American Boat Center Buyers Guide

STEPS FOR BUYING A NEW BOAT:

What Kind of Boat Do You Need to Fit Your Lifestyle?

Wake boats, runabouts, tritoon are all great choices and it depends on what you want to do with your time on the water.

• Surf boats, like our Tige’ and ATX, are designed to manage the wake created for impressive waves for wakeboarding or wake surfing or minimal wake for skiing.
• Bowrider boats like our Monterey, SeaRay, and Chris Craft brands come in different styles and are a great recreational boat for water skiing, lounging, and cruising.
• Pontoon boats offer a wide range of capabilities and like our Godfrey tritoons provide a quiet, dry ride for your on-water adventures. Tritoon boats are multipurpose triple-hull pontoon boats to distribute weight more evenly over the water.

What Size Boat Should You Consider?

To help find the right boat for your lifestyle, you need to consider the size of the boat and it will depend on a few questions:

• How many passengers do you expect on a regular basis?
• What type(s) of activities do you see yourself enjoying on the water?
• Will you be spending entire days on the water or just a few hours?
• Will you be towing your boat to and from the water? If so, what is your vehicle’s towing capacity?
• Will you be storing your boat in a garage?

Boating Safety Class

If you haven’t already done so, please make sure to take a certified boater’s safety course. Check with your local TWRA office or click here to learn more and find a course location near you.

At the Boat Launch

If you have no prior towing experience, you need to spend some time learning how to operate in around the boat launch. Backing your boat into the water for the first time can be a little bit nerve-wracking. For your first few times, pick a boat launch that has plenty of room for you to navigate and turn around. Also, pick an off time to practice. Just take your time, be patient and practice.

General Boat Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is important, so you never miss a weekend on the lake. Being proactive with spring and winter maintenance will often head off small problems before they become big problems.

Click here to schedule your service with us.

What boat accessories do you need

There is some gear, such as a safety kit, that is often included with the purchase of the boat. For everything else, our experienced staff in the pro shop can outfit you for safety and equip your boat to meet your needs.

The Cost of Boat Ownership

As you narrow down your options based on the kind of boat you want to buy, you need to take into account several factors to assist establishing a budget.

• A new boat has the benefit of having no existing wear and tear as well as a warranty from the manufacturer.
• A used boat may bring a significantly lower price versus a new boat, but existing wear and tear needs to be reviewed. Nashville Boating Center conducts a multi-point inspection on all our used boats before they are added to our inventory.
• You will need to budget for the finance cost of the boat as well as insurance, fuel, maintenance, winterization, and storage. These costs will vary by boat size, fuel efficiency, the average length of your trips, how many hours you put on each season, and so on.