At the BMEEA, we know that buying a boat is more than just the purchase itself. There are many things to consider and usually these are learnt on the fly which can be frustrating and costly.

We will be running a series on "10 things I wish I'd known before I bought my first boat" and round 1 is 10 things Derek Gilbert, BMEEA Chairman, wishes he'd known before he bought his first boat - Enjoy!

1 - I wish I’d known about the additional costs!

 Owning a boat is much, much more than purchasing it in the first place, once you have bought it – you have to move it to your mooring or berth? Not got one, well maybe you have to wait for a convenient one to become available – yes – there can often be waiting lists and it can sometimes take years before a space becomes available.

Then there is the annual cost of the mooring, the cost of hauling out and the cost to store it ashore, the cost of cleaning the bottom of the boat, the cost of repairing the hull particularly if there is Osmosis in the fibreglass, the cost of new sacrificial anodes, the cost or relaunching too.

On top of that is the cost of insurance, the cost of safety equipment, (flares and lifejackets should be replaced regularly) the engine service, the replacement of running rigging and sails, the cost of replacing the standing rigging.

So there are annual charges you have no control over at all as well as ongoing maintenance charges.  I never realised the add-on costs would continue whether I used the boat or not!

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At the BMEEA, we are experts in all aspects of the boat owning experience, so please do get in touch with your nearest BMEEA member for assistance!