BOAT BUYERS GUIDE 2018 | 12 | BOATINGMAG.COMEDITORIAL By Kevin Falvey
R
egardless of your income, buying a new boat probably represents a big financial commitment. For
many truly in the market, it’s not so much the actual price of the boat as it is the value of the boat
for the price paid. The question is raised: What do I get for my money? The potential for return
on the investment is the real crux of the matter. That’s why we produce this guide and, in fact,
why we test boats and publish reviews in Boating magazine and at boatingmag.com. We aim to provide you
with the hard, informed data that will prove helpful when you hit the showroom or the boat show. But
there’s an aspect of boats that goes beyond specifications and performance; an aspect that transcends
construction method and hull design; an aspect that can prove more important than whether the boat
comes with a trailer, is available with joystick engine control, or offers an option for more horsepower.
Where boats are concerned, the real return on investment comes
from less tangible features that prove priceless. It is, as Rinker Boats
President Kim Slocum likes to say, the smiles-per-gallon quotient.
Allow me to provide some examples from my own life afloat.
I didn’t take my family on a trip this past Memorial Day. Instead
we boarded the boat, caught some fish, and then headed for a local
beach where the water, though a bit chilly, ensured
hours of fun for my daughters and their friends who
joined us. I might add that my kids, who grew up
aboard boats, now tell me where we’ll cruise to, what
we’ll do, and who will be joining us as crew. Just a
word to the wise.
Last Fourth of July, we took the boat out to view a
large commercial fireworks display. Since we never
even got on plane, even though we were out for hours
with family and friends, it cost next to nothing, unless you count the bucket of takeout fried
chicken. But the excitement our guests exhibited at being on the water, at night, coupled
with our own constant state of waterborne enthusiasm ensured the night was much more
special than it would have been had we simply driven to a spot to watch the show.
My youngest daughter got up on skis (finally) this year. It took her a while to get it,
but when she did, we all exalted in her accomplishment, her victory over gravity, and her
mastery of balance. Her smile was brighter than the sun, and the memory of that smile
burns brilliantly too.
At various times during the year, we were in close company with sea turtles, whales,
porpoises, seals, and more varieties of bird life than space allows listing here. We plainly saw the effects
of erosion on a bluff by observing a lighthouse that had originally been built 200 yards from the cliff some
200 years ago now teetering on the edge. We saw dew fall, fog lift, and current run. We observed cat’s paws
foretell wind shifts and cloud formations forecast weather changes. Without TV or textbook or website, we
learned a lot about the world. And we learned a lot about each other.
Imagine that.Kevin Falvey, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]PREPAID
Buying a boat is like filling a family-fun gift card.Since we never
even got on plane,
even though
we were out for
hours with fam-
ily and friends,
it cost us next to
nothing, unless
you count the
bucket of takeout
fried chicken.PHOTO: KEVIN FALVEY