Change language at:
Boat purchase is a pretty serious commitment and there’s a lot of things to consider before you decide on a particular model. That’s why we wrote this step by step guideline on how to buy a perfect boat for your needs. Here are our 10 things you need to know before you buy a fishing, family, or any other type of boat.
Let’s start with the most important part, the size of the boat. Because you probably are not going to carry bags and equipment on the boat, we’re mainly talking about the number of people the boat will carry.
The good news is that even the smallest boat in our offer – Waterprestige 350, will be good for a crew of 2 people. The boat’s length of 3,5 m is more than enough. Bigger boats come with better standards and are good for even 5 and there’s more space for equipment and bigger store boxes.
You can check measurements of all our boats and photos of them on the product pages to assume which one will be good for you or visit our showroom in to see for yourself!
If you’re planning to buy a boat especially for fishing and you like to carry a lot of equipment, you might consider buying a bigger boat for the most comfortable and satisfying experience.
If you’re looking for a boat for your family, here’s our guide:
How to buy a boat for the family.
You should ask yourself what exactly the boat will be used for. Specifically for fishing, for casual family trips or maybe you’re more interested in a super comfortable leisure time in the sun, in the middle of the lake…
Whatever’s your goal, you need to pick the right boat for your needs and within your budget. There are several key questions you need to answer:
Feel free to contact us if you have any more questions, we will gladly help you make the best possible choice.
Probably the second most important part and definitely the most for some users – the price. You probably are prepared for the worst in this section, but the very good news is that the prices of modern boats make them affordable for everyone. The cheapest boat in our offer cost XXXX and it’s not some tiny model by any stretch! It’s a standard lightweight 4-person family/fishing boat.
It’s all up to you then if you want just the basic boat for an occasional trip with your family or maybe something a bit fancier. You need to remember though that depending on your preferences, you might want to buy some extra equipment, but let’s talk about it in part 4 – Equipment.
If you’d like to know how to buy a cheap boat, check this article:
If you’re worried about the price of all the extra stuff you need to buy after you get a boat, fear no more. Every boat in our offer comes with a complete package of equipment with a set of oars so you’re all ready to go after you collect your boat. Just water it and get going.
While we’re talking about all the essential things, there is a lot of optional equipment you might want to choose from while buying your first boat too. There’s the Garmin Fishfinder for those who want to get their fishing experience on a higher level, there’s a foldable roof option, additional fishing pole handles, rainproof cover for storing, and much more. You can find a list of all possible additions on each boat’s product page.
Besides typical boat-related equipment, there are some things that are just worth having on a family boat, and we talk about them in our article – 20 family boat essentials.
How are you going to store your boat? There are a few options that differ in price and convenience. The first option is to store on your own premises – in the garage, in the backyard, or anywhere else you have some free space. This option has one huge upside – it’s free. It might be a bit inconvenient though to trailer the boat and water it each time. But hey! It means you’re not tied to any particular water spot and you can visit more different places.
If you don’t have space to store it yourself, you can use rental spots at the harbor or dry stacks, but depending on where you live, you will have to deal with different costs.
In order to transport a boat, you will need a dedicated boat trailer and you will need to figure out how to water and trailer the boat with maximum security. The cost of the small boat trailer should be approximately 500-1000€ depending on its size and if it’s new or used.
Check our full article with all the tips on the last 2 subjects here – How to store and transport a boat?
Like any other vehicle, boats need some maintenance and its cost depends on how often you use the boat and how much extra equipment it has. Don’t worry, the maintenance cost of the boat is much lower than with the car. For the boat with no motor, it shouldn’t exceed 5% of the boat cost yearly and 10% for the motorboat.
If you’re interested in all the expenses, read our article How much does it cost to own a boat?
For the boats under 15 m in length and motorboats with speed under 20 km/h, there is no license. Remember though if you’re fishing, to always have your fishing license with you. In the Netherlands it’s called VISpas, it costs 40€ and expires at the end of the calendar year.
Another quick one! Exactly like with the license, there is no need to register your boat and no taxes whatsoever if your boat doesn’t exceed 15 m in length or 20 km/h of speed for a motorboat.
Some of you plan to take you for a trip abroad and in this case, there are two things you need to be aware of.
We said before that it’s not necessary to register your boat, but if you’re going with it abroad, it might be helpful in case water police decide to randomly check you. Better safe than sorry!