If you want one boat that pulls the kids on a tube in the morning, seats eight for a sandbar lunch, and still gets you home before the afternoon chop builds, you are shopping for a bowrider or a deck boat. These are the two most popular family day boats sold in America, and for good reason. They are open, they are easy to run, they trailer behind a normal SUV, and they cost a fraction of what a cabin cruiser or a center console runs. A good used one starts around 15,000 dollars. A loaded new one with a big sterndrive or twin outboards can pass 90,000. Most families land somewhere in the middle and never regret it.
The trouble is that the market is huge and the marketing is loud. Every builder claims the most seating, the softest ride, and the lowest running cost. This guide cuts through that. I am going to walk you through what actually separates a bowrider from a deck boat from a runabout, what sizes make sense for how you use the water, why the engine choice matters more than the hull graphics, and what these boats really cost to own once you factor in fuel, storage, insurance, and the winter layup. By the end you should be able to walk a dealer lot or a private seller's driveway and know within ten minutes whether the boat in front of you is worth the ask.
I have surveyed, delivered, and repaired these boats for years out of yards from Fort Lauderdale to Newport, so the numbers here come from real invoices and real sea trials, not a brochure. When you are ready to line up the inspection help, the mechanic, or the detailer you will need to close a smart deal, you can create a free YSN account and start contacting marine pros in your area before you even sign anything.
People use these three words like they are interchangeable, and dealers rarely correct them because a confused buyer is an easy buyer. They are not the same boat. Knowing the difference tells you how many people fit, how the boat rides, and where your money goes.
A bowrider is a runabout with an open seating area forward of the windshield, in the bow. Two padded lounges face each other up front, a walk through gap in the windshield lets people move between the bow and the cockpit, and the helm sits to starboard with a passenger lounge to port. The classic bowrider hull is a modified V, meaning it has a sharp entry at the bow that flattens toward the stern. That shape slices through waves better than a flat hull, so bowriders ride drier and softer in chop. If you boat on open water, a bay, a big lake with real fetch, or anywhere near a coast, the bowrider hull is the one you want under you.
Sizes run from about 16 feet up to 28 feet. The sweet spot for most families is 19 to 23 feet. Under 19 feet you start losing the seating and the freeboard that make a boat feel safe with kids aboard. Over 24 feet you are into serious money, serious weight, and often a boat too big for a single axle trailer.
A deck boat trades the sharp V for a wider, fuller bow. Instead of narrowing to a point up front, the hull carries its beam almost all the way forward, which opens up a huge amount of deck space and lets the builder put a full wraparound bench in the bow. A 22 foot deck boat will seat two or three more people than a 22 foot bowrider, and everyone up front sits on a real bench instead of two facing lounges. That is the whole appeal: maximum people, maximum lounging, maximum cooler and cornhole space at the sandbar.
The tradeoff is the ride. That fuller bow pounds harder in waves and throws more spray, because there is less sharp hull to knife through the water. On a calm lake or a protected river, you will never notice. On a windy afternoon in open water, your passengers will feel every wave, and the bow will slap. Deck boats are also often built on a modified pontoon style or a wide planing hull, and many are powered to run watersports well. Think of a deck boat as a party barge that planes and turns like a real boat.
Runabout is the umbrella term. Any small, open, engine forward or stern driven day boat with a windshield and cockpit seating is a runabout. A bowrider is a type of runabout. So is a closed bow cuddy that has a small sleeping nook instead of open bow seats. When a seller advertises a runabout, ask the obvious question: is the bow open with seats, or is it closed with a cuddy cabin? That one answer tells you whether you are looking at a family day boat or an overnighter.
Getting these categories straight saves you from buying the wrong hull for your water. Before you go look at anything, it helps to join YSN free and message a local surveyor or mechanic who can tell you which builders hold up in your region and which ones to skip.
Length drives everything: price, seating, tow weight, and where you can keep the boat. Here is how the common sizes shake out in the real world.
Small, light, cheap to run, and easy to tow behind almost anything. A 17 foot bowrider with a single outboard will pull a tube, teach a kid to ski, and cruise a calm lake for a few hours. It seats five or six on paper, which really means four adults comfortably. Fuel burn is low, storage is easy, and you can launch solo. The limits show up fast in wind and waves, and the small fuel tank means short range. This is a great first boat for a small family on protected water.
