How to Get Your Boat Ready to Sell (Records, Title and Prep)

Find your title (if your state titles boats), your current state registration, and the trailer's title or registration. If you still owe money on the boat, ask your lender how a payoff and lien release work, because the buyer will want a clean title. A boat documented with the Coast Guard instead of state-titled is transferred through the National Vessel Documentation Center, so check its current forms and fees. The NVDC accepts bills of sale and related papers directly, and it warns that private companies offering to handle documentation for a fee are not part of the Coast Guard.

The 12-character Hull Identification Number is on the starboard (right) side of the transom, near the top. It must match the title and registration exactly; the Coast Guard notes that one wrong character changes the boat's identity. Boats built after August 1, 1984 also have a hidden secondary HIN inside the hull. If the HIN is damaged, hard to read or does not match, sort it out with your state boating agency before you list. It is illegal to alter or remove a HIN. Write down the engine, drive and trailer serial numbers too (see the engine serial number guide).

A complete service history is one of the strongest things you can offer. It lets the buyer and their surveyor see what was done and when, instead of guessing. Put together:

• A simple service log: date, engine hours, what was done and who did it
• Receipts and invoices, sorted by date (oil changes, impellers, lower unit service, bellows, risers, bottom paint, batteries, tires)
• Invoices for upgrades and new equipment
• Owner's manuals, warranty papers and any previous survey reports
• Oil analysis or compression test results, if you have them

Is there factory warranty left? If the engine is still under its original warranty, tell buyers and explain how it moves to them. Mercury's owner FAQ, for example, says the remaining factory warranty is transferred into the new owner's name when a copy of the bill of sale is sent to its registration and warranty department; extended service plans can have their own rules, and some aren't transferable at all. Check the engine maker's rules for your brand and plan, and put the details in your listing.

Be factual. Do not fill gaps with guesses. If you did work yourself, list it honestly with the date and parts used, and keep the parts receipts.

Small, visible problems make buyers wonder what else was neglected. Discover Boating recommends fixing broken or malfunctioning equipment, especially the engine, before you list. Walk the boat and test:

• Navigation lights, horn, bilge pump and blower, gauges, trim, steering and electronics
• Hatches, latches, seat hinges and cushions with small tears
• Rusty hose clamps, cracked hoses and loose hardware
• Trailer lights, tires (check the date code) and wheel bearings

Keep a list of anything you cannot or will not fix. You will use it in step 8.

Discover Boating's advice is to clean the boat inside and out, wash it and wax every inch, including places buyers open but owners forget, like stowage under seats and fish boxes. Also:

• Clean the bilge and wipe down the engine so it looks dry and leak-free.
• Remove clutter and personal items so the deck and cabin look bigger.
• Clean canvas, vinyl and clear enclosure panels with products made for them.
• Air out the cabin and fix sources of mildew smell rather than covering them with fragrance.

If an oil change, impeller or lower unit service is due, do it now and add it to the log. Fill up with fresh fuel (with stabilizer if the boat will sit), charge or replace a weak battery and test that the engine starts and idles smoothly. A boat that will not start on the first showing loses buyers fast.

Price guides like the NADA values give only a rough starting point. Discover Boating suggests comparing similar boats by make, model, size and age, and notes that location, freshwater versus saltwater use and the season all affect price. For the listing:

• Take lots of clear, bright photos: hull sides, deck, helm, cabin, engine, trailer and the hour meter.
• List the engine hours, recent service and upgrades, and say that records are available.
• Give the full HIN to serious buyers who ask; they may want it to check the boat's history.

Honesty is the best policy, as Discover Boating puts it, and it also protects you. Make a short written list of known problems and give it to buyers. Disclosure rules and "as-is" sales vary by state, so check your state's rules or ask an attorney if the sale is large or complicated.

BoatUS theft investigators warn that a "For Sale" sign in a public place can attract thieves posing as buyers to check how easy the boat is to take. When you show the boat:

• Talk to buyers by phone first and meet them in person.
• Never leave keys, the title or the registration aboard.
• Keep the trailer locked between showings (see the theft prevention guide).

Have the boat in the water or at the ramp, fueled, with a charged battery and all the required safety gear aboard: life jackets for everyone, fire extinguisher, sound signal and lights. Check that your insurance covers the trial. You (or a captain you hire) should handle the boat leaving and returning to the dock; let the buyer take the helm in open water if you are comfortable.

Serious buyers of bigger or pricier boats will hire a marine surveyor, often with a haul-out and a short trial run. BoatUS notes it is the seller's job to make sure systems are accessible and the boat is not cluttered. Surveyors want a cold start, so do not run the engine for about a day before. Have your records folder aboard for the surveyor to read.

Use a written bill of sale that lists:

• Buyer and seller names, date and price
• The boat's make, model, year and full HIN
• Engine, drive and trailer serial numbers
• What is included (electronics, covers, spare prop, safety gear)
• Any "as-is" terms you agreed on, and both signatures

Make sure the payment has fully cleared before you sign over the title. Watch for the classic overpayment scam: a "buyer" sends a check for more than the price and asks you to wire, or pay by gift card, the difference back (often for a "shipper"). The FTC warns that fake checks look real, even to bank staff, and that banks must make deposited money available quickly, so seeing the funds in your account doesn't mean the check is good; it can take weeks to bounce, and then you owe the bank. Never send money back from a buyer's check. Meeting the buyer at their bank, or waiting until your own bank confirms the funds are final, is safer. Discover Boating's point applies here: a buyer can change their mind after a handshake, but not after signatures and payment, so have every document ready ahead of time.

Hand over the manuals, records and spare keys. Then check your state's rules: many states want the seller to report the sale or handle the registration in a specific way. Cancel or move your insurance only after the boat has changed hands, and give notice to your marina or storage yard.