Congratulations! You are one step away from cruising the waters of Australia. You just need to buy a boat. Chances are if you are in the market for a boat you have trawled through BoatSales, Boats Online, Trading Post and Gumtree.
Online shopping knows no boundaries, physical ones that is. Online shopping is a whole lot of fun and provides you with more options than a boat yard ever could. And while more options is always a good problem to have, you may find that your dream boat is currently residing in another state.
Things To Do When Buying A Boat Interstate
1. Know what you want
Why do you want a boat? This will help determine what type of boat you need. Do you want a small boat the whole family can enjoy? Are you going to use your boat to go fishing in dams? Do you want to be able to tow your boat? Answering these questions early on will help you refine what you want exactly.
2. Do your research
Boats are just like cars. With cars you have your Holdens, Fords, Toyotas etc. and then you have your sedans, hatchbacks, 4WDs, the list goes on. Boats are the same deal so if you are new to the boat game do your research!
3. Get the transfer of ownership signed
Need we say more? The general rule is you have 14 days from the purchase date to transfer ownership. Jump over to your state’s website to learn more about their transferring rules and to find the correct forms:
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
Tasmania
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Things Not To Do When Buying A Boat Interstate
1. Trust a complete stranger
We don’t want to scare you by saying this, because 99% of the boating community are top blokes, but there are some horror stories out there and we feel like you ought to be warned.
We were scrolling through an Ausfish forum where we read this story:
Moral of the story? Don’t trust a complete stranger and make sure there are documents and proof before you accidentally roll away with a stolen vehicle. We recommend ensuring you have a copy of the rego papers, the HIN number and the person’s license (or at the very least a name and address) before handing over any money. And then securing a receipt of some variation after purchasing.
2. Make a spontaneous purchase
Buying a boat after a few beers with your mates may seem like a good idea at the time. But we can promise you that the cost to your back pocket (and the disapproving stares coming from your wife) says that it probably is not such a great idea.
3. Forget to do your research
You would be surprised how many people forget to do their research. You are reading this article which is a great start but make sure you are fully informed on the subject. What are the ongoing costs of owning a boat? Have you taken a basic boating safety course? How are you going to transfer your boat from interstate?
Do you need help ferrying your boat to its new home? Our name may be Door2Door Car Carrying but we specialise in moving all vehicles. So if you need your boat, jet ski, trailer, caravan or even bobcat transported make sure you give us a call or get a free quote.
