The Top 10 Boat Options To Spring For

Part of the fun in shopping for a new boat lies in personalizing your new pride and joy through options and upgrades that make a great boat even better. But deciding what boat options to splurge on isn’t always clear cut, especially with some boats now coming with multi-page lists of available upgrades.

So which add-ons deliver the best value? Here are our pics for the top 10 boat options to spring for.

Electric Grill

A proper grill beats cold sandwiches every time.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, everyone’s having a great time, and that’s when you begin to realize that the cold sandwiches you brought from home just don’t really cut it – especially when you could enjoy some tasty hot dogs, burgers or steaks cooked to perfection on an electric grill. Electric barbecues are understandable very popular options found on many types of boats, making them especially popular with families on the go. But be forewarned – the smell of your lunch wafting across the sandbar will make you lots of new friends in a hurry, so be sure to pack plenty of food.

Sun Shade

Power sun shades provide a break from the mid-day heat.

Sunburns, sun stroke and skin cancer are no laughing matter, so ensure your boat has a sun shade of some type so you can escape the worst of the mid-day heat. Power retractable shades are now among the most popular options, and they really enhance the value of any boat. Further, power shades can now be found on a wide range of boat types – from small fishing rigs to big center consoles, pontoons and yachts.

Anchor Windlass

Forget hauling on anchor ropes and let a power windlass to the heavy lifting for you.

Boating is a lot of fun, but hauling on a wet rope to retrieve the anchor sure isn’t. That’s why more and more boats now offer powered windlasses as an available option, making the job of setting or retrieving the anchor push-button easy. You don’t even have to leave the helm, so you can say goodbye to climbing up a slippery foredeck and hauling on rope for good.

More Power

Maxing out engine power is one of the best upgrades a boater can make.

Most boats are sold with a standard engine that does the job, but may not be the most powerful in a bid to keep costs down. One of the most popular – and valuable – options you can spring for is to upgrade the standard engine to the maximum power available. Not only will the bigger engine allow you to wring every last ounce of performance out of your new ride, it almost always increases resale value, and could deliver better fuel economy if you’re often running with full loads.

Heads Up

Creature comforts matter, so pony up for a head. This isn’t even an option so much as a necessity.

No one likes to have to hold it till they return to the dock, and that’s a big reason why head compartments have become such a popular optional upgrade. Spiffy engineering now makes it possible to accommodate head compartments into even surprisingly small boats, right down to inflatables. If you don’t have a head onboard these days you’re definitely behind the curve, so make sure that’s one item you check on the option list. The whole family will thank you.

Bigger Is Better

Upgrading the touch-screen displays makes boating safer, more enjoyable, and increases a boat’s resale value.

Multi-function touch-screen displays have completely changed the way we go boating, and that’s particularly true in the case of larger screens that can display more data with greater clarity. Most boat builders offer screen upgrades and it’s one of the best investments you can make – not only bringing more enjoyment when you’re at the helm, but holding value when it comes time to trade up to a new boat.

Stabilizers Rock

Say goodbye to rolling seas with a gyroscopic stabilizer, one of the most popular options in boating today.

Well, they don’t actually, and that’s the whole point. Compact gyroscopic stabilizers take all the rolling and pitching out of a day on the water, providing a much more stable and comfortable ride for everyone. The compact gyroscope – normally housed in an in-floor compartment down at the waterline – spins at an extremely high speed to counter the effects of waves and currents, meaning no one gets seasick and no one wishes they were back on the dock. If you go boating on big water, this is a must-have.

Washdown Kits

Blast away sand, fish scales and other debris with a washdown kit, so you can spend more time enjoying the boat and less time cleaning it.

People want to enjoy their boats, not clean them, and that’s why washdown systems are one of the most popular options of all. Just pull out the hose and spray away any fish scales, sand, seaweed or debris that finds its way into the boat. You can keep things looking ship-shape on the fly, and eliminate those tedious end-of-day cleanups altogether. You can also spray any kids that fall asleep, but we didn’t tell you that.

Upgrade the Compass

Investing in a good compass is one of the best optional upgrades a boater can make.

GPS is really cool – at least till you have a problem and lose the signal, or lose power to your dashboard altogether. It doesn’t happen often, but electronics malfunctions aren’t exactly unheard-of either, so smart boaters never leave the dock without a good compass onboard. Some boats come with a cheapie version, others with no compass at all, so spring for a good one and consider it a simple and inexpensive insurance policy that could save your life.

SeaDek

Foam decking is more comfortable than carpet and repels water, so it doesn’t add weight when it gets wet.

For years the wakeboard guys have been decking their boats out with SeaDek, and now the rest of the world is too. SeaDek is a soft, non-slip, easily customizable flooring option made from closed cell PE/EVA foam. It’s tough as nails yet soft on bare feet, and it repels water so a wet floor doesn’t add hundreds of pounds of extra weight the way a carpeted floor does. SeaDek is also shock absorbing, making for a more comfortable experience on the water, and the stuff comes in an incredible range of colors and patterns to suit any taste.