As soon as you buy a boat, keep your wallet handy!
Insurance. You'll need
insurance from day 1, around here $2million liability. Mine cost around $400/year for a boat with a book value of zero.
Fuel. You're going to want to fill er up. Depending on your tank size, this could be a few hundred bucks. Its common to make "full
fuel tanks" a condition of
sale.
New
gear. Every time I buy a boat, the local boat store is very happy to see me as I drop $1000 at their store. New flares/kit, new fire extinguisers, new compressed gas horn, first aid kit, etc. And sometimes I get new WW
gear and sea boots for both me and my crew. Almost every boat I've bought I've replaced the
stove with a new
ORIGO (aka cookmate in canada)
stove. Some bright flashlights, SS shackles, cotter pins, split pins, new
jib sheets, and a new
anchor line. A box of various
stainless steel screws. A box of various
stainless steel bolts. A handheld
VHF. Some new life jackets. Believe me, its easy to spend a grand at the boat store when you have a new (to you) boat. The hard part is not spending MORE. I bought a boat once that came with NO FENDERS. Have you priced out fenders recently? Get ready for some sticker shock, cause you need SEVEN of them. And new
dock lines too. Sellers often take the "good"
dock lines with them, and leave you some scraps to hold the boat in place till the ink dries on the receipt. Tell your boat store you just bought a boat, sometimes they'll give you a discount (10% here) on your first
purchase. They know you'll be back.
Tax. There have been changes to licensing and
registration of vessels in
canada. So I'm not sure WHEN or even IF you will get dinged with tax. But with the potential of 13% sales tax (Ontario Canada), this translates to $13,000 on your $100,000 boat. Substantial.
Dockage. I sailed home boats a few times, and as soon as I arrive at my home port in Kingston, they want full payment for the season before giving me a seasonal dock. For me, with a boat around 30 feet, that close to $3,000 as soon as I arrive. And I have to show proof of $2million liability insurance as well.
Repairs. Even a boat reported and surveyed as in perfect condition needs something. If a
diesel mechanic comes to your boat, say goodbye to another $1000.
Electronics. IMHO, its rare to buy a boat that has up to date
electronics, simply because the technology is changing so fast. You could easily drop another $1,000 setting up
AIS, charplotter,
wind,
depth, etc. It might be just to get your existing electronics working reliably again. The hard part is not spending $5,000.
Dinghy and
outboard. Unless your boat came with a decent setup, this is another place you can easily drop $5,000. But if you intend to
anchor (and who doesn't?) you need a good
dinghy, maybe a
rib, with a reliable
outboard, and maybe some
davits on the stern. Did I say $5,000...I meant $10,000...I like a
RIB with a few horses on the back.
The wife. Yes, as unecessary as it may seem, the wife will have a list all her own of things you cannot imagine. Unbreakable wineglasses and new curtains. Throw
cushions that match the new curtrains. Special "boat towels" and "tea towels" and "bath sheets" and "boat sheets" and new pillows, bedding, pillow cases, and a comforter/duvet for those chilly nights. And she'll want to stock the boat with wine, wine, and more wine. Give her $1,000 and hope she gets tired before she needs another...maybe pour her a glass of wine!