Author: Bullbuster Team

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Buying A Boat For Fishing 

The internet is a place with a ton of information, sometimes TOO much information.  In this article, we put together some of the best resources on the web for buying a boat into one place.  

The article covers the following: 

1) Where Can You Buy A Fishing Boat?

- Different marketplaces

2) What Makes A Boat A Fishing Boat?

- Features that make a fishing boat a fishing boat.

3) Choose A Type Of Boat To Buy

- We outline a few different types of boats. 

4) What Are Typical Boat Broker Commissions?

- We outline what the average rate is. 

5) How To Finance A Boat

- We give you a few resources about this. 

6) How Much Will A Boat Cost?

- They call a boat "BOAT" break out another thousand. 

7) Youtube Channels About Buying A Boat

- We outline a few useful Youtube channels for buying a boat 

8) Boat Inspections & Other Equipment

-Getting a boat inspection is an important part of buying your boat. 

9) Other Resources For Buying A  Boat

- In this section we have a few more specific articles on buying a boat. 

Where Can You Buy A Boat?

1) From A Dealer - Dealers may sell new or used boats.  The used boats sold by a dealer have often already been inspected by a marine surveyor. 

2) From The Manufacturer - Some boat brands sell their boats directly from their factory. 

3) Through An Online Platform - There are many online platforms to purchase a boat online.  

- Boat Trader - This is a major platform for buying boats online. 

- Yacht Trader - This is another major platform for buying boats online, as the name goes, there are larger boats on this platform then Boat Trader. 

- Craigslist - This is a place you can find private sellers of boats, sometimes dealers will make posts here as well. 

- Facebook Marketplace - This is similar to Craiglist but with the familiarity of Facebook. 

4) Directly From An Owner - You can buy a boat from a neighbor, friend, family member, or a listing at a local marina. 

5) Through A Boat Broker - Boat brokers act as salespeople for boats or help private boaters sell their used boats. 

What Makes A Boat A  Fishing Boat?

A fishing boat is a boat designed for you to go fishing.  Most fishing boats have the following features: 

1) Rod Holders

2) A Live Well

3) Marine Electronics For Fishing

Fishing boats usually have more space dedicated to fishing than to other things.  You will find a fishing boat usually has less space dedicated to lounging and more space dedicated to fishing. 

Choosing A Type Of Boat To Buy

List Of Flats Boat Manufacturers

This article has a list of 5 well-known flats boats. 

List Of Center Console Boats Manufacturers

This article has a list of 5 center console boat manufacturers. 

List Of Bay Boat Manufacturers

This article has a list of 5 bay boat manufacturers. 

What Are Typical Boat Broker Commission Rates?

The typical boat broker charges a commission around 10% of the sales price. 

How To Finance A Boat

Dealers/ Brokers:  Boat dealers can get you financing for boats and often provide in house financing. This is a good place to start when shopping for boat financing since you have something to compare other offers to and you can use it as leverage for your negotiation. 

Banks/Credit Unions:  Banks and credit unions are one way to get financing for your boat.  This may be the next place you want to shop after getting an offer from your dealer.  It is a good idea to have a good relationship with your banker. 

Online Lenders: 

Online lenders are another option for getting a loan, that may have better rates if you have a good credit history. 

Below is a good resource for online lenders for boats. 

How Much Will A Boat Loan Cost Me?

Here is a link to a boat loan calculator. 

Is It Hard To Get A Boat Loan?

No, it is not hard to get a boat loan.  However, the lower your credit score is, the more that it will cost. 

Can Your Boat Be Used As Collateral For Your Loan?

Yes, your boat most likely will be collateral for your boat loan. 

What Is The Oldest Boat I Can Finance?

Boaters have financed very old boats. Be sure to run your numbers, as there may be some repair costs involved with purchasing an older boat. This is where your marine surveyor is your best friend. 

What You Should Know Before Buying A Boat?

