Buying a boat is one of life’s big choices. While this decision can be thrilling, it’s also one that might make you sweat. After all, you have to carefully weigh the financial commitment against the rewards you can reap. You may also have to persuade other people, like your family or another investor, to come on board, both literally and figuratively, for you to buy a boat.
If you or someone else needs convincing, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re looking at a powerboat to jet you across the waves or a sailboat to carry you away to fantastic locations, the reasons for getting on the water are countless. In this article, we’ve selected the top six reasons why you should follow your dreams and get yourself the watercraft you’ve always wanted. If you’re still wondering if life on the water is for you, these great reasons should definitely sway you.
Buy a Boat to Relieve Stress
One of the best reasons to buy a boat is to help yourself get away from it all. Think about all the distractions of modern life – text messages, calls, videos, work, traffic, you name it. Now, think about how nice it would be to leave each and every one of these distractions behind. Getting out on the open water and leaving that hectic lifestyle behind is one of the top reasons why so many people march down to the boat dealers. We all need a place to unwind and remove the stress from our lives and yours could be out on the open water.
Buy a Boat to Unlock New Travel Opportunities
What’s one of the biggest drivers of boat and yacht sales? The freedom to travel when and where you want. As long as they’re accessible by water, having your own boat can take you to countless locations. You don’t need to deal with the hassle of booking plane tickets and if your boat has cabins below deck, you won’t need to reserve hotel rooms either.
You can simply pick up and go whenever the mood takes you, whether that means keeping things close to home or setting out for a Caribbean adventure. Being able to travel to myriad new places on your own schedule makes your travel opportunities nearly limitless and is one of the best reasons to buy a boat.
Open the Door to Endless Activities
A lot of people see a yacht for sale and think about only a single activity – cruising from here to there. Travel is an excellent reason to get a boat, but it’s not the only one by far. Having a boat means you have a free ticket to get into the water sports of your choosing. You can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and stand-up paddleboarding, as well as having a blast with waterskiing, wakeboarding, and other towables. You can keep kayaks on board or use your tender to explore the coastline. There are opportunities for small boating gating parties or glamorous soirees as well. Whether you want to fill up your weekends, your vacations, or your entire retirement, you have a seemingly endless array of activities to choose from.
Master New Skills
Until they actually become boat owners, most people don’t realize how much boating is truly a lifestyle and not just a hobby. Life on a boat is full of challenges that you’d likely never encounter on land. You need to keep your boat clean and in perfect operation. You have to learn how to deal with anchorages and marina berths. There’s boating jargon, rules and regulations, and etiquette to master. Of course, the biggest challenge is getting to know the weather and water, reading tides, winds, and currents, and learning to successfully pilot your craft through it all. The opportunity is there to push yourself and expand your horizons while you sail towards them.
Buy a Boat to Enjoy Fresh Air and Exercise
You might have a job that keeps you tied to a desk and indoors nearly all the time, or this might just be how your lifestyle has developed. Modern technology has brought the world to our fingertips, but for many of us, this means only our fingertips get any sort of workout. On a boat, however, there’s work to be done. Getting your boat launched, keeping her clean, loading and unloading supplies, throwing out and taking in lines – all of these activities get you up and moving. Swimming and enjoying other water sports also give you the chance to exercise. Being out on the water and engaged in this healthy, vigorous lifestyle is one of the main reasons there are boats for sale in the first place.
Boats Make Life Better
There are so many reasons to buy a boat and so few not to it’s a wonder that the seas aren’t already full. Owning a boat gives you the opportunity to travel, stay healthy, master new skills, relieve stress, and enjoy an active lifestyle. When you have your own boat, you can get out on the water any time you like, heading for new experiences while leaving all your worries behind.
FAQ
This depends on where you’ll be buying your boat. Different states and countries have different rules about licenses and you’ll need to look at your local laws. In many cases, boats will small engines and sailboats don’t need to be licensed, while larger crafts will.
Again, this depends on where you live; however, it’s likely you’ll need at least some form of certification. For example, it is often that boat operators must take a short course in boating safety to attain a certificate. This requirement is there to keep you, your passengers, and other people on the water safe.
In most cases, insuring your boat is a choice and not a requirement. However, most owners choose to get their boats insured because of the money they invest into them.
