Boat insurance is often left until late in the buying process, but it is worth investigating well before you commit to a particular boat. A boat may look right on paper, pass an initial inspection and still prove difficult or expensive to insure. The age of the vessel, construction material, survey history, rigging, intended cruising […]
Boat Insurance Before You Buy: What Cruising Boat Buyers Need to Check Read More »
Buying a boat can be exciting. It can also be confusing, expensive and surprisingly easy to get wrong. You start looking at advertisements, one boat leads to another, every owner has a different opinion and before long you can find yourself trying to compare boats that were designed for completely different purposes. That’s one of
Introducing Our Free Boat Buying Club & SisterShip Boating and Cruising Community Read More »
Making an offer on a boat is not just about choosing a number. Before you start talking price, you need to know what you are basing that offer on, what conditions matter, and where your walk-away point sits. Emotion can take over very quickly at this stage, especially if you have already imagined yourself owning the
How Do I Prepare to Make an Offer on a Boat? Read More »
The hardest part of buying a boat is not always finding one. Sometimes the hardest part is deciding whether to buy it, negotiate, pause or walk away. By the time you reach the final decision, you may have invested time, travel, money, and emotion. That can make it difficult to think clearly. This is where you need
How Do I Know Whether to Buy a Boat or Walk Away? Read More »
Boat paperwork is not the exciting part of buying a boat, but it matters. A boat can look right, survey well, and still become a problem if the ownership, registration, inventory or written conditions are unclear. Before you commit, do the paper trail. Confirm the seller can sell the boat Start by checking that the person
What Paperwork Should I Check Before Buying a Boat? Read More »
A sea trial is not just a fun day hout on the water. It is your chance to see how the boat behaves when it is actually moving. Some problems do not show themselves at the dock, in the marina or even during a visual inspection. Before buying a used cruising boat, a sea trial
What Should I Check on a Boat Sea Trial? Read More »
Buoyage (aka lateral markers, or makers or buoys) is one of the areas that can make new boaters suddenly go quiet. Red markers – Green markers. Channels. Lights. Which side do I pass? What happens if I am coming the other way? If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. At SisterShip Training, we see this
Understand Buoyage and Channel Marks Easily Read More »
Choosing the right surveyor matters when you are buying a used boat. A survey is not just a box to tick for insurance. It is one of the best chances you have to understand the boat properly before you commit. But a better survey often starts with a better brief. Choose an independent surveyor Look
How Do I Choose a Boat Surveyor? Read More »
Not everyone feels confident when they book a NSW boat licence course. Some people look forward to it, others are nervous. A few come along that have been around boats for years but have never been the one responsible or fomalised their knowledge. If you are worried you’ll look silly for asking questions, or havent sat
Boat Licence Training for Nervous Beginners Read More »
The engine, batteries and major systems can turn a promising boat into an expensive project very quickly. When you are buying a used cruising boat, it is easy to focus on the layout, the price and how the boat feels. But the systems are where a lot of the hidden costs are. You do not need
What Systems Should I Check Before Buying a Used Boat? Read More »