Below is a video posted on Youtube by "Life By The Bow" that talks about some of the things you really should know before purchasing a boat. 

Some key points from the video: 

1) You should buy a used boat from a dealer who has done plenty of surveying and their reputation is on the line. If not, it is recommended to use a surveyor. 

2) New boats often have problems since they are made by hand, so you should use them a lot the first year and find out what the issues are before your warranty is up. 

3) Boats are not fuel-efficient.  1.5-3 mpg on a center console boat. 

4) Sometimes it's actually way better to hire a charter boat instead of owning a boat. 

Youtube Channels That Help You With Buying A Boat

A good Youtube channel to look into for this is "A Boat Buyers Secret Weapon" below is an intro video to this channel. 

The video below "Born Again  Boating" shows you what a marine survey looks like.  Just because you are watching this video, does not mean you should not work with an expert, however, you may be able to speak the same language. 

"Your Boat Guy" posts videos about buying boats: 

Below Are A Few Resources For Buying A Boat On Bullbuster.net

Insurance Equipment & More

Things You Need To Know About Boating Insurance

This article has a number of resources about boating insurance. 

Why would you need boat insurance? 

Aside for protection from liabilities from the damage of your boat trailer or medical issues induced from your boat. Some states actually require you to carry insurance on your boat. Also, if you want to dock your boat at a marina they may require you to have insurance. If you have a loan on on your boat you technically don't actually own the boat so the lien holder or financial owners of the boat will want it insured since they aren't operating it and they want to hedge their risk.

How Much Will Boat Insurance Cost?

Generally according to betterboating.com insurance costs around 1.5% of the cost of your boat per year. This can vary depending on a number of factors, so take. Look at the linked article to get a better understanding about this.

To get more information on what boat insurance can cost, take a look at the article below by better boating.com. This article covers not only the cost of insurance for boats but a few ways you can influence that cost. 

https://betterboat.com/average-boat-insurance

Types Of Marine Electronics For Your Boat

If you have ever noticed, boats have a lot of marine electronics. There are a ton of wires that run down to the battery area of your boat. So what type of electronics are there for boats and what do they do?  Nowadays these electronics are getting more compact and advanced, but they still fall into a few different categories. 

Boat Inspections

Before buying a boat especially if it is from a private seller and you are spending a good chunk of change on it, you probably want to get a boat inspection. Below is a video posted by "Boating Level" about some things to look out for in your boat inspection. 

The Association of Acreddidated Marine Surveyors is a good place to find a marine surveyor for a larger vessel. 

Other Articles About Choosing Boats 

What Boat Should I Buy To Fish A SKA Tournament?

It does not matter if you are a tournament angler or just looking for a family boat to hit the sand bar, a decision between brands is inevitable.

Our team just went through this process and would like to share our story on how and why we choose our new rig to fit our tournament fishing needs.

After a very successful rookie year on the SKA tour we decided to upgrade our boat. This would help us achieve our short term and long term goals. First we assessed the pros and cons with our current boat. Our major concern was not being able to keep up with the fleet when the weather was not ideal. Secondly was live well capacity. 

The Best Boat I Ever Owned

This article talks about how sometimes less is more. 

I've had a few boats in my life. But I will always remember my favorite one.  This boat was not the nicest or the fanciest, but boy did I catch a lot of fish on her.  

I found her on craigslist, she cost $1,000 and I sold it a year later for $1,000.  The great thing about her was it she was always ready to go and required very little maintenance.

Specs:

12 feet 

15 HP Engine

Trailer Included

Customizations Included: 

50 Gallon Live Well

12 Rod Holders

Depth Sounder

Trollling Motor Mount 

Bow Storage

Blue Underwater LED Lights

We Help Millions Of Anglers Spend More Time Fishing

We hope that you enjoyed this article on the Bullbuster.net Magazine.  It is our mission to help millions of anglers spend more time fishing and that starts with YOU!

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