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Chapter1 Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating!

In This Chapter What kind of boat is right for you? Learning the vocabulary of boating I’m not your type—classes of boats If you have to ask how much it costs … you’re smart! Buying your first boat: New or used?

You’ve looked at the boating magazines and mooned around the boat shows long enough. Now it’s time for you to be the guy or gal next to that smiling, Florida-tanned model with the mirrored sunglasses and the wind-rippled hair, cruising across that emerald sea toward adventure, romance, and a monthly payment book. Or maybe your vision is a bit more domestic: the spouse, the kids, the Boston terrier, a jug of Gatorade, and a picnic basket full of pastrami on rye, off for a 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 4

4 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

visit to a sandy beach. Sailing, water-skiing, snorkeling, a visit to the next port down the river, or maybe a cruise to that island over the horizon—you are the skipper; you decide. You’re in command in a world where there are no yellow lines and no traffic jams, where fish and birds and wonderful marine mammals such as porpoise and manatees are fre- quently part of the scenery, and where you can find true solitude when you want it. No wonder people love boats and boating. There’s an aura of mystery to handling a boat, cultivated in part by the arcane language of the old salts of the sea. But getting started is a lot easier than you might imagine, and learning the basics for competent, safe operation takes a minimal investment of time and energy. What type of boat is really best for you and your family? Read on. Start at the Bottom Line Whatever your boating dream, realizing it starts with facing the realities of affordability, space, affordability, seaworthiness, affordability, comfort, affordability, and affordability. It’s the money, friends. Everybody knows that. With boating, as with everything else in life, you will soon find that you always want just a bit more than you can actually afford. And unfortunately, as yachtsman J. P. Morgan once said, if you have to ask how much it costs … you can’t afford it. (He should have said, if you have to ask how much it costs, you’re a wise buyer.) It is possible to go boating at some level on just about any budget that features discre- tionary income. I currently own a 14-foot Sears aluminum jon boat with a 4-horsepower outboard, which I can afford, and a $25,000 Hydra-Sports fiberglass tunnel-hull with a 200-horsepower outboard, which I can’t. (If a man’s reach does not exceed his grasp, what are second mortgages for?) Because boats last a long time and don’t go out of style Boat Bytes rapidly, you can get long-term financing, up to 15 years, If you can manage just on most models. This makes the payments easy for any- $100 per month, you can one steadily employed to handle. You can get a rough go boating in style. In fact, estimate of 5-year payments at 8–10 percent by multi- if you enjoy “people- plying the number of thousands by $20—that is, a powered” boats such as $5,000 boat will have payments around $100, a $10,000 canoes, you can be a boat boat will run around $200, and a $20,000 boat will cost owner for under $50 per month! around $400 per month. Check out the following table for examples. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 5

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What Kind of Boat Will Your Money Buy? Payments on a $1,000 Canoe at 10 Percent Interest

Term Monthly Payment Interest Over Full Term 60 months $21.25 $275.00 120 months $13.22 $586.40 180 months $10.75 $935.00

Payments on a $5,000 Bass Boat at 10 Percent Interest

Term Monthly Payment Interest Over Full Term 60 months $106.24 $1,374.40 120 months $66.08 $2,929.60 180 months $53.73 $4,671.40

As you can see, longer payments mean lower payments. But they also add up to lots more interest—an amount almost equal to the principal in the case of the 15-year term. Cash is usually the best buy on any depreciable asset, but if you can’t manage, the long- term payments make it possible to enjoy the boat of your choice within your budget.

Bet You Didn’t Know

I own two boats because, for me, one is never enough, and sometimes two are not enough. I have owned as many as seven boats at one time, until the zoning people came knocking. The problem, as you soon discover when you get into boating up to your chin, is that the boat that’s just right for a solitary paddle into a yard-wide tidal creek where the scarlet ibises nest is a bit overwhelmed when you try to cross a 25-mile-wide bay with four or five aboard. That’s why many long-time boaters wind up with a backyard that looks like a boat basin. However, there are lots of single boats (and maybe even a few married ones) that will meet the needs of most beginning boaters. The problem is, out of all the thousands of designs and sizes, which one will be the best fit for you and your crew?

