How to find the right type of boat?

Trailer Boats
If you want to stay mobile with your boat and trailer it yourself to different destinations, you are limited in your choice by transport regulations: from 2.55 meters up you need a special permit to trailer a boat on the roads. 3 meters is the absolute limit for private transport. In addition a limit for maximum weight for the set of car, trailer and boat also has to be observed. Otherwise, some trailer boats and even modern RIBs (rigid inflatable boats), which one would rather categorize as sport boats, nowadays already offer some luxury and sometimes even a cabin for overnight stays on board, although the ideal combination remains a trailer boat plus caravan.

Deck + Cabin = Yacht?
The situation is similar for the larger boats: In everyday life, you usually only speak of a yacht when a length of seven or eight meters is exceeded. When it comes to equipment and comfort, however, many smaller boats offer the same standard as yachts. Originally, the existence of a deck and cabin was sufficient to speak of a yacht (from the Middle Low German jachtschip: hunting ship, "fast ship").

EU Guidelines and everyday language
Strictly speaking, the guidelines of the European Parliament state that at the upper end of the market from a length of 24 metres upwards we no longer speak of a recreational craft but rather of a super- or megayacht - a rather generous interpretation in contrast to everyday language, really. In order to find more suitable categories, you sometimes speak of maxi yachts with thos large yachts that are more than just a usual yacht or cabin boat but strictly speaking not yet a superyacht.

But everything said before is mere theory! Above all, it is important to make sure in advance what you actually want. Clearly define your needs, must-haves and nice-to-haves in order not to lose sight of the goal during the search. A checklist is always a good start:

• rather sporty or as much space and comfort as possible?
• used on inland or coastal waters or both?
• rather longer stays on board overnight or just day trips?
• how many people are on the boat on average?
• should the boat also be suitable for water skiing or fishing?
• What are your budget limits for buying as well as maintenance costs?
• what type of engine? Possibly a hybrid or hydrogen drive?
• hull shape: displacement boat, glider or half glider?
• Monohull or possibly also a motor catamaran?
• Design: modern or retro look?
• hull materials: GRP, metal or wood (most modern boats have GRP hulls

Of course, there may be further individual issues to be considered.

Since the final decision to buy a specific boat is a big and hopefully also satisfactory decision in the long term, it is important to obtain detailed information beforehand. On boot.de we provide rough overviews of the issues concerned with buying a boat or yacht in general, but there is of course the boot Düsseldorf every year in January! As the world's largest boat show, it offers the enormous advantage to get in direct contact with dealers and boat builders, as well as to be able to compare a multitude of boats and yachts side by side and have a very close look at them. In addition, independent boat experts such as the VBS (German Assocciation of Boat Building Experts) or the BVWW (German Marine Industry Assocciation) also provide free advice directly at the fair - in other words, everything you need to find the right boat and take an informed decision!