Buying a sailboat.

We found no US Sailing guide to buying or owning a boat, so this page draws on Practical Sailor, BoatUS, YachtBuyer and the German magazine Yacht, and names the source for each point.

New or used

YachtBuyer sets out the trade-offs.

New boats

• Usually lose value fastest in their first few years, then level off.
• Come with builder and dealer warranties, and early buyers can choose layout, finishes and equipment.
• Usually mean waiting for the build unless one is in stock. The builder may provide systems training and an accompanied sea trial at handover.

Used boats

• The buyer avoids that early loss in value.
• Are sold as they are, with no builder warranty unless a certified pre-owned scheme adds one, and those terms vary.
• Are available right away, but the buyer carries more of the work of checking condition and paperwork.

For used boats, Practical Sailor suggests asking about groundings, collisions, engine hours and whether the boat has lived only in fresh water, and notes that boats from temperate climates often age better than boats from very hot, humid or icy regions. Yacht adds that well-known production models are generally easier to resell than one-offs or boats from obscure builders, and warns that a boat with a long backlog of repairs can end up the worse buy once equipment and repairs are added up.

Practical Sailor says the bill of sale should name the seller and buyer and give the make, model, year and Hull Identification Number (HIN). It gives the HIN as 12 characters and the European CIN as 14. It also notes that fall, before winter storage, and spring, before launch, are good times to find a deal.

Size and type for a first boat

Practical Sailor calls 24 to 28 ft a good size for a starter boat. It says boats up to about 24 ft are usually trailerable, that bluewater cruising becomes practical at around 30 ft, and that past about 40 ft one person may struggle without modern aids. It suggests a monohull as a first boat, recommends trying both monohulls and catamarans through charter or a sailing school first, and calls fin keels the most common choice for most sailors. Yacht says draught should match where you sail, and that a trailer boat needs a suitable tow vehicle. For boat types, see dinghies, keelboats and multihulls.

The pre-purchase survey

YachtBuyer says offers on used boats are normally made subject to survey, so the buyer can walk away or renegotiate. BoatUS compares the survey to a home inspection and an appraisal combined, and says you will probably be unable to finance or insure the boat without one. Practical Sailor advises a survey even on newer boats and says to walk away from a seller who refuses one.

BoatUS describes a standard survey in three parts:

1. In the water. The surveyor looks first for major problems: water intrusion, rot in bulkheads or stringers, a separating hull-to-deck joint and delamination. Then every compartment and bilge, the wiring, batteries, electronics and the expiry dates on safety gear.
2. Haulout. A short haul, usually an hour or less, to check below the waterline for water intrusion, delamination, blisters, the rudder, props and anodes.
3. Trial run. A short trip to check the engine and running gear, under sail if safe. BoatUS says the engine should ideally be started cold, and distinguishes this from a true sea trial in heavy seas.

BoatUS also recommends a separate rigging survey by a professional rigger who goes aloft to look for corrosion and cracks, and says metal and wooden boats need a specialist surveyor. The surveyor works for the buyer, who chooses and pays them, and assigns a value independent of the broker or seller. Reports often take three to four days, so BoatUS suggests the purchase agreement allow at least a week after the survey for review.

On credentials, the sources differ. BoatUS points buyers to the two main surveyor associations, SAMS and NAMS, and suggests checking which one, if either, your insurer or lender requires. Practical Sailor recommends a certified ABYC Master Surveyor.

Hull materials

Practical Sailor calls fiberglass the most likely material for a first boat and a safe choice for most sailors. Cruisers Wiki summarizes the options:

Practical Sailor adds that metal hulls get uncomfortably hot near the equator unless insulated, and Yacht advises buyers who are not skilled at boat work to leave wood and steel off their shortlist.

Cored hulls and decks

Sail Magazine explains that a cored laminate gets its stiffness from two skins working with the core like an I-beam, so the bond between them is critical. Balsa is the most common deck core but eventually rots if it stays wet, and closed-cell foams dominate in hulls. Production boats typically core the hull only above the waterline. By far the most common cause of core damage, Sail Magazine says, is water entering through holes drilled for hardware. BoatUS notes that a surveyor can find wet, decayed core that is not visible from outside.

Osmotic blisters

Good Old Boat explains that blisters form when water gets into the laminate and causes a chemical breakdown called hydrolysis, typically under the gelcoat or in the first layer of chopped-strand mat. How serious they are depends on the hull: on older, heavily built hulls the outer layers may be largely non-structural, while thinner modern or cored hulls may need a full peel and relaminate. It recommends an epoxy barrier coat after repair and warns against filling wet blisters before the hull has dried out.

The same source cautions that a moisture meter alone can mislead, because degraded laminate may read dry, and that surveyors may also grind a laminate profile and take hardness readings.

What ownership costs involve

We do not quote prices or percentages, but the sources do list the categories to plan for. Practical Sailor's list:

• Marina or club: initiation fees, annual dues, a wet slip (often charged per foot), spring launch, fall haulout and winter storage. First-year costs are usually the highest.
• Insurance: may be legally required depending on location, boat age and length, and many marinas and clubs will not launch an uninsured boat. Get a quote before you buy.
• Maintenance: Practical Sailor says to budget for it every year, adjusted for the boat's age, condition and what the survey found.
• Safety gear and training: VHF radio, PFDs, flares, heaving lines, training courses and possibly a VHF licence.

Yacht gives a similar list (mooring, winter storage, insurance and repairs), notes that every extra metre adds to running costs, and says trailer boats can save by being stored privately over winter. For the equipment itself, see our equipment section, and for what the law requires aboard, safety requirements.