This is where most families should shop. A 20 foot bowrider or deck boat seats seven to nine, tows behind a mid size SUV or a half ton truck, handles moderate chop, and has enough fuel and freeboard for a full day out. Both sterndrive and outboard versions are common. Insurance and storage stay reasonable. If you want one boat that does eighty percent of everything a family wants and does not empty the bank account, this is the range. Resale is strong here too, because the demand is deepest.
Now you get real seating for ten or more, a bigger fuel tank, a head compartment tucked under the console on many models, and enough power for serious watersports. A 23 foot deck boat is a rolling living room. A 23 foot bowrider handles coastal runs and rough bays with confidence. The cost climbs fast, the boat gets heavy enough that you want a three quarter ton tow vehicle, and slip or storage fees go up. Worth it for bigger families and people who spend full days on the water.
These are premium boats, often from builders like Cobalt, Chaparral, and Four Winns, with twin outboards or a big single or twin sterndrive. They ride like a much bigger boat, seat a dozen or more, and blur the line between day boat and small cruiser. Prices new run well into six figures. Trailering gets serious. Storage usually means a slip or a big garage. Beautiful boats, but overkill for most first time buyers.
Whatever size you settle on, the running costs scale with it, so pick the smallest boat that truly fits your crew. When you find a candidate, sign up on YSN to book a pre purchase inspection with a marine mechanic who knows that specific size and builder.
The single biggest decision on a bowrider or deck boat is the engine type. It shapes the price, the maintenance, the resale, and how the boat feels. There are two real options: the outboard and the sterndrive, also called an inboard/outboard or I/O.
A sterndrive puts an automotive style engine, usually a marinized V6 or V8, inside the boat under the rear sun pad, connected to an outdrive leg that hangs off the transom and does the steering and propulsion. For decades this was the default for bowriders because it gives a clean, open transom, a huge rear sun pad with no motor in the way, and strong low end torque that watersports people love. Mercruiser and Volvo Penta dominate this world.
The downsides are real. The engine lives in a damp bilge, so corrosion, the rubber bellows, and the outdrive gimbal all need regular attention. Bellows replacement every few years runs 600 to 1,200 dollars. The outdrive has to be serviced, and if you boat in salt water, the sterndrive suffers more than an outboard does. Sterndrives also depreciate harder because buyers now prefer outboards. On the plus side, a used sterndrive boat is cheaper to buy up front, sometimes several thousand dollars less than the same boat with an outboard.
An outboard hangs off the transom, engine and drive in one sealed unit. Modern four stroke outboards from Yamaha, Mercury, and Suzuki are quiet, clean, absurdly reliable, and tilt fully out of the water when you dock, which saves the lower unit from salt and growth. They free up the entire rear of the boat, though many builders fill that space with an aft cockpit or a swim platform. Outboards win on resale, on saltwater durability, and on ease of service. A mechanic can drop a whole outboard on a stand instead of working in a cramped bilge.
The catch is cost. New outboard boats cost more, sometimes 5,000 to 15,000 dollars more than the sterndrive version, because the motors are expensive. And a big single outboard sitting on the transom shifts weight aft, which some drivers notice in the ride. Twin outboards on a 26 foot bowrider look great and run great but the purchase and service costs double.
Yamaha built a whole business on jet powered deck boats and sport boats. Instead of a propeller, an impeller pumps water for thrust. Jet boats have no lower unit hanging down, so they run in shallow water, beach easily, and have no exposed prop to injure a swimmer. They are light, fast, and fun. The tradeoffs are weaker low speed control, thirstier fuel burn, and a learning curve because there is no prop braking. For families that beach a lot and boat in skinny water, a Yamaha jet boat is a genuinely smart pick.
My honest advice for most 2026 buyers: if you boat in salt water or plan to keep the boat many years, buy the outboard even though it costs more up front. If you boat in fresh water, keep the boat on a trailer, and want the most boat for the least money, a well maintained sterndrive is a great value. Either way, create a free YSN profile and line up an outboard or sterndrive specialist to inspect the powertrain before you buy.
Two boats of the same length can seat very differently depending on the layout. Here is what separates a well designed cockpit from a cramped one.
