Look, I know buying a boat is a topic I’ve talked about before. OK maybe I’ve talked about it a lot of times before. The question, however, keeps on bubbling up. In fact wandering around boat shows, the illusive question of "The best boat" seems to be one of the biggest factors keeping many folks from actually… well boating.

Before you call, let me assure you that I have been lectured several times that "I simply don’t understand the enormity of the decision making process required to make such a major purchase". That is probably true, still I know many very successful businessmen and women who didn’t go though half the amount of angst over the cars they bought, the house (or houses) they’ve purchased or multi-million dollar business deals they’ve negotiated. Yet they do so when grappling with the pleasure boat they want to buy. The solution to the problem is both simple and complex. Simply sit back, take a deep breath, and make the best decision you can with the information you have at hand. There, now don’t you feel better? The good news is this. The chances of making a wrong decision are inversely proportional to the amount of unwarranted anguish and energy invested in the attempt. To keep that one guy from calling me again let me just add the following.

Define and limit on the time you will spend researching your new boating investment and then go for it. That’s where my trademarked "Toss-a Rock" method comes into play. At the last boat show I told a friend that most people could "Toss-a-Rock" at the show… buy whatever boat that rock hit… and then cruise happily for a lifetime. I truly believe that. Trust my trademarked method. Don’t make the process harder than it needs to be.