Insurance!!! This is soooo important. Friend had his boat sink during a storm after he had upgraded about $30,000 worth of stuff on the boat. The Insurance company said he never got it looked at to adjust the coverage on the boat after each upgrade to make sure it was covered. Simply put, the Insurance company said if you upgrade things on the boat you have to have the coverage adjusted or they don't cover it.
Took my boat to a marine repair shop, told me 7 - 10 days but it sat in the yard for a month... and the shop could provide no estimate when they would start working on it. This seems pretty typical from what I've seen before with my friends/relatives and their boats. I drove by a couple times and bailed water out of my boat cover. Finally I just took it back home and fixed it myself for 28 bucks.
If buying used, carefully research mechanics. My new to me boat spent 11 weeks with a mechanic that did not have the software to properly diagnose my limp mode condition. The boat is now at mechanic #2, who has the proper software. My mistake in vetting mechanics cost me my entire boating season!
Another great video and your videos are almost makes me glad that my boat delivery is so delayed. With all these small details to catch, get everything in writing, make sure the value of the boat is covered, make sure to have a full tool kit with you (well that one was many times a drifting in an old boat that my dad held together with scotch tape and epoxy, but your videos is constant reminder to bring the basics needs). I get the overall message, be prepared... thank you.
As I've said before, I've learned to fix the small stuff myself. With the supply chain issues that are going on, my Yamaha dealer can only purchase from Yamaha. So I've had to purchase items from Yamaha parts warehouses and do the repairs myself. Unless it's an engine issue or a electronics issue, my warranty is basically worthless. I'm not waiting 6 months to get a bracket replaced on my bimini top. (Broke the 2nd time out) Also, when I arranged to have the 10-hour service done, they told me I could pick it up the same day. It was there for 2 weeks. I'd advise new boat owners to get their warranty issues documented by the dealer, don't wait. I've told my dealer about isues and they said they would order the part(s). When I called them back, they couldn't remember. Get it in writing!
No one in the history of owning a boat has ever said "I have too much power" or "my boat is too fast". Point is, when buying a boat, ALWAYS get the max power the boat is rated for. I promise you WILL NOT regret it!
Absolutely do a test drive! Especially if you want speed. I was told my 250 Merc would push my boat to the low 50s. But I Can’t break 42 miles an hour with only myself in the boat and a quarter tank of gas. funny thing is I would’ve upgraded to the 300. Salesman need to know what they’re talking about because in my experience of purchasing two boats, they don’t! I could not do a test drive because they had no boats with a 250 on them. And I had to order mine.
New trailer for the new pontoon boat? Don't make the mistake I made many years ago and buy a truss/lift type trailer vs a pontoon bunk trailer. The truss trailer was a LOT less costly to buy than the bunk trailer. The truss/lift type trailers are a horror show to tow a pontoon boat with. They are GREAT for moving a boat around a boat yard, or if its only used to move a pontoon boat that's normally stored on blocks.
I'm VERY Glad I took your advice about picking the dealership first, and the brand second. That said, thanks to your advice, I have an AMAZING Dealership AND Manufacturer :) Actually went to my dealership with a broken bunk on the trailer to order a replacement.... Dealership told me "oh no, that bunk should not have broken if that's what you did, this is a warranty claim", they found the bunk had a defect right at the spot it broke on me.. Dealership is sending a tech out to my Marina to replace the bunk Monday
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Bennington 25L Bowrider (you and I discussed it on a thread in one of your Pontoon videos a while back :) ). Dealership: South Austin Marine (Austin TX)
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon funny enough, had I gone with the Original plan to pick the Boat/Brand first, the nearest dealership that could even help me / service the boat is like 100+ miles away (Original plan was Yamaha or Scarab jet boats) -- Luckily I saw your video about picking dealership first before I went that route
I got a 1000 dollar voucher for bringing my friend to buy his boat from the same dealer as I bought mine, on the delivery day o found out the guy that promised me the voucher didn’t work there anymore, Anyway, long story short I managed to get my voucher😊
i unfortunately had to buy my boat from the worst dealer on earth.they were the only dealer in western Canada that had the one i was looking for.i checked all the reviews so i was not in the dark about their shoddy service , i'm still waiting for some add ons after 2 months that were supposed to be installed before i picked it up.i had to get it to my lakehouse before cold weather set in so now i'm at their mercy.the dealer is a 5 hour each way drive from me.as for warranty work,i'm on my own.i learned that from owning an rv.if you want it done right away,do it yourself.if a person isn't handy it could very easily spend the entire season sitting idle while you wait for repairs.fortunately i have 6 boats so either way i'm on the water.
