How to sell small boat

[WestieOwner]

Hi. I was gifted a small boat (14ft double ended dinghy) a few years ago that I need now to sell. I don’t want a lot for it, and will give it, if that gets rid. I have tried desultorily to shift it, but I need to get it out of my friend’s garden. Any advice on selling, please?

 

[wombat88]

Facebook Marketplace?

 

[ylop]

Good pictures, sensible honest description, low starting price on ebay and I've never had an issue "getting rid" of stuff - often for more than I'd have asked for if someone just asked me what I wanted. Is it on a roadworthy trailer (or can you borrow one and offer to deliver within X miles)? That will be your major issue if its not.

 

[V1701]

Facebook marketplace or ebay auction. Personally I think asking at least a nominal amount for it means you're less likely to be messed about than if you offer it as free. I have found starting ebay auctions at 99p no reserve gets the ball rolling far better than starting closer to what you think somebody might be willing to pay...

 

[Refueler]

Exchange & Mart .. is that still around ?

Boats and Outboards ?

eBay ?

Local Newspaper classifieds ?

Local or whatever Club Boards with a donation in the RNLI box ?

 

[Minerva]

A small double ended sailing dinghy; look up the Dinghy cruising association here; Dinghy Cruising Association and on Facebook.

I bet your boat will be right up their street and will find a new willing custodian!

 

[bikedaft]

double ended - sounds interesting - got any pics?

 

[Boathook]

Put it on the buying and selling forum For Sale

 

[DangerousPirate]

Step one: Own a small boat.
Step two: Put it up on facebook marketplace or in the forum here
Step three: Wait 2 months and realise, no one is going to pay the price you ask for
Step four: Lower the price
Step five: Sell it for 20% less than your lowest expectations.

But seriously. Try marketplace, gumtree, the sales rubric in the forum here. All good options. Especially if it's a small boat for only a few hundred, it should go quite quickly.

Be sure to have nice pictures and be clear in your description about what you expect, the condition, what comes with it, and where it is (roughly) and if you're willing to drive it anywhere or if it's only pick up.

 

[JayDomK]

A few good photos + honest description + ads on the sites listed here. Maybe also ask your friends.

 

[dancrane]

Step five: Sell it for 20% less than your lowest expectations.

Be perfectly ready for it to receive no more than interested enquiries.

Facebook Marketplace was a waste of time - enquiries from clueless people excited by the availability of a cheap boat (mine didn't warrant a higher asking price).

Awful lot of old boats out there, mouldering in gardens and clubs. Persuading someone to adopt responsibility for one, seems to be getting more difficult.

You may of course, be lucky. I had to scrap mine, so it was a reason to buy a cordless circular saw (which I'd wanted for ages).

 

[Farmer Piles]

Be perfectly ready for it to receive no more than interested enquiries.

Facebook Marketplace was a waste of time - enquiries from clueless people excited by the availability of a cheap boat (mine didn't warrant a higher asking price).

Awful lot of old boats out there, mouldering in gardens and clubs. Persuading someone to adopt responsibility for one, seems to be getting more difficult.

You may of course, be lucky. I had to scrap mine, so it was a reason to buy a cordless circular saw (which I'd wanted for ages).

Dan,
You say that, but I have shifted a couple of sailing dinghies via Marketplace. Both had been left here on my farm "temporarily" but essentially abandoned. A GP 14 with no trailer I got £150 for and the other random 16ft one I got £60. The latter was just going to be stuck on a mooring so as to be seen to be using the mooring.
As said above - honest description, honest photos and a realistic price. It could be that it would be worth giving it away if someone will take it away for you hassle-free.

 

[dancrane]

That's very true. My Osprey was too darned big for most people's appetites, so I think just getting someone to take it away without road wheels, was the hard part.

I would happily have given my Osprey away, but there were no takers.

Smaller hulls more easily handled ashore, especially anything race-worthy, will shift relatively easily. Just the same, I reckon you were lucky finding someone who wanted any old boat, to occupy a mooring!