Is it a bad idea to buy a new boat for your first boat?

[waternutt]

Ok folks...sanity check. I am close to purchasing a new 2016 Yamaha Limited S E-series. Although I have boated some growing up, this will be the first boat I own. Is this a bad idea or should I look for a used one?

My original intention was to buy used, but after doing research, I wanted at least a 2015 or newer for the newer design as well a quieter ride. Then the features of the E-series looked nice. Then there wasn't too many used 2016s out, so here I am with the new 2016.

 

[2nazt]

If you can afford it I don't see why not, for the amount of money you spend it always better to get what you want instead of not being happy. The appeal for used boats is obviously the lower cost, and not being stuck with the large amount of depreciation on initial purchase.

 

[Neutron]

New boat, new trailer, warranty....
If i was in the position to buy new when i got my first boat i definitely would have.

Btw my first boat was a pos 1964 Crosby with a 25hp

 

[Nauticajetter]

Buy your second boat first. As long as you make checklists and work to get good routines until it becomes engrained in you then things will be fine. Just make sure boating is for you and that you know what you want to use the boat for. I have the same boat as you are looking at and it's a great choice because we like to dabble in everything. Good luck on your decision and if you do purchase it, this forum alone will help you with any questions or issues you might have.

 

[robert843]

This is a tough one. If your going to buy new buy what ever boat you think you will keep for a while. The biggest advantage to buying used on a first boat besides financial is not feeling as bad about the rookie dings and Knicks the will come but if you plan to keep the boat 5-10 years even with experience the are going to happen.

 

[MrWizard]

... is not feeling as bad about the rookie dings and Knicks the will come..

100% agree. This is my first ownership and no matter how careful I have been - things happen. Things that had I bought new might really get to me.
I do like to think about buying new at some point - this will be my 3rd season with this one and at some point I'd love to upgrade to a boat with the new tech. Especially something quieter...

My advice is that if you can buy new - go for it. Be patient and be willing to learn and at some point roll with the punches (my dad's favorite line)...

This site has been the holy grail for me - hopefully you will be able to find it as useful as I have. The people who are on this board make it great for rookies...

 

[swatski]

Ok folks...sanity check. I am close to purchasing a new 2016 Yamaha Limited S E-series. Although I have boated some growing up, this will be the first boat I own. Is this a bad idea or should I look for a used one?

My original intention was to buy used, but after doing research, I wanted at least a 2015 or newer for the newer design as well a quieter ride. Then the features of the E-series looked nice. Then there wasn't too many used 2016s out, so here I am with the new 2016.

Generally speaking - yes, IMO it is a bad idea (in response to the thread title question).
Unless you can afford to loose a bunch of money if you decide it was a mistake - I would buy new all the time, it is so much easier.

--

 

[renrab]

Unless you are very experienced with boating and know it is something you will continue to do and like (season after season) I would recommend getting something small and easy to launch. If you like it that much than upgrade in a couple years. Our first was a 1994 Dynasty Jet Storm, lasted us 4 years and we used the piss out of it. No point losing the depreciation off the price of a new boat if you aren't sure you are going to keep it.

In my opinion it is much like buying a car used, do you want that new car smell or do you mind hanging an air freshener?

 

[SCP1]

If your only looking a few years old I would just go new. Just be realistic your probably going to get a scratch or two.

 

[mattschepker]

I've only owned three boats and one Yamaha waverunner. The Waverunner I bought used I owned it for 2 years. The three boats have all been brand new. One reason is I like a warranty piece of mind. The second reason is I know how the boat has been taken care of, I don't have to take somebody's word. Our boat is our baby we take care of it. When I sold the last two boats 2009 lowe suncruiser Tahiti and a 2011 Yamaha sx210. I got top dollar for them because of the shape it was in.

 

[fireflymedic]

Insurance sure is high on your first boat (when you have 0 experience). Just check before you pull the trigger (if 1k would be to much to pay every yr) because i bet it will be closers to 1k than 500 not sure how long it stays that high.

 

[John McLaughlin]

Very interesting question and IMO it always come down to "it depends". First: on what you can afford to include maintenance, insurance and storage. Second: how have you purchased large dollar items in the past such as your car - new or used - and what was your experience. Another point to look at is how long do you keep major purchases such as cars, bikes etc and do you tire of them easily. If you keep them for a long time buy new; if you trade often then understand you will take a beaten on depreciation so buy used. If you tire of your toys easily buy used but do your homework before hand.
Now for me I have always bought new, cars, camping trailers and boats, however I have always kept them for all over five or more years especially our boats. Now that said I just bought our first used boat. Why because I am getting up there in years and did not see the need for a new one nor did I want to spend a lot as we like to travel and taking the boat most of the time is not an option. Tough to tow behind an Airstream.
Anyway good luck on your decision.

