Thought before buying a boat

At YachtFocus.com you can select boats by price, so matching your budget. On this page you will find questions you can ask:

  • What will my sailing area be? Although in recent years the newly sold boats have become bigger and bigger, the question is whether you should go along with that as a water sportsman. The larger the boat, the higher the mooring costs. Pay attention to the height of the boat: does it fit under bridges in the area where I want to sail? And pay attention to the draught. The lower the draught, the more fun waters you can reach. On YachtFocus.com you can therefore select on draft. Small boats have their advantages: handling, pure enjoyment, cheaper and lower maintenance costs. However, small boats are not always seaworthy so if you are sailing on big water, a larger boat is safer. Larger boats also sail calmer and therefore more pleasant in the type of waves that we encounter on the IJsselmeer, the Wadden and the North Sea.
  • Go I make long holiday trips? Then you take more stuff with you than if you only make day trips. So take into account the amount of storage space in a boat depending on your boating requirements.
  • How much comfort do I expect? Where there used to be few boats with headroom, extended galley and luxurious berths, nowadays this is different. More and more water sports enthusiasts demand headroom in the cabin and bed comfort like they are used to at home. Galleys become kitchens with dishwasher and hot water. Seating is also important. Are they comfortable with your posture or is it okay? Is there room for everyone who usually comes with you? Nowadays, we see a tendency for people to rediscover pure sailing in open boats that are more about sailing than about life on board. Ideal for short trips and enjoying the wind and weather in our beautiful waterland.
  • Where do I put the boat? Is there a berth in my favourite cruising area? Also something to find out before you buy your (larger) boat. Luckily there are plenty of moorings in the Netherlands, but for larger boats, of which more and more are coming, it can be just a search.
  • Do I want jobs? Not so long ago, a big part of the fun of sailing was lying under the boat with a brush in your hand. Many water sports enthusiasts were used to it. Those days are over. How much time do you want to spend on maintenance in the spring and during the season? Polyester boats require less maintenance than wood. With steel boats it is important to pay attention to the condition of the paint system. Maintenance-sensitive boats are cheaper, but the resale value is also lower. Especially if you have not fanatically kept up the maintenance.