Before you travel to see it
- Has the seller provided the HIN, and does it match the paperwork?
- Is the title clean, and are there recorded liens? An abstract of title answers this for a documented vessel.
- How long has it been on the market, and why is it being sold?
At the boat
- Engine hours, and service records that match them. A well-serviced high-hour engine beats a neglected low-hour one.
- Moisture in the deck core — the single most common expensive finding.
- Blistering below the waterline, and how deep it goes.
- Age of the standing rigging on a sailboat. Ten to fifteen years is a common replacement interval and it affects insurability.
- Through-hulls and seacocks: do they close, and are they in date?
The survey and the sea trial
- You pay for the survey, and you choose the surveyor — not the seller.
- Haul-out is normally at your cost. Budget it before you make an offer.
- Test under way: vibration, steering, charging, and everything electrical at once.
Closing safely
- Use escrow. It is the step private sellers skip and regret.
- Agree in advance whether survey findings mean repairs or a price reduction.
- Know which state's sales or use tax applies, based on where the boat will be kept.
A survey costs a fraction of what it saves. If the seller resists one, that is itself the finding.
Ask us about your specific case