Maintenance Costs If you opt for a 15-foot fiberglass canoe, maintenance costs won’t ever be a concern. But the larger and more complex the boat you buy, the more you have to anticipate an annual 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 6

6 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

cost to keep your rig happy. If you’ll be storing it in a slip or at a high-and-dry marina (where the boats are lifted out and stored on racks, usually inside a large building), those monthly fees have to be included. If you’re a powerboater or a sailboater with auxiliary power, you’ll need to budget for regular oil changes (with four-stroke and diesel) and tune-ups. Boats that are stored in saltwater need anti-fouling paint every year or two, and sailboat rigging and sails have to be maintained or replaced as they wear. For a fairly new power- boat 20 feet long, stored on a trailer at your home, these costs can be as little as $15 per foot, per year—i.e., around $300. For larger and/or older boats stored at a marina, they can run to $200 per foot per year and more. If the Sloop Fits, Buy It Boat Bytes The trick to buying a boat that’s right for you is to get a Englishman Izaak Walton rig that has enough space for everybody you’d normally wrote The Complete bring aboard, and one that fits the “mission” you and Angler, the first widely read your crew envision. book on recreational fish- ing, in 1653. It’s a cele- If you want silence and communion with nature, you’re bration of angling, conservation, probably going to be sailors, or perhaps paddlers of and the pastoral lifestyle, and your own canoes. If you want the thrill of mile-a- has made Walton the patron minute speeds, big-engined muscle boats may be for saint of anglers everywhere. you. If you have budding Izaak Waltons in the family, a fishing boat will do the trick, while if you like boats so well you want to live aboard, a trawler or houseboat may be in your future. What to Call the Pointy End (and the Rest of a Boat) Before delving into what type of boat you want, you need to learn a bit of “boater-ese”— the language of boaters. (Cursing doesn’t count.) You’ll see some of the basic definitions in the following figure. You’ll find more definitions scattered throughout the coming chapters as “Boater-ese” margin notes. Once you learn the lingo, you’ll sound like an old salt when you talk about boats! The following two figures show you the various parts of the boat. (Sailboats have their own terminology, which we’ll discuss in Part 7, “Sailing, Sailing ….” And you’ll find many added terms in Appendix A, “Glossary.”) 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 7

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 7

Forward Amidships Aft The vocabulary of boaters Bow can be as confusing as Beam Inwale Gunnel Russian at first, but it Transom becomes more familiar Freeboard (stern) after some time aboard. Waterline Waterline Keel Draft Chines Length Overall (LOA)

Here are the basic terms to describe the various parts of most boats—use them as often as you can, and soon they’ll be second nature: Aft. Toward the back part of the boat. Amidships. The middle part of the boat, between aft and forward. Beam. The width of a boat, usually measured at its widest point. Bow. Pronounced like “ow,” this is the pointy front end of a boat. (Most canoes have two pointy ends. The one in front is the “bow.”) Chines. Where the bottom of a boat meets the sides. Draft. The distance from the waterline to the lowest point of the hull—the shallow- est depth in which a boat will float without any part touching bottom. Forward. Toward the front part of the boat. Freeboard. The distance from the waterline to the gunnels. (A taller freeboard makes a boat more seaworthy.) Gunnel. The top of the hull, where the inner liner joins the outer hull. (It’s also spelled “gunwale,” but still pronounced “gunnel.”) Inwale. The inner side of the gunnel. Keel. The part where the two halves of the bottom meet. Structurally, the main center frame member of the hull. In sailing, the fin projecting from the bottom to reduce leeway. Length overall (LOA). The distance from the tip of the bow to the end of the stern. Stern or Transom. The squared-off back end of the boat. Waterline. Where the surface of the water meets the hull. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 8

8 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

Even the floors and doors Hatch have special names aboard a Sole boat.

Outboard motor

Stern drive or I/O

Inboard

Here’s the rundown on each of the terms in the preceding figure: Hatch. A horizontal door, usually on a storage compartment. Sole. The part of the boat you stand on, the floor. Outboard motor. A self-contained engine and propulsion system that mounts on the stern. Many are two-cycle and burn oil along with gasoline to make power, but four-cycle outboards are now increasingly popular. Stern drive. Also known as an “inboard/outboard” or “I/O,” this system combines a four-cycle automotive type engine or a small diesel inside the boat with a drive unit on the transom. Inboard. A four-cycle gas or diesel engine mounted amidships, which drives the boat through a shaft in the bottom.

