I am looking for a boat

Check your newspaper's classified section for used boats.

Looking for a boat can be done the easy way or the hard way. I tried the easy way first and never had to do the hard way. What I call the easy way is to go to craigslist and kijiji and post a free ad. Describe exactly what you are looking for. I knew I didn’t have much money, so I did not want to get fixed on a big boat. I would settle for a small one too. All I posted was: “Wanted: cheap or free fixer-upper boat with at least one cabin.” If you want to do this right or if you get too many responses that don’t fit, go back and edit your post. Give as much detail about what you are looking for.

I mentioned the hard way. I am writing this after I found my boat. More on that in later posts. The hard way is very likely the better way of doing this. You should go out and look at a lot of boats, even if you do not want to buy one right away. Just looking at some boats, will give you a better ability to compare boats. You should soon figure out what you want and what not.

Other places to look for boats are auction websites and of course hundreds of other free classifieds sites. But never buy a boat without first inspecting it! There are plenty of good deals out there if you find them, but there is also a lot of junk! Other more traditional ways of finding a boat is to check your local or regional news paper. There are also papers dedicated to just used boats. There’s Boat Trader to name just one. And most boating magazines also have a classified section.

Your favorite radio station might have a “yard sale” program. I can’t remember the name of the station, but I used to listen to one that constantly had listeners call in and offer for sale or wanted items (my wife says it was Dial-A-Trade). You can drive around town. Many people stick a for sale sign on their boat in the front yard or at the marina but never bother listing it anywhere. Marinas also have bulletin boards where you can check what’s for sale or post a flier with what you are looking for. You can talk to people at the marina. There are boats that are for sale but not advertised as for sale. The boat I ended up buying was for sale, but not advertised anywhere as being for sale.

Start with the easy on-line wanted ad and work your way through the list if you can’t find what you are looking for. If you have the money, there are beautiful boats for sale in the Virgin Islands Combine that with a vacation. And good luck finding your dream boat.

Photo credit: Thanks to xandert on morguefile.com