How to Choose Your First Powerboat

Rating:
Summary: A few remarks regarding the content and philosophy.
Review: Any boat is a floating study in compromise. The decision making process involves choosing between more of one thing, less of something else, and hoping for a favorable outcome overall. Veteran boaters enjoy the luxury of first hand experience and will have (hopefully) learned from all the previous boat's triumphs and disasters.

First time boaters must rely on the experiences and recommendations of friends, relatives, boat salespeople, and others who may be genuinely well meaning but less than objective or inadequately informed. Much of what is available in the popular monthly boating periodicals is too specialized to be helpful to a boating neophyte.

"How to Choose Your First Powerboat" is intended to serve as a resource for boat buyers without previous boating experience. The text examines the major issues of hull design, drive type, and motive power from a generalist perspective, and introduces the reader to the important primary and secondary on-board systems.

The book doesn't attempt to be the ultimate, comprehensive encyclopedia of boat construction, concept, or design. The reader runs little risk of developing an exceptional level of expertise in any specific area through reading my book, but will develop and profit from a general understanding of how the design, equipment, and condition of a boat under consideration for purchase will enhance or detract from the boating experience desired.

This book doesn't purport to contain all the answers. It will, however, enable the reader to ask better questions when boat shopping and understand the answers received. "How to Choose Your First Powerboat" will allow the beginning boat buyer to make more informed decisions.

Over the years, I have heard many people new to boating lament: "Darn! I wish we'd thought of that back when we were shopping for this boat!" In the interest of reducing post-purchase surprises and disappointments, I offer my book to the first time boat buyers.

Rating:
Summary: Powerboat basics
Review: As an experienced sailor switching over to powerboats I have been reading both magazines and " How to Choose," books on powerboating.I figure with such a large purchase you can never be to well read.I found Gould's book to be too basic for someone with boating experience.The chapters are brief and often read like a text book.I also purchased Lamy's boat buying book and found it to be more detailed and loaded with interesting anecdotes. Gould's book does get into more details on boat accessories such as anchors, air-conditioning, refrigeration,and electronics and these topics are not well covered by Lamy.Lamy gives tremendous detail on the purchase process, but only briefly covers accesories and primary systems. I recommend this book as a quick read to inexperienced boat buyers,but recommend that experienced boaters also read a few other books to suppliment "How to Choose Your First Powerboat."

Rating:
Summary: Powerboat basics
Review: As an experienced sailor switching over to powerboats I have been reading both magazines and " How to Choose," books on powerboating.I figure with such a large purchase you can never be to well read.I found Gould's book to be too basic for someone with boating experience.The chapters are brief and often read like a text book.I also purchased Lamy's boat buying book and found it to be more detailed and loaded with interesting anecdotes. Gould's book does get into more details on boat accessories such as anchors, air-conditioning, refrigeration,and electronics and these topics are not well covered by Lamy.Lamy gives tremendous detail on the purchase process, but only briefly covers accesories and primary systems. I recommend this book as a quick read to inexperienced boat buyers,but recommend that experienced boaters also read a few other books to suppliment "How to Choose Your First Powerboat."

Rating:
Summary: Gould's Book Very Helpful to Beginner
Review: I bought "How to Choose Your First Powerboat" before I spent much time shopping for a boat. I was approaching the project with no boating experience at all, and really felt the need for some general information about boats.

I thought "How to Choose Your First Powerboat" gave me a thorough overview of boats without getting into minute details. No way did I expect that any one book would make me completely informed, but I wasn't comfortable proceeding in complete ignorance, either. During the (successful) shopping process for a used boat, more than one seller or broker tried to make some fairly far fetched claims about different boats and I had learned enough from "How to Choose....." to avoid at least one carefully laid trap.

Gould does an excellent job of communicating important basic concepts. There are moments of humor, and the style is easy to read.

I would recommend this book to anybody getting into boating for the first time.

Rating:
Summary: Gould's Book Very Helpful to Beginner
Review: I bought "How to Choose Your First Powerboat" before I spent much time shopping for a boat. I was approaching the project with no boating experience at all, and really felt the need for some general information about boats.

I thought "How to Choose Your First Powerboat" gave me a thorough overview of boats without getting into minute details. No way did I expect that any one book would make me completely informed, but I wasn't comfortable proceeding in complete ignorance, either. During the (successful) shopping process for a used boat, more than one seller or broker tried to make some fairly far fetched claims about different boats and I had learned enough from "How to Choose....." to avoid at least one carefully laid trap.

Gould does an excellent job of communicating important basic concepts. There are moments of humor, and the style is easy to read.

I would recommend this book to anybody getting into boating for the first time.

Rating:
Summary: Much too general
Review: Might be somewhat useful for a used boat buyer. If your looking for information on what to look for in a new boat save your money. There is little or no information on what makes one boat better made than another. What information there is, is of the most basic kind ("drip pans under the engine should have no oil in them"..duh). Some of the information is outdated also. I finished the book in about 20min and will donate it to the library.