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Author Topic:   Selling a Used Boston Whaler Boat

whaler007 posted 10-05-2014 09:11 PM ET (US)
I'll be putting my Montauk 190 up for sale in the spring. I've never sold a boat before. Can you guys offer some pointers. Thanks!
saumon posted 10-05-2014 09:53 PM ET (US)
Here's a very exhaustive list of "do's and don't" when running a boat selling ad, from a guy that sold his Whaler http://www.thehulltruth.com/boats-sale-wanted/ 329594-marketing-tips-sell-your-boat-todays-economy-few-buying.html .
For me, the most importants are:
- determine a fair price and advertise it, nothing turn off buyers more than a "call for price". They won't call.
- put pics in your ad, a lot of them.
whaler007 posted 10-05-2014 10:56 PM ET (US)
Thanks for that link! That's exactly the type of info I was looking for. What about the actual sale in terms of title for the boat, motor & trailer? And most importantly payment? I once sold a Ford Escape. The buyer met me at the license bureau with an envelop full of cash! I raced the the bank as fast as possible in fear of getting robbed. The boat is considerably more valuable than that truck was. How do buyers usually pay for boats in the $20,000 to $30,000 range?
jimh posted 10-05-2014 11:06 PM ET (US)
I have sold two boats. My method:
--put a FOR-SALE notice on CONTINUOUSWAVE
--have the boat in extremely good condition, extremely clean, and everything working perfectly
--take plenty of detailed digital images and make them available
Jeff posted 10-05-2014 11:31 PM ET (US)
I have sold a number of boats. I always write an ad as detailed as possible. The ad should outline your entire ownership of the vessel and cover all of the upgrades, maintenance, and type of use you had with the boat. You should line-item out all of the things that come with the boat. I would provide detailed compression and performance information on the boat if you can.
Also, take Lots (and I mean LOTS) of detailed high resolution digital photos of the boat. All angles of the boat, detailed images of cockpit and storage areas, wiring, rigging, motor (uncover the hood), the trailer and all of the accessory.
As for listings, I have posted all of my Whalers here on CW, Craiglist and eBay (with my phone number in the ad stating it is for sale locally). I have sold 2 here in CW, 1 on Craiglist and 2 from eBay listings (ended the auction early when the buyer purchased the boat outright).
Here is the type of write-ups I do for my boat listings:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/021134.html
https://sites.google.com/site/22bostonwhalerguardian/
Here are examples of the type of digital image documentation I recommend:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jeff_rohlfing/library/ 1993%2023%20Boston%20Whaler%20Walkaround%20Whalerdrive?sort=2&start=all& page=1
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jeff_rohlfing/library/Dads%2022/ Forsale?sort=2&start=all&page=1
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jeff_rohlfing/library/ 190%201988%20Grady%20White%20details%2013?sort=2&start=all&page=1
EJO posted 10-06-2014 07:29 AM ET (US)
I have sold many (over 25) boats and bought more. Determine where (market) you are going to sell and set a reasonable price. With today's technology you can't have too many pictures available. It is nice to show a boat on a trailer but that is not where the boat will be used. Make sure you have some recent pictures of the boat floating and running in the water. I bought and sold many sailboats. The thing I hated the most was not having pictures available of the boat with its sails up and sailing. A lot of boats look great on the hard but what about in the water? Good luck this spring. Sales agreements are dime a dozen, available on the web, or just generate your own in duplicate so the buyer and you have copies and know what to expect.
K Albus posted 10-06-2014 08:36 AM ET (US)
Regarding payment, the safest method is to have the buyer wire transfer the funds to your bank account. If you are dealing with a stranger, you may want to set up a new account just for the purposes of receiving the payment. I did this when I sold my Dauntless. I set up a new account at a local Chase branch. Once the funds were transferred into the account, I transferred them out to a different account and closed the new account.
jimh posted 10-06-2014 09:04 AM ET (US)
Regarding how to recognize a serious buyer of a used Boston Whaler boat: a serious buyer brings substantial money with him when he comes to see the boat for the first time.
