What to think about when buying your first boat

Buying a boat for the first time? Buying a new boat is usually an important moment in your life. Besides choosing the right model, also consider the following points to make sure you enjoy your time on the water.

Repairs and maintenance

Everyone hopes repairs will not be needed for a long time, or at all. There are a few things you can look out for in your new boat that make repairs and maintenance easier.

Inboard or outboard engine
An outboard engine can often be removed from the boat more easily and taken away for repair. With an inboard engine, you will have to take your boat to the mechanic, or the mechanic will have to come to your boat. This can cost extra time or money that you would rather have spent on the water.

Fibreglass, steel or aluminium
In terms of maintenance, the choice between fibreglass, steel or aluminium (when buying a new boat) does not make a big difference. They all need cleaning and maintenance in winter, and they last a long time when well maintained. Steel is slightly better suited to light ice or several winters in the water. Aluminium is lighter and stronger (more resistant to heavy loads and to corrosion from seawater), but also more expensive.

In case of damage, a steel hull is easier to repair than a fibreglass one, especially abroad. Professional repairs for all hull materials are widely available, and there are now DIY kits for fibreglass that let you repair even larger scratches and cracks yourself. Aluminium can be dented out well and is stronger than steel, but larger repairs are a big job.

With small, but certainly with larger damage, it is really only with steel boats that you quickly get the original look and quality back.

Boat insurance

Have you just bought a new boat, or are you about to? Then also think about insuring it. Whether boat insurance is compulsory depends on the country, and sometimes on the place or the situation, for example in connection with liability.

We advise you to look carefully at whether insurance is sensible, and to think above all about possible consequential damage (liability) and whether you want to, and can, bear that risk yourself.

Mooring and storage costs

In many places, such as a marina or a town canal, you pay a mooring fee. If you store your boat, indoors or outdoors, you will usually pay storage costs as well. These costs mostly depend on the length of your boat, and more and more often on its width or area too. You pay them to the harbour master, the local authority or the owner of the location.

Prices vary widely by country, region and location, and between a summer berth and winter storage. They can add up considerably, so ask about the rates for your boat in advance and include them in your yearly budget.

CE marking

CE marking has been compulsory for new recreational boats in the European Union since 1998. It shows that your boat meets the European requirements for recreational craft.

There are four CE design categories, marked with the letters A to D.

A: 'Ocean'. Suitable for wind force above 8 and waves higher than four metres.
B: 'Offshore'. Suitable up to wind force 8 and waves up to four metres.
C: 'Inshore'. Suitable up to wind force 6 and waves up to two metres.
D: 'Sheltered waters'. Suitable up to wind force 4 and waves up to thirty centimetres.

Make sure that not only your boat, but you and your equipment too, can handle the weather conditions in question. Above wind force 4 Beaufort, the waves are already considerable and call for suitable measures.

Builder's plate

The builder's plate gives the general details of the boat, such as:

• the maximum number of people on board
• the CE category the boat is suitable for

The plate must be visible from the helm.

Craft identification number (CIN)

A CIN (craft identification number) must also be fitted on the starboard side of the transom. The CIN plate (also called HIN, hull identification number) shows:

• Manufacturer code
• Country of manufacture
• Individual serial number
• Year of production
• Model year

Boating licence

Whether you need a licence depends on the country where you go boating, and often on the length, speed and engine power of the boat and on the type of water. Some countries require a licence for almost every motor boat, others only for fast or large boats. The rules also differ for foreign visitors. So always check carefully, before you buy and before every trip abroad, which licence is required for your boat and your cruising area.

Registration

In many countries a boat must be registered, often depending on its length, speed or engine power, or simply to sail under a flag abroad. When you buy a boat, also check whether it needs to be registered or transferred to your name, and arrange this properly with the local authorities. Keep the registration documents on board.