Selling A Boat – Tips on selling and tips on buying

The last few years ive used my boat less and less. There are a number of reasons for that. I have 3 boys and they have all started getting heavy into sports. That takes up a lot of time. My father in law purchased a newer pontoon for the cabin and we generally use that at the cabin instead of hauling up my boat. Ive also tried to focus more time on hunting and camping the last few years. I don’t plan on being without a boat im just thinking I can get by with a much less expensive boat.

I currently have a 2016 Competitor Sport SE with a 140 suzuki and a 9.9 suzuki kicker. It has an ipilot trolling motor and a garmin 93sv graph. I don’t know how many hours are on the main motor but it cant be much. I think one service mechanic told me it was at 100 hours but that was about 3 or 4 years ago. Everything is in working order. Its been shrink wrapped every year and the motors have been winterized and serviced at a marina every year. I havent done any research on price yet but I would be hoping to get somewhere in the 28-35k range.

I have a few questions:

– What kind of information is helpful to have at the ready for potential buyers? I assume service records and motor hours. Anything else?
– I would be fine providing a test drive but should that be expected?
– Do marinas offer decent prices on used boats or is it more like cars where dealerships give you a lot less money than you can get private party? It would be nice to work with a marina and they could buy the boat at a fair price and help me find another one.
– Assuming if I want top dollar selling in spring would be the way to go? Maybe not with the feds raising the rate again. Maybe now is the more opportune time to buy
– Anything tricky to know about title transfers?

As far as a new (used) boat I was thinking about getting a tiller. Ive owned a side console and a full console so far and I just love the amount of open space in a tiller. I also like that they are more simple and have less crap to break.

– With a tiller how much do they suck functioning as a family boat? I have a wife and 3 kids and we enjoy going on boat cruises and swimming. We don’t do any pulling like skiing or tubing but I can imagine my wife would hate being splashed in the face with spray if it’s a little choppy.
– What kind of things to check when buying a used boat? I would want to have the engine inspected by a mechanic. Would buyers scowl at me for suggesting this option before I make an offer? If I do sell my boat and get another boat I would be looking at one in the 7-15k price range so it will likely be 15-25 years old.
– Anything else I need to be aware of with tillers? I have a bad back. I have a friend who tells me his back always hurt operating a tiller cause of the way you are positioned. Anyone truth to this?

Sorry for the long read. Just trying to get some good info before I move to the next phase

I can’t really speak to the first series of questions because I’ve only ever bought/sold 3 boats and they were in a different (lower) price range so buyers tend to expect less information and special treatment.

The second series I can weigh in on because I went from a dual console glass boat to a tiller, family of 4.

– With a tiller how much do they suck functioning as a family boat? I have a wife and 3 kids and we enjoy going on boat cruises and swimming. We don’t do any pulling like skiing or tubing but I can imagine my wife would hate being splashed in the face with spray if it’s a little choppy.

That might be a question for your wife. My family definitely gets wet but they’re a hearty bunch and embrace it.

– What kind of things to check when buying a used boat? I would want to have the engine inspected by a mechanic. Would buyers scowl at me for suggesting this option before I make an offer? If I do sell my boat and get another boat I would be looking at one in the 7-15k price range so it will likely be 15-25 years old.

If I was selling in that price range I wouldn’t probably deal with the headache of your mechanic because I know I can sell it to somebody else next week who won’t put me through that. When I bought my tiller 2 years ago ($6500) I would’ve been laughed at if I asked for an inspection because everyone was waiting in line behind me. Maybe times have changed.

– Anything else I need to be aware of with tillers? I have a bad back. I have a friend who tells me his back always hurt operating a tiller cause of the way you are positioned. Anyone truth to this?

The majority of the time when I’m operating the tiller or trolling I am comfy w/ my feet up on the livewell. Try that in a console boat. No back complaints here. The wide open floor also makes it easy to walk around and stretch out a bit. Certain tiller arms may be more comfortable for you than others, so climb in some boats and feel it out. You can always upgrade the captain’s seat

Only thing I don’t love about my tiller is visibility w/ passengers in the boat. They’re all sitting in front of you somewhere and it can be stressful on a busy day on the river trying to keep my sight lines clear.

Only thing I miss about my DC is standing up at the wheel while running on-plane. I do have an optional tiller arm extender but you’re not supposed to use those running wide open.

thanks dirty water. appreciate the input

Tillers are awesome in every aspect for fishing. Not sure why they get a bad rap when it comes to family boats. Other than how you steer it’s still a boat!

