If you own a home on Smith Mountain Lake and haven’t become a boat owner yet, it’s likely that it won’t be long before that changes. Boating at Smith Mountain Lake is truly one of the best ways to enjoy the fantastic resource of all this beautiful fresh water. Whether it’s sailing, fishing, waterskiing, jet skiing, and other watersports, or just plain touring around to friends’ homes and enjoying the vistas that can only be seen by water…..there will undoubtedly be a boat involved.
The choices for boats are as endless as there are boat owners. This theory could be loosely translated that for every future boat owner out there, there is a boat made to fit their needs. So to help all the future captains, I’ve rounded up a couple of articles I thought were of exceptional help. To start, I came across an article in the 2006 Spring/Summer Issue of Lake Life Magazine called “Boat Buying for First Timers.” The article basically highlights how to find the right ‘fit’ for your family’s boat purchase:
Knowing what you want out of a boat, where you’ll be using it, and what you’ll be using it for is important before you begin to look for a boat. Buying a boat that is too small or too big can bring with it a number of negative consequences. For instance, a boat that’s too big will involve more fuel consumption. On the other hand, a craft that’s too small runs the risk of not being used, since a boat that your family can’t fit on won’t be useful when it comes time for family outings.
Another great article for powerboat purchasing comes from David Pascoe, writer for a website called Dockside Reports.
His article goes into great length (in a 3-part article) about boat buying, new vs. used, etc.:
It’s been said that the Internet has been largely responsible for creating better-informed consumers. We agree. Nowhere else can information be rounded up and transmitted so rapidly and made available to such a wide audience? But it has also led to a higher level of wariness by first-time boaters that have cruised the forums and have heard the horror stories of first-time buyers who have gotten burned.
And also covers brands/manufacturers:
Brands. When it comes to quality and separating the wheat from the chaff, this is not an easy task. Asking others is one way to get information. Try taking a trip to the local marina or launching a ramp on Saturday and start asking questions. But beware that most boat owners take boat ownership personally. Many are reluctant to admit that the boat they own is not all that it should be. If a guy says that his boat is the greatest thing on the water, he may not be giving you the whole story. Assuming he knows the whole story. Not many people are willing to admit to making a mistake.
A lot of great information is gathered in one spot. Click here to read David’s entire article. See you on the waves!
