The one

The process of buying a boat is not at all like buying a car. It is more like buying a house.

You have to secure financing, do a sea trial, get something called a survey.

The survey is the big inspection. Usually, you can sea trial the boat and sail it to the shipyard for the survey. All 7000lbs of boat are hauled out of the water, and the inspector goes over evey square inch of it and gives you a 30 page report telling what is wrong and what is right.

From there you re-negotiate a purchase price, submit this final number to the bank, and a week or two later go to a closing and are handed the keys to your new boat.

As it stands now, we have viewed the boat, negotiated a bit about the price, put earnest money down, and are awaiting pre-approval from the bank to begin the survey.

I tentatively introduce you to our seemingly, possibly-ours-in-the-future, boat.

Dehler 31, meet the internet. Internet, meet the Dehler 31:

*I have to edit and add that we lucked out on this boat. The price is just unreal or we would not be able to afford this. The couple we are buying from are retiring and moving to the mountains near Veracruz, Mexico and they are selling everything. The boat was made in 1985, so it is 22 years old and comes with quite a bit of work, but Bill is jazzed about the prospect. We got a deal, baby! And..and…it comes with an 6 8 foot dingy! Not a blow up one, but a hard hull dingy…brand new and never used….to tow behind us and explore the nooks and coves along the way. I can totally see our boys rowing off to shore to explore islands that you can only access via a boat…like Matagorda Island.