If you have to haul the houseboat to the manufacturer 2000 miles away, or dismantle the bathroom to remove the head and then crate it for shipping to Taiwan, the warranty loses its luster. If so, he could go under and leave you holding the bag. Making a Decision Listen to salespersons, even if you wouldn't be caught dead with their product. In hyping the high points of one boat, or bad-mouthing a competitor's boat, the salesperson tells you volumes about houseboats in general, his own boat and the competitor's boat in particular, the credibility of the sales pitch itself, and the morality of the dealership. Best of all, listening is free.
Boat shows are great family fun.
They're a way to be a part of the boating brotherhood all year, even during months when you can't get out on the water. At the boat show you can shop, research, ponder, compare, and buy. There has never been a better year to shop for, to finance, and to own a boat. Authors Gordon and Janet Groene, whose book How to Live Aboard a Boat was first published in the 1980s, are doing a new edition to be published by Bristol Fashion Publications. If you live full-time on your houseboat, they would like to include a case history of three or four paragraphs.