I forgot to add another point about buying a new pontoon boat: make sure you are buying "enough" engine for that pontoon boat! I know a lot of people who made the mistake of outfitting their pontoon boat with too small of an engine. One extreme example was a 25 foot "bar boat" pontoon with only a 30 HP engine. The new owner thought he was saving a large amount of cash by going with this option, but quickly regretted his engine choice. Ended up costing him more in the long run when he upgraded to a 115 HP engine. I'm not saying you should max out the HP on your boat. We certainly didn't when we ordered our 2022 Barletta pontoon boat. We chose "only" 200 HP vs the 350 HP we could have had, because the 200 HP will fit our boating "mission" perfectly. One case where a low HP motor would fit well on a pontoon boat: if you live on a HP restricted body of water. One of my co workers lives on such a lake. He bought a 23 foot pontoon boat with only a 15 HP motor, due to the restrictions on his lake. His property has poor lake frontage (very muddy with weeds), so his family takes the boat out away from their shoreline so that they can swim, etc and not deal with the weeds/muck.
Captain floor Mat is like a movie. Today's times and manufacture involvement there's no such thing as a dealer within any network that this fool is speaking of. He's begging for views and does not have any concept of the marketplace or reality of today's vessel purchasing ethics.
Insurance!!! This is soooo important. Friend had his boat sink during a storm after he had upgraded about $30,000 worth of stuff on the boat. The Insurance company said he never got it looked at to adjust the coverage on the boat after each upgrade to make sure it was covered. Simply put, the Insurance company said if you upgrade things on the boat you have to have the coverage adjusted or they don't cover it.
Took my boat to a marine repair shop, told me 7 - 10 days but it sat in the yard for a month... and the shop could provide no estimate when they would start working on it. This seems pretty typical from what I've seen before with my friends/relatives and their boats. I drove by a couple times and bailed water out of my boat cover. Finally I just took it back home and fixed it myself for 28 bucks.
If buying used, carefully research mechanics. My new to me boat spent 11 weeks with a mechanic that did not have the software to properly diagnose my limp mode condition. The boat is now at mechanic #2, who has the proper software. My mistake in vetting mechanics cost me my entire boating season!
Another great video and your videos are almost makes me glad that my boat delivery is so delayed. With all these small details to catch, get everything in writing, make sure the value of the boat is covered, make sure to have a full tool kit with you (well that one was many times a drifting in an old boat that my dad held together with scotch tape and epoxy, but your videos is constant reminder to bring the basics needs). I get the overall message, be prepared... thank you.
As I've said before, I've learned to fix the small stuff myself. With the supply chain issues that are going on, my Yamaha dealer can only purchase from Yamaha. So I've had to purchase items from Yamaha parts warehouses and do the repairs myself. Unless it's an engine issue or a electronics issue, my warranty is basically worthless. I'm not waiting 6 months to get a bracket replaced on my bimini top. (Broke the 2nd time out) Also, when I arranged to have the 10-hour service done, they told me I could pick it up the same day. It was there for 2 weeks. I'd advise new boat owners to get their warranty issues documented by the dealer, don't wait. I've told my dealer about isues and they said they would order the part(s). When I called them back, they couldn't remember. Get it in writing!
No one in the history of owning a boat has ever said "I have too much power" or "my boat is too fast". Point is, when buying a boat, ALWAYS get the max power the boat is rated for. I promise you WILL NOT regret it!
Absolutely do a test drive! Especially if you want speed. I was told my 250 Merc would push my boat to the low 50s. But I Can’t break 42 miles an hour with only myself in the boat and a quarter tank of gas.
funny thing is I would’ve upgraded to the 300. Salesman need to know what they’re talking about because in my experience of purchasing two boats, they don’t!