What Kind of Boat Are You Looking For? Boats can be broadly classified into “power” and “sail,” according to their forms of propulsion. In addition, there are many divisions within the classes. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 9

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 9

Powerboats generally have large engines and depend entirely on fossil fuels for propul- sion. Sailboats may or may not have auxiliary engines, but they always carry a mast and sails that allow them to harness the wind. Sailboats are not quite “turn-key” rigs like powerboats; it takes considerable instruction to learn the basics, but those who take the time to learn are treated to a lifetime of wonderful recreation—and no noisy exhausts. Power to the People—Boats with Motors For most families, that first boat is a powerboat that is 14 to 16 feet long and powered by a two-cycle outboard motor of 50 to 90 horsepower. Powerboating takes less study and requires less physical work than sailing, so it’s a quick, easy way to get started. Powerboats range from slow as a turtle to fast as a flying fish. They can be broken into many subclasses, including the following: Runabouts, ski boats, and performance boats Fishing boats Live-aboards—cruisers, trawlers, and houseboats Pontoon and deck boats Personal watercraft (PWCs) Inflatable boats

Powerboat prices range from under $2,000 to millions of dollars, and sizes range from diminutive 8-footers powered by 1-horse electric motors to stately 150-footers driven by multiple diesels with thousands of horsepower. Many powerboats in the popular 14- to 17-foot class are available at prices from $5,000 to $14,000, including a trailer that allows you to “dock” them in your garage and tow them to the ramp each weekend. These are great starter boats.

One Model Fits All: The Runabout This range includes the ubiquitous runabout, which is what most of us think of when we think of a one-model-fits-all family boat. It has a closed bow, a windshield, back-to-back seats that fold down into a sun lounge, and space to store water skis and life jackets under the sole or main deck. A variation on the runabout is the bow-rider, which has the same hull and aft layout, but with seats replacing the closed bow and a walk-through door in the windshield to allow passage forward. An advantage of the bow-rider is that there’s more seating space—you can carry six or eight passengers, depending on the depth and beam of the boat and your tolerance for close company. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 10

10 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

Runabouts offer versatility, comfort, and economy in a package that fits in most garages. This variation, known as a bow-rider, offers added seating in the bow and doubles as a fishing boat because of the large cockpit aft.

(Photo credit: Grady White Boats)

The front section of a bow-rider creates a great “kiddie-pen” where you can keep little sailors under your watchful eye with just a bit of separation provided by the windshield. It’s no place for kids once the boat is underway, however— Boat Bytes the ride is rough, and they’ll be safer back in the cockpit. The National Marine Dedicated ski boats are a specialized form of runabout. Manufacturers rating, listed They’re usually inboard-powered, 18 to 22 feet long, and on a sticker placed on the have fairly flat bottoms so that they plane easily when dash of all powerboats, pulling several skiers. gives the safe load capac- ity in terms of persons estimated Some feature special fins on the bottom that allow them at 150 pounds each, plus gear. to turn very sharply, a ski pylon or post near the center to It also lists the safe power rating attach the tow rope, and a rear-facing seat so that one pas- of any powerboat. senger can keep an eye on the skier without turning around. Ski boats tend to be fairly expensive for their size, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000.

The Need for Speed: Performance Boats Performance boats also share the general configuration of runabouts, but there’s a differ- ence in the engine room. They’re also called “muscle boats” for their powerful engines relative to their weight, and they’re dedicated to white-knuckle speeds. While a runabout might be powered by as little as 70 horses, muscle boats sport engines of 225 to 500 horsepower. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 11

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 11

Performance boats usually have a deep vee bot- tom to provide a soft ride at speed, but the aft Look Out! several feet of the keel may be flattened into a Sixty miles an hour is planing pad. (When a boat planes, it lifts near the fairly sedate cruising down the surface, increasing speed and decreasing drag.) This interstate in your Chevrolet, but pad functions like a slalom ski as speed increases, on the water, mile-a-minute elevating the boat very high in the water and allow- speeds are exciting, challenging, ing it to reach speeds of 60 mph and higher. and possibly dangerous. The rap- idly changing contour of the sur- It’s not uncommon for performance boats only 20 face, unmarked shoals, and the feet long to wear outboard engines of 250 horses. unique handling forces that Those in the 30- to 35-foot range may have twin develop as a boat accelerates 500-horsepower stern drives and run close to 100 demand added caution and skill mph in the hands of a highly skilled driver! Because from the driver. of the cost of high-powered engines, these boats are also expensive, ranging from $30,000 to well over $250,000.

