Buying a used boat

A reference for shoppers: how buying a used boat works, what to look at on a boat built between 1975 and 2010, and what ownership really involves. Ready to shortlist models? Take the used-boat finder quiz.

The buying process

• From shortlist to closing: the steps Power & sail
  Most used-boat purchases follow the same path: look, make a written offer that depends on a survey and sea trial, put down a deposit, survey the boat, then accept, renegotiate or walk away before closing. Knowing the order and the contract deadlines protects you.
• Brokers, private sales and red flags Power & sail
  A listing broker is paid by the seller and works for the seller. A buyer's broker works for you. Private sales can go well but put more of the checking on you. Either way, learn the warning signs of scams and of boats dressed up for sale.
• Negotiating after the survey Power & sail
  Almost every survey finds problems, even on well-kept boats. The report's priority list shows what must be fixed for safety, what can wait and what is cosmetic. Use it to decide whether to accept the boat, renegotiate or walk away.

What to inspect

• Hull: blisters, wet core, cracks and old repairs Power & sail
  The hull is checked out of the water. The surveyor taps it with a hammer, takes moisture readings, and looks for blisters, cracks and old repairs. Wet or rotten core and structural damage cost the most; small blisters are often more a price question than a safety one.
• Decks: soft spots, fittings and teak Power & sail
  Most fiberglass decks of this era are cored with balsa or plywood. Water gets in around fittings and rots the core, which shows up as soft or springy spots. Laid teak decks look great but wear thin, and old screwed-down teak can leak into the deck below.
• Engines and generators Power & sail
  On most trawlers and cruisers the engines are the costliest single item. Watch a true cold start, read the service records, and hire a mechanic who knows that make for an engine survey with oil analysis. A general surveyor checks that engines run, not their inner health.
• Fuel tanks: age, material and leaks Power & sail
  Built-in fuel tanks are hard to see and very hard to replace, because many boats were built around them. Aluminum tanks corrode where water sits, and the welded mild-steel (black iron) tanks in many 1970s-80s boats, Taiwan trawlers included, tend to leak eventually.
• Running gear, steering and rudder Power & sail
  Shafts, bearings, stuffing boxes, props, struts, steering and rudders are mostly checked on the haul-out. Wear here is usually affordable to fix, but a neglected stuffing box can sink a boat, and water inside a sailboat rudder can quietly corrode its internal frame.
• Electrical: DC, AC, shore power and corrosion Power & sail
  Electrical faults are a leading cause of boat fires, and older boats carry decades of add-ons. The surveyor checks AC and DC systems against Coast Guard rules and ABYC standards. Pay special attention to the shore power inlet, the batteries, and protection against corrosion and shock.
• Plumbing, heads, holding tanks and seacocks Power & sail
  Water leaking in through fittings below the waterline sinks more boats at the dock than anything else. Check every through-hull, valve, hose and clamp, and find out how the head and holding tank are plumbed, because federal sewage rules apply to every boat with an installed toilet.
• Sailboat rigging, chainplates and sails Sailboats
  The mast and rigging are expensive and safety-critical, and most general surveyors stay at deck level. Have a rigger go aloft. Sources give different lifespans for wire rigging, so unless replacement is documented, plan as if the rig is original.
• Electronics on an older boat Power & sail
  Electronics on a boat built before 2010 are likely dated, and some may be useless. Budget to replace them, check that the VHF has DSC and a correctly registered MMSI, and see the Electronics guide for item-by-item buying checks.

Boats by era, 1975–2010

• Fiberglass by era: blisters, resins and cores Power & sail
  Fiberglass boats of the 1970s and 1980s were built mostly with low-cost polyester resins that let water in, and blistering became widespread. Builders moved to more water-resistant resins and later to foam cores that don't rot, but not all at once and not all builders.
• Taiwan trawlers and the engines of the era Power boats
  Thousands of affordable trawlers came out of Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s under dozens of names, often from shared molds, and many still cruise. Quality varied by yard and improved in the early 1980s. Most had simple, long-lived diesels that are no longer made but still supported.
• Rules and gear that changed, 1972-2010 Power & sail
  Several federal rules and navigation systems changed while these boats were being built. The dates help you judge what an older boat was built to, what paperwork to expect, and which gear is now obsolete.

Paperwork & ownership

• Documentation, titles, liens and the bill of sale Power & sail
  A boat is either federally documented with the Coast Guard or titled by a state, and documented boats often still need a state registration. Before closing, confirm who owns the boat and whether any mortgage or lien is recorded. General information only, not legal advice.
• Sales, use and excise taxes Power & sail
  Buying a boat usually triggers a state sales, use or excise tax, generally owed where the boat will be kept and used, even if you buy privately or out of state. Rates, caps and exemptions differ a lot by state. General information only, not tax advice.
• Insurance, moorage and living aboard Power & sail
  Insurance may not be legally required, but lenders and most marinas require it, and older boats can be harder to insure. Line up insurance and a slip before you close. If you plan to live aboard, check the marina's rules and any state limits first.

Costs & budgeting

• What buying costs beyond the price Power & sail
  Expect to pay for surveys, a haul-out, fluid analysis, paperwork and taxes on top of the price, often several thousand dollars before you own the boat. Figures below come from named sources with dates; costs vary by region, boat and year, so get local quotes.
• Annual costs and the first-year budget Power & sail
  Yearly costs don't shrink as a boat ages; older boats usually cost more to keep. Budget by category (moorage, insurance, haul-out and bottom, engines, canvas and electronics) and hold a repair fund for the first year. Rules of thumb exist, but sources define and size them differently.

Choosing a type of boat

• Trawler, cruiser, sportfish or sailboat? Power & sail
  Choose the type of boat from how you'll really use it: where you'll cruise, how far, how fast, with whom, and whether you'll live aboard. Hard limits such as air draft, water draft and slip size can rule boats out before taste does.
• Hull form, one engine or two, and hull material Power & sail
  Displacement hulls are efficient but slow; planing hulls go fast but need power. Single engines are simpler and thriftier; twins add redundancy and easier docking. Fiberglass dominates this era, while wood and steel boats need specialist surveys and can be harder to insure.

Reference tables

General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.