The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Online Book: How To Buy a Cruising Boat

How to choose and buy a boat that will really make you happy including: the things the broker will not tell you, how to check over the boat yourself, and getting a good survey. All hard actionable advice.

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Articles in this topic:

  1. The Right Way to Buy a Boat…And The Wrong Way
  2. Is It a Need or a Want?
  3. Buying a Boat—A Different Way To Think About Price
  4. Buying a Cruising Boat—Five Tips for The Half-Assed Option
  5. Are Refits Worth It?
  6. Buying a Boat—Never Say Never
  7. Selecting The Right Hull Form
  8. Five Ways That Bad Boats Happen
  9. How Weight Affects Boat Performance and Motion Comfort
  10. Easily Driven Boats Are Better
  11. 12 Tips To Avoid Ruining Our Easily Driven Sailboat
  12. Learn From The Designers
  13. You May Need a Bigger Boat Than You Think
  14. When Is A Cruising Sailboat Too Big?
  15. Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Motion Comfort
  16. Sail Area: Overlap, Multihulls, And Racing Rules
  17. 8 Tips For a Great Cruising Boat Interior Arrangement
  18. Offshore Sailboat Keel Types
  19. Cockpits—Part 1, Safe and Seamanlike
  20. Cockpits—Part 2, Visibility and Ergonomics
  21. Offshore Sailboat Winches, Selection and Positioning
  22. Choosing a Cruising Boat—Shelter
  23. Choosing A Cruising Boat—Shade and Ventilation
  24. Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying a New Voyaging Boat
  25. Cyclical Loading: Why Offshore Sailing Is So Hard On A Boat
  26. Cycle Loading—8 Tips for Boat and Gear Purchases
  27. Characteristics of Boat Building Materials
  28. Impact Resistance—How Hull Materials Respond to Impacts
  29. Impact Resistance—Two Collision Scenarios
  30. Hull Materials, Which Is Best?
  31. Six Things We Need to Check Before Survey
  32. Six Warnings About Buying Fibreglass Boats
  33. Buying a Fibreglass Boat—Hiring a Surveyor and Managing the Survey
  34. What We Need to Know About Moisture Meters and Wet Fibreglass Laminate
  35. At What Age should You Stop Sailing And Buy a Motorboat?
  36. A Motorsailer For Offshore Voyaging?
  37. The Two Biggest Lies Yacht Brokers Tell