How to buy a motorboat: aluminium, PVC or fibreglass
The hull and the motor must suit each other
In a motorboat the key thing is the match. For every hull the maker states a maximum motor power, and exceeding it is dangerous and may break the rules. Aluminium boats are durable and repairable, inflatable PVC boats are easy to transport, and fibreglass ones are more comfortable but dearer to repair. So the question “which boat” cannot be separated from “with which motor”.
How to search through BlaBlaPrice
You write a request and describe the boat you need, and sellers send offers: model, length, motor, price, photos and inspection terms. The request is checked first, and you are told what is missing. Sellers see where their offer ranks and compete. Your phone number is hidden. Details are on the “How it works” page.
What to put in your request
- Hull material — PVC, aluminium or fibreglass.
- Length — in metres.
- Motor — with or without, make, power, two-stroke or four-stroke.
- Capacity — how many people.
- Boat model, if you have already chosen.
- Condition — new or used.
- Purpose — fishing, leisure, hunting.
- Kit — trailer, transom, oars, papers.
- City and budget, if you want to state them.
Example: “I am looking for an aluminium boat, 4.5–5 m, with a four-stroke motor of 30–40 hp, for three or four people, for fishing on a river. With a trailer and papers. Christchurch, inspection on the water. Budget up to $6,300.”
How to inspect and compare
On an aluminium boat look at the rivets and welded seams, the bottom for dents and leaks, and the condition of the transom. Hulls with cracks near the transom are usually expensive to repair. On a PVC boat check the seams, valves, the bottom and any loss of pressure after inflating. Start the motor and listen, look at the propeller and gearbox, and ask about engine hours and how regularly it was serviced.
Compare offers together with the kit: a boat with a motor, trailer and papers and one without them cost very different amounts. Find out who handles the papers and registration, and whether there are papers for the boat and the motor. For two-stroke motors ask about the fuel mix, for four-stroke ones about the oil and the service schedule.
What the price depends on
The price depends on the hull material, the length, the age and hours of the motor, the make of the engine, and whether a trailer and papers are included. Boats with a powerful four-stroke motor cost noticeably more than those with a simpler two-stroke. So when you compare, look at the whole package, not single items.
Common mistakes
Buying a hull without finding out the permitted motor power. Taking “the most powerful” although it raises fuel costs and risk. Not inspecting the hull and transom. Working out capacity only by the number of people, without counting gear and the catch. Not allowing for the weight when transporting, and for the trailer.
If you already have a boat but need an engine, look at outboard motors. More options are in the “Boats and watercraft” section.
