How To Choose the Right Boat

Few things in life can match the joy that comes from buying a boat. But with so many different styles of boats available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Taking the time to consider your needs can help you narrow it down and find the perfect boat for you and your family. Ask yourself these essential boat shopping questions:

How Will You Use It?

Many boats are versatile enough to perform many types of tasks, while others are specialized for certain types of use. So the first step in selecting a boat is to determine how it will be used.

Picking a boat for a specialized activity is fairly straight-forward. If your sole interest is bass fishing or wakeboarding, then you find specialized bass boats and tow boats that are built just for you.

Specialized boats like this Ranger 521C bass boat excel at one thing, but may lack the versatility families require.

It gets more complicated if you want to fish with your buddies, pull the kids on tubes or skis, possibly try your hand at wake surfing, and definitely spend some time exploring the lake and maybe taking some remote family picnics here and there.

Do You Need A Trailer?

It’s also important to consider whether the boat will be kept at a marina or your own dock, or if you will need to trailer it to and from the water each time you use it.

In most parts of North America you can tow a boat up to 8 feet, 6 inches wide without requiring a special permit. If you’re going to tow your boat, that’s something to keep in mind.

How Large Is Your Crew?

With their generous seating and spacioous layouts, pontoon boats can accommodate the whole family at once.

Another important consideration is the size of your crew, or the number of people you need to accommodate.

While some boats, like bass boats or center consoles, are most commonly used with a smaller number of people onboard, many deck boats or pontoon boats can comfortably seat a dozen people or more.

Inboard or Outboard?

While outboard engines offer many advantages, they use a lot of space on the transom.

Boats come with a variety of power options.

Inboard, or stern drives, house the engine inside the boat hull, leaving the transom clear. This arrangement allows boat designers to integrate useful features, like a full-width swim platform. The down side is that inboard or stern drive engines are heavier, and can be more complex to service.

Outboard engines bolt directly to the boat transom, which provides much easier access when performing regular maintenance. Outboards tend to be lighter in weight than an inboard or stern drive of comparable power. Further, they can be tilted clear of the water when not in use, to protect them from marine growth. The disadvantage to outboards is that they occupy a lot of space on the transom, and make it difficult to install features like full-width swim platforms.