Look at the coast guard capacity plate, then be honest that the rated number assumes calm water and average sized people. A boat rated for ten seats eight comfortably for a real day out with coolers and gear. Deck boats win the raw seating count because of the wide bow bench. Bowriders give better individual seating with real backrests and lounges. Sit in every seat before you buy. Check that the bow lounges actually support an adult back, that the helm seat has a flip up bolster so you can drive standing, and that there is a real place for the driver to brace their feet.
Family boats swallow gear: life jackets, tow ropes, tubes, coolers, towels, sunscreen, and a change of clothes. Open the storage lockers and check whether they drain, whether they are lined, and whether a tube actually fits. On 21 feet and up, many bowriders hide a small portable head or a real marine head under the port console. If you boat with kids or anyone who needs a bathroom, that head is worth a lot.
If tow sports matter, look for a ski tow eye or a wakeboard tower, a good stereo, a bimini top for shade, a swim platform with a reboarding ladder, and a big enough sun pad for people to recover after a run. A ballast system and a real wakeboard tower turn a deck boat into a decent wake maker, though a dedicated wake boat still does it better. For casual tubing and skiing, any 19 foot and up bowrider with a decent motor is plenty.
On the sea trial, run the boat into its own wake and into any chop you can find. Feel whether the hull lands soft or slaps. Check that the boat gets on plane cleanly without bogging, that it holds plane at a low, fuel saving speed, and that the steering has no slop. A boat that needs full throttle to plane is either underpowered or has a fouled bottom, and both cost you.
The right features depend entirely on how you use the water, so make a short list of your must haves before you shop. A detailer or rigger from the free YSN network can help you add a tower, stereo, or bimini after the sale if the boat you love is missing them.
Here is the honest lay of the land on price and power across the common sizes. New prices reflect 2026 dealer pricing for mainstream builders. Used prices assume a clean, well kept boat from a private seller, which is where the real value lives. Premium builders like Cobalt and Malibu run well above these numbers.
| Size and Type | Typical Seating | Common Power | Used Price Range | New Price Range | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 18 ft bowrider | 4 to 6 | 90 to 150 hp single outboard or 4.3L I/O | 8,000 to 22,000 | 28,000 to 42,000 | Small family, calm lakes, first boat, easy solo launch |
| 19 to 21 ft bowrider | 7 to 9 | 150 to 250 hp outboard or 4.5L to 5.7L I/O | 15,000 to 38,000 | 42,000 to 68,000 | The all around family sweet spot, tubing and skiing |
| 22 to 24 ft bowrider | 9 to 12 | 250 to 350 hp outboard or 6.2L I/O | 28,000 to 65,000 | 68,000 to 105,000 | Big families, coastal bays, full day cruising and sports |
| 22 to 24 ft deck boat | 10 to 14 | 200 to 300 hp outboard or I/O | 22,000 to 55,000 | 52,000 to 92,000 | Max seating, sandbar days, calm to moderate water |
| 21 to 24 ft jet boat | 8 to 12 | Twin Yamaha jet, 250 to 500 hp total | 25,000 to 55,000 | 55,000 to 85,000 | Shallow water, beaching, no exposed prop, speed and fun |
| 25 to 28 ft bowrider | 12 to 16 | Twin outboards or big twin I/O | 55,000 to 130,000 | 120,000 to 250,000+ | Premium day boat, near cruiser comfort, coastal runs |
Notice how the deck boat costs a little less than the same length bowrider while seating more people. That is the deck boat's whole pitch. The bowrider charges you for the better hull and the softer ride. Neither is wrong. It depends on your water and your crew. Once you have a target price in mind, use your free YSN account to get quotes from mechanics and detailers so you can budget the true cost of ownership, not just the sticker.
A new boat gives you a warranty, the latest quiet four stroke outboard, zero hidden history, and that first year glow. It also loses twenty to thirty percent of its value the moment you splash it, and another chunk over the next two years. If you buy new, plan to keep the boat at least five years to ride out the depreciation.
A used boat three to seven years old is where most families should shop. The first owner ate the depreciation, the boat is broken in, and any factory defects have usually surfaced and been fixed. A clean 2020 or 2021 bowrider with a modern outboard and low hours is a fantastic buy in 2026. The keys are hours, service records, and a proper inspection. A twenty year old boat can be a great deal or a money pit, and the only way to know is to check it thoroughly.
Whatever you buy, get a survey or at least a mechanic's inspection on anything over about 15,000 dollars. The 400 to 700 dollars you spend can save you from a 6,000 dollar engine surprise. For a deeper walkthrough of the used process, read our complete guide to buying a used boat, then register free on YSN to hire the surveyor who does that inspection.
