How to Sell a Sailboat

Selling a sailboat is a lot like selling a car, but while most people have gone through the process of buying or selling an automobile, fewer have sold a boat. There are a few hoops to jump through to sell your sailboat, but they are not all that complex. The difficulty of selling a sailboat really lies in finding a buyer. The sailboat market, while not small, is also not terribly large, and people tend to hang on to their sailboats for a long time.

Things You'll Need

• Your titles and other paperwork
• A clean and well-organized sailboat

Instructions

1. Decide if you want to sell your sailboat independently or through a dealer. While you will save money on paying a dealer's commission if you decide to sell it yourself, the dealer may be better equipped to find a buyer and deal with the legal and financial transactions.

2. Check out the Internet if you decide to sell it on your own. List your sailboat for free on Web sites such as Craig's List. Pick up a copy of Boat Trader and list your boat in it. Boat Trader is one of the most widely distributed boat specific classified ad publications (see Resources below).

3. List your sailboat on a paid Web site as well. Depending on the site you choose, you may be able to pay a single fee, create a single ad, and have it listed on multiple sites.

4. Create your listing for your sailboat. Make it as detailed as possible, and be realistic. Take and post lots of pictures of your sailboat. To determine the listing price, spend some time checking out other listings and base your price on that research.

5. Answer parties interested in purchasing your sailboat immediately, if possible. While this may take up a lot of your time (you may get one truly interested party for every 10 phone calls or emails), but when the right person contacts you, your prompt response will be viewed very positively.

6. When you sell your sailboat, be certain everything is legal. This is when brokers and dealers are worth the expense. You will need to have the bill of sale notarized, take care of the financial transfer (don't accept a check from strangers without verifying it). Have your title in hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Get your sailboat in good shape before you take pictures and sell it. Organize all of the rigging and sails and pack them away neatly. Be certain your boat is well organized.

• Mention to your harbor master that you have your sailboat for sale. People interested in purchasing a boat are likely to talk to the harbor master about it, especially if you are in a large marina.