You've decided to take the plunge and buy your first motorboat — or trade up for a model better suited to your lifestyle? You'll immediately face an overwhelming choice: open runabout, RIB, cabin cruiser, offshore… The options are numerous, budgets vary enormously, and the selection criteria can be hard to prioritize. This guide walks you through the process step by step to find the ideal motorboat for your needs, sailing area and budget.
1. Define Your Usage First
The first question to ask is not "what boat?", but "what for?". A boat built for family day trips is completely different from a cabin cruiser designed for coastal cruising with overnight stays, or an offshore boat built for speed. Answer these questions honestly:
- Trip duration: day trips only, weekends with overnight stays, or extended cruises?
- Number of passengers: couple, family with children, large group of friends?
- Sailing area: inland waterway, coastal, open sea?
- Activities: water skiing, wake, diving, fishing, leisurely cruising?
- Storage: marina berth, dry storage, trailer on a car park?
Before buying, use the YachtMate app to explore the sailing areas you're interested in: depths, fuel stops, anchorages, marinas. This will help you better calibrate the size and range needed for your future boat.
2. The Four Main Motorboat Types
The Open / Runabout
This is the quintessential motorboat for day trips. Compact (4 to 7 metres), easy to handle and tow, the open runabout is ideal for discovering power boating without breaking the bank. Its open cockpit seats 4 to 8 people, its transom often features a swim platform, and its outboard engine simplifies maintenance. Budget: from €8,000 for a used model to €40,000 for a premium new 6-metre runabout.
The Semi-Rigid / RIB
The Rigid Inflatable Boat combines a rigid fibreglass or aluminium hull with inflatable tubes. This design gives it excellent stability, natural unsinkability and outstanding sea-keeping. The RIB is the Swiss Army knife of power boating: versatile, seaworthy and cheap to maintain. It excels for diving, coastal fishing and shuttling from anchorage. Length ranges from 3 to 8 metres, and prices from €5,000 to €60,000 depending on size and engine.
The Cabin Cruiser
Once you want to sleep aboard, the cabin cruiser is the answer. These boats (usually 7 to 14 metres) have a cabin with berths, often a galley, a dining area and a head. Their large aft cockpit is comfortable for cruising or dining at anchor. They're powered by inboard engines, sterndrives or large outboards. Budget: from €40,000 for an 8-metre used model to several hundred thousand euros for large new ones.
The Offshore / Sport
Designed for speed and performance, offshore boats (8 to 12 metres) have planing hulls capable of reaching 50 to 80 knots in good conditions. Their use is more sporting than leisurely — you don't board one for a quiet dinner at anchor. Prices range from €50,000 to €250,000 depending on engine power.
3. Engine Types: Outboard, Inboard or Sterndrive?
The Outboard Engine
The most common solution for boats up to 9-10 metres. Mounted on the transom, the outboard offers easy maintenance (you can lift it out of the water), minimal space taken up inside the boat, and the option to replace it without touching the hull. Modern 4-stroke outboards are reliable, clean and economical. Leading brands: Yamaha, Honda, Mercury, Suzuki. Prices: €3,000 to €30,000 depending on power (6 to 350 hp).
The Inboard Engine
Integrated into the hull, the inboard drives a propeller via a shaft and strut. This solution is more robust and better suited to larger boats (from 9 metres), but complicates maintenance and requires a dedicated engine room. It is near-universal on medium and large cabin cruisers.
The Sterndrive (Z-drive)
A compromise between the two: the engine sits inside the hull but the drive unit is outside, tilting like an outboard. This allows variable thrust orientation and simplifies port manoeuvring. The historic solution from Volvo Penta and Mercruiser on 7-12 metre cabin cruisers.
When searching for anchorages or marinas, the YachtMate app lets you filter areas by your draft and check available depths — especially useful for inboard-powered boats which typically have a greater draft than outboard equivalents.
4. New or Second-Hand?
A new boat comes with a manufacturer's warranty (minimum 2 years in France), is technically up to date and can be customised. However, depreciation is steep: a new boat loses 15–25% of its value in the first year. Buying used allows you to access a higher category for the same budget, but requires due diligence:
- Commission an independent marine survey (€300–€600)
- Check for maritime liens or seizures
- Check engine hours (above 1,000 hours, plan a major service)
- Request maintenance logs and service invoices
"A well-surveyed second-hand boat is better than a badly chosen new one." — Marina wisdom
5. Hidden Costs to Budget For
- Insurance: €500–€3,000/year depending on vessel value and sailing area
- Marina or storage: €500–€8,000/year depending on region and boat size
- Engine maintenance: oil change, impeller, zincs, filters… €500–€1,500/year
- Fuel: a 150 hp outboard burns 20–30 L/h at full throttle
- Antifouling / haul-out: €500–€2,500 depending on boat size
- Electronics and safety gear: GPS, VHF, EPIRB, life jackets… several thousand euros
Professionals generally estimate annual running costs at 10–15% of the boat's purchase price. Factor these figures into your budget before signing.
6. Essential Electronics On Board
- Chartplotter / GPS: essential for navigation, paired with up-to-date charts
- Fixed VHF radio: channel 16 monitoring is mandatory at sea
- Depth sounder: vital for knowing the depth under the keel
- Distress beacon (EPIRB or PLB): strongly recommended for any sea use
- AIS receiver (or transceiver): to detect surrounding commercial vessels
YachtMate integrates detailed marine charts, weather forecasts, authorised anchorages and live port information — everything you need to plan and navigate safely from your smartphone, alongside your onboard chartplotter. Available on iOS and Android.
7. Boat Licence: What Do You Need?
In France, a boating licence is required whenever engine power exceeds 4.5 kW (approx. 6 hp). Two options exist:
- Coastal licence: valid up to 6 nautical miles from shelter. Sufficient for 90% of power boaters.
- Offshore extension: required beyond 6 miles and for crossings. Requires the coastal licence as a prerequisite.
8. Our Buying Advice
- Define your exact usage before browsing adverts
- Visit several models and brands before deciding
- A sea trial is mandatory — never buy without one!
- For used boats, commission an independent marine survey
- Check engine hours and request maintenance logs
- Include insurance, mooring and annual maintenance in your budget
- Verify that mandatory safety equipment is present and valid
- Check waiting times for a marina berth in your region
- Choose an engine type suited to your sailing area
- Don't buy "too big" to start: a boat you can master is worth more than one that masters you
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