EIGHT GREAT BOATS

THESE EXAMPLES PROVE THAT BOATING CAN BE AN AFFORDABLE HOBBY.

It's a refrain we hear all the time in our travels: New boats have gotten so expensive that they're no longer accessible to most people. To that, we offer the following rejoinder: There are plenty of great boats out there that will get you on the water at a reasonable cost if you know where to look. The following eight boats provide solid evidence that there's a new boat out there for you, no matter your budget.

BAYLINER ELEMENT M15

Price: $16,980 
(with 40 hp Mercury FourStroke outboard)
BAYLINER BOATS
Knoxville, Tennessee: 865-971-6311; bayliner.com

Bayliner was on the forefront of building affordable boats for first-time buyers a few years back when it introduced the first Element E16. These boats are designed to bring families onto the water for an entertaining day of boating with little to no hassle and expense. The M15 continues that concept with another solid winner in the affordable new-boat market.

The fiberglass M15 has a deep cockpit and a bow lounge with high freeboard to keep the crew secure underway. Bayliner placed the helm aft along the starboard side, so the driver sits on the transom bench. Doing this allowed for a larger bow lounge for the crew to socialize. All told, the M15 can handle a crew of five. While it's not going to set any speed records (we hit 31.3 mph with the 50 hp Mercury outboard), the M hull is designed to be a stable and predictable platform that doesn't lean to one side or the other depending on weight distribution.

VEER X13

Price: $11,995 
(with 9.9 hp Mercury FourStroke)
VEER BOATS
New York Mills, Minnesota; veerboats.com