 

[flyingnugget]

I did the same thing. My first boat, current one, was basically brand new. 1 yr old with 25hrs on it. I like the peace of mind and reliability of the new boats as I learn( and there is a learning curve LOL) .. Me personally, I am not mechanically inclined, so doing the routine maintenance has helped me out and not having to fix broken item has certainly helped with getting the most out of the boat. Plus the closest marina that works on my boat is a solid 1:30 away and having it in the shop for anything out of the norm kills weeks of boating and fun.

I say buy new. Lets be honest, these boats are pure indulgent purchases and not necessary so if you are going to buy, buy what you want and like and go have some fun.. you only live once.

Cant wait to see the pictures...

 

[captras]

Other than the cost, the only negative I see buying your first boat new is that most people don't really know:
1. If they really like boating.
2. If they really are prepared for the things that can go wrong.
3. If they will use the boat enough to justify the cost.
4. If they really understand the costs that can be involved after buying a boat and the possible unexpected expenses. Remember what BOAT stands for. ..Bring Out Another Thousand!

If you can answer yes to these. ..go with a new one. But I lean to buying a good used boat to see. If you find after a year, boating is not for you, you can sell and not lose your shirt like you would trying to sell a year old boat you bought new!

Not being negative here. ..I am on my 2nd boat and don't regret it a bit. Boatingisagreatwaytokeepthefamilytogether! I started with a used 10 year old boat that I got for a great price. I ran that thing for 18 years before going new!

 

[MattFX4]

I was going to buy new, then I ran across a 1 year old 2015 with low hours, and remaining 4 year warranty. Saved a ton of $ going this route. Like you, I grew up boating, but this is the first boat I have ever owned. I am glad I bought used now. There were a lot of unexpected cost associated with the boat I didn't think of. Insurance, storage, maintenance, fuel, mods, etc etc. Now I have it in a wet slip on a lift which is almost the same cost as the boat payment monthly. I plan on keeping this one a few years, and may buy a new one next time around.

 

[renrab]

It's easy to say buy new I suppose but for us Canadians it gets exponentially more expensive to buy new due to the exchange rate with the US. I bought a like new 2013 242 Limited S w/40 hours for ~44k USD, that after exchange and taxes was ~60k CDN, take a brand new Yamaha, the best I could price for a 242 Limited S from a dealer around here was mid-low 80's CDN, plus 13% sales tax, You very quickly head up to the 100k CDN range which is just crazy imo to lose 10k depreciation a year when buying new, different strokes for different folks though, keep selling em a few years old and i'll keep buying em

 

[rrmidden]

I'm in the 'depends' group. I bought my first boat 2 1/2 years ago, brand new, but I could afford it, I got a great deal, I tend to keep things until they are worthless, and I've boated all my life, so I knew I enjoyed it and wasn't going to get bored. If I was new to boating or tended to trade-in vehicles/boats every few years, then I would probably go used, just to avoid the big depreciation hit. So like I said, it depends on you, your personality, and your situation.

 

[MrMoose]

@waternutt, so far I think that you've gotten really good input on your query. The only thing that was a surprise to me was the comment on insurance being more expensive if you have less experience; I've never encountered that. When I bought my new 2015 AR240, I had no boating history in the US, and I pay $461 per year with really good coverage that includes US, Canada, and Bahamas.
One aspect that has not been discussed regarding buying used is if the previous owner was a knowledgeable owner and loved their boat, you may come across a gem like @Betik did.
But, I really need to warn you, based on my short experience in the world of Yamaha jet boats, too many dealers and owners do not know/care enough about how to properly care for and maintain a Yamaha jet boat, primarily because they do not belong to jetboaters.net. You might think that I was trying to be a little funny with the jetboaters.net part, but I'm not.
I put my boat up for sale for a couple weeks earlier this year, and one of the guys who came to look at the boat was a current owner of a Yamaha jet boat. When I told him that I pulled my clean-out plugs after every use, he had no idea what I was talking about. Some people buy a used boat, use it and don't take care of it for a couple of years, then sell it before it costs them money to maintain properly, and then they move on to the next used one. You see the same scenario with respect to luxury cars and SUVs.
@MattFX4's scenario is a good one in that his boat still has warranty, but you need to consider the fact that having warranty on a poorly maintained boat does not magically transport you, your family and your boat to a safe place when your boat unexpectedly fails you out in open water.
I have other reasons, but prefer not to share all of them because my post is getting long, but my perspective is that you want to do all that you can to ensure that your family's introduction to boating is a positive one that will create the foundation for years of great family time.
Buy new, unless you come across one that is owned by someone with a reputation for taking care of their boat. Buying a used one from a dealership is like rolling the dice on a dump-and-run scenario.
Good luck brother.

