 

Initially you should make a list of criteria the boat needs to fulfil. These criteria could be:

 

                                             -  What kind of sailing do you want to do

                                             -  How many people will be on board the vessel 

                                             -  What is your budget

                                             -  How good are your DIY skills

 

Of course this list can go on and on and you should spend a good few hours just brainstorming and thinking about these things. If there is an issue that you feel apprehensive about, note it down and research it, get as many answers as you can and ask people. Once you have a list, you can create a list of boats you think are suitable. Then again you can create a list for each vessel that could have criteria such as:

 

                                            -  What state is the vessel in

                                            -  How difficult is the boat to sail

                                            -  How stable is the boat, is it suitable for the sailing you want to do

                                            -  What are the maintenance costs

 

And so on. These are important points and should be thought of in great depth. You might feel inclined to buy a pretty, wooden dinghy with a heavy gaff sail which is not only difficult to sail, but requires a lot of maintenance with varnishing and painting. But if you think about it, this may put you off. You may buy that boat and soon run out of enthusiasm for sailing. In this case a simple GRP boat with bermudan rig would be better, offering more time on the water and easier sailing. So think hard and carefully about which boat you require and be honest with yourself. Start easy and go on from there, you can always buy a faster dinghy once you are more secure sailing a simple dinghy.

 

Owning a boat doesn't stop with the buying budget, maintenance costs, mooring fees, insurance and even the towing capacity of your car can have an effect on which boat you choose. A small dinghy (Mirror or similar) will not cost a lot to buy, will be cheap in insurance and as long as you have a medium to large car, you can transport it on the roof. But if you'd like a yacht you need to consider towing capabilites of your car as well as mooring fees if you are going to keep the boat in the water for long periods. A large yacht will need to be craned out, antifouled and maybe even transported by lorry to relocate it. The costs will quickly add up, sometimes spiralling out of control and forcing you to sell the boat you've just bought.

 

Choosing a boat and viewing it reveals more challenges, but don't worry. Another section on this website will be dedicated to going through a simple boat survey and give even a beginner a better understanding of what shape the boat is in.