If you have a Boston Whaler boat for sale, and
--the boat is in excellent condition
--the boat is very clean and shows good maintenance
--the boat can be demonstrated on the water
--the boat is a popular model, and
--the asking price is appropriate to the model, age, and condition
then the boat will typically sell quite easily to the first real buyer who comes to see it. That buyer will bring funds with him (in some easily managed form) to put a deposit or binder on the sales agreement, because serious buyers of used Boston Whaler boats know that there often can be many interested potential buyers, and they want to cut out competition for the boat.
As for concerns about making a transaction of more than $20,000 with a buyer that is unknown to you, there is nothing particular about the item being sold being a Boston Whaler boat, and you should use the general advice about selling any item at that price level. It is very common for used automobiles to be sold by individuals, and I suspect there is an enormous amount of advice available about selling used automobiles and avoiding being defrauded which is completely applicable to selling a used Boston Whaler boat.
To facilitate the sale, you must have clear title to the boat, to the trailer, and in some states to the outboard engine. (Outboard engines are titled in some state jurisdictions, Ohio being an example.) If there is a lien on the title to a secured lender, this must be rapidly and easily discharged.
Other documents, such as a manufacturer's certificate of origin, often provided with trailers, will be very useful to a buyer in registering his new boat after purchase with his state authorities. Having complete paperwork like this organized and ready to be transferred will aid in making a sale. It shows the buyer you are organized, and are clearly the title-holder and unrestricted owner of the properties being offered for sale.
An article I wrote 14-years ago about buying used Boston Whaler boats is still quite relevant today. While written from a buyer's perspective, you can easily read it and reverse the point of view to the seller's perspective. See
Buying Classic Boston Whalers
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/buying.html
Jefecinco posted 10-06-2014 09:58 AM ET (US)
I have noticed that those boats priced below the usual price tend to sell very quickly.
Pricing your 190 Montauk may not be easy as there are not many for sale and comparisons are difficult. I recently checked the MSRP (price) for a new 190 Montauk equipped similarly to mine. It was about $46,000. Lacking a better benchmark, if I wanted to sell mine, I would go down from there.
Butch
jimh posted 10-06-2014 12:03 PM ET (US)
To estimate a selling price for a used Boston Whaler boat that is a very recent model, solicit a trade-in value of the boat with an authorized Boston Whaler dealer. Usually a trade-in offer will be at the lower bound of the used price range.
whaler007 posted 10-06-2014 05:51 PM ET (US)
Thanks again fellas. Great info.
tom976 posted 10-16-2014 03:58 PM ET (US)
Not for nothing, the biggest thing with selling a boat is timing. I tried putting up a 23 conquest for sale in the fall. Got one or two bites and that's it. No sale.
Comes spring, I bottom painted her and gave it a good wash/wax. The boat sold in no time and I got a grand or two more. I could have held out for more but this guy appreciated it boat and was going to enjoy it as much as I did.
Look at when the boating season begins in your area. Putting ads on Craigslist is easy and free. If the right price and motivated buyer meet, well you have a sale. Otherwise wait for the season to warm up in the spring and sell it then. It all depends on when you need the money... Hold off if you can, be flexible if you cant.
Money, I had a guy pay me 20 grand cash. Fake 100's are all over the place. I am no bank so I haven't a clue about seeing the difference between a real 100 and a good copy. I started by getting a money marker. Turns the ink a funny color if its fake. If that works for retailers, it works for me.
Make sure to get the title etc all in place. Nothing makes a deal go bad faster than a frustrated buyer.
As for pricing it out? There are lots of other boats to compare prices to. Check out nadaguides on basic hull prices, ebay for sold prices, other CL ads on similar BW boats. A few searches on the web and you can find some local listings with similar models and years. You get the idea. Take the personal aspect out of pricing the boat. If you really don't want / have to sell it, dont. Enjoy it.
Jefecinco posted 10-17-2014 08:55 AM ET (US)
It may be possible to get a fair approximation of the value of a boat by asking your insurer what they would pay in the event of a total loss.
I'm about to have that conversation with my insurer to help me decide if I should change my policy to an agreed value policy. They've told me I'll need a value survey from an accredited surveyor to make the change.
