Buyer & Seller Guides

Practical guides to buying, selling, and owning a boat. Search them, or browse by what you need.

Buying a boat

9From first budget to signed transfer

Understanding Boat Financing and InsurancePurchasing a boat outright is not always possible — or desirable. Marine financing products allow buyers to spread the cost of a purchase over several years…7 min read First-Time Buyer's Checklist: 10 Things to Check Before Making an OfferBuying your first boat is exciting — and it's easy to let that excitement override careful due diligence. This checklist gives you ten essential things to…8 min read How to Buy a Boat: Step-by-Step ProcessBuying a boat is one of the most rewarding purchases you can make — but it can also be one of the most complex. Unlike buying a car, purchasing a boat…7 min read How to Negotiate a Boat PriceBoat prices are rarely fixed. Unlike buying from a retailer, the used boat market is more like the property market — asking prices are a starting point for…7 min read How to Read a Boat ListingA boat listing contains a lot of information — some of it obvious, some of it industry shorthand that can be confusing if you're new to buying boats…9 min read New vs. Used Boat: What to ConsiderOne of the first decisions any boat buyer faces is whether to buy new or used. There is no universally correct answer — the right choice depends on your…6 min read Total Cost of Boat OwnershipThere is an old saying in the sailing world: "The two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it." The humour…6 min read What Is a Marine Survey and Why You Need OneA marine survey is a professional inspection of a boat carried out by a qualified surveyor before purchase. It is the marine equivalent of a building survey —…6 min read What to Expect at a Sea TrialA sea trial is a test sail or motoring run carried out before finalising the purchase of a boat. It is your opportunity to verify that the vessel performs as…7 min read

Selling a boat

5Prepare, price, list, close

How to Price Your BoatPricing is the single most important decision you will make when selling your boat. Set it too high and the boat sits on the market for months, attracting…6 min read How to Sell Your Boat: Complete Seller's GuideSelling a boat takes more preparation than most sellers expect. Buyers are informed, the market is competitive, and a poorly presented listing will be ignored…7 min read How to Write a Great Boat ListingYour listing is the first — and often only — impression a buyer will have of your boat. Most buyers shortlist boats entirely based on what they see online. A…8 min read Preparing Your Boat for SaleThe time and money you invest in preparing your boat for sale will pay back many times over. A well-presented, well-documented boat commands a higher price…8 min read What Happens After You Accept an OfferAccepting an offer on your boat feels like the finish line — but it's actually closer to the halfway point. Between accepting an offer and receiving the final…9 min read

Reading the spec

8What the numbers on a listing mean

Boat Types ExplainedChoosing the right type of boat is the most important decision in any purchase. Different types are optimised for different uses — offshore cruising, coastal…6 min read Engine Types ExplainedThe engine is one of the most important and scrutinised elements of any boat purchase. Understanding the different engine configurations — how they work, what…6 min read Hull Types ExplainedThe hull is the most fundamental part of any boat — its shape determines how the vessel moves through water, how fast it can go, how fuel-efficient it is, and…6 min read Reading Engine Hours: What's Normal?Engine hours are one of the first figures any experienced buyer looks at in a listing. Like mileage on a car, hours tell you how much use an engine has seen —…7 min read Rig Types for SailboatsThe rig of a sailboat — the arrangement of masts, spars, and sails — is one of the most distinctive features in any listing. Different rig configurations suit…7 min read Understanding Boat DimensionsBoat listings contain a set of standard dimensions that describe the physical size and shape of the vessel. These numbers are not just statistics — they…7 min read Understanding Keel TypesThe keel is the structural and hydrodynamic backbone of a sailing yacht. It serves two fundamental purposes: providing lateral resistance (stopping the boat…6 min read What Is Boat Displacement and Why It MattersDisplacement is one of the most important — and most misunderstood — figures in a boat listing. It is not simply a measure of size. Displacement determines…6 min read

Owning & maintaining

6Keeping her serviced, protected and legal

Annual Boat Maintenance ChecklistA boat that is maintained to a schedule costs far less over its lifetime than one maintained reactively — where problems are only fixed when they fail…7 min read Antifouling: What It Is and When to Do ItAny boat kept in the water accumulates biofouling — the build-up of marine organisms on the underwater hull. Within days of launching, bacteria form a slime…12 min read Understanding a Boat's Documentation and RegistrationA boat's documentation and registration are its legal identity. For buyers, these records establish proof of ownership and reveal any outstanding finance. For…13 min read Diesel Engine Maintenance BasicsA marine diesel engine is one of the most reliable pieces of machinery you can put in a boat — but only if it is properly maintained. Unlike a car engine, a…13 min read Electrical Systems on Boats: What Buyers Should KnowA boat's electrical system is one of the most important — and most overlooked — areas when buying a used vessel. Faulty wiring causes fires, failed…13 min read Winterizing Your BoatWinterizing a boat means preparing it for an extended lay-up period — typically autumn through to spring in temperate climates. Done properly, it protects…13 min read

Reference

2Jargon, abbreviations and definitions

Common Abbreviations in Boat ListingsBoat listings are packed with industry shorthand. Once you know the code, you can assess a vessel at a glance — but until then, the alphabet soup of…15 min read Nautical Terms Glossary for Boat BuyersBuying a boat means encountering a vocabulary that can feel like a foreign language. This glossary explains the most common nautical terms in plain English so…20 min read

Brokers & trust

4How the trade — and this site — works

Why Use a Yacht Broker vs. Private SaleWhen it comes to buying or selling a boat, one of the first decisions you face is whether to work with a professional yacht broker or handle the transaction…8 min read How Our Listing Platform WorksWhether you are searching for your next yacht or looking to sell your current vessel, this platform is built to make the process transparent, secure, and…7 min read How to Work With a Yacht BrokerA yacht broker is a professional intermediary who facilitates the buying and selling of boats. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, understanding how brokers…7 min read Scam Awareness: Red Flags When Buying a Boat OnlineBuying a boat is one of the largest purchases most people will ever make. That makes the marine marketplace a target for fraudsters who use well-rehearsed…9 min read

Running a Brokerage

Compliance Basics for a Yacht BrokerageYacht brokerage sits across several regulated areas at once: anti-money-laundering law, client money rules, sanctions screening, consumer protection, tax and…7 min read Following Up on Leads Without Losing ThemMost enquiries a brokerage loses are not lost to a competitor with a better boat. They are lost to silence. A buyer sends the same question to four listings…6 min read Handling Offers and Counter-OffersAn offer is not a price. It is a price attached to a deposit, a survey window, a completion date, a delivery location and a list of what is included — and any…6 min read Photographing and Documenting a YachtA listing's photographs do two jobs. The first three decide whether a buyer stops scrolling. The remaining forty decide whether they travel to see the boat…6 min read Pricing a Listing to SellPhotography, copy and advertising decide who looks at a boat. Price decides who enquires. A boat priced twenty per cent above the market can be beautifully…6 min read What Belongs in a Listing AgreementA listing agreement — a central agency agreement, a brokerage agreement, a Vermittlungsauftrag, depending on where you work — is the only document that says…7 min read