Go online to find out what to expect in a loan transaction. You may end up making an application there, but in the meantime check brokers’ placards on the types of boats you are looking for and call brokers for advice.

We all dream about buying a bigger boat with all the latest gear and electronics. But for most of us, that dream will never become reality without the right financing package.

To research this article, we put ourselves in the mindset of a boatbuyer in search of financing and went shopping, starting on the Internet and moving into the human realm.

Some of the websites that offered marine financing were informative; some were more sales pitch than education, leading you quickly to a loan application with photos of people having fun on the water and text that drew you in: “Click here! Apply today! It’s fun, fast, and easy!” Boat financing…