boat buying what to look for

[eye guy]

I am narrowing my search down to a few boats, including both tin and glass. If anyone has any advice on little things to look for (especially glass) I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks guys.

[steve(IL)]

Contact Bass & Walleye Boat magazine. They had a great article some time back called 13 things to look for when buying a used boat. It definitly came in handy for me and kept me from making a big mistake. If they can't help you, e-mail me and maybe I can fax it to you. The other thing to be aware of is the NADA guides. Shop all the used boat sites on the internet to get good comparative values from other areas to compare prices too.
Good luck and enjoy the hunt. Most importantly - take your time. It's easy to get anxious and worked up. This is an excellent time to be in the market for a boat as things have slowed way down.

[curt quesnell]

check the classifieds here on wc.

if you dont find exactly what you are looking for, you will
see and read about the set up on many many boats.

curt quesnell

[KP]

From your post I didn't get the impression you were looking to buy a used boat, but new. What are you looking for in a boat and whats your price range? I don't know much about glass but sure like any Ranger and Tuffy.

I bought a Lund aluminum last year because of the obvious quality differences vs. my short list of comparably priced boats, $4000 +/- boat and trailer only.

Simple things like the carpet and major things like number of strakes and the chine. Storage was a major thing. The rod locker could hold more and longer rods. The front casting deck was much lower than the others but that made the bow storage so much more useful. The basic livewell design drains completely where the others would leave an inch of water remaining. The open rear area under the splashwell fits three, 3 gallon, fuel tanks so you don't have to contend with a six gallon tank at your feet. The warranty and what it REALLY covers for how long.

Hopefully your not as anal as I am and you'll have the boat you want a lot sooner but I'm glad I took my time.

[firebird]

Having been there last year, I think it is important to get as much as you can afford. Check the storage. If this is your first boat, you will be buying alot of extra things that need stored in the boat. I didn't think that way and I wish I had more room. Also, do you want a tiller or console? Is it primarily a fishing boat, or a compromise. I had catalogs from many companies and kept going back to certain brands and models. Have fun with the search.