Sometimes a prospective boat buyer wants to talk first to owners of the type of boat they're considering. BoatU.S. has set up a free boater-to-boater directory where you can e-mail boat owners who are willing to share their knowledge. BoatU.S. also offers unbiased reviews from noted Surveyor/Designer Jack Hornor, Practical Sailor and Powerboat Reports.

To help you find the right boat, BoatU.S. has recently improved the online classifieds section of BoatUS.com. It includes new easier-to-use search tools, photos and weekly classified E-mail newsletter.

The Association's Consumer Affairs department offers a free BoatU.S. Guide To Buying and Selling A Boat- either online or via mail - that covers initial sea trials to final documentation.

Once you've found the boat of your dreams, a free BoatU.S. Value Check will give you honest, third party advice about a boat's real value, because we know emotion sometimes overcomes reality.

An online directory of surveyors can help you identify potential problems before you make an offer, and BoatU.S. can also help with a boat loan with an easy online loan application or by phone. A comprehensive settlement service (fee paid) is especially helpful when buying without a broker as it will verify liens, coordinate payoffs and hold deposits. And if you'd like to get a competitive insurance rate quote online, you can do that too.

Once you've splashed your new boat, the BoatU.S. Boat Graphics service puts you in the artist's seat with a free and easy online design program to make your own boat name.

All of these boat buying services can be found at