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!

10 - I wish I’d known that not all equipment is built to the same standard

I wish I’d known that not all equipment is built to the same standard, for example stainless steel is not necessarily stainless, NMEA0183 or NMEA2000 data protocols do not guarantee that different manufacturers equipment will share data.

There is no substitute for constant vigilance onboard a boat, aside from trips and slips, the use of cheaper materials, untested second hand gear and ‘bargain’ equipment can create a dangerous situation onboard and many frustrating hours trying to integrate things that were never designed to in the first place.

There is no such thing as cheap on a boat – only ‘the right thing for the job’ will do!

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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!