What's the market like for buying a boat??

DRDreamer72

Member
Nov 17, 2014
204
7
18
Hi,
I have a question running for importing a boat into the DR and the replies have made me wonder if it would be easier to buy in the DR.

So, what's the market like for buying a boat? I was looking at a 6.5m(ish) boat I could use for diving and fishing and as a general runabout. Single or twin engines, no pref for in or outboards. Maybe with a cabin.

Cheers
Roy
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
4,305
1
0
no idea....but i think the boating capital is outside east of boca chica...peruse the classifieds...
 

donP

Newbie
Dec 14, 2008
6,942
178
0
Aeroplanes, boats and women... you better rent and not buy. :cheeky:


donP
 

hammerdown

Bronze
Apr 29, 2005
1,466
107
63
Boat ownership has only 2 great days......the DAY you buy it,...... and the DAY you sell it......
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
Contact Mike Fisher here on DR1.
He has more than one.
jstarbel, also here, lives on his boat here in the DR.
And KEN, did!
The other just wish they did!!!!!
My "Boat Saying" is the best of all, "If you have to ask the price, you shouldn't have a boat"!
Followed by, "A boat is just a hole in the water where you throw all your money"!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
as for a buyers market, thats def the USA, full of boats and everyone needs cash. boats of all sizes are for sale cheap there since years. also Puerto Rico provides a large market for great prices and is well cheaper to bring the boat over, just a short ride over the Mona Channel, from Florida the transfer costs are to consider.
BUT,
do buy a foreign boat only if:
*** you do not plan to use it here commercially, because for that you would need to Import it and those hassles and extreme high costs for doing so make the cheap american boat market uninteresting/scratched off the list.
*** and if you are a US Citizen, to be able to do the yearly renewal of boat papers and keep up the amrican insurance, as a DR insurer will not insure a boat non-DR-Flagged

if you plan to use it commercially, sell diving and cruising and fishing tours, then only look on buying boats who already have DR Papers/Matricula, and make sure that the Matricula is Renewed to date and check at the Marina that no debts are on the boat. it is VERY IMPORTANT that the fabrication number/Hull Number worked into the Boathull(right aft) and shown on a Plate (inside front end of the boat where mostly the ankerchain is stored) is exactly the same fabrication number shown in the original of the Matricula AND on the Bill of Sale/contract, as a very high percentage of the elderly boats running in the country(all sizes from small chanchis up to big yachts) have false papers, changed flaggs from a foreign purchased boat by using the Matricula of a old already sunk DR registered boat. the authorities are on it to take those falsely matriculated vessels out of service/to the boaty graveyard one by one during the next years.
in case you are fairly new to such business on this Island, and plan to do " a lil bit" of boating and diving and fishing and snorkeling with tourists as a side biz, check your area where you plan such carefully before you spend a dime, as most likely it will just cost you a fortune and the new biz will be closed quickly. to own a boat is the least of requirements to run a biz/excursion on the water.

good luck

Mike