First Time? Think Small

It might be tempting—once you see all the fancy boats on display in the showroom—to buy the biggest boat you can afford. But, many experts don’t advise it until you have significant boating experience. The size of the boat you buy is an important consideration. One downside to very large boats is that they will require you to learn many more systems in order to operate them. For this reason, you may want to first buy a smaller boat, get used to being on the water and then trade up when you feel ready. Some advise first buying a boat that is between 22 and 24 feet.