How To Sell Your Boat: A Boat Owner’s Checklist


For many people, owning a boat is a great dream. It can be a symbol of success in life and a means to great pleasure in your leisure time. After all, what is more relaxing than taking your boat out for a cruise, having a lazy fishing session and chilling out on board?

However, sometimes you’ll need to sell your boat. This could be because you need a cash injection to pay for other things or due to upgrading to a bigger and better boat. For others still, they may become too old to safely take the boat out.

Whatever the reason, there are a few things you need to do when selling a yacht. In this article, we’ll share them in a helpful checklist. Make your way through this article and cross them all off, and you should be able to sell your seacraft without any hassles. Read on to find out more.

Figure Out Your Price

The first thing you should do is figure out your asking price. This should not be based on your emotional attachment to the vessel but on comparable sales. Using boat sales websites, look for what similar craft are being sold for, and price your yacht accordingly.

Get the Engine Serviced

If your boat is powered by a motor engine, the first thing you need to do to get it ready for sale is to have the engine serviced. A qualified marine mechanic should be able to do this for you. As a boat owner, you should already know a good marine mechanic. Get them to come and give the engine some maintenance.

While they’re at it, they should inspect the engine and conduct any repairs necessary. By addressing issues before selling, you will increase the resale value – as well as it being the right thing to do.

In addition to this, gather all your prior servicing invoices and maintenance history documents. Selling a boat with a full service history is more manageable than selling one without. It will give the buyer confidence in the purchase. A craft with a complete service history will be less likely to experience costly mechanical issues.

Clean the Boat

The next thing to do is clean the boat. Make sure you use appropriate marine cleaning products. Household products are not suitable and could damage and scratch the hull. Give your boat a thorough cleaning, and it will be shining and gleaming and ready for its new owner. Again, this will make the boat more appealing to buyers.

If you are time-poor, you can hire a boat detailer who will do a smashing job for a fee.

Inspect the Hull

The next thing to do is to inspect the hull. This can be done while cleaning your boat. It should be free from algae due to the cleaning process, but you also want to look out for scratches, dents or marks. Make sure that you fix these up using the appropriate materials, or outsource the job to a professional who conducts boat repairs.

Is the Boat Financed?

Do you still owe money on the boat? If it was a financed purchase and you have yet to pay it off, things are trickier. You can still sell it, but you need to advertise it as being under finance and disclose this to any potential buyers.

The process for selling a boat under finance is relatively straightforward. Inform your lender that you are selling. Then, get the buyer to pay out the remaining finance directly to the lender. If there is any value left over, you get this in cash or bank transfer. The lender discharges the loan, and the new buyer walks away with an unfinanced seacraft.

Declutter the Boat

The next thing to do is to go through the boat and declutter it. Remove any personal effects, including artwork, pictures, decorations, clothing, etc. A neat and tidy boat is more likely to sell when compared to one that is cramped and cluttered.

Consider a Yacht Broker

If you are having trouble selling your boat privately or it is an expensive vessel, and you want to ensure you get the best price, you could approach a yacht broker. This is a professional who facilitates the sale of seacraft. They will take a fee, but they will be able to leverage their networks to get you a great price and from a decent buyer. If you’re selling to upgrade, they may also be able to find you your next yacht too.

Summing Up

You’ve learned everything you need to do to sell your boat in this helpful article. Go through the checklist item by item, and by the end, your boat will be ready to sell for a reasonable price. Remember to consider a broker if you have difficulty selling or if it is a high-end vessel. Good luck!


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