If you’re considering making an investment in a new boat, you need to spend some time thinking about more than just your boat insurance premiums. You need to decide what kind of boat you want, how much you have to spend, and what you’re going to use the boat for.

There are some specific questions you should ask the retailer before you commit to buying the boat, as well, to make sure that it’s the right boat for you:

What is the manufacturer’s status and reputation?

You want to choose a boat manufacturer that’s still in business. Over the past several years, many have gone under. You want to make sure you buy a boat from a company that’s weathered the economic storm, because you’ll need them to be around to honor the details of your warranty.

Is a pre-purchase survey available?

If the boat hasn’t already had a pre-purchase survey done, you should consider getting one or asking for one. In some cases, your boat insurance company may require it before you will be covered. You can hire someone to do a survey for about $10 per foot, and the survey will be worth every dime. In many cases, you can convince the seller to pay for the survey. Even if you don’t wind up buying the boat, the seller can use it when others look at buying the boat.

Can I take it out for a test drive?

Most of the time, a boat vendor will allow you to take a short test drive. In many cases, someone from the store will need to ride with you. You wouldn’t buy a new car without driving it a little bit, you shouldn’t consider buying a boat that you haven’t driven, either.

What’s covered by the warranty, and what is the support procedure?

You should know what is and isn’t covered by the warranty. From day one, you might have to get support from a secondary manufacturer if something breaks. If your GPS stops working, for example, you may have to talk to the GPS manufacturer rather than the boat manufacturer.

Photo via daveparker