Buy a boat on the mainland or in Hawaii? (Wailua: for sale, house)

[Sunaimer]

Any suggestions on whether or not we should purchase a boat on the mainland (Seattle), or buy one in Hawaii after our move? Cost of shipping it in a container versus cost of buying in Hawaii? Pros/cons. TIA

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I've heard that it's really hard to get a slip to moor your boat, at least here on the Big Island. Maybe before you considering shipping a boat over, you should check to see if you can find space.

If you buy one on the mainland, why not sail it over?

[Sunaimer]

I want a power boat to park at the house and launch to go fish, snorkel etc. (on Kauai).

[leilaniguy]

Why don't you sail it there? If not, can you sail it there?

[KauaiHiker]

Something to consider is that the seas in Hawaii are generally rougher, so you need a sturdy, high-bow boat. Look at what is for sale on Craigslist to see what the locals have. You can bring over a zodiac-type boat, about the biggest you can get in a container (they also sell them here), but you won't be able to use it all the time. A friend of mine had a zodiac and mostly used it on the Wailua River for water-skiing/tubing.

You can find large fishing boats on trailers for sale here, but you need a fairly big truck to haul them. As mentioned, you will have trouble getting a slip in Hawaii (they say 5-year wait list on Kauai), so you will likely be limited by what you can tow. Price-wise, I have no experience, mainland is usually cheaper, but the boat market is distorted in tiny markets like Hawaii--some boats are overpriced, others a steal. My recommendation is to get to know the conditions and look for something here first, and comparison shop on the mainland if it's too high. You can always go back for a visit and have it shipped over at a later time.