I live in the captains seat of my warrior. I rarely/never fish out of the front of the boat. The only thing I would change would be having my ulterra show where its facing on the remote. It can be a bugger to see sometimes if someone is in the front seat, but it’s an easy fix on Minn Kotas end. The Ulterra already knows where it’s facing, why not add a little icon on the remote showing the direction it’s facing…

That being said, when selling your boat, put everything in the description. The more info the better. Hopefully less questions on your end.

A tiller boat definitely has an open floor plan, but keep in mind they are usually a bit narrower as well. And many of them seem to have like compartments built in all along both sides that extend out into the ‘cockpit’ as well. All that can add up to not really as much ‘floor space’ in the deep part of your boat as you may be used to.

As for your buying questions. I’d have a hard time buying from someone without at least verifying the motor works. Bring some muffs and at least ask them to start it up while connected to a hose.

Sorry I don’t have much for advice…but I will pile on with a similar situation.

I have found that at my stage in life my fishing boat less and less. It used to be 3 evenings and one full weekend day were 100% devoted to fishing. Now with a tritoon, child, new house, wife, and another kid on the way…it spends too much time sitting. When I have time to myself it’s spent doing things that need to get done so I’m not “behind” (mowing ditches, clearing brush, getting to odd side jobs I put off, maintenance on other toys). My free time is mainly to do unpaid work for myself and property.

I have never NOT had a fishing boat sitting in the garage, but may let mine go for the right price and would purchase something different once my kids are school-aged and ready to spend time fishing. I’m curious to hear more of the takes on tiller for kids too, as many rave about the space and say they may actually be better for getting kids fishing? For now though all my daughter wants to do is get on the tritoon and head to the sandbar to swim…and it’s hard to argue with that.

I will probably list mine in March/April for a cash sale and see what happens. If the mood catches me right I’ll let it go, and if not oh well. I’ve got a 2009 Tuffy 1760 Esox Deep V (fiberglass) with a 115hp that has never sat outside and deserves to be used more…but have no real idea what it is worth.

if anyone wants to chime in on what they think my boat is worth feel free. it also comes with a custom cover from canvas craft, 3 new batteries purchased this year and the 93SV is new this year too. I just called one marina who buys used boats and he offered me 16k. i tried not to laugh especially considering they have similar boats to mine on his own site for double that price. id hope to get around 30k for mine but who really knows. i guess its worth what someone is willing to pay for it

crappie55369 wrote:

if anyone wants to chime in on what they think my boat is worth feel free. it also comes with a custom cover from canvas craft, 3 new batteries purchased this year and the 93SV is new this year too. I just called one marina who buys used boats and he offered me 16k. i tried not to laugh especially considering they have similar boats to mine on his own site for double that price. id hope to get around 30k for mine but who really knows. i guess its worth what someone is willing to pay for it

Stealership. But they have to make money too. How big is it? Im guessing a 185

Crappie you can just store your boat at my house, until you want to start using it more. And I’ll only charge you some hours on the motor!

Seriously tho, it seems like the used market has leveled off a bit, and I don’t see it picking back up anytime soon so I’d get it listed for what you think is a fair but higher end price. And if you don’t get any offers drop it.

How big?

BigWerm wrote:

Crappie you can just store your boat at my house, until you want to start using it more. And I’ll only charge you some hours on the motor!

Seriously tho, it seems like the used market has leveled off a bit, and I don’t see it picking back up anytime soon so I’d get it listed for what you think is a fair but higher end price. And if you don’t get any offers drop it.

Thats a good offer. We’ll talk lol

It’s a 175

With everything listed I would try selling it now . And start at 35,000
And test the water no pun intended. If it don’t sell. Try again in the the best time is in the spring. You always can come down in price.

What kind of things to check when buying a used boat? I would want to have the engine inspected by a mechanic. Would buyers scowl at me for suggesting this option before I make an offer?

I would tell the seller you will pay to have it checked out. If you don’t like what you hear you will pay the mechanic. If you like what you hear you will buy the boat and the seller pays the mechanic. If he balks at that, then offer to split the cost. If he still balks there might be something wrong and walk away.

From my point of view if you are buying used it’s buyer beware. All you can do is try and cover your a$$ best as you can. I will tell you now, your wife and kids won’t like the tiller. What you need to do is determine how often they will be in the boat. If it’s a couple times a summer than their vote doesn’t count.