 

[OCMD]

Go used. Hands down. Especially with a Yamaha. No mechanical issues. Used will let you know whether you really want to do this. Then after a season or 2? Go get an even better used one. Financially (unless money is no object whatsoever) it makes no sense to me to buy new, unless you are dead certain you will keep the boat for at least 8-10 years or more. I have plenty of expendable cash. More than I deserve. Yet here I am - used everything except for the old lady's cars. Back in 2001-2002, I searched high and low for a year, for a well maintained 4wd pick up. I could not find one, that was kept up to my standards. Reluctantly, I bought a new Silverado (of course - best pick up out there even today). I swore I'd keep it forever. My prior used Silverado (1981) I finally parted with at 21 years old. I bought a new one in 2002, and will keep it forever. Hated buying new, but there were no decent used ones on the pre-internet market in 2001.

Why spend so much (finance so much?) for a item you will not use as much as you think you will? You really won't. Unless you have a slip where the boat is kept, you have to trailer. Gas up. Unload. Park the trailer. Load the goodies. Go out for the day. Return to dock. Tired. Load the boat. Gas up, ethanol free, for next trip, if you are not too tired and lazy. (otherwise, next time out you will have to gas up on the way to the water). Get home. Unload the gear. Remove all the gear so no mildew forms. Hang vests and toys in the garage. Unload the food and drink. Flush the engines (salt or not, I do it). Wash the boat. Spray down with Boat Bling products, LOL. etc etc etc.....think about these tedious things. Especially after a day in the hot sun. Yea it's great on the water, but are you going to go out every day? Nope. Ain't occurring. Yes - when out on the water there is nothing better. But there is alot of work to be done to get on the water, and off the water. Last season, I might have gone out 10 times.

Think about your actual usage will be. Do you want an overpriced $70,000 boat sitting in your driveway, just getting older and older, and dramatically dropping in value as the summer grows longer, even more drop in value if you buy a "new" 2016 model, which is almost 2 years old? Yamahas are great, mechanically tight boats, but the fit and finish are not the quality of other boats. Then again, you aren't spending $100,000 plus where you can demand a tight fit and finish.

As for the "quieter" newer models? I don't get that. Truly, I do not notice much difference and I have been on most of them (helps to be friends with a dealer). Is my 2008 loud? Not compared to the 2001 one I had in the past. I just don't notice these things. It's a sport boat, not a cruiser. They are loud, I suppose. Personally, I never "heard" a loud issue on my Yamahas. The noise issue is way overblown, IMO. Yes, we are all experts in our own right, with our own opinions which is the beauty of this board. To me? Noise is not an issue.

I will tell you what. My buddy just bought Tollus's 2007 SX230 a few days ago, which was upgraded with Perfect Pass, a tower, a bad ass stereo system, etc etc etc for a very fair price. Paid cash, and my buddy has all he needs and is not lesser in the wallet. And this guy lives in his $750,000 lake front summer home with boat house so he could afford anything he wanted. He asked me to find him a used Yamaha and I did. Just search, be patient, a find a used one. Preferably off this board, so you know its history. I bought both of my Yamahas of the "other" board, sight unseen. Just mailed a check and shipped it. Keep it a year or two to see if this is for you. Then? Buy your 2016 in 2019 -used. Let someone else eat the depreciation or disappointment, that boating was "not for them" and they have to unload a pristine used Yamaha 2 years after they bought it.

HMMM....maybe I'm just too frugal. What the hell. Go drop the cash and get that new one! Don't worry about getting that ding on a brand new boat!

 

[micj]

I myself totally agree with @captras

My situation was very similar to yours as I boated "some" when I was growing up but never outright owned a boat. 5 years ago I had this grandiose idea that I was gonna pay 30K for a used 25 ft boat, pile in my wife and kids and have a great time. A good friend of mine who has had many boats gave me similar advice as captras has listed.

• I bought a smaller 19.5ft used boat in good condition for 9k. After a season, my wife and two young girls were not really on board with boating.
• I realized that boats were similar to RVs in which there are so many things that can go wrong (large and small).
• second season I only took boat out three times due to kids sports
• I realized that the cost of maintenance can be high and needed to learn how to do it myself. Boats need preventive maintenance or they will turn on you.

I was quickly looking at having to unload a boat because my family did not like boating and we weren't using it like I had thought. I was glad it was a 9k purchase instead of 30k. I kept it for a third season and the wife and girls realized they loved boating. I proceeded to bang, scratch, bump, wash, wax, and maintained the boat.

I have since traded in my 19.5 ft boat and wife for a 2017 212 Limited S and love it. One major thing in my opinion that first time boat owners do not realize is that it is not easy to jump in to a 24 ft + I/O or jet boat and control it.