With so many used vessels available on the second-hand market, it can be hard to know where to start looking.
(Photo: Chris McCorkle via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Purchasing a second-hand yacht can be a stressful business. How do you ensure the vessel you like the look of is all it’s cracked up to be? The answer is to find a reputable brokerage that specialises in used yacht sales. But with so many companies around, finding one you can trust isn’t always easy. We’ve dug deep into the research and picked out 5 renowned sellers where you can buy your chosen vessel with maximum confidence and peace of mind.
Boat Trader
An offshoot of the popular print magazines of the same name launched in 1991, BoatTrader is a Miami-based intermediary website aimed at the US market. Today the company offers a wide selection of classified ads placed by private sellers, including almost 30,000 used boat listings to peruse. The website is easy and intuitive to navigate, with search categories for every type of vessel you can think of, and spanning a large selection of manufacturers. After identifying a yacht that interests you, you click on the listing and are presented with contact details so you can liaise directly with the seller.
Rightboat
The world’s biggest online marketplace for boats for sale, Righboat list over 50,000 vessels all around the world, with their experts on hand to guide you through the buying process safely and securely. The company launched in 2005, and since then have brokered thousands of sales through their simple-to-use platform, connecting brokers, private sellers, and buyers globally There are currently over 4,500 brokers listing tens of thousands of boats on the website, from the smallest RIBS and fishing boats through sailing yachts and motor boats to the largest superyachts. Searching is made easy too: simply plug in your geographical region and other preferences into the search fields, and they’ll do the rest.
Galati Yacht Sales
One of the largest family-owned and operated yacht dealerships worldwide, Galati Yacht Sales have numerous locations throughout the US, Mexico, and Costa Rica. When looking to purchase a new or used yacht in California, you can turn to these yachting specialists secure in the knowledge that they have your best interest at heart. Since 1970, their mission of exceeding customer expectations has not wavered, as they continuously strive to provide the best boating experience before, during, and after the sale. With a strong foothold within the California boating community, they represent new and used yachts for sale by leading manufacturers, Viking Yachts and Valhalla Boatworks, as well as their customer-centric brokerage program. Their California operations include office locations in San Diego and Long Beach.
Band of Boats
One of the newer arrivals on the yachting scene, Band of Boats is a thriving community-based platform that provides a range of services for seafaring enthusiasts. Among these multibrand services is a dedicated yacht sales division featuring a huge assortment of vessels of every shape, size and budget. The company makes use of a solid network of over 600 professionals across the globe to bring you a multitude of boat advertisements. Via the platform you can carry out your research with an optimal quality of service, access to the very best deals, and the smoothest buying experience you could hope for.
boat24
With over 15,000 used boats and more than 500 professional boat dealers across Europe, boat24 helps prospective yacht buyers find the right deal for their tastes, budget and needs. Based in Hamburg, Germany, their portfolio of boats for sale range from motorboats and sailing boats to an extensive selection of sub-categories that includes both houseboats and fishing boats for sale. All boat lovers can exploit the offers available from the dealers and private vendors who advertise their vessels. With a plethora of used boat dealers itching to offload their boats at a great price, it is well worth the time scouring the website to find the right boat for you.