Buyers' Guide to Outboard Boats

Dedicated for Offshore Boats

by David Pascoe

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Chapter 12

Research, Pricing and Shopping



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Excerpt

Research and Shopping for a boat can be very time consuming, so unless you have an idea of where and how to look, it's easy to end up wasting a lot of time. The following are some tips on how to refine and target your efforts.

Research Sources

The Internet

Thanks to the Internet, the task of researching a new or used boat purchase becomes much easier, although many people express their disappointment that there are not more objective sources of information.

As I pointed out in the first chapter, because there are so many boat builders, it is simply not possible for there to be any comprehensive sources.

There are a few publications, such as Power Boat Reports, and my own site, www.yachtsurvey.com that will review a relative handful of the most popular boats. For the vast majority, however, you will be able to find little or nothing.

I am constantly amazed at the number of emails I receive from people asking where they can get information on 15-20 year old boats.

If you have a hard time finding info on late model boats, imagine how unlikely to find anything on boats one or two or three decades old! For the majority of old boats, the builders are no longer in business and there are no records anywhere about those builders and their boats.

Many people express great chagrin that such information simply does not exist. You have to realize that small boat builders are just too small and insignificant for anyone to be interested in spending their chronicling the history of a small boat builder.

There is the possibility that you could run across limited information on the internet by simply typing in the model name, builder and/or size of the boat you are interested in.

There are a number of web sites that have been put up by disgruntled boat owners who want to warn others about their experience with certain builders. Then, there are sites like gripes.com that provide forums for disgruntled consumers.

The number of sites or "clubs" dedicated to one manufacturer or model is constantly expanding. All of these are potential sources of good information. Try a search based on the manufacturer name plus the word "club" or "owner's club".

Discussion forums can also turn up good information, however, you have to be careful about from whom you take complaints literally.

You'll need to be a good judge of character and try to discern whether the complainer is describing his problems fairly and accurately, or whether he is only one-half of the problem and a person with an ax to grind and is bent on revenge for slights real or partly imagined.

It can be very instructive for newcomers to boating to read discussion forums regularly. These can give you a good feel for what boat ownership is all about, although one should beware that forums involve all types of people and a lot of inaccurate and downright false information.

To get the most out of discussion forums, it's best to read them regularly and get to know the participants. In a few weeks time you can get a pretty good idea of who are the knowledgeable ones.


(Additional spaces are added for easy screen reading.)



Table of Contents: Chapter 12


Research Sources
The Internet
Boating Magazines
Price Research
Boat Shows
Show Types are Expanding
Buying At Shows
Shopping for Used Boats
Making Your Own Appraisal
Appraisal Books
Regional Variations
When To Buy
Salt Water versus Fresh
Long Distance Shopping

Copyright© 2004 David H. Pascoe
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Buyers' Guide to Outboard Boats Buyers' Guide to Outboard Boats
- Selecting and Evaluating New and Used Boats

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Soft Cover
272 pages
Publisher: D. H. Pascoe & Co., Inc.
Published: 2002
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0965649628
ISBN-13: 9780965649629

Price: $19.50
In Stock


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David Pascoe - Biography

David Pascoe is a second generation marine surveyor in his family who began his surveying career at age 16 as an apprentice in 1965 as the era of wooden boats was drawing to a close.

Certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors in 1972, he has conducted over 5,000 pre purchase surveys in addition to having conducted hundreds of boating accident investigations, including fires, sinkings, hull failures and machinery failure analysis.

Over forty years of knowledge and experience are brought to bear in following books. David Pascoe is the author of:

In addition to readers in the United States, boaters and boat industry professionals worldwide from over 70 countries have purchased David Pascoe's books, since introduction of his first book in 2001.

In 2012, David Pascoe has retired from marine surveying business at age 65.

On November 23rd, 2018, David Pascoe has passed away at age 71.

Biography - Long version


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