The used powerboat buyer's guide

Wax hides a lot. Find it before you sign.

A fresh coat of wax and a clean console can hide repairs that cost more than the boat. Sound Hull walks you through the whole purchase, from budget to first 30 days, so you know exactly what to check and when to walk away.

Get Sound Hull $27 25-page PDF · 7 printable checklists · Instant download
Why this exists

Most expensive boat problems don't show up in the listing photos.

Below the deck

Rot and trapped water in the hull, transom and stringers stay out of sight until the repair bill arrives.

Inside the engine

Engine hours don't tell the whole story. Outboards, sterndrives and inboards each have their own warning signs.

In the paperwork

Liens, title problems and scam sellers can cost you more than a bad hull. You'll know what to check before any money changes hands.

What's inside

The whole buying process, in the order you'll actually use it.

01 · Plan

Before you shop

  • Set a realistic budget, including what a boat really costs to own each year
  • Choose the right type of boat for how you'll really use it
  • Line up financing and insurance
02 · Search

Find & research

  • Find good listings and spot scams and bad sellers
  • Research a boat before you drive out: HIN, history and true value
03 · Inspect

Look closer

  • Hull, transom, stringers and deck: rot and hidden water
  • Outboards, sterndrives, inboards, and what engine hours really mean
  • Electrical, fuel, steering and onboard systems
  • The trailer, before the highway inspects it for you
  • An 8-step sea trial that exposes what a driveway can't
  • When to hire a marine surveyor, and how to pick one
04 · Close

Make the deal

  • Negotiate a lower price using what you found
  • Close cleanly: titles, liens, bills of sale and safe payment
  • Get through your first 30 days of ownership
Bring it with you

The whole inspection fits on a clipboard.

Seven printable checklists turn the guide into a few pages you can carry around the boat, through the engine bay and onto the water.

Red-flags cheat sheet. The deal-breakers on one page.
Plain-English glossary. Know what the seller and surveyor are talking about.
Trusted resources. Where to look things up and who to call.
  1. Before you go
  2. Hull and structure
  3. Engine and drive
  4. Systems
  5. Trailer
  6. Sea trial
  7. Closing the deal
Is it for you?

Built for powerboats from about 14 to 40 feet.

A good fit if you're

  • A first-time buyer
  • An owner moving up to a bigger boat
  • Buying in a private, as-is sale
PontoonsBowridersDeck boatsCenter consolesBay boatsAluminum fishing boatsSki & wake boatsWalkaroundsSmall cruisers

Not the right guide if

  • You're shopping for a sailboat
  • You want a substitute for a professional marine survey or mechanical inspection
  • You need legal or financial advice
20years in boat
service & sales
About the author
Written by someone who has seen what the wax was hiding.

Matt McCarthy has spent 20 years in boat service and sales and holds a captain's license. Sound Hull puts that experience into a step-by-step guide you can follow yourself.

The details

What you get

Format
PDF
Length
25 pages
Checklists
7 printable
Price
$27

Spend $27 now, not thousands on a hidden repair later.

Read it before you go look, and bring the checklists when you do. It's an instant download.

Get Sound Hull $27
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