Something Fishy: Boats for Anglers Fishing can be as frustrating and expensive as golf and slightly more addictive than ciga- rettes. Consequently, fishing boats of all sorts are top sellers. Of course, many fishing boats are also used regularly as ski boats, dive boats, and casual day-cruising rigs. One variety known as the “Fish ’n Ski” includes a ski pylon, walk-through windshield, and bow-rider seats as well as fishing seats, rod boxes, trolling sockets, and live wells. It serves double-duty. Boater-ese Fishing boats can be divided into those suited for A walk-through wind- fresh water, which include rigs specifically designed shield has a hinged section in the middle that swings open to to chase largemouth bass, walleyes, crappies, and allow easy access to the bow. other species, and those designed for coastal use.

Up the Creek: Freshwater Fishing Boats Bass boats, so called because they’re popular in fishing for bass, are often high-performance hulls designed to travel across big reservoirs at speeds better than a mile a minute. (Fast fish, those bass!) Bass boats tend to be javelin-shaped and powered by big V6 outboards producing 150 to 225 horses. Most run on a narrow “pad” near the transom, which causes 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 12

12 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

Boat Bytes them to plane up on top of the water much like a slalom ski, increasing speed and reducing fuel use (but not According to the National reducing it much!). They’re usually equipped with a Marine Manufacturers’ Association (NMMA) statis- silent electric trolling motor at the bow to provide low- tics, the most popular boat speed maneuvering as the angler probes cover for his sold in the United States is quarry (see the following photo). Prices range from the outboard-powered rig; over $8,000 to $45,000. 241,000 were sold in 2000. Smaller boats, some with squared-off bows known as Personal watercraft sales have “jon boats,” are popular for pursuit of all sorts of finny slowed slightly but still remain high, with over 92,000 sold in critters from catfish to sturgeon. Most of these boats are 2000. NMMA estimates there lightweight aluminum, which means they can be pushed are more than 16.9 million boats with motors from 5 to 40 horses. Overall prices are of all types and ages currently in affordable, starting as low as $2,500 including a trailer use in U.S. waters. but without a motor. (The motors are portable and can be added or removed as needed.)

Raised casting decks at the bow and stern make for easy fishing in a bass boat. Swivel seats add comfort as the angler tries his luck in all directions. The trolling motor at the bow provides silent power while fishing.

(Photo credit: Champion Boats)

Monsters of the Sea: Saltwater Fishing Boats Coastal fishing boats fall into three general divisions determined by size, seaworthiness, and price. Most seaworthy are the biggies designed for fishing well offshore. They range in length from 22 to 55 feet and are priced anywhere from $25,000 to several million dollars. These boats have lots of freeboard, lots of beam, and usually twin engines. They can be center 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 13

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 13

consoles, with the wheel in the middle of the boat and fishing space both fore and aft— the preferred arrangement for those who cast to their fish. Cuddy-cabin boats have a low cabin under the bow—usually space for bunks and a dinette, but not enough head room to stand up. Full-cabin boats have standup head room, usually a full bath or “head,” and a kitchenette or “galley.” If you dream of catching mar- lin bigger than a pickup truck, this is your boat. The “walk-around,” shown in the following photo, is a popular variation of the cabin boat. It has space around the sides of the cabin to allow anglers to walk to the bow to fish, thus giving it some of the advantages of the center console, yet preserving the amenities of the full “house.”

Walk-around cabin boats have full cabins but also pro- vide walkways to the bow for easy fishing and anchor han- dling. This model, from Grady White, includes a built-in motor bracket at the stern.

