Let's sell your boat

Want to Sell Your Boat?

If you are looking to sell your boat and are located in Ventura County,
we don't feel any other brokerage can offer you the visibility of Larry
Dudley Yacht Sales. Our Display docks are located in Ventura Harbor
Village right in front of many fine restaurants and shops. Weekend
crowds mean more people can see your boat at our facility then at
most other brokerages in Southern California.   We're open 7 days a
week, so stop by and talk to one of our experienced staff members.

When you want to sell your boat, it's time to get organized and
cleaned up.   Clean boats sell faster and for more money then boats
that need work, haven't been cleaned, and that have cluttered
cabins.    Most boats are bought by couple’s, and you need to
convince both members of a couple that your boat is for them. If your
boