If you are purchasing a new boat or yacht, you should give the procedure a bit of thought before you even start looking. You can determine your criteria for size, expense, and type of yacht. The first thing to do is determine the type of yacht or boat that you need.
The main categories to choose from are motor yacht, sedan/convertible, express, high performance, trawlers, pilothouse, tender, super yachts, catamaran, houseboats, and antique/classic.
Motor yachts are most common among the luxury class. They can move out at 20-30 knots but are extremely roomy and luxurious inside. Brands such as Hatteras and Grand Banks are extremely popular. On the other hand, Express models are fast, fast, fast. They can often go 40-50 knots and are sleeker. Although they too are very nice, the interior space may be more limited than in a motor yacht. Common express cruisers include models by Sea Ray, Bayliner, and Cruisers.
Sedan/convertible boats offer a bit of a compromise. They often feature some sort of removable canvas on the upper deck in order to accommodate all-weather boating, still have lots of glass like a motor yacht, but are fast as well. Sedan/convertibles can often be outfitted for fishing, making them a popular dual-purpose yacht. Trojan and Silverton make popular sedan/convertibles.
Remember that all these types of boats and yachts for sale can be found at yachtSource Online.
For the ultimate speed demon, high-performance yachts are the way to go. Ranging in size from 30 to 50 feet, they have giant motors, often by Mercury Performance Marine, and do little but go fast. Cigarette Racing is the flagship brand in this category.
Trawlers and Pilothouse models are efficient, but slow. Expect to go no more than 8 to 12 knots, but expect to do so very efficiently, with low fuel consumption, and in style. World cruisers often select this sort of yacht due to their lower operating cost - they are relatively fuel efficient, if you don't need to get someplace fast. Sea Ranger and Gulfstar make popular trawler models.
In somewhat less common configurations, catamarans are speedy and popular in the tropics. You often see houseboats on rivers and tributaries in the southern United States.
If gleaming woodwork ala Chris-Craft is your thing, then you should look into an antique or classic powerboat or yacht. Keep in mind that the labor to upkeep these beauties is substantial.
Once you have decided on the type of powerboat you want, you are ready to being shopping. Again, yachtSource online has all these types of boats for sale, and more.