(Photo credit: Grady White Boats)

Cabin rigs make it possible to spend the night afloat. Camping out on the water has a special charm (if the mosquitoes aren’t too thick) and cabin rigs make it possible to extend the range of your cruises beyond the distance you can travel in a day-fisherman. Bay boats have moderate vee bottoms, moderate freeboard, and usually a single engine. Lengths of 17 to 24 feet are common, and prices range from $15,000 to $50,000. They’re usually center consoles. These are boats designed to take on sizable waters, and they’re often used along the ocean and gulf beaches in moderate weather.

For the Shallow-Minded: Flats Boats Flats boats are designed to pursue trophy saltwater species in depths of one to four feet. Some of these boats float in only eight inches of water and can run in as little as a foot. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 14

14 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

Elusive, metallic creatures known as bonefish spend a good part of their time in water barely deep enough to float a tadpole. They are as neurotic as turkeys the day before Thanksgiving, ready to speed for deep water at the bump of an oar against a gunnel, very difficult to fool, and inedible when caught. In the per- verse way of anglers, they are considered wonderful Boater-ese game fish. Similarly obnoxious species include the per- mit and the six-foot-long tarpon, also avidly chased by Draft refers to the depth from the waterline to the deepest flats anglers. portion of the keel. It measures Flats boats are stealth fighters devised to sneak up on the minimum depth in which a these species. Most have a nearly flat bottom (the boats, boat can operate without going not the fish) to give them a shallow draft. aground. Flats rigs have low freeboard so that they don’t catch the wind and drift excessively. Lengths range from 15 Boat Bytes to 21 feet. Center or side consoles are common, although some are simply operated from near the tran- The NMMA is both a boat- ing industry booster and som via a tiller. Prices range from $7,000 to as much as watchdog. It includes thou- $45,000 for special lightweight models with particularly sands of companies that shallow draft. build boats, motors, and accessories, and it also helps to set boating standards for con- Leisure Afloat: Cruisers, Trawlers, and struction and safety. Their Houseboats address is 200 East Randolph Drive, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL For those who can afford them, these floating houses 60601; 312-946-6200; turn boating into a much more leisurely, even luxurious, www.nmma.org. affair that those not into salt in the hair and sardines in the swimsuit can appreciate. Cruisers and trawlers differ from houseboats in that they have deeper-draft hulls and are more suited to taking on offshore waters and big inlets. They also usually have more power and more seaworthy fittings. Consequently, they’re expensive, with prices starting at about $1,500 per foot and going into the stratosphere. Cruisers have planing hulls, which means they offer speeds not possible with displacement hulls. They’re often equipped with twin engines and can cruise at better than 20 mph, reaching maximum speeds, with adequate power, of near 40 mph. The level of interior finish can be superb in these boats, and the prices reflect the quality fittings. Lengths from 30 to 55 feet are common, with prices from $80,000 to several million dollars. Trawlers nearly always have displacement hulls, rounded bottoms where speed is limited by the waterline length. No matter how much power you put on a round-bottomed trawler, it still chugs along at a speed somewhere south of 10 knots. This means you need 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:46 PM Page 15

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 15

plenty of time to go anywhere in a trawler. However, the round hulls are extremely seawor- Boater-ese thy (though some are “rolly” in beam seas), and displacement speeds are very fuel-efficient. This Planing hulls have flat- is the reason that many long-distance travelers tened sections on the aft bottom choose trawlers. Equipped with a small diesel that allow these boats to rise near the surface of the water, inboard, some can travel over 1,000 miles between reducing drag and increasing refueling. Lengths range from about 28 to 50 feet, speed. Displacement hulls have with prices from $100,000 to $500,000. rounded bottoms and chines that Houseboats are the camper-trailers of the watery prevent these boats from reach- world—slow, unlovely, and unexciting, but with all ing plane. This makes them the comforts of home for those who do most of slower than planing hulls. their boating in protected waters. And they’re amazingly affordable. Many houseboats ride atop a pair of aluminum cylinders known as pontoons, although some models have fiberglass, aluminum, or steel vee hulls. Lengths range from 25 to more than 100 feet. Power is usually an outboard of 30 to 100 horses, although the larger rigs have inboard power. Prices range from $25,000 to $400,000. You get actual conventional rooms aboard—kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms, all on one level. Houseboats feel like a home ashore, but you can take a swim off the back porch.

