buying a boat

I'm planing on buying a small boat in the next month or two and i haven't got a clue about boats,what sort of things should i look out for when buying a secondhand boat and what size engine would i need to get me out to the kish from dublin any info would be much appreciated cheers

Your main concern mate as ever is the engine....fibreglass doesnt rot. Try and buy from a dealer if possible, check out boatsandoutboards.co.uk if a trip to the uk is possible for you...loads of stuff over there. I will say that this time of year is the worst time you want to be trying to buy a boat as everyone is looking for them hence higher prices. I have bought both mine from Ebay, one v good, one with a dodgy engine that i am in process of replacing. Got them cheap enough so cant really complain. Not too sure as to the distances you are talking about or how much your planning to spend so couldnt give you any tips as to what type etc. When it comes to the engines however, dont take a sellers word for it on the age, get a serial number off them, there are numerous sites with info on that match engines serial number to year of manufacture. Make sure the engine is a recognised brand, merc, yamaha, johnson etc as you wil have difficulty getting lesser known brands serviced or source parts for them. See if you can get a manual for the relevant outboard, check out ebay for these, there isnt a lot of work involved in servicing an outboard so helps keep costs down if you DIY. Theres a few posts on buying a boat in this forum, take a look down through them, they should help. HTH.

thanks for that petekd :D