The purchase price is the easy part. What surprises new owners is the annual cost of keeping a boat ready to use. Here is the real math on a 21 foot family bowrider used on weekends.
A 21 foot bowrider with a 200 hp motor burns roughly 8 to 14 gallons per hour cruising, more at wide open throttle. A typical family day of four to six engine hours burns 40 to 70 gallons. At marina fuel prices, budget 150 to 350 dollars for a big day, less if you cruise at an efficient speed instead of pinning the throttle. Learning to run at the boat's most efficient plane speed, often around 25 to 30 mph, can cut fuel burn nearly in half.
This varies wildly by region. Keeping the boat on a trailer in your driveway is free. A dry stack storage rack runs 150 to 500 dollars a month depending on the market, more in Fort Lauderdale or Newport than in the middle of the country. An in water slip runs 200 to 800 dollars a month plus bottom paint and more maintenance. For a trailerable family boat, driveway or trailer storage is by far the cheapest path and keeps the hull out of the water where it stays clean.
Boat insurance on a family bowrider or deck boat runs about 250 to 900 dollars a year for typical coverage, driven by boat value, horsepower, your boating experience, and where you keep it. Coastal and saltwater use costs more than an inland lake. It is cheap peace of mind and often required by your marina or lender.
If you live anywhere with a real winter, the boat has to be winterized so the engine, plumbing, and outdrive do not freeze and crack. Professional winterization runs 300 to 700 dollars depending on the engine. Shrink wrapping the boat adds 250 to 500 dollars. Spring commissioning adds another 200 to 500 dollars. Southern owners in Miami or Nassau skip all of this, which is a real cost savings over a northern owner.
Add it up and a 21 foot family boat used regularly costs roughly 3,000 to 7,000 dollars a year to own beyond the purchase, once you include fuel, storage, insurance, winterization, and routine maintenance. Know that number before you buy so it does not blindside you. A good way to control it is to build a relationship with a trusted mechanic early. Set up a free YSN account and find a marine mechanic near you before something breaks, not after.
These boats are simple, and if you stay ahead of a short list of tasks they will run for decades. Fall behind and small problems compound into big bills.
Outboards need annual service: oil and filter, gear lube, spark plugs, a water pump impeller every two to three years, and fresh water flushing after every saltwater run. Budget 300 to 600 dollars a year for outboard service, more when the impeller and plugs are due. Sterndrives need engine oil, outdrive gear lube, bellows inspection, and the same impeller care, and they demand more attention because everything lives in a damp bilge.
On a sterndrive, the bellows, the gimbal bearing, and the outdrive seals are wear items. Replacing bellows every three to five years runs 600 to 1,200 dollars. Anodes, the sacrificial zinc or aluminum blocks that protect metal from corrosion, need checking every season and replacing when half gone. If the boat lives in the water, the bottom needs paint and cleaning. On a trailer, you skip most of this.
Sun destroys boat upholstery and dulls gelcoat faster than anything. A regular wash, wax, and vinyl treatment keeps the boat looking new and protects resale value. Many owners hire a detailer two or three times a season for 200 to 500 dollars a visit. It is money well spent, because faded gelcoat and cracked seats are the first thing a future buyer sees. You can find a marine detailer on YSN for free and keep the boat sharp without doing the buffing yourself.
The trailer is part of the boat. Grease the wheel bearings, check the tires for dry rot regardless of tread, test the lights and the brakes, and rinse the trailer after every saltwater launch. A seized bearing on the highway ruins a whole weekend. This is the cheapest, most ignored maintenance there is.
Brand reputation matters because it drives resale and tells you something about build quality. Here is a straight take on the names you will see most.
The biggest name in bowriders for decades. Sea Ray builds a solid, comfortable, well riding boat with strong dealer support and excellent resale. Their SPX and SLX lines cover budget to premium. A used Sea Ray is almost always an easy boat to resell later.
The value leader. Bayliner sells more boats than almost anyone by hitting a low price point. The build is lighter and the finish is plainer than a premium brand, but a well kept Bayliner is a lot of family fun for the money. Great first boat, especially used. Just inspect carefully, since these get used hard and maintained lightly.