Butch

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Author	Topic: Selling a Used Boston Whaler Boat
whaler007	posted 10-05-2014 09:11 PM ET (US) I'll be putting my Montauk 190 up for sale in the spring. I've never sold a boat before. Can you guys offer some pointers. Thanks!
saumon	posted 10-05-2014 09:53 PM ET (US) Here's a very exhaustive list of "do's and don't" when running a boat selling ad, from a guy that sold his Whaler http://www.thehulltruth.com/boats-sale-wanted/ 329594-marketing-tips-sell-your-boat-todays-economy-few-buying.html . For me, the most importants are: - determine a fair price and advertise it, nothing turn off buyers more than a "call for price". They won't call. - put pics in your ad, a lot of them.
whaler007	posted 10-05-2014 10:56 PM ET (US) Thanks for that link! That's exactly the type of info I was looking for. What about the actual sale in terms of title for the boat, motor & trailer? And most importantly payment? I once sold a Ford Escape. The buyer met me at the license bureau with an envelop full of cash! I raced the the bank as fast as possible in fear of getting robbed. The boat is considerably more valuable than that truck was. How do buyers usually pay for boats in the $20,000 to $30,000 range?
jimh	posted 10-05-2014 11:06 PM ET (US) I have sold two boats. My method: --put a FOR-SALE notice on CONTINUOUSWAVE --have the boat in extremely good condition, extremely clean, and everything working perfectly --take plenty of detailed digital images and make them available
Jeff	posted 10-05-2014 11:31 PM ET (US) I have sold a number of boats. I always write an ad as detailed as possible. The ad should outline your entire ownership of the vessel and cover all of the upgrades, maintenance, and type of use you had with the boat. You should line-item out all of the things that come with the boat. I would provide detailed compression and performance information on the boat if you can. Also, take Lots (and I mean LOTS) of detailed high resolution digital photos of the boat. All angles of the boat, detailed images of cockpit and storage areas, wiring, rigging, motor (uncover the hood), the trailer and all of the accessory. As for listings, I have posted all of my Whalers here on CW, Craiglist and eBay (with my phone number in the ad stating it is for sale locally). I have sold 2 here in CW, 1 on Craiglist and 2 from eBay listings (ended the auction early when the buyer purchased the boat outright). Here is the type of write-ups I do for my boat listings: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/021134.html https://sites.google.com/site/22bostonwhalerguardian/ Here are examples of the type of digital image documentation I recommend: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jeff_rohlfing/library/ 1993%2023%20Boston%20Whaler%20Walkaround%20Whalerdrive?sort=2&start=all& page=1 http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jeff_rohlfing/library/Dads%2022/ Forsale?sort=2&start=all&page=1 http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jeff_rohlfing/library/ 190%201988%20Grady%20White%20details%2013?sort=2&start=all&page=1
EJO	posted 10-06-2014 07:29 AM ET (US) I have sold many (over 25) boats and bought more. Determine where (market) you are going to sell and set a reasonable price. With today's technology you can't have too many pictures available. It is nice to show a boat on a trailer but that is not where the boat will be used. Make sure you have some recent pictures of the boat floating and running in the water. I bought and sold many sailboats. The thing I hated the most was not having pictures available of the boat with its sails up and sailing. A lot of boats look great on the hard but what about in the water? Good luck this spring. Sales agreements are dime a dozen, available on the web, or just generate your own in duplicate so the buyer and you have copies and know what to expect.
K Albus	posted 10-06-2014 08:36 AM ET (US) Regarding payment, the safest method is to have the buyer wire transfer the funds to your bank account. If you are dealing with a stranger, you may want to set up a new account just for the purposes of receiving the payment. I did this when I sold my Dauntless. I set up a new account at a local Chase branch. Once the funds were transferred into the account, I transferred them out to a different account and closed the new account.