Bet You Didn’t Know

The largest boat-owners’ association in the world is BOAT U.S., which frequently lob- bies for boating causes in Washington. The association offers special insurance pack- ages and maintains its own mail-order catalog. It also offers websites for the computer literate: Type www.boatus.com to get a menu. Their address is 880 S. Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304; 703-461-2864.

Houseboats Without the House: Pontoon and Deck-Type Boats Pontoon boats and deck-type boats feature couches, dinettes, sinks, refrigerators, and usu- ally portable marine toilets, but no sleeping areas and no permanent roof. Weather pro- tection is usually from a convertible top known as a Bimini. It’s tall enough to stand under, but with no side panels to prevent air circulation. A pontoon with a front deck for fishing is shown in the following photo. Pontoon boats ride on the same sort of aluminum cylinders as many houseboats. They can be powered by motors as small as 10 horsepower but rarely more than 60 horsepower, and they’re cheap to buy and operate. Because of the great amount of floor space and 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:47 PM Page 16

16 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

comfortable seating, pontoon boats are a favorite with families. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, starting at around $12,000 for an 18-footer and ranging up to $25,000 for a 30-footer.

Pontoon boats ride on alu- minum or fiberglass “logs” or cylinders filled with foam. These boats are inexpensive, roomy, and comfortable, although not quite so grace- ful in appearance as other boats.

(Photo credit: Jerry Martin & Associates)

Decked boats look much the same as pontoon boats from the deck upward, with couches, lounge chairs, tables, and maybe even a portable TV and barbecue grill. But below the deck is a semi-vee hull that allows full planing operation with adequate power. They can handle motors of 50 to 150 horses and speed along at 30 to 50 mph, making them good ski boats. Decked boats range in length from 18 to 24 feet. They cost considerably more than pontoons, with Look Out! prices of $15,000 to $35,000 common. PWCs account for a disproportionate share of boating accidents nationwide. While Motorcycles on the Water: PWCs are safe if driven care- fully, inexperienced drivers push- Personal Watercraft ing them to the limit frequently Personal watercraft, also known as PWCs, are the new- run into trouble. Use the same care as you would when skipper- comers in the boating world, but have rocketed to near ing any watercraft, particularly in the top of the fleet in sales since their introduction in crowded waterways, and you the mid-1980s. They’re also the motorcycles of the can enjoy these sporty little boats boating world, designed for thrills and speed rather than safely. comfort. They offer special appeal to the young and the young at heart who want excitement in their boating. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:47 PM Page 17

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 17

Most PWCs are under 10 feet long. The seats are saddles, just as in a Harley-Davidson, and you steer via handlebars. The power for these boats is via a water-jet instead of the open-bladed propeller found on conventional boats—a safety measure that also makes the craft capable of spectacular end-for-end turns. The power ranges from 40 to 110 horsepower. Given the light weight of these boats, this results in speeds to 70 mph or more with some models. Prices begin at around $5,000 and go to a bit over $10,000. Boating in a Balloon: Inflatable Boats Inflatable boats are basically waterborne balloons, but they’re a lot tougher. Multiple air chambers and very stout skins on modern inflatables make them extremely durable. In fact, some of the heaviest-duty boats used by the Coast Guard are inflatables, and they take these boats through outrageous weather where lesser boats with conventional hulls wouldn’t stand a chance. Inflatables have incredible buoyancy for their weight and can carry many times the load of conventional boats of equal size. Let the air out of them and you can carry them in the trunk of the family car and stow them in the hall closet.

Inflatables like this Zodiac are favorites as yacht tenders because their light weight makes it easy to get them aboard and they can be stored deflated to save space. The soft sides also don’t mar a yacht’s finish as a hard- sided dinghy might.

(Photo credit: Zodiac of North America)

Add a fiberglass bottom, as many larger inflatables have, and you have a boat within a boat—a vee bottom to soften the ride and the giant sponsons to provide that remarkable flotation and capability to bump into things without scratching or bending. Some inflata- bles have twin outboards so they can really fly. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 12:47 PM Page 18

18 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

The downside is it’s expensive to make a really good inflatable—the best ones cost about as much as a fiberglass boat of equal size. Lengths range from 7 to 22 feet, with prices from $300 to $20,000. Powered by the Wind: Sailboats Boats powered by the wind are a totally different genre than those powered by machinery and seem to appeal to an entirely different group. In sailing, the voyage is often as impor- tant as the destination. The basic configurations of sailboats range from the tiny, flyweight sailboards to majestic double-masted ketches capable of crossing all the world’s oceans. Sailboats vary in price from as little as $1,000 to millions of dollars, and their designs vary as much as the price. We’ll delve into the basics of selecting a wind-powered craft that fits both your budget and your interests, and take a closer look at the categories of these boats, based on their mast and sail arrangement, in Part 7.

