How to sell your boat privately, step by step

Get your paperwork in order before you list

Find the title and make sure it is in your name. If there is a loan on the boat, call the lender for a payoff letter now, because they will need to send a lien release at closing. If the boat is Coast Guard documented, have the documentation number handy.

Gather the registration, the HIN, the engine hours and whatever maintenance records you have. A buyer who sees an organized folder trusts the boat more.

Price it on what similar boats sold for

Asking prices tell you what other sellers hope for. Sold prices tell you what buyers actually paid. Price against sold boats of the same make, length, engines and hours.

Leave room for the survey. Almost every survey finds something, and a buyer who feels they can renegotiate a little is less likely to walk away.

Get the boat ready to be inspected

Clean it, charge the batteries, keep shore power connected and put enough fuel aboard for a sea trial. Clear access to the engine room, the bilge and every locker.

Do not start the engines before the surveyor arrives. They will want to see a cold start, and a warm engine on arrival makes buyers suspicious.

Screen buyers with a real offer and a deposit

Expect a lot of "is this still available?" and lowball numbers with a question mark. The quickest filter is to ask serious buyers to make a written offer with a deposit attached.

If you list on Facebook Marketplace, leave links out of the listing itself. Send your deal link in a message once a buyer reaches out.

Negotiate the terms, not just the price

Agree on the deposit, how long the buyer has to inspect the boat (ten to fourteen days is typical), the closing date and what stays with the boat: trailer, electronics, canvas, gear.

Put a deadline on every offer and counter. Deals without deadlines are the ones that quietly die.

Let escrow hold the money

Do not hold the buyer’s deposit yourself, and never release the boat on a personal check or a wire you have not confirmed. A neutral escrow holder such as Escrow.com protects you as much as the buyer.

When the money sits with a third party, there is no argument later about who owes what if the deal falls through.

Handle the survey results calmly

If the survey finds problems, the buyer will usually ask for a lower price or repairs. Ask for the actual report and repair quotes, then decide whether to adjust, fix it yourself or let the buyer walk.

If the buyer rejects the boat inside their inspection window, the deposit goes back to them under the agreement. That is the deal working as designed, not a loss.

Close and hand over the boat

At closing, the buyer’s funds arrive through escrow, your loan is paid off and the lender issues a lien release, and you sign the bill of sale and the title over to the buyer. Hand over keys and the boat only after the funds are confirmed.

Give the buyer the maintenance records, spare keys and manuals. It costs you nothing and protects your reputation.

Tie up loose ends after the sale

In Florida, file a notice of sale (form HSMV 82050) with your county tax collector within 30 days. It records that the boat is no longer yours, which protects you if the new owner gets a ticket or has an accident before they title it.

Cancel or transfer your insurance once the boat is gone, and keep copies of everything you signed.