Buyer services
Buy a Yacht with clarity
A good purchase starts long before the offer. We help you define what you need, compare suitable vessels honestly and move through viewings, surveys, documentation and closing with the right professionals beside you.
Start with how you will use the yacht
The right yacht is the one that fits your life on the water. Before comparing listings, we ask how you plan to use the boat — day trips, overnight cruising, offshore fishing, entertaining or extended passages — where you will keep it, how many people will usually be aboard and whether you will run it yourself or with a captain. Clear answers save time and steer you away from boats that only look right in photographs.
Define a realistic budget
A realistic budget covers more than the purchase price. Allow for survey and inspection fees, any immediate repairs the survey identifies, insurance, berthing, routine maintenance, fuel, crew where needed, and documentation or import costs. Our ownership costs guide lists the main categories so you can plan with fewer surprises.
Choose the vessel type
Each type has strengths. Motor and flybridge yachts prioritize comfort and space; sport and express yachts trade some volume for performance and style; sportfishing convertibles and center consoles are built around the fishing cockpit; catamarans offer stability, deck space and shallow draft; sailing yachts reward those who enjoy passage-making. We will talk through the trade-offs for your plans.
Determine the right length and layout
Length affects berthing availability, running costs and whether you will need crew. Layout matters as much as size: count cabins and heads, consider where guests and crew sleep, and think about deck space for the way you entertain. See choosing the right yacht size.
Compare new and pre-owned options
New yachts offer warranty coverage and a known specification but involve lead times and early depreciation. Pre-owned yachts can offer more boat for the budget and immediate availability, with condition and history to verify. Read more about new yachts and pre-owned yachts.
Review the available documentation
Ask for maintenance records, engine and generator hours, upgrade invoices, previous survey reports where available and a written inventory of what is included. Documentation will not tell you everything about condition, but gaps and inconsistencies are worth exploring before you spend money on a survey.
Arrange viewings
We coordinate viewings with sellers and their representatives where each vessel is located. If you are travelling from abroad, a video walk-through can help you decide which boats deserve an in-person visit.
Understand the survey, inspections and sea trial
An independent marine survey — usually with a haul-out — examines the hull, structure, systems and safety equipment. A sea trial tests the yacht under way, and qualified technicians can evaluate engines, generators and specialist systems separately. In Mexico, plan haul-out slots and professional availability early. See our marine survey guide.
Review the transaction and closing
Closing brings together final payment, transfer documents suited to the vessel’s flag and registration, the release of any liens and the handover of keys, manuals and records. A neutral closing agent or attorney commonly manages funds and documents. For foreign-flagged vessels in Mexico, confirm temporary-import or import requirements with a licensed customs broker. See documentation for a yacht sale.
Ask questions before making an offer
Why is the owner selling? How has the boat been used and where has it been kept? Has it been damaged or repaired? What exactly is included? Our pre-offer question list is a good place to start.
We do not give legal, tax, financing, customs or registration advice. Requirements depend on your circumstances; consult qualified independent professionals.
How we help
Support at every stage
Search & shortlist
We match vessels to your brief from our listings and beyond, and explain the strengths and compromises of each.
Viewings & sea trials
We schedule viewings, video walk-throughs and sea trials with sellers, marinas and professionals.
Offers & negotiation
We help you structure a clear written offer with sensible conditions, and keep negotiations moving.
Survey coordination
We help you engage independent surveyors and technicians and coordinate haul-out timing.
Documentation
We help gather records and coordinate with your attorney, customs broker and closing agent.
Handover
We help organize keys, manuals, records and, if you wish, introductions to management partners.
Ready to start looking?
Browse current listings, or send us your brief and we will come back with suitable options.
It varies. Once a suitable boat is found, offer, survey, sea trial, documentation and closing often take several weeks, and longer for cross-border purchases or when financing, haul-out availability or document issues are involved.
A deposit is commonly requested when an offer is accepted, and is typically held by a neutral party under a written agreement. Read the agreement carefully — particularly the conditions under which the deposit is refundable — and seek independent advice if you are unsure.
Normally the buyer commissions and pays for the survey, sea trial and any specialist inspections, so that the professionals work for the buyer. Haul-out costs are usually the buyer’s too. Confirm these points in your offer.
Yes. We can coordinate video walk-throughs, schedule viewings and surveys around your travel, and keep communication moving between you, the seller and the professionals involved.
No. We help with the vessel side of the transaction and point you toward appropriate independent professionals — maritime attorneys, licensed customs brokers, tax advisors and lenders — for advice specific to your situation.
Depending on your agreement, you may be able to renegotiate, ask the seller to make repairs, or withdraw. That is why offers are usually made subject to a satisfactory survey and sea trial.