Are you thinking about getting a boat? You’re not alone. As a hobby, boating has exploded in popularity in recent years, and for a variety of reasons.
Still, buying a boat is expensive, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, the shopping process can be intimidating. Accordingly, you might be on the fence.
If that sounds like you, you should know there are many strong motivations that can push you to pull the trigger.
Reasons to Buy a Boat
These are some of the best reasons to buy a boat:
1. Barbecues and picnics
With the right boat grilling equipment, you can cook up food and serve it even when you’re miles from shore. Millions of people love eating and hosting events on their boats, whether they’re grilling up hamburgers or packing a picnic.
It could be the perfect excuse to spend more time with your family or a way to enjoy some delicious cuisine while going on a solo cruise.
2. Water sports
Some people finalize their decision to buy a boat when they realize just how many water sports there are and how fun they can be. Racing, diving, wakeboarding, finswimming, parasailing, and water skiing are just some examples.
3. Fishing
For some, the primary reason to buy a boat is so that you can go fishing. Fishing is a relaxing and rewarding activity – and one that gets even more interesting as you gain more experience and knowledge.
Plus, you’ll probably get to keep and cook most of what you catch, so you can fix dinners for your family for weeks after every fishing excursion.
4. (Almost) unlimited freedom
Do you consider yourself a free spirit? Owning a boat gives you almost unlimited freedom. You can travel from marina to marina, or from island to island, or you can venture out to an isolated spot in the middle of a lake or ocean. All the choices are yours and you’ll be completely autonomous in your vessel.
5. Peace and relaxation
If you live in a big city or a dense neighborhood, you might find it hard to find alone time. But when you’re on the water, far away from other boaters and other people, you’ll finally be able to cultivate the peace and relaxation you deserve.
For instance, you can travel along the pristine beaches of Spain without forsaking your peaceful and relaxing vacation. You can opt to have a Mallorca Spain yacht charter that is available exclusively for you to explore the beautiful Islands this country has to offer.
After just a few hours of being alone with your thoughts, you’ll have a refreshed perspective and more energy you can use throughout the rest of your daily life.
6. Fresh air and physical activity
Did you know that breathing fresh air is good for your health? It’s true. And of course, physical activity is also good for your health. Boating forces you to get outdoors and move around, making it the perfect way to stay in shape – especially as you get older.
7. Community and new friendships
The boating community thrives anywhere near water. If you own a boat and use it regularly, you’ll have tons of opportunities to meet other people, make new friendships, and enjoy interesting social gatherings.
8. Potentially low prices
Some people are reluctant to move forward with buying a boat because they see it as expensive. While there are certainly boats that are out of your budget, you might be surprised to learn how inexpensive certain options are.
If you’re willing to shop used, and if you’re willing to make a few compromises, you can probably find a vessel perfectly within your budget.
9. Resale potential
New boats do depreciate quickly, but no matter what, you’ll enjoy decent resale value in your vessel. This is especially true if you buy a used boat. If you try it for a while and find you don’t like it, or if you need to stop boating for any reason, you can always resell the vessel and make back much of what you initially spent.
10. Curiosity satisfaction
If you’ve been thinking about buying a boat for a long time, there’s a good chance your curiosity will remain unsatisfied until you actually buy one. You can partially mitigate this annoying curiosity by renting a boat, but you probably won’t feel satisfied until you have one of your own.
The Importance of Due Diligence
This article is meant to encourage you to follow through on your ambitions and finally buy a boat. But it’s also a bad idea to make an impulsive or reckless decision here. No matter how excited you are or how sure you are of moving forward, it’s important to do your due diligence.
Figure out exactly what it’s going to cost you to buy and own a boat, shop around for different types of boats, and always inspect your vessel carefully before finalizing a purchase.
