Asklemmy

Boat owner here and grew up boating. Mine and my husband’s happiest place is being on the water on our boat. BUT it is expensive and there are a lot of considerations and you very much need to know how to properly operate one and know the rules of the water. For example, docking is a skill in many conditions, it’s way harder than it looks, make sure you understand right of way, constant bearing decreasing range (if a boat looks like it is in the same spot relative to your position but it keeps getting bigger and bigger you’re on a collision course), know how channel markers work (red right returning), know how to read marine maps and understand tides and how much water your boat draws so you never run aground, where are you going to keep your boat-dry slip/wet slip/boat house storage and if it’s dry storage you need a trailer for the boat and a car (truck) that can pull the weight of the boat and the trailer, then you need to learn how to launch a boat (this is just comical to watch people try, me included, I don’t even try). Dock space is expensive, fuel is expensive, maintenance is expensive. Buy used but ask how many hours the boat and engine have on it, don’t just rely on the age. And ask about maintenance history. Know that engines are WAY more expensive than you would think. And please please please take a boat safety course and get your license. If there’s any way you can be on and around other people’s boats and just watch and ask questions for a while I would highly recommend that! Two biggest things- pay attention to the weather and always put the plug in before you launch the boat!!

God speed friend