1. Determine Your Price Point. Many people don’t realize boating can be an affordable family activity. To figure out what kind of boat fits with your budget, DiscoverBoating.ca provides an interactive budget planner to help you find your price point.

2. Find the Right Fit. Now that you know what you can afford, ask yourself: what type of activities are you interested in? Where will you be boating? Who will you boat with? The answers should narrow down the boat types and sizes that are right for you.

3. Do Your Homework. You should now have an idea of what kind of boat would be a good fit and how much you want to spend. A great place to shop for a boat is at a boat show so you can comparison shop or by visiting a local boat dealer and asking to test drive a variety of boats. For initial research, visit DiscoverBoating.ca and use the boat selector tool to help you find your perfect boat.

4. Educate Yourself. Boating is a fun and easy-to-learn activity the entire family can enjoy. Ensure you and your passengers have more fun and build confidence in your on-the-water skills by completing a boater education course prior to setting sail.

Additional tips and resources can be found online at DiscoverBoating.ca.

- News Canada

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Don’t be afraid to buy a boat, if sailing is something that you’ve often dreamed about. Remember that there are so many different sizes and varieties of boats to suit everyone interested in relaxing on the calm waters during a serene, sunny afternoon. You just have to do your research on the various boats out there, so that you can get a feel for what you really want to do out on the lake or the ocean.

If you just aren’t sure that you want to invest a lot of money on a large boat and sailing lessons, then consider buying an inflatable raft with a built in sail. In this raft, you can learn the basics of sailing and get a feel for maneuvering the sails. If you decide that this is not the hobby for you, then you’ve only lost less then one hundred dollars versus a few thousand. If, however, you decided that sailing is so much fun as the wind hits your hair, then you can go ahead and buy a larger boat to invest in. The same goes for if you want a powerboat instead of a sailboat.

Once you’ve decided that you want to spend the big bucks on a boat, you have a few more questions to ask yourself before going to the stores and classifieds. These questions include: where will you be boating: open seas, harbor, lake, or pond? Each of these bodies of water can take various boat styles that you will want to consider. How large of a boat will you need? Consider family, loved ones, and friends who may be joining you on excursions out on the water. How much are you willing to spend on boat maintenance? After spending thousands just buying a boat, you must consider maintenance, upkeep, storage, docking the boat, insurance, and operating expenses. If you want to save money, then learn to maintain your own boat, which will save you from hiring workers. Talk to other boat owners who love their boats to find out a good estimate on how much a year it will take to have a boat in your name.

When you feel that you are ready to take the plunge and buy a boat, ask other boat owners for advice. Most can give you an idea of what boat to look for with the various interests that you have. They also may have good leads into where to get a good deal. Make sure to check with the US Coast Guard for information on boats that others have complained about or recalled. You certainly don’t want to be buying any boat that brings you trouble in the long run.

Always be considering the quality of a boat instead of quantity. Sure a large boat looks great next to your friend’s rowboat, but if your boat sinks due to poor quality, then you’ve lost a lot of money and your friend is still floating. Remember to spend a little less on the boat to get a smaller, good quality boat, and save the rest of the money to spend on maintaining the boat. You’ll never regret taking care of your big toy, and your family and loved ones will be glad that you had the money to buy a good boat and still had enough money left over to keep the boat floating as you enjoy those calm peaceful vacations out on the water.

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