Both build a step above the value brands: nicer helms, better upholstery, softer rides, strong resale. Chaparral's SSi and SSX bowriders are family favorites. Four Winns makes a beautifully finished boat and has pushed hard into modern outboard models. Either is a smart mid to upper tier buy.
The luxury benchmark for bowriders. Cobalt builds the ride quality, fit, and finish that other brands chase. They cost more new and hold value better used than almost anyone. If you want the best day boat and can pay for it, Cobalt is the answer. Their bigger 25 to 28 foot models rival small cruisers for comfort.
Yamaha owns the jet boat and jet deck boat space. Reliable, fast, shallow drafting, and easy to beach with no exposed prop. Great for families who love sandbars and skinny water. Just understand the jet handling quirks before you commit.
Hurricane is the deck boat specialist. If you want maximum seating and a rolling sandbar living room, Hurricane's SunDeck line is built exactly for that. Roomy, family friendly, and priced sensibly. Not the softest ride in open water, but that is the deck boat tradeoff, not a Hurricane flaw.
Whatever badge you choose, the individual boat's history matters more than the brand. A neglected Cobalt is a worse buy than a pampered Bayliner. To vet the actual boat in front of you, connect with a YSN surveyor or mechanic for free who has worked on that exact model.
Some buyers cross shop a bowrider against a center console, especially near the coast. The bowrider gives you far more seating, a windshield that blocks wind and spray, and a softer, more sociable layout for families. The center console gives you 360 degree walkaround fishing access, a deeper V for rough offshore water, and a more serious saltwater tool. If your days are family lounging, tubing, and sandbar hangs, the bowrider wins easily. If you fish hard offshore, the center console wins. Many families genuinely straddle the line, and for them the deck boat or a big bowrider splits the difference well. If fishing is really pulling at you, compare directly with our center console boats buying and costs guide before you decide.
Here is the process I use when I help a client buy one of these boats. Follow it and you will not get burned.
Write down how many people, what water, and what activities. That decides bowrider vs deck boat, the size, and the power. Do not let a shiny boat on the lot rewrite your mission. Buyers who skip this step end up with the wrong boat and sell it within two years at a loss.
On any used boat, get the engine hours and the service records. Under 100 hours a year is light use. Records that show annual service are gold. No records is a red flag that does not automatically kill the deal but should knock the price down. Match the hull identification number and the title, and confirm there is no lien.
Always inspect the engine cold, before the seller has run it, so you can hear a true cold start and see any smoke. Pull the engine cover and look for corrosion, oil leaks, chafed wiring, and a clean bilge. Check the transom for softness by pushing on the outdrive or motor. Look for stress cracks in the gelcoat around fittings and the transom. Then sea trial it: get it on plane, run it hard, check the temperature, feel the steering, and try every switch, pump, and light. A seller who will not allow a sea trial is hiding something.
On anything over about 15,000 dollars, pay a marine mechanic or surveyor to inspect it. They will compression test the engine, scan the computer for fault codes and hidden hours, check the outdrive, and moisture test the transom and stringers. This is the best few hundred dollars you will spend in the whole process. To find that pro fast, create your free YSN account and search local marine mechanics in your area right now.
Use the inspection findings to negotiate. Worn bellows, tired anodes, a soft spot, or an impeller past due are all real dollars, and a fair seller will adjust. Walk away from anything with transom rot, water in the oil, or major corrosion unless the price reflects a project boat. There is always another boat.
One of the best things about bowriders and deck boats is that you can trailer them, which kills your storage cost and opens up any ramp in the country. But trailering has its own learning curve.
Match the tow vehicle to the loaded weight. A 20 foot bowrider on a trailer weighs 4,000 to 5,500 pounds loaded with fuel and gear, which a mid size SUV or half ton truck handles. A 24 foot boat can hit 7,000 pounds and wants a three quarter ton truck. Always check the trailer's tires, bearings, and brakes before a long haul, and carry a spare. At the ramp, back down slowly, keep the trailer wheels at the waterline, and practice on a quiet weekday before your first busy Saturday launch. Rinse everything with fresh water after saltwater use, especially the trailer, so nothing corrodes or seizes.
If you would rather not deal with rigging, wiring, or a bad bearing, a mobile marine tech can service your trailer and boat in your driveway. You can find that mobile mechanic on YSN for free and skip the tow to a shop entirely.
