I’m not talking about the condo, summer house, or the library addition to the winter estate. Surprise, I’m talking about boats. An increasing number of folks can afford really big, expensive boats. For builders, designers, and of course the owners, that’s a good thing. The problem is that buyers can so easily be lured into purchasing a boat they can afford, but are not likely to enjoy. A couple of quick stories...

We worked years ago with an owner of one of our boats who enjoyed building and buying boats as much as he did owning them. When one was delivered, he was on his way to building a bigger one. Several boats later I ran into him at a boat show looking at a boat significantly smaller than the one he already owned. After some conversation he told me his current boat (a hundred plus footer) had become more cumbersome to own, maintain and operate than his real business: the one that afforded him the luxury. Personnel issues, upkeep and routine maintenance compounded with sheer boat size to sap the spontaneity and enjoyment out of boating. He was looking to downsize.

Another client and dear friend loved small boats (generally under 40-foot). He could have afforded a boat twice that size or more. Smaller boats, however, were his passion. To my knowledge, he owned one big boat but sold that quickly. He then indulged himself over decades with several relatively small, but quite expensive, custom boats. Throughout his years of ownership he did more cruising than most of us are likely to do in a lifetime.

The difference is, as I see it, folks lured or stampeded into more boat than they really need (just because they can afford it), compared with those choosing to rely on the time honored Goldilocks method: falling in love with a boat that’s "…just right".