Find Your Boat

There are plenty of ways to do this – one is to join a site which provides you with listings of upcoming auctions and will mail you when a boat within your parameters comes up on an auction catalogue, such as here.

If you have identified the boat you want to bid on, and she is a recognised design (maybe say, a Catalina or a Westerly), then search the web to find out if there is an owners association. There may be reviews too, maybe on a boating magazine website or a forum. These may give you clues as to the faults that you should watch out for with that particular brand or model.

As with all auctions, set yourself a maximum bid level, and don’t go beyond it. If it’s open bidding, then there’s no point in bidding earlier – let the others do that – it’s always good to see what other bidders value the boat at. Step in at the end and put your own boat auction bid in, if your ceiling hasn’t been exceeded. If you do buy and there’s a problem, then at least you have a feel for what the current market is if you decide to sell her on quickly.

Read the small print before you bid. Check that there are no costs that the buyer has to pay, such as a tax or buyer’s premium
 
So, why on earth (or on the sea!) would anyone buy a boat or yacht at a yacht auction? Simple – price. You can get the best bargains that way.