How to Buy a Speed Boat
A speed boat is a sports car for the water. In fact, many of them are powered by Ilmore's V-10 which is the same engine used in the Dodge Viper. On land the Ilmore can take a Viper from 0 to 100 miles per hour in just 12 seconds. On the water, many performance watercrafts can now top 100 mph as well. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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Do you want to buy a new or used speed boat? There is a bigger gap between new and used among speed boats than with other vessels. Speed boats are usually driven hard and put away wet. Technology keeps advancing. For some drivers, the look of your boat is very important. I've sailed on a lot of Catalina Yachts. They are solid cruisers, but aside from you how rig them, the same models come out of the same mold and look identical. With a new speed boat you can routinely order a customized gel coat design for your hull.
New boats come with a warranty. Kachina Power Boats offers a seven year guarantee on its hulls. Used boats have no such protection. If you buy a used speed boat due to budget considerations, go to a reputable dealer where you might be able to snag a trade in. If you want to risk a private party sale, have the boat surveyed by a professional which you can find through the National Association of Marine Surveyors or the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors.
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Determine where you'll be using your boat. The larger the body of water, the larger the boat you'll need. Generally big boats handle rough water better. Also, check into local regulations. Each year I spend time with my family on Lake Massagpoag, in Massachusetts. To keep the noise down, motors there are limited to 10 horse power.
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Decide on your hull configuration. V bottom speedboats are the most common design. They are less expensive to build and more readily available. V's carve tighter turns and cut through chop better. They tend to have more below deck storage than other designs. V bottoms do tend to roll from side to side more than other designs.
Hydroplanes are very fast. These boats ride on a cushion of air. They are in contact with the water at just three points, at the two forward pontoons, (also known as sponsoons) and at the engine. There is little drag. For the most part they are specialty speeds boats and aren't a popular as V's or cats.
Power catamarans are also called tunnel boats. They are growing in popularity because they are faster, can carry more weight and are more fuel efficient. They ride on a pair of pontoons integrated into the hull. Air is trapped by the pontoons in a tunnel effect. Past a certain speed the entire forward section of the hull lifts out of the water reducing drag. At top speeds sometimes as little as 18 inches of the boat is actually in the water. The air cushion gives a more comfortable ride than V bottoms and they don't tend to roll as much.
Tunnel V's are cat and V with a large center hull and two outboard sponsoons to add lift.
Advantage Boat's X flight (shown here) is such a boat and is proving to be a best seller for the company because it combines the best of both designs.
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Choose your builder. There are many speed boat builders, usually congregating around hot spots like Lake Havasu, Arizona. Some specialize in family boating, others in ski boats, others in racing. Do your research to find the right fit. Talk to boaters. A manufacturer will offer different options in rigging, engines, and propellers. Most boat manufacturers do not make their own engines, relying on sources like Ilmore or Mercury. Mercury is one of the biggest marine engine builders. It offers an additional year warranty on its engines installed by builders who pass its installation quality certification. Whether you get a Merc or not, that certification is a good mark of how seriously the builder treats its quality control.
If you can, actually visit the factory to see first hand how your boat will be built. Take a look and get educated. Boat shows are another way to get to know the boat designs that are available. There's an annual circuit through most major cities.
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If you're not buying directly from the manufacturer, find a reputable dealer. An established dealer will guide you through the maze of options and models that are available. He also might have floor models at a discount. Take a close look at the boat before buying. Work all the moving parts. Look at the engine compartment so see if there is easy access for maintenance. Check for quality of fit and workmanship.
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Take the model you've chosen for a test drive. Make sure that the engine is not warmed up ahead of time. See how the boat responds under varying wave and wind conditions. Run the boat long enough to insure that it isn't prone to overheating. How does the boat feel? Would you be happy in owning it?
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Tips & Warnings
The best time to buy is at the end, not the beginning of your local boating season. Even in Southern California where we boat year round, late fall becomes a buyer's market.
For an exciting look at the world of speed boat design and competition watch for the upcoming TV series Liquid Extremes coming soon to a network near you. See a preview at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIQcawdhfKI
When you get your speed boat, work it up to top speed gradually, under varying conditions. If you get a power cat, you should be particularly careful of blowing over. If you've lifted the bow too high into the air, especially going into the wind, the boat could flip over backwards, ejecting the passengers and damaging the boat. V bottoms can suffer from stuffing which happens when the boat flies off one wave and buries the bow into another. It happens rarely but could destroy the boat.
