Three readers get help and advice from our team on choosing a new motor boat to suit their individual needs.
Buying a new boat is a tricky business at the best of times, and never more so than when you’re fresh to the market. Get it right, and you’ll remember your first new boat as fondly as your first kiss. Get it wrong, and the bitter aftertaste could put you off the sport for life.
That’s why we offered to help three of our readers pick their way through the maze of new boats available, in a bid to set them off on the right foot. And where better to start than at the Southampton Boat Show? Not only would they be able to compare several different styles and makes of craft in the space of day, but they could also take advantage of the attractive show deals which many dealers now offer.
An open mind
Our three readers were all genuine customers, with money to spend and a good idea of the type of boat they were looking for. After a thorough trawl through the MBM Buyer’s Guide, they even arrived with a shortlist of boats they would like to look at in more detail.
However, none had yet decided which make and model to go for, and each was happy to consider some suggestions of our own.
By the end of the day, one of our guinea-pigs had made up his mind and bought a boat, a second had done the deal subject to a sea trial, and the remaining would-be buyer had booked in with the dealer for a closer look at the model at the top of his list.
Below are their stories.
