Boat financing has a lot of moving parts that don't get talked about enough. The interest rate you're quoted depends on whether the boat is new or used, your credit score range, and the loan term you pick and small differences in any of those can add up to tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
The part that surprises most people is how much the term length matters. Stretching from 12 to 20 years drops your monthly payment but quietly inflates what you actually pay in total. Most buyers don't run those numbers until after they've already fallen in love with a boat.
Put together a boat loan calculator that covers monthly payments, amortization breakdown, affordability limits, and rate ranges by credit score all in one place.
What caught you off guard when you financed your boat?