What should you check before buying a second-hand boat?
Hull and systems condition, engines, maintenance, history, documentation, tax status and, where appropriate, a sea trial, inspection and haul-out.
BUY A BOAT
Buying a used boat begins with excitement.
Choosing well takes judgement.
We help you understand what you are buying, compare more effectively and move forward with more information before committing a significant part of your capital.
BUY WITH JUDGEMENT
Buying a used boat means choosing a boat suited to the intended use and reviewing condition, history, price, maintenance and documentation together before closing the transaction.
WHO IT IS FOR
Buyers who want to compare more effectively, reduce uncertainty and know what to check before committing.
KEY CONCEPTS
buy a boat · used boat · second-hand boat · yacht broker · pre-purchase survey · sea trial · boat documentation · total cost
What is a survey for before buying?
To reduce uncertainty about the boat’s condition, identify defects or outstanding maintenance and make a better-informed decision before closing.
BEFORE YOU FALL FOR THE BOAT
The best boat is not always the biggest, the newest or the one with the fewest engine hours.
It is the one that best fits the way you boat and whose condition, history, price and maintenance make sense when considered together.
Buying a used boat can be an excellent decision. It can also become a succession of unexpected costs if the decision is based only on photographs, price or emotion.
Our aim is not to take the emotion out of buying. It is to make sure that emotion is supported by information.
THE FIRST QUESTION
“What boat do you really need for the kind of boating you want to do?”
Before looking at adverts, it is worth defining use, cruising area, usual passengers, nights on board, range, speed, maintenance costs and total budget. Many poor purchases begin by choosing the boat before defining these answers.
CHOOSE WITH CONTEXT
It is not all about brand, year and price.
A boat is a combination of systems, maintenance, documentation and previous decisions. That is why two apparently identical boats can have very different values.
Real-world use
Day trips, passages, fishing, family use, anchoring, speed or extended stays. Your cruising programme should guide the search.
Total cost
Not only the purchase price: fuel, marina berth, insurance, maintenance, haul-outs, servicing, taxes and possible upgrades.
Condition
Hull, engines, systems, electronics, interiors and recent work carry far more weight than they may appear to when comparing adverts.
History
Invoices, previous owners, maintenance, interventions and documentation help explain how the boat has reached its current condition.
HOW WE HELP
From “I like it” to a reasoned decision.
When a boat is marketed by Fontnautic, we support the buyer throughout the transaction, answer questions and coordinate the process through to transfer of ownership and handover. The buyer does not pay Fontnautic brokerage fees for this support.
Define the search
Cruising style, sensible length, budget, location, propulsion, layout and priorities. The clearer the objective, the less time is wasted on boats that do not fit.
Assess the boat before travelling
We review the available information, history, equipment, photographs, maintenance and market context to identify questions worth resolving before arranging a viewing.
View with judgement
A viewing should involve more than walking through the cabins. General order, the engine room, moisture, installations, corrosion, bilges, documentation and the owner’s approach can reveal a great deal.
Sea trial and inspection where appropriate
A sea trial helps assess operation and behaviour. For transactions that justify it, we recommend an independent inspection or survey and, where appropriate, specific mechanical checks.
Documentation and status of the boat
Before completion, we review and coordinate the documentation available for the transaction: ownership, registration, flag, tax/documentary status and the documents applicable to the specific case. After signing, we can continue to assist with transfer of ownership, registration and formalities through our yacht documentation service.
Negotiation, formalities and handover
We coordinate the offer, deposit, conditions, contracts, documentation and handover. If the boat is marketed by Fontnautic, we remain available for questions and formalities connected with the transaction until the process is complete.
IF YOU BUY A BOAT WITH FONTNAUTIC
We do not hand you a contract and disappear.
We support you throughout the purchase and sale and the formalities connected with the transaction without charging you brokerage fees as the buyer.
01
Questions about the boat and the transaction.
02
Offer, deposit, contracts and coordination between the parties.
03
Documentation, transfer of ownership, registrations and administrative formalities.
04
Coordination of handover and next steps when the boat changes hands.
Important: this refers to Fontnautic brokerage fees charged to the buyer. Taxes, official fees and third-party services — for example surveys, transport, repairs or certain documentation costs — may have their own cost depending on the transaction.
A RULE THAT ALMOST NEVER FAILS
Do not buy only the boat that excites you most.
Understand which one has been cared for best.
Meticulous maintenance, a properly executed installation, an orderly engine room or a coherent documentary history can be worth far more than a few years of age difference.
Age is visible on the specification sheet. Care is revealed by investigation.
WHAT WE LOOK AT PARTICULARLY CLOSELY
Small signs often tell big stories.
No single sign condemns a boat. But several inconsistencies together justify asking more questions before moving forward.
Maintenance without evidence
“Everything has been done” carries much more weight when there are dates, invoices, work reports or a coherent explanation of the maintenance performed.
Makeshift installations
Untidy wiring, modifications that are difficult to trace or poorly finished repairs can foreshadow more expensive problems.
Information that changes
Engine hours, year, taxes, flag, owners or recent work should be capable of being explained consistently.
Price without context
A low price may be an opportunity or the warning of investment still to come. The difference only becomes clear when the complete boat is assessed.
FREE GUIDE
Our Professional Used Boat Buying Checklist.
We have brought together in one guide the main points we review before making a decision: intended use, documentation, first impressions, hull, engine room, electrics, electronics, interiors, sea trial and much more.
Read the checklistCOMMON QUESTIONS
Before you commit to a boat.
These answers are general. Each transaction may require different checks depending on the boat, seller, flag and country.
Does the buyer pay fees to Fontnautic?
If you buy a boat marketed by Fontnautic, we do not charge the buyer brokerage fees for supporting the transaction. We continue to answer questions and coordinate the process and associated formalities. This does not include taxes, official fees or third-party services that may be required for a specific transaction.
Is an inspection essential before buying?
Not every transaction has the same level of risk or budget, but on boats of a certain value an independent inspection can provide very valuable information. It does not eliminate all risk, but it helps you understand the condition of the boat better before completion.
Does a sea trial replace an inspection?
No. They are different tools. A sea trial allows operation and behaviour under way to be observed; an inspection can examine the hull, installations, moisture, systems and other areas that cannot be assessed simply by navigating.
How do I know whether the price is reasonable?
By comparing genuinely equivalent boats and adjusting for condition, maintenance, engines, equipment, location, taxes and outstanding work. Two adverts for the same model do not necessarily represent the same value.
Which documents should be reviewed?
It depends on the country and flag. At a minimum, ownership must be properly evidenced and the documentation applicable to the boat and the specific transaction should be reviewed before completion.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Tell us how you picture your next boat.
You do not need to know the exact model. You can start by telling us how you want to use it, your approximate budget, length, area or the boats you are already considering.