I could not do a test drive because they had no boats with a 250 on them. And I had to order mine.
New trailer for the new pontoon boat? Don't make the mistake I made many years ago and buy a truss/lift type trailer vs a pontoon bunk trailer. The truss trailer was a LOT less costly to buy than the bunk trailer.
The truss/lift type trailers are a horror show to tow a pontoon boat with. They are GREAT for moving a boat around a boat yard, or if its only used to move a pontoon boat that's normally stored on blocks.
Well, Im searching for my first boat now, and hopefully going to the Ft Lauderdale Boat show this weekend. Thanks for the tips and your insights.
I'm VERY Glad I took your advice about picking the dealership first, and the brand second. That said, thanks to your advice, I have an AMAZING Dealership AND Manufacturer :)
Actually went to my dealership with a broken bunk on the trailer to order a replacement.... Dealership told me "oh no, that bunk should not have broken if that's what you did, this is a warranty claim", they found the bunk had a defect right at the spot it broke on me.. Dealership is sending a tech out to my Marina to replace the bunk Monday
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Bennington 25L Bowrider (you and I discussed it on a thread in one of your Pontoon videos a while back :) ).
Dealership: South Austin Marine (Austin TX)
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon funny enough, had I gone with the Original plan to pick the Boat/Brand first, the nearest dealership that could even help me / service the boat is like 100+ miles away (Original plan was Yamaha or Scarab jet boats) -- Luckily I saw your video about picking dealership first before I went that route
Absolutely fantastic video thank you for share my friend
I got a 1000 dollar voucher for bringing my friend to buy his boat from the same dealer as I bought mine, on the delivery day o found out the guy that promised me the voucher didn’t work there anymore,
Anyway, long story short I managed to get my voucher😊
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the great information
i unfortunately had to buy my boat from the worst dealer on earth.they were the only dealer in western Canada that had the one i was looking for.i checked all the reviews so i was not in the dark about their shoddy service , i'm still waiting for some add ons after 2 months that were supposed to be installed before i picked it up.i had to get it to my lakehouse before cold weather set in so now i'm at their mercy.the dealer is a 5 hour each way drive from me.as for warranty work,i'm on my own.i learned that from owning an rv.if you want it done right away,do it yourself.if a person isn't handy it could very easily spend the entire season sitting idle while you wait for repairs.fortunately i have 6 boats so either way i'm on the water.
What would be a good 20 foot outboard motor boat
Any of them. Ask a broad question, get a broad answer.
First time I took the boat out, couldn't get on plane. Until I told my wife, stepson, and 2 dogs some of them gonna have to move off the back bench.
I forgot to add another point about buying a new pontoon boat: make sure you are buying "enough" engine for that pontoon boat! I know a lot of people who made the mistake of outfitting their pontoon boat with too small of an engine. One extreme example was a 25 foot "bar boat" pontoon with only a 30 HP engine. The new owner thought he was saving a large amount of cash by going with this option, but quickly regretted his engine choice. Ended up costing him more in the long run when he upgraded to a 115 HP engine. I'm not saying you should max out the HP on your boat. We certainly didn't when we ordered our 2022 Barletta pontoon boat. We chose "only" 200 HP vs the 350 HP we could have had, because the 200 HP will fit our boating "mission" perfectly.
One case where a low HP motor would fit well on a pontoon boat: if you live on a HP restricted body of water. One of my co workers lives on such a lake. He bought a 23 foot pontoon boat with only a 15 HP motor, due to the restrictions on his lake. His property has poor lake frontage (very muddy with weeds), so his family takes the boat out away from their shoreline so that they can swim, etc and not deal with the weeds/muck.
all my friends are 200 to 250 plus. so doing the math we need to subtract 40% haha
Captain floor Mat is like a movie. Today's times and manufacture involvement there's no such thing as a dealer within any network that this fool is speaking of. He's begging for views and does not have any concept of the marketplace or reality of today's vessel purchasing ethics.