If you don’t want to mess with selling it yourself find a dealership to consign it. They will typically charge you 10-15%. You won’t ever get a cash offer from a dealership you will like. They are in business to make money. Why would they pay you a tad below market to make a few bucks? It’s not how the real world works.

I have a friend who just bought a few year old Competitor 175 with a 150 Evinrude. I think he paid $31k on a boat that was in very good shape and very low hours.

I have to believe the Suzuki garners you a few thousand more than the evinrude.

Sell it yourself…I assume it’s paid off so it’s a very easy process. Post on walleye central and FB marketplace and it’ll be sold quickly.

I’ve never owned a tiller but it’s for fishing and that’s about it. If your family likes cruising around, kicking their feet up then they will prefer a walkthrough or pontoon 100%.

Buying or selling take good pictures. Nothing worse than 1 or 2 crappy pics of it in your dimly lit garage.

If selling, list it high and see what happens? You’ll probably get a bunch of responses saying it’s too much and the NADA says this and it’s worth this much and all sorts of baseless crap. You know what you paid for it and what else you put on it so add it up.

I could have sold mine for 10k more than I paid last year so even tho the market has leveled off, I would bet you can still make money on it if you sell. Only thing is now is it’s October so not a hot time to sell.

Good luck, sounds like a sweet rig!

I will just chime in on a couple things. First off, it sounds like you have a great family boat, but I can understand wanting to get the money out of it if you don’t use it as often. I came from a tiller to a full windshield and will never go back, especially having a family now. Keeping the wife and kids dry on a windy day makes for a far more enjoyable day in my view.

As far as selling it goes, no harm in listing it now and seeing if you get a solid offer, I think your price expectations are about right. As others have said, more info is better and shows you really cared for the boat.

Related to buying something, I have the same inclination as you to want to have it inspected, but that would likely be viewed as excessive in todays market. I bought mine used and we did a test drive together, that was good enough for me. Its never going to be 100%, but you can start to put a pretty solid picture together based off what information they provide, condition of the boat, and meeting the seller.

imo, selling a boat is all about good pictures and honest information, be prepared for a long sale period if your boat is heavily customized as it will likely require a buyer with similar tastes…do your homework on what similar boats are selling for so you price it competitively…Do your best to navigate through the obvious tire kickers so you’re not wasting your time…

lastly, know what you’re selling…if its a 14′ Lund with a 15hp motor just know you’re selling against likely hundreds of other 14′ aluminum boats within travel distance of yours…if what your selling is more unique, you’ll likely sell it easier…

Thanks for the input everyone. Decided to break away from my busy life tonight and get on the water.

Attachments:

1. 

   received_1206204070239404.jpeg
   

One thing to watch out for is paint bubbling around transom bolts, rivets, and thru hulls. This can be a good indicator that water is sitting inside your transom and rot has started. I checked out this boat for a friend and it’s a great example of what I’m talking about. It was in great shape outside of this, and would likely get overlooked if you’re not watching out for it.

If the seller gives you a hard time about bringing the boat to a mechanic, I would at the very least check compression, and the gearlube for water. Easy things to do in front of the seller while you’re there looking at the boat.

If they won’t let you test run it definitely run it on muffs.

Attachments:

1. 

   20220913_163140-scaled.jpg
   

When selling a boat IMO it’s all about clean, clean, clean with NO “easy fixes”. Guys want turnkey stuff and any sign of lack of cleanliness is taken as a bad sign. But the good news is, a super clean boat will sell very quickly.

Fall is the worst time to sell. Guys have too many other things going on and to the average midwest boat buyer, the season is already over. IMO, if you aren’t paying big bucks for storage, it is always worth waiting and selling the boat during Crazy Time from March 1 to June 1. I’ve never had a boat listed during Crazy Time that I couldn’t have sold 4-5 times over for full asking price. I’ve had guys literally begging me to hold a boat for them, they get so frustrated at losing out on boat after boat that they go almost crazy.

In this market I would just keep it, to replace will cost you more as boat prices are still inflated.

Offer it for sale, if you’re not getting what u want and storage/winterize costs justify keeping it then hold on until spring, but then also know you may be paying higher for the other rig as well, with more competition. Ideally buy the other rig now for cheap, sell big rig in spring for more.

You’ll have no issues getting the family out in a tiller. Sure there are pros and cons to both, but tillers don’t have that many cons, and it makes up for it in fishability. Being able to watch all the kids and their lines while back trolling makes it so easy, lines not getting into either motor is a big plus.

Good on you for prioritizing what’s practical for your situation rn. We as fisherman get so caught up in our love for the hobby we realize it’s not the easiest hobby to maintain when there are 1000 other things going on as well. Fish will always be there.