Owning a day boat is far easier when you have the right people on call. Yacht Service Network is a free marketplace that connects boat owners with marine mechanics, detailers, surveyors, riggers, and mobile techs across the country and the cruising world, from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Newport, Nassau, Antigua, Palma, and Antibes. You post what you need, browse verified pros, read reviews, and message them directly. There is no fee to owners for finding help.
For a bowrider or deck boat owner, the most valuable connections are a good outboard or sterndrive mechanic for annual service and winterization, a detailer to protect the gelcoat and upholstery, and a surveyor for the pre purchase inspection. Line these up before you need them, not in a panic when the boat is on the trailer and the season is starting. If you keep or run your boat around South Florida, our page for outboard motor repair in Miami is a good place to see how the directory works and find a local specialist.
The pros benefit too. If you are a marine mechanic, detailer, or surveyor reading this, YSN is a free way to get found by the thousands of day boat owners who need exactly your skills. There are more bowriders and deck boats on the water than any other class of powerboat, which means steady, repeatable work. Create a free YSN pro profile and start getting hired by local boat owners today.
It depends on your water. A bowrider rides softer and drier because of its sharper V hull, so it is the better pick for open water, bays, and windy lakes. A deck boat seats more people and gives more lounging room for the same length, so it wins for calm water sandbar days and big groups. If your water is protected and you value seating, go deck boat. If you see real chop, go bowrider.
A clean used 19 to 21 foot family bowrider runs about 15,000 to 38,000 dollars from a private seller. New, the same size runs about 42,000 to 68,000 dollars from a mainstream builder. Premium brands like Cobalt cost considerably more. Add roughly 3,000 to 7,000 dollars a year for fuel, storage, insurance, and maintenance to get the true cost of ownership.
For saltwater use or long term ownership, buy the outboard. It resists corrosion better, tilts out of the water, is easier to service, and holds resale value. For fresh water, trailer storage, and the lowest purchase price, a well maintained sterndrive is a strong value and gives you a clean open transom. Outboards cost more up front but tend to cost less in headaches over the years.
A 19 to 21 foot bowrider or deck boat is the sweet spot for most first time family buyers. It seats seven to nine, tows behind a mid size SUV or half ton truck, handles moderate water, and holds strong resale value because demand is deepest in this range. Start smaller only if you boat solo on calm water or have a small tow vehicle.
Hours matter less than maintenance. A well serviced boat with 500 hours can be a better buy than a neglected one with 150. As a rough guide, under 100 hours a year is light use. Above 700 to 900 total hours, expect the engine to need more attention soon. Always weigh hours against service records and a mechanic's inspection rather than the number alone.
Insurance is not legally required in most places but your marina or lender will usually demand it, and at 250 to 900 dollars a year it is cheap protection. A full survey is smart on anything over about 15,000 dollars, and at minimum a mechanic's inspection with a compression test and an outdrive check. The few hundred dollars can save you thousands in hidden repairs.
Yes, up to a point. A 16 to 21 foot bowrider loaded on its trailer weighs roughly 3,000 to 5,500 pounds, which a properly equipped mid size or full size SUV or a half ton truck can tow. Boats 24 feet and up can exceed 7,000 pounds and want a three quarter ton truck. Always check your vehicle's towing rating against the loaded trailer weight, not the dry hull weight.
Sea Ray, Chaparral, Four Winns, and Cobalt all have strong reputations for build quality and resale, with Cobalt at the premium end. Bayliner leads on value for budget buyers. Yamaha dominates jet boats, and Hurricane specializes in deck boats. That said, the maintenance history of the specific boat matters more than the badge. A pampered budget boat beats a neglected premium one every time.
Bowriders and deck boats are the most popular family boats in America because they get the fundamentals right: open, comfortable, easy to run, easy to tow, and priced within reach. Get the category right for your water, buy the smallest size that truly fits your crew, choose the engine that matches how and where you boat, and inspect anything used before you hand over money. Do those four things and you will end up with a boat your family actually uses instead of one that sits in the driveway.
The last piece is the people who keep the boat running: a good mechanic, a detailer, and a surveyor you trust. Line them up before the season, not during a breakdown. When you are ready to buy, inspect, or maintain your day boat, join Yacht Service Network for free and connect with the marine pros near you. It costs nothing to owners, the pros are verified and reviewed, and it turns boat ownership from a headache into the fun it is supposed to be.