Yacht Sales in Los Cabos

Los Cabos is really two boating communities. Cabo San Lucas wraps around a busy downtown harbor that serves sportfishing fleets, private yachts and day-charter boats a short run from Land’s End. San José del Cabo, about 30 kilometers east along the coast, has a quieter marina setting on the Sea of Cortez side. Where a boat is kept affects how easily it can be viewed, surveyed and hauled, and it shapes the kind of buyer it attracts.

Both areas see a mix of locally kept boats and vessels that arrive from California, the Pacific Northwest and mainland Mexico. When you are evaluating a boat here, it helps to ask how long it has been in Mexican waters, how it is documented, and who has looked after it day to day.

Los Cabos has a strong offshore fishing culture, so convertible sportfishers, express sportfishers and center consoles are a large part of local demand. Flybridge motor yachts and express cruisers are popular for coastal cruising and entertaining, and catamarans are common for day use. The best boat depends on how far offshore you plan to run, how many guests you host and whether you intend to cruise north into the Sea of Cortez.

Sun, salt and heat are hard on equipment. A thorough pre-purchase survey here should pay particular attention to:

• Corrosion on metal fittings, electrical connections and engine-room components.
• UV wear on canvas, upholstery, isinglass, gelcoat and exterior wood.
• Engine cooling systems, heat exchangers and raw-water pumps, which work hard in warm water.
• Air-conditioning and refrigeration performance, and the age of chillers and compressors.
• Records of bottom service and running-gear inspections.
• For fishing boats: tower and outrigger mounts, fighting-chair bases and livewell plumbing.

The eastern Pacific hurricane season generally runs from mid-May through November. Ask what storm plan the boat has followed, where it has been kept during past seasons and whether any storm repairs have been made — and request the documentation.

Viewings are usually arranged at the boat’s marina slip. Surveys and sea trials take more coordination: haul-out availability, yard schedules and the availability of independent surveyors and engine specialists should be confirmed well in advance, particularly during the busy winter season. We help coordinate timing between the seller, the marina and the professionals you choose.

Many buyers who look at boats in Los Cabos are visiting, so clear photographs, an accurate specification and organized maintenance records matter even more. If your boat is kept here, we can help you prepare a listing that answers the questions a remote buyer will ask, and coordinate viewings when serious buyers are in town.