Looking to buy a boat? Here are 4 tried and true ways to save some money and get more boat for your buck.

1) Don't buy from dealers. As with car dealers, boat dealers are going to sell the boat for what they believe is the going "selling" rate. This is usually far above what you could get it for in a private sale or at auction.

2) Look on Craigslist. There are a lot of people who need to sell their boats quickly, and I have seen quite a few good deals on Craigslist over the past 6 months or so. As with all dealings with Craigslist, BE CAREFUL! Don't give out more personal information than is necessary, make sure you see all the required paperwork before handing over payment, and check the boat out thoroughly before deciding to purchase.

3) Offer cash for a boat you see on someone's property.If you can afford it, this is a great way to get a boat, believe it or not. At least, it has worked very well here in Florida. Every street has at least one or two boats on it, in a driveway or parked next to the house. In today's tough financial times, people are very willing to sell the boat that they can't afford to use. This is a method many of the boat dealer's use to keep their lots full of boats without breaking their bank.

4) Attend government auctions. This one is hit or miss, most often the dealers will be there in force and you don't stand a chance. But, every once in a while you can luck out and get a terrific deal. Just be willing to fail quite a few times and realize that there is no guarantee you will succeed, but if you do it will often be well worth it. Also realize that boats at these auctions can be in almost any condition from beaten and abused to only a few months old, so if you don't mind fixing a boat up you usually won't have as much bidding competition on the more "well used" boats.