HulloShips Trust
A boat is a big-ticket purchase — often agreed sight-unseen, across regions, between two people who have never met. HulloShips gives you the safeguards to do it safely: verified owners, licensed escrow, and survey-first guidance on every deal.
Protect your money before it leaves your hands — not after.
The safeguards
Use one, use all four. The more money is on the line, the more of them you should reach for.
An optional check that a seller actually holds or controls title to the vessel they're listing. Verified listings carry a badge buyers recognise and trust, so genuine owners stand out from the noise.
Honest note: this is a paid add-on for sellers. It funds the verification work — it is not a guarantee of the vessel's condition, only a check on who is selling it.
Paid · seller add-onYour funds are held by a regulated third-party escrow company — a licensed escrow partner — and released only when the conditions you both agreed are met (for example, acceptance of the survey and sea-trial).
HulloShips never holds your money. We facilitate the introduction and process and charge a small flat fee. The money sits with the licensed escrow provider the whole time.
Flat facilitation fee · optionalNever close on a boat you haven't had inspected. Commission an independent, qualified marine surveyor before funds are released — the cost is a fraction of what a hidden problem can cost you later.
Every legitimate sale leaves a record: a signed bill of sale, a proper title / registration transfer, and a lien check confirming the boat is sold free and clear of money owed against it.
No paperwork, no deal. If a seller can't produce it, walk away.
Secure transactions
Escrow puts a neutral, licensed third party between buyer and seller, so neither side has to trust the other with a large sum up front.
The fee, plainly: HulloShips charges a modest flat facilitation fee to set up a protected escrow deal — not a percentage of the boat's price. It is entirely optional, but strongly recommended on higher-value purchases or any deal between people who can't meet in person. The escrow company's own service fee is separate and disclosed by them up front.
Scam-avoidance checklist
Boat-buying scams follow a pattern. Learn it once and they're easy to refuse.
See something off? Report a suspicious listing → We review every report and remove listings that breach our terms.
For sellers
Trust safeguards aren't only for buyers — they get you a faster, cleaner sale.
When a buyer deposits into licensed escrow, you know the money is real and ring-fenced before you take your boat off the market or hand over keys.
Escrow releases are final once conditions are met — none of the reversal or chargeback risk that comes with cards or informal transfers.
A buyer willing to fund escrow and pay for a survey is a committed buyer. Verification and escrow filter out the time-wasters and tyre-kickers.
A verified-owner badge signals you're the genuine title-holder. Verified listings draw more confident enquiries — buyers reach out faster when the risk is lower.
In plain terms
HulloShips is a marketplace and listing platform — not a broker, bank, escrow agent, surveyor or insurer. Escrow and payments are handled by licensed third parties; we facilitate the introduction and charge a flat fee for that service, and we never hold your funds ourselves. Verification confirms who is selling, not the condition of the vessel. The badge, the checklist and this page are guidance to help you protect yourself — they are not guarantees of a safe transaction. Always do your own due diligence, commission a qualified marine surveyor, and consult a maritime attorney where the value or complexity of the deal warrants it.
Questions
It's a modest flat add-on a seller pays once per listing to fund the verification check. Pricing is shown at the point you add it on the pricing page. It verifies that the seller holds or controls title — it does not assess the boat's condition, which is what a survey is for.
A licensed, regulated third-party escrow company — never HulloShips. Your funds sit with that provider from deposit until the agreed release conditions are met. HulloShips only facilitates setting the deal up.
HulloShips charges a small flat facilitation fee — a fixed amount, not a percentage of the boat's price. The escrow provider's own service fee is separate and disclosed by them before you commit. Both are shown up front; there are no surprise deductions.
No. Escrow is optional. Plenty of local, in-person deals close fine without it. We recommend it for higher-value purchases, long-distance deals, and any transaction where buyer and seller can't meet face to face.
That's exactly why the survey comes before release. Under the terms you set at the start, you can accept the boat as-is, renegotiate the price to reflect the defects, or withdraw and have your deposit returned per the agreed conditions. The money stays in escrow until you decide.
Use our contact page or call 501.365.1001. Tell us the listing and what looks off. We review every report and remove listings that breach our terms — flagging early protects the next buyer, too.
Start with verified-eligible listings and the buyer's guide — then ask us to set up protected escrow when you find your boat.