Single-masted sailboats like this one are known as “sloops.” They’re the most common sailboat, more eco- nomical to buy and easier to sail than two-masted ketches and yawls.

(Photo credit: Pearson Yachts)

Muscle-Powered Boats: Canoes, Kayaks, and Rowboats Also in a class of their own—but increasingly popular—are boats that depend on you to supply the power. “Human-powered” boats, including canoes, kayaks, and rowboats, are the boat of the 2000s—environmentally friendly, physically challenging, easily stowable in a suburban garage, and relatively affordable. They can be transported on the top of a 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 3:13 PM Page 19

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wet and Wonderful World of Boating! 19

compact car. However, it takes a bit of practice and some conditioning to get the most from them. We’ll go into detail in Chapter 10, “Paddle Power: Canoes, Kayaks, and Rowboats.” These boats range in length from 8 to 18 feet and prices start at under $400 for basic models. Lightweight custom versions designed to take on white water and fly-weight row- ing sculls may cost thousands of dollars. Buy New or Used? Boats, like cars, have negotiable prices. Nobody pays the sticker price. You can get 10 per- cent off the sticker price for sure, and maybe more if the dealer needs to make a sale to pay the rent. If you buy used, you can save lots more. Here’s a look at the advantages and disadvantages of buying new versus buying used. Buy new and … You can order exactly what you want, Look Out! including a special engine, electronics, Some dealers price rigs and interior trim. without trailers to get you in the You get a full warranty—the dealer has to door. But unless you’re going to worry about the repairs. store the boat at a marina or the dock in back of your house, Some companies offer special package deals you’re going to have to have a with lots of extra equipment at bargain trailer. This adds $1,200 to prices. $3,500 to the base price—ask You pay new-boat prices and take the initial about the trailer, right away. depreciation hit of 10 to 25 percent.

Buy used and … Boat Bytes You save big money—25 to 50 percent! It’s a good idea to have a You get lots of extra gear added by the marine mechanic take a first owner, at no extra cost. look at any used boat you’re considering. They Sailboats virtually never wear out, though can tell you in an hour you may have to repair some rigging on used what you couldn’t figure out for boats. On powerboats and sailboats with yourself in weeks—or until the auxiliary power, the engines can be more engine stranded you. The fee problematic, however. might be $100–$200, but it’s There may be hidden faults that will have to well worth the price. be fixed—and you have to pay to fix them. 02 4354-2 CH01 2/21/02 3:13 PM Page 20

20 Part 1: Getting Started in Boating

There’s more “wiggle room” in the price of a used boat than in the price of a new one. The difference between the wholesale price, what the dealer gives you for your used rig, and the retail price, the price he wants to charge the next buyer, is usually 20 to 30 per- cent. You can talk him out of some of that difference, particularly if you’re interested in a boat that’s not a hot property. It’s not uncommon, after some negotiation, haggling, arguing, and sometimes begging—to buy a two-year-old boat in excellent shape from stem to stern for 60 percent of the original price. One of the best ways to shop for a used boat is via the Internet; numerous sites list liter- ally thousands of boats, and you can search their databanks by make, length, price, year, and so on. You can also ask to see just boats that are in your home state or even in your area code. Two of the largest sites are www.boattraderonline.com and www.boats.com.

The Least You Need to Know No one boat is perfect for all families or all applications. Choose a boat that suits most of your needs, but be aware that it has limitations. Boaters have a vocabulary specific to watercraft. Learning what to call the parts of a boat makes operation simpler for all aboard. Boats, like cars, have negotiable prices. If you don’t haggle, you don’t get the best deal. New boats may give the dealer headaches, but you don’t have to worry about them. Used boats save you money, but any headaches that come with them belong to you.