Not trying to be doom and gloom but if your serious about selling it I would list it now. My brother sells rv’s/ice houses and things are slowing down on that side also hearing radio adds for boat close outs and rebates so things must be softening a little. And lastly with interest rates going up and projected to go up more by end of year now may be the best time.

As far as price goes I think your close at 30k. Just for reference I bought a 22 alumacraft comp fsx 185 last year pre price inflation for about 43k equipped like yours except no kicker and a Vmax 150. I know life gets busy and I struggled getting out a lot this year as well so I feel your pain.

hillhiker wrote:

One thing to watch out for is paint bubbling around transom bolts, rivets, and thru hulls. This can be a good indicator that water is sitting inside your transom and rot has started. I checked out this boat for a friend and it’s a great example of what I’m talking about. It was in great shape outside of this, and would likely get overlooked if you’re not watching out for it.

If the seller gives you a hard time about bringing the boat to a mechanic, I would at the very least check compression, and the gearlube for water. Easy things to do in front of the seller while you’re there looking at the boat.

If they won’t let you test run it definitely run it on muffs.

Are you 100% sure that rot has started? I have read into this and it has been talked about on many groups that when you see bubbling like that, it is a chemical reaction from the aluminum/paint reacting to the treated plywood. I was told to look for dimpled rivets as a sign of a soft transom. I have some bubbling on the top ridge cap of the transom and that is the only place. would be hard for just the top of the transom to show rot since it is not in the water like the rest of it……maybe I’m wrong?

Absolutely no reason to not list it right now- ads are free. You don’t need 400 tire kickers interested in it. You need one, the right one and that person might be looking for that exact model right now and not waiting until spring. A lot of buyers look to buy in off season to save a few bucks. Maybe they do maybe they don’t. I’ve sold more in the winter than spring actually.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

I’ve had guys literally begging me to hold a boat for them, they get so frustrated at losing out on boat after boat that they go almost crazy.

You’re giving me PTSD. Saved up little pieces of cash for 2 years and just happened to be ready to buy summer of 2020. I love the boat I ended up with, but I still shake my head about the ones that got away that summer.

eyeguy507 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>hillhiker wrote:</div>
One thing to watch out for is paint bubbling around transom bolts, rivets, and thru hulls. This can be a good indicator that water is sitting inside your transom and rot has started. I checked out this boat for a friend and it’s a great example of what I’m talking about. It was in great shape outside of this, and would likely get overlooked if you’re not watching out for it.

If the seller gives you a hard time about bringing the boat to a mechanic, I would at the very least check compression, and the gearlube for water. Easy things to do in front of the seller while you’re there looking at the boat.

If they won’t let you test run it definitely run it on muffs.

Are you 100% sure that rot has started? I have read into this and it has been talked about on many groups that when you see bubbling like that, it is a chemical reaction from the aluminum/paint reacting to the treated plywood. I was told to look for dimpled rivets as a sign of a soft transom. I have some bubbling on the top ridge cap of the transom and that is the only place. would be hard for just the top of the transom to show rot since it is not in the water like the rest of it……maybe I’m wrong?

Paint bubbling like that can happen for a few reasons. Treated plywood is one, and electrolysis can cause the paint to bubble as well. I know when I did my transom last winter the paint looked like the pic I posted in all the spots the transom was completely rotted out. Higher up where the fasteners passed through solid wood there was no bubbling at all.

dirtywater wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>TheFamousGrouse wrote:</div>
I’ve had guys literally begging me to hold a boat for them, they get so frustrated at losing out on boat after boat that they go almost crazy.

You’re giving me PTSD. Saved up little pieces of cash for 2 years and just happened to be ready to buy summer of 2020. I love the boat I ended up with, but I still shake my head about the ones that got away that summer.

I’ve left a trail of broken hearts and shattered boat dreams. The one that really blew up the internet was I had a crestliner sportfish with a 150 and a very nicely rigged kicker in the days when that was not very common and expensive.

Those crestliners with the all welded holes were really popular with the Great lakes salmon guys because you could keep them in a marina without rivets leaking. I listed that thing in April and my phone was on fire 15 minutes later. Guys were still calling me 2 weeks after I took the ads down.

I have a 07 Alumacraft Navigator 165 tiller. Pretty close to Mound if you ever want to check it out. The 90″ beam on it is awesome for fishing.

In 2012? They took the navigator hull and redesigned the layout into the current competitor model.