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!

3 - I wish I’d known to be alert and on my guard

There are many jobs onboard that can be done by amateurs and DIY enthusiasts, these are many and various, from cleaning blocked toilets to basic engine servicing (both of which can ruin a planned vacation if they fail!)

However, even well maintained boats can suffer failures which are unpredictable and can trigger the need for immediate remedial action which can be equally expensive and unpredicted.

I wish I had known that I would need to be constantly on my guard and alert not only to general seagoing situations, but onboard gear malfunction issues too.

I had no idea that I would need an extensive toolkit onboard and that the cost of spare parts for boats can be quite so high or difficult to track down simply due to the complexity of a boat’s systems and the low volume of parts available (unlike car spares for example!)

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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!