99 Boaters Wished They Knew THIS Before They Got Their First Boat

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So, you’re thinking about buying your first boat?

Take a look at the following comments 99 different boat owners made to the question: “What was one thing you wished you knew before buying your first boat?”

As you will discover, some of their comments are hilarious or ironic but they will unveil lessons only experienced boaters can share. 

Consider this part of your homework before making an investment that can change your life, for the better or for the worse. 

1. Electrical troubleshooting.
2. That I would want a bigger boat.
3. How to winterize it.
4. How to trailer it.
5. The money I have pumped in is better spent in a newer boat.
6. That we would keep buying bigger boats.
7. That I was getting screwed before I paid for it.
8. Approaching a doc in windy conditions.
9. When you settle on a model you like, move up to the next model, and buy that.
10. How to catch fish.
11. How to sell it.
12. It’s never big enough or fast enough.
13. How not to get financially screwed when buying one.
14. What boat stands for: Break Out Another Thousand.
15. That the weekend is not enough time.
16. The importance and understanding of the correct type of trailer!
17. Don’t trust the weatherman – get out on the water!
18. Get fuel injected.
19. I should have had a bottom coat and new anodes before I left it in the marina for 5 months.
20. Get a survey on EVERYTHING. No matter how cheap or what size the boat is. The survey is life.
21. That I needed 10 weeks of vacation.
22. Trimming your engine, it took me a couple of seasons to get that
23. The difference between single and double motor. Now that I have driven both I would not buy a single again.
24. That it’ll be the best money you will ever spend. And that you’ll spend a lot, but that’s ok. You can’t replace great memories and family time.
25. What cruising speed was and how to figure out what mine should have been.
26. Have a couple of grand bankroll for emergencies.
27. How to swim.
28. That there are other boats out on the water.
29. Think about what you want to use it for (tubing/skiing, fishing, speed cruising).
30. I wish someone had shown me how many shallow areas are in most lakes even the big lakes.
31. Winds … The winds can make all the difference. I have an app now called “wind finder”. It is very useful.
32. Don’t pay the mechanic until he’s 100% done.
33. That weeds on the prop will block water intake shut down the engine and make the alarm on the outboard go off.
34. Don’t go cheap!
35. How to dock.
36. Previous owners!
37. How to properly winterize it.
38. Make sure the size and weight are appropriate for the water you want to take it in
39. Wrong hobby if you’re worried about fuel.
40. How much fun it was going to be and could have bought one years ago.
41. Get towing insurance.
42. The lack of quality in its workmanship!
43. How to back it up.
44. Find a mechanic you can trust and stick with them even though they are usually higher.
45. That there was a hole in the gas tank.
46. Never buy a saltwater boat again!
47. Two things, take a Coast Guard sponsored boating class which I have now takin a few and had BoatUS Tow service not so much for the towing but for the peace of mind knowing I have it if I should need it.
48. I wish I knew at the time that bottom paint wasn’t for aesthetics.
49. Cheap gas = Huge repair bills!! Always buy marina quality gas. Yes, it costs more now but yikes!! Hard lesson learned!
50. GPS your boat as my new boat was stolen right from the dock.
51. Boat = Bring Over Another Thousand.
52. Why didn’t I do it decades ago!
53. Focus on the motor, not the boat more.
54. That people use you for a free boat ride, and break your boat as if they could care less!
55. Those windshields are really nice.
56. That you can’t actually go from Philadelphia to Cape May in less than an hour in a cruiser because you don’t have to stop for red lights.
57. That it wasn’t going to be fast enough.
58. That is was going to turn into a lifetime passion.
59. How rude people are at the ramps.
60. Should have financed a tow cover in with the first boat payments.
61. How much easier outboards are to deal with than I/Os.
62. That the cheapest part of owning it was the boat loan payment!!!!
63. Pay the extra for the factory-installed generator.
64. Double axle trailer vs single.
65. How easy it is to flip and sell boats to get a better one on a deal
66. More power is necessary at all times.
67. Will sink without drain plugin.
68. Water Regulations.
69. How to make it go faster.
70. Don’t slam it in Park when the front starts going under. I learned a lot my first-year first boat. They called me the prop killer.
71. Take it for a test run and trust no one!!
72. Take it out of the water when you’re not using it.
73. That the best boat is a friend’s boat.
74. Wider is better.
75. I should have got a marine survey! That would have saved me tons of money and time in the long run!
76. Never get into a situation you can’t get out of.
77. The trailer needs the same maintenance attention.
78. Rent it. You will save a lot more than you think.
79. Trailer bearings.
80. Should have bought a fishing boat instead of a family boat.
81. Things get expensive having no brakes.
82. Buy a deep vee. Flat bottoms will pound your teeth.
83. How pissed will my wife be.
84. How much fun it would be. On boat number 4.
85. It should have a bed.
86. Just because there is water it does not mean you can boat there. Grounded a few times before I installed a depth finder.
87. That the marina we are in now existed!
88. Bigger, Faster, Shinier!
89. The sheer numbers of idiots on the water.
90. I should keep this boat…nothing better than a 70’s day cruiser!
91. 20 more hp.
92. Patience!
93. I/O’s suck for saltwater.
94. Blown head gasket- always water test.
95. What that plug sitting on the dashboard was for.
96. The number one rule is don’t buy new and whatever boat you buy you have to know the market.
97. Pulling onto a lift with a 4-knot tail tide and your spot is on the top of an upside-down L-shaped Marina.
98. I should have had a bottom coat and new anodes before I left it in the marina for 5 months.
99. Don’t buy the smallest bumpers around to save money.