[JL8Jeff]

First thing is to decide if you want a boat with an outboard or inboard. And then what size and how many people you plan to put in the boat. Where do you plan on using it the most? River, lake or salt water will make a big difference with what you will want to get. I've got about a foot of water at my dock in the summer. Trailering a boat will take some of the fun out of it because it adds extra time to the whole process. I've always had smaller boats in the 13-16' range due to where I use it on the river. Don't forget about the cost of fuel since boats don't get good gas mileage.