jimh	posted 10-06-2014 09:04 AM ET (US) Regarding how to recognize a serious buyer of a used Boston Whaler boat: a serious buyer brings substantial money with him when he comes to see the boat for the first time. If you have a Boston Whaler boat for sale, and --the boat is in excellent condition --the boat is very clean and shows good maintenance --the boat can be demonstrated on the water --the boat is a popular model, and --the asking price is appropriate to the model, age, and condition then the boat will typically sell quite easily to the first real buyer who comes to see it. That buyer will bring funds with him (in some easily managed form) to put a deposit or binder on the sales agreement, because serious buyers of used Boston Whaler boats know that there often can be many interested potential buyers, and they want to cut out competition for the boat. As for concerns about making a transaction of more than $20,000 with a buyer that is unknown to you, there is nothing particular about the item being sold being a Boston Whaler boat, and you should use the general advice about selling any item at that price level. It is very common for used automobiles to be sold by individuals, and I suspect there is an enormous amount of advice available about selling used automobiles and avoiding being defrauded which is completely applicable to selling a used Boston Whaler boat. To facilitate the sale, you must have clear title to the boat, to the trailer, and in some states to the outboard engine. (Outboard engines are titled in some state jurisdictions, Ohio being an example.) If there is a lien on the title to a secured lender, this must be rapidly and easily discharged. Other documents, such as a manufacturer's certificate of origin, often provided with trailers, will be very useful to a buyer in registering his new boat after purchase with his state authorities. Having complete paperwork like this organized and ready to be transferred will aid in making a sale. It shows the buyer you are organized, and are clearly the title-holder and unrestricted owner of the properties being offered for sale. An article I wrote 14-years ago about buying used Boston Whaler boats is still quite relevant today. While written from a buyer's perspective, you can easily read it and reverse the point of view to the seller's perspective. See Buying Classic Boston Whalers http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/buying.html
Jefecinco	posted 10-06-2014 09:58 AM ET (US) I have noticed that those boats priced below the usual price tend to sell very quickly. Pricing your 190 Montauk may not be easy as there are not many for sale and comparisons are difficult. I recently checked the MSRP (price) for a new 190 Montauk equipped similarly to mine. It was about $46,000. Lacking a better benchmark, if I wanted to sell mine, I would go down from there. Butch
jimh	posted 10-06-2014 12:03 PM ET (US) To estimate a selling price for a used Boston Whaler boat that is a very recent model, solicit a trade-in value of the boat with an authorized Boston Whaler dealer. Usually a trade-in offer will be at the lower bound of the used price range.
whaler007	posted 10-06-2014 05:51 PM ET (US) Thanks again fellas. Great info.
tom976	posted 10-16-2014 03:58 PM ET (US) Not for nothing, the biggest thing with selling a boat is timing. I tried putting up a 23 conquest for sale in the fall. Got one or two bites and that's it. No sale. Comes spring, I bottom painted her and gave it a good wash/wax. The boat sold in no time and I got a grand or two more. I could have held out for more but this guy appreciated it boat and was going to enjoy it as much as I did. Look at when the boating season begins in your area. Putting ads on Craigslist is easy and free. If the right price and motivated buyer meet, well you have a sale. Otherwise wait for the season to warm up in the spring and sell it then. It all depends on when you need the money... Hold off if you can, be flexible if you cant. Money, I had a guy pay me 20 grand cash. Fake 100's are all over the place. I am no bank so I haven't a clue about seeing the difference between a real 100 and a good copy. I started by getting a money marker. Turns the ink a funny color if its fake. If that works for retailers, it works for me. Make sure to get the title etc all in place. Nothing makes a deal go bad faster than a frustrated buyer. As for pricing it out? There are lots of other boats to compare prices to. Check out nadaguides on basic hull prices, ebay for sold prices, other CL ads on similar BW boats. A few searches on the web and you can find some local listings with similar models and years. You get the idea. Take the personal aspect out of pricing the boat. If you really don't want / have to sell it, dont. Enjoy it.
Jefecinco	posted 10-17-2014 08:55 AM ET (US) It may be possible to get a fair approximation of the value of a boat by asking your insurer what they would pay in the event of a total loss. I'm about to have that conversation with my insurer to help me decide if I should change my policy to an agreed value policy. They've told me I'll need a value survey from an accredited surveyor to make the change. Butch