Buying Used Sailboats

So what are you supposed to do when looking at buying used sailboats? Naturally there is a whole bunch of check and balances that need to be done in order to be sure of a good buy.

First off, what is the purpose of your prospective yacht? Are you a family sailor or more of an avid racer? Determine what you want from your purchase.

Set out a budget. Whilst you are keen to get on board every possible prospect and get ahead, steady on because you need to pin point all the out goings for the boat. Mooring fees, insurance, boat lift, anti foul to name a few.

After you have exhausted every possible expense, worked out over the course of a season, you can now evaluate what you can afford. It's better to be in control of your out goings on a small sailboat than worried sick.

You should bring your best sailing buddy with you to look over the boats. Your buddy duty is to act as your rational adviser. As it is not their purchase you can expect them to be subjective.

Have a list of questions ready for the seller. Getting to know any work that has been carried out recently or over time is a good place to start. You should also find out what purpose the yacht has been used for.

If at all possible get on the water with the seller on board. Check how she sails. Try to go out on a day with some weather so you can judge how she copes.

Also get her out of the water. As you narrow down the possibilities on offer, explain to the seller why you are being so demanding. After all you want to check that old osmosis problem - right?

You can tell a lot from taking a boat out of the water. Looking down the lines from astern for example will high light an issues in the hull.

Go over the boat with a fine comb, checking every aspect from the engine to the anchor. Be critical and honest with the seller. If you and your buddy can't find anything wrong with the yacht and your really certain you want to buy it then the last piece of advice is...

Get a certificated marine surveyor to check the condition. They will assess ever angle of the boat and perform a thorough evaluation. The cost of this is usually off set by the lowered asking price of the owner.

Naturally the owner will probably be asking too much. So with the add of the marine surveyor's report, you can negotiate confidently.

If you want more information on buying used sailboats then click here