Your boat has served you in good stead for many years.
You’ve gone on many memorable expeditions, and had some great times.
But you’ve decided you need a new boat.
How can you retire your beloved boat with dignity?
The good news is that there are several options.
The first, most obvious, choice is to sell.
One very important thing to keep in mind is to pick the right price.
A smart way to determine the price is to locate similar boats for sale and see what the asking price is.
You can check classified ads, and speak to dealers to get a few perspectives.
It is not recommended to go purely by blue book value, www.kbb.com/personalwatercraft/ but you can use it to show perspective buyers.
Then you have to decide how to sell it.
Selling it yourself can make the most money, but it’s a lot of work and can be frustrating.
Make sure that your boat’s in top shape, and sell at the beginning of the boating season.
Try to advertise as widely as possible, making use of local newspapers, the internet, yacht club bulletin boards, and a “for sale” sign on the boat itself!
Another option is trading it in, which will probably get you the least value.
However, don’t forget to shop around with different dealers.
There are also businesses that give cash for boats, and resell them.
While you probably won’t get the money you would have gotten if you had sold your boat directly to the final buyer, it can be quick and easy.
Finally, you can go through a broker.
They typically take 5 to 10 percent commission, but the hassle is much less.
Having your boat in tip-top condition, both aesthetically and mechanically, can’t be emphasized enough!
If you don’t want to sell it all, there are some more choices.
You can have it scrapped, but this costs money.
One salvage yard contacted gave a ballpark figure of $250 per ton, but it varies based on location and other factors. This fee does include the towing.
There are also sites such as Bone Yard Boats, where you can advertise to give away your boat. (It’s free if you’re giving away your boat.)
I am perfectly aware that the majority of Wooden Boat aficionados are sensible folk. However, I need to point out that I am an amateur wooden boat enthusiast simply writing in order to try to help other amateur wooden boat enthusiasts. And while I take every care to ensure that the information in DIY Wood Boat.com is correct, anyone acting on the information on this website does so at their own risk.