Bear in mind when you are buying a pre-owned, second-hand, used speed boat, power boat or motor boat that you are buying something with mechanical parts – the engine, control box and trailer – that has been used in water which is very corrosive and damaging. If the boat has been used in the sea you have the added problem of salt and sand, both of which are also corrosive.

Furthermore it is possible that the boat has been thrashed – after all, most people use a speed boat for a thrill!

So you aren’t likely to get a pre-owned speed boat, at a price that is affordable to the average person, that is in pristine condition.

Having said that, boats are obviously made to be used in water and as long as they have been well-maintained and looked after, can give many years of service.

If you are on a budget, don’t expect to buy a shiny boat that you can pose in whilst moored at a swanky marina. Instead, concentrate on finding a boat with mechanical parts – the engine, control box and trailer - in good useable condition that have been well-maintained, ideally by a qualified marine engineer.

The first boat we bought hadn’t been serviced professionally. The owner had obviously “tinkered” with the engine himself and it gave us a lot of problems. By contrast our second boat  had a full service history and has been relatively trouble-free.

Try to see the boat before committing to buy, particularly if buying from a private individual on eBay rather than from a reputable dealer. In my experience, people have a tendency to exaggerate the good condition of their boat and under-emphasize any damage, wear and tear or defects. Ideally you should take the boat for a test drive but unless the seller lives near water, this is often impractical.

Make a note of the engine serial number so you can check the age of the engine.

If you are buying on eBay and the boat is too far away for you to go and see it before bidding, contact the seller before you place your bid and ask them to confirm that the boat and engine is in full working condition. Also ask if you can see the engine running before paying, if you are the winning bidder. This is not an unreasonable request. In fact, when I sold our first boat, I put in the eBay listing that the winner could see the engine running before parting with their cash.

Boat engines are water-cooled and will get damaged if operated out of water so make sure that the engine is immersed in a tank of water, or has flushing muffs attached, before it is started. Flushing muffs cover the water inlet holes of the engine and are attached to a hosepipe. With the hosepipe turned on, the engine can be started and the impellor will draw the water from the hose, through the muffs into the inlet holes and so keep the engine cool.

As well as seeing the engine working, inspect the propeller blades. If they are chipped or bent, this will affect the performance of the engine so take into account the cost of replacing the propeller when deciding whether to buy the boat or not.

A boat is no good to you without a trailer so make sure the trailer is sturdy and in good working condition. In particular, make sure that the wheel bearings have been well greased.