Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 1: Getting Started in Boating
visit to a sandy beach. Sailing, water-skiing, snorkeling, a visit to the next port down the
river, or maybe a cruise to that island over the horizon—you are the skipper; you decide.
You’re in command in a world where there are no yellow lines and no traffic jams, where
fish and birds and wonderful marine mammals such as porpoise and manatees are frequently
part of the scenery, and where you can find true solitude when you want it. No
wonder people love boats and boating.
There’s an aura of mystery to handling a boat, cultivated in part by the arcane language of
the old salts of the sea. But getting started is a lot easier than you might imagine, and
learning the basics for competent, safe operation takes a minimal investment of time and
energy.
What type of boat is really best for you and your family? Read on.
Start at the Bottom Line
Whatever your boating dream, realizing it starts with facing the realities of affordability,
space, affordability, seaworthiness, affordability, comfort, affordability, and affordability.
It’s the money, friends. Everybody knows that.
With boating, as with everything else in life, you will soon find that you always want just
a bit more than you can actually afford. And unfortunately, as yachtsman J. P. Morgan
once said, if you have to ask how much it costs … you can’t afford it. (He should have
said, if you have to ask how much it costs, you’re a wise buyer.)
It is possible to go boating at some level on just about any budget that features discretionary
income. I currently own a 14-foot Sears aluminum jon boat with a 4-horsepower
outboard, which I can afford, and a $25,000 Hydra-Sports fiberglass tunnel-hull with a
200-horsepower outboard, which I can’t. (If a man’s reach does not exceed his grasp, what
are second mortgages for?)
Boat Bytes
If you can manage just
$100 per month, you can
go boating in style. In fact,
if you enjoy “peoplepowered”
boats such as
canoes, you can be a boat
owner for under $50 per month!
Because boats last a long time and don’t go out of style
rapidly, you can get long-term financing, up to 15 years,
on most models. This makes the payments easy for anyone
steadily employed to handle. You can get a rough
estimate of 5-year payments at 8–10 percent by multiplying
the number of thousands by $20—that is, a
$5,000 boat will have payments around $100, a $10,000
boat will run around $200, and a $20,000 boat will cost
around $400 per month. Check out the following table
for examples.