Private boat purchase. What questions and evidence are essential?

DoubleEnder

DoubleEnder

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If buying a comparatively low priced boat, say approx £10,000, in the U.K.


Previous Bills of Sale
proof of location on 31/12/2020
Evidence that mooring fees are not outstanding
any bills for work done, gear bought
…..anything else?
 
The due diligence bits to find if any bills outstanding really depends on the circumstances. Long term owner in a club or in the same marina etc is very different from an ebay for a boat sitting in a pay by the month yard.

Not sure your location question is relevant for an old low value boat as chances of it being in the EU and then illegally imported are close to zero - again follow your instinct when you meet the vendor and get the history of the boat.
 
Replacing sails would take a big chunk out of your total budget, so check that those with the boat are in reasonably useable condition - you'll probably have to make do with a feel of how floppy they are which will tell you if they're completely shot. If they've recently been repaired or washed then you can ask who did them - the sailmaker will usually give you an honest opinion.

I'd want to hear the engine start from cold if it's in the water too, evidence of servicing and hours at the minimum if not.
 
I’m happy about assessing the engine, sails, rigging, and gear. It’s more the paperwork side of things I was asking about. I haven’t bought privately before, only through a broker or a yard.
 
For a boat like that, if she's on the SSR in the seller's name and there's a bill of sale from when he bought her, especially if it was a few years ago, that would do me unless there were some other red flags, though I'm not sure what they might be - John Smith selling his boat that he's owned for 20 years, but Mr Smith is a 30 year old with an east European accent, maybe.
 
I only ever bought one boat and that was through a broker but I've bought and sold dozens of cars up to £50k/£60k value. I'm a big believer that people do business with people and so I'd spend as much time checking out the person.

Landline number, where they work(ed), live etc. Dodgy characters are everywhere but you can soon flush them out.
 
wonkywinch said:
I only ever bought one boat and that was through a broker but I've bought and sold dozens of cars up to £50k/£60k value. I'm a big believer that people do business with people and so I'd spend as much time checking out the person.

Landline number, where they work(ed), live etc. Dodgy characters are everywhere but you can soon flush them out.
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The landline number is becoming a thing of the past. I've got rid of mine as I hardly used it plus it only rang once in the last 5 years and it cost money. It's all free on my mobile.
 
I've bought and sold 4 lower value (£6k - £21k) boats privately, in each case the owners were incredibly friendly & helpful, it was very obvious that it was their boat, etc., etc. and all four were a much better experience than the one time I've bought from a broker. You've been a boat owner so it'll be pretty obvious if there's anything amiss but if there's anything you're unsure of don't be afraid to ask & any genuine seller will be happy to answer or do whatever's necessary to reassure you. If they get uppity or if you suspect that there might be something amiss you can always walk away...
 
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I have always assumed that if the boat was neither in EU or UK on 31/12/2020 then existing registration takes precedence. But what if death, or for any other reason, the boats registration expired because no owner on Brexit Day. "Spin a Coin"?
 
BurnitBlue said:
I have always assumed that if the boat was neither in EU or UK on 31/12/2020 then existing registration takes precedence. But what if death, or for any other reason, the boats registration expired because no owner on Brexit Day. "Spin a Coin"?
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Completely irrelevant in the UK as there is no compulsory registration and anyway registration has no direct connection to VAT status, although I recognise that in many EU states, mstate registration is often linked to VAT payment.
 
You say you’ve only bought from a broker before. In my experience that’s no guarantee of getting the correct paperwork anyway, particularly at a lower price point. Your list seems sensible to me. I would be particularly interested in an original bill of sale or paid invoice for the boat showing UK VAT paid, but it wouldn’t necessarily stop me buying the boat if it wasn’t included. I would just bear in mind it could cause questions should I sell the boat later. 🙂
 
I would also ask for proof of identity and address, such as driver's licence, council tax bill etc. An on-line search should help to validate the address and the insolvency register is always worth a look. I would then want to see mooring receipts etc. in the given name and address. A meeting at the address may help but that can also be a scam.
Caveat emptor applies as always!
 
If the boat is part 1 registered you need to check that there is not a mortgage on it. If it is not part 1 then you don't need to worry.
 
In my case all I had in the way of paperwork was a signed affidavit from the widow of the previous owner that she had the right to sell the boat. Poor guy had died some years previously and all documentation relating to the boat cleared out. Bought Sheolin “As seen. As lying.” Reflected in the price of course.
 
When buying a boat around 10k then it is really no different to buying anything second-hand at that sort of price … you are basically trying to detect a fraudster.

The process I follow is usually as follows …

  • Establish likely ownership - Ensure the names and addresses on any documents match, ask to see any history. Receipts for mooring, insurance, etc – reason being you want an idea of ongoing costs so if the seller can provide receipts (insurance, berthing) that would be really helpful. Ask if the current berth can be transferred to you – even if you don’t want it.
  • Establish length of ownership – Ask when it was bought and where, ask about any quirks the boat has, how it sails, has it got any vices like handling in marinas? Ask how often it is used … and as many other questions you can think of in order to find out how familiar the seller is with the boat.
Basically, you are trying to detect a fabricated ownership story – selling on behalf of a friend, ridiculously low price, no paperwork, little knowledge of the particular boat – try boring down on any “excuse” for not knowing or being able to provide paperwork or supporting evidence.

Then it’s a judgement call, if it feels wrong then it probably is, just politely walk away – there will always be another boat.
 
The owners home address and a quick look on Google Earth in street view might suggest as to if to bother to proceed any further.
Have done this several times no matter what the cost of the boat.
 
The only one that caught me out was buying from a widow. Her recollection of her late husbands reports on usage was poor and lots of bits werent really ok, and she was too stressed to get the sails to us readily so collecting them at point of handover which meant we could not inspect properly. That and her hired mechanic at E marina who said engine was fine - but turned out to be a leaky bit of sh*t with about to fail clutch. However the paper work was prolific and ok.

Buying from actual living owners was fine for previous 4 boats.
 
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