Buying your first boat presents a particular challenge.
Before owning a boat, you may not yet know what you will enjoy most about spending time on the water.
At first, you may simply want to experience the pleasure of cruising. Once you own a boat, however, you might develop an interest in fishing or begin wanting to visit distant harbors. You might originally plan to enjoy boating with family and friends, only to discover that spending quiet time alone at sea becomes what you value most.
Yet the boat you choose, including its design and equipment, will determine which activities are available to you later.
In other words, you must choose a boat today to accommodate interests that even you have yet to discover.
In my experience, a good first boat is one that can accommodate this uncertainty.
It allows you to explore new interests through ownership and experience, helping you discover what you truly enjoy about boating.
A Boat Is Also a Tool for Discovering What You Enjoy
Recreational boating offers many different possibilities.
Fishing is one of them.
Unlike fishing from shore, boating allows you to search for fish and move directly to where they are. Some people experience something resembling the excitement of hunting as they search for fish.
Alternatively, you might anchor in a quiet cove and concentrate on fishing while enjoying the surrounding scenery.
Cruising offers an equally wide variety of experiences.
You can travel across calm water at a speed where the boat’s motion feels comfortable, enjoy views of the coastline and distant islands, and spend time away from the routines of life on land.
You might spot seabirds feeding over a school of fish and, after checking the surrounding conditions, head toward that area.
Another pleasure is using your boat as a means of transportation.
You can visit coastal towns and secluded coves that are difficult to reach by road, explore unfamiliar marinas, cross to nearby islands, or travel between different cruising areas while spending nights aboard.
On these journeys, navigating your own boat across the water can be just as rewarding as reaching the destination.
Over time, you may also develop a strong attachment to the boat that shelters you while carrying you across the water.
Some activities reveal their appeal only after you have experienced them. And discovering one kind of enjoyment can lead to an interest in another.
A boat is both a means of pursuing your interests and a way of discovering interests you never knew you had.
This is why I believe a first boat should offer enough flexibility to let its owner explore different activities.
Balancing Versatility with the Ease of Getting Out on the Water
When choosing a first boat, it helps to consider two aspects.
The first is how many different activities the boat allows you to experience.
Can you fish from it? Enjoy cruising? Carry equipment? Travel some distance? Spend time with family and friends? Perhaps even stay overnight aboard?
The second is how easily and safely you can actually use the boat.
Can you leave and return to the dock without difficulty? Can you operate it with a small crew? Are its maintenance requirements within your practical and financial capabilities? How much preparation does each trip require?
Pursuing versatility often leads toward larger boats with more equipment. As boats become larger and more complex, however, the costs and effort involved in storage, maintenance, and operation generally increase.
Another important consideration is the environment in which you expect to use the boat.
If you plan to enjoy day trips on a calm lake or within a sheltered bay, a small open boat may provide plenty of opportunities to explore different activities.
If you want to cruise along the coast, visit distant harbors and islands, and occasionally spend nights aboard, cruising range, storage capacity, and accommodations become more important.
Having room for your future interests means preserving a wide range of activities within the environment where you expect to use your boat.
Smaller boats often make spontaneous outings easier, while larger boats can provide greater flexibility in the activities they support.
The goal is to preserve as many future possibilities as you reasonably can while choosing a boat you can comfortably operate and maintain.
The following are the characteristics I have come to value through my own experience operating motorboats in coastal waters, particularly when considering how to preserve opportunities for future boating activities.
Having Enough Practical Cruising Range
One of the first things I consider is practical cruising range.
By practical cruising range, I mean the distance a boat can safely travel under real operating conditions while retaining an appropriate fuel reserve.
Cruising range depends on fuel capacity, hull design, propulsion system, speed, load, sea conditions, and other factors.
For coastal boating, a generous practical cruising range greatly increases the freedom to explore.
It becomes easier to progress from short local cruises to day trips to distant harbors, passages to islands, and longer journeys that include overnight stays aboard.
There is another important benefit to having sufficient range.
It gives you more freedom to choose your speed and destination as circumstances change during a voyage.
On many planing powerboats, fuel consumption varies considerably with speed. Even when you plan to cruise at an economical speed, situations may arise in which you want to travel faster.
For example, you might notice signs of deteriorating weather and decide to head for a safe harbor sooner than planned. Someone aboard might become seriously ill and require urgent medical attention.
If sea conditions permit, you may be able to increase speed. If the waves become dangerous, you may need to slow down, change course, or seek an alternative shelter. In a medical emergency, contacting rescue services and heading toward the nearest suitable harbor may also be necessary.
Adequate fuel reserves support these decisions.
Before departure, you should consider the planned route, fuel consumption at different speeds, and expected sea conditions.
A boat that allows you to maintain suitable fuel reserves gives you greater flexibility in planning and adjusting your voyage.
Fuel reserves expand both your choice of destinations and your margin of safety.
Protecting Passengers from Wind, Sun, and Spray
Boating means spending time in the natural environment.
On the water, passengers are exposed to wind, sunlight, rain, and spray. Even on a calm, sunny day, strong sunlight and wind generated by the boat’s movement can cause fatigue.
Protection from these elements is important for enjoying longer outings.
A cabin, hardtop, windshield, sunshade, or other protective structure can make it easier to find a comfortable place aboard under different weather conditions.
This becomes particularly important when boating with family and friends.
Passenger comfort has a significant influence on whether people will want to go boating again.
The person at the helm may thoroughly enjoy the journey, but passengers who become cold, overheated, soaked by spray, or exhausted may be much less enthusiastic about the next trip.
Visibility from the helm is another important consideration, especially on boats with cabins or hardtops.
You should be able to see ahead and to both sides while underway. During docking and departure, it also helps to have a clear view of the bow, stern, and the side approaching the dock.
A boat that combines good protection for its occupants with adequate visibility supports both comfort and safe operation.
Having Enough Space for Equipment and Supplies
Once you begin boating regularly, you may be surprised by how much equipment accumulates.
Drinks, food, spare clothing, towels, cleaning supplies, tools, spare parts, fishing equipment, coolers, and water sports gear are just a few examples.
As your boating activities expand, the equipment you need will change as well.
This makes adequate carrying capacity and practical storage particularly valuable.
The important questions are where everything can be stored and how securely it can be kept while underway.
Proper storage for mooring lines, fenders, fishing equipment, and other supplies helps keep walkways clear. Separate spaces for wet and dry items can also make life aboard easier.
Ideally, a boat should accommodate a variety of equipment while remaining within its permitted load and maintaining appropriate weight distribution.
This flexibility makes it easier to prepare for new activities as your interests develop.
The Aft Deck: Footing Matters as Much as Space
The aft deck has a major influence on how practical a boat is to use.
It is the deck area toward the stern and serves many purposes.
Fishing, loading and unloading equipment, preparing for water activities, handling ropes and fenders, boarding, and docking operations frequently take place here.
The aft deck is therefore a working area, a recreational space, and an important part of safe boat operation.
One characteristic I particularly value is a relatively flat deck with as few obstructions and changes in level as possible.
A boat at sea is constantly moving.
As the hull rolls and pitches, people adjust their balance by making small changes in foot position. These adjustments sometimes resemble sliding or shuffling the feet rather than walking normally.
Small steps, raised fittings, or other protrusions can catch a shoe and cause someone to stumble or fall.
This is especially important when handling ropes, concentrating on fishing, or carrying equipment, because your attention may be directed elsewhere.
When evaluating an aft deck, I recommend standing on it and moving around.
Can you adjust your footing with small movements? Is the surface sufficiently slip-resistant? Are there handrails or other secure handholds? Does the deck drain properly? Are there obstacles that could interfere with movement during work?
These characteristics directly affect safety when the boat is moving.
A spacious, flat deck is ideal.
However, the available deck area is largely determined by the boat’s overall size. What matters is how effectively that space allows people to stand, move, and work safely.
A practical aft deck is useful for fishing, cruising, handling equipment, and docking.
Being Able to Handle the Boat Single-Handed
Another important characteristic, especially easy for beginners to overlook, is how readily the boat can be operated single-handed.
Single-handed operation means handling the boat alone.
A boat that allows you to depart, navigate, dock, and secure it safely without assistance offers considerable freedom.
Sometimes you may want to take family or friends out. On other occasions, you may simply feel like spending time alone on the water.
Once you can operate your boat independently, you can go boating without having to coordinate your plans with someone else’s schedule.
Boat size matters, but so do its handling characteristics and the ease of performing the necessary tasks.
Can you observe your surroundings clearly from the helm? Can you move safely from the helm to the mooring lines? Is the boat’s behavior predictable at low speed? Can you manage the effects of wind and current with sufficient control?
Low-speed handling varies with propulsion systems and steering arrangements. During a turn, the stern may move substantially sideways, and transverse forces from the propeller can also influence the boat’s movement.
After purchasing a boat, it is important to practice departing, docking, reversing, and maneuvering in confined spaces under the guidance of an experienced instructor or operator.
As you become familiar with your boat’s behavior and develop the skills to operate it safely on your own under suitable conditions, your relationship with boating changes.
The ability to operate a boat single-handed reduces your dependence on other people and gives you greater freedom to go boating whenever circumstances allow.
A Smaller Boat Is Not Always the Best Choice for Beginners
Many people associate beginner boats with small boats.
Small boats offer genuine advantages.
They are often less expensive to buy and maintain, easier to maneuver, and more convenient for spontaneous outings.
As boat size decreases, however, there is generally less room for equipment, accommodations, and fuel. How a boat responds to wind and waves also depends on its hull design, weight, and dimensions.
A somewhat larger boat may provide more cruising range, carrying capacity, and passenger comfort.
These additional capabilities can be valuable to beginners who are still discovering the kinds of boating they enjoy.
At the same time, larger boats generally bring higher maintenance costs and may require more demanding arrangements for docking, storage, and operation.
And boating experience is gained by actually getting out on the water.
A boat may be capable of many different activities, but if the expense and effort of maintaining and preparing it reduce the number of outings you make, you will have fewer opportunities to use those capabilities.
This leads me to a practical selection principle:
Choose a boat that offers the widest range of activities you can realistically experience within your ability to operate and maintain it safely.
Doing so requires a budget that accounts for more than the purchase price.
You should also consider outfitting, initial servicing, storage or mooring fees, insurance, routine maintenance, fuel, consumables, and training. Funds should remain available for unexpected repairs and equipment failures.
Before buying, it is also worth confirming the availability of suitable berthing or storage facilities, licensing requirements, local regulations, and reliable maintenance services.
Used boats deserve particular attention because the cost of necessary repairs and servicing can vary considerably. On an inexpensive used boat, these costs can represent a substantial proportion of the purchase price.
Ease of maintenance also deserves consideration.
Can the engine and major components be accessed for inspection? Are replacement parts and qualified service providers available? How much effort will routine cleaning and maintenance require?
These practical conditions affect how reliably you can keep the boat ready for safe use.
My Experience with a Versatile Boat
I own a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 895 Sport, a boat capable of supporting several activities, including fishing, cruising, and overnight stays.
At times, I have wished the hull handled oncoming waves a little better.
Nevertheless, this boat
Want to know more about the author and the thinking behind this site?
→ About Rikutsu-Kone-Taro
