Where to Sell Your Boat: Exploring Your Options

You might be considering selling your boat for a whole host of reasons. It might be time to upgrade your boat for something bigger or faster, or a boat which offers you different opportunities and activities. A change in circumstances might mean you don’t have as much time for your boat as you used to and you’d rather charter boats for a while instead of having the extra commitment that boat ownership brings. Whatever your reason for selling, you need to figure out the best place to sell a boat. Thankfully there are many choices out there, and here we take a look at your options. 

Ways of Selling a Boat

If you’ve asked yourself the question, ‘where can I post a boat to sell?’ then the answer is ‘a lot of places!’ The size of your boat will have some bearing on the options available to you when it comes to selling it. The largest superyachts, for example, will almost always be sold through a broker who will manage the viewings, legalities and paperwork on your behalf. At the other end of the size scale, however, a small towable boat can be listed for sale in your local classifieds, with a sign on your driveway, on selling sites such as Craigslist, in your local yacht club or on dedicated online boat selling sites. 

Of course anyone can choose to have a dealer or broker sell their boat on their behalf, whatever the size, but you can expect to pay in the region of 6% to 10% commission on the final sale price. If you opt to sell your boat privately, weigh up all your options and decide which route works best for you. In fact, it might be wise not to put all your eggs in one basket and get your boat seen as widely as possible by listing it in several places. 

Advantages of Selling Online

Online boat sales have boomed in recent years, and it’s thanks to dedicated boat selling and buying marketplaces which offer private sellers (as well as brokers) all the tools they need to sell a boat fast. In the past, sellers would be left wondering where to sell a boat online, whereas now there are dedicated sites designed just for that. So what are the advantages of selling a boat online? 

• Greater Exposure: The main advantage is the huge exposure that selling online gives you compared to traditional sales methods. Your boat sales listing can be viewed hundreds of times by motivated buyers in your area, who can peruse the description, specifications, photos and videos in their own time. 
• It’s Quick and Easy: It’s quick and easy to set up your listing, whether it’s on FaceBook Marketplace, Craigslist or on a customized boat selling marketplace such as Rightboat. You are in control of the listing and can make changes easily, which isn’t possible with print advertisements.
• Security: If you use a boat sales platform such as Rightboat, you can be reassured that all enquiries are from verified, motivated buyers via a secure email system. 

How to Sell a Boat Online

Selling a boat online is a straightforward process, and with intuitive platforms and sales tools you can have a listing up and running in a few minutes. But before you get to that point, it’s important to do your prep work. Putting in a bit of effort now will go a long way to helping you to get the best price for your boat, and selling it quickly. 

1. Prepare Your Boat: Clean your boat from top to bottom, clear out all personal items and service the engine. Check out our guide to Getting Your Boat Ready for Sale for more advice. 
2. Take Good Quality Photos and Videos: You want your boat to attract prospective buyers, so be sure to take good images and videos which show it off to its best. Take them from all angles, and with your boat out of the water if possible. Take photos of the engine, electronics, interior and offer as much detail as possible. For more tips check out our guide on How to Take Photos and Videos that Will Sell Your Boat. 
3. Decide on a Price: Check out our guide on How to Price Your Boat for Sale. 
4. Gather Your Paperwork: Ensure you have all paperwork to hand before listing your boat for sale otherwise you might slow the sales process down. You’ll need the Bill of Sale, registration documentation, builder’s certificate and service information for parts such as the engine, generator, water heater, and sails. Financial records, repair bills, RCD compliance and owner’s manuals are also helpful.
5. Create Your Listing: After registering on your chosen selling site, you can choose which sales package you want. For a risk free experience, Rightboat offers 4 weeks free to list your boat. Create your listing using as much detail as possible and upload the images you have taken. 
6. Be Clear and Descriptive: The better the description of your boat, the more traffic and interest it will generate. Try to include a long, detailed description including the builder’s specifications and measurements, what equipment there is on board, the engine hours, accessories, maintenance schedule, tank sizes, or new items that have been installed recently. 

The Rightboat Platform

Rightboat is one of the world’s largest marketplaces for buying and selling new and used boats. From the smallest skiffs up to the largest superyachts it offers a platform that allows you to list your boat and advertise it to hundreds of verified, motivated buyers all over the world. The sales platform is intuitive and straightforward, allowing you to maintain full control of your sale, review how many people are looking at your listing and make any changes as and when you need to. You will also only receive correspondence with interested buyers via our secure email system. 

Check our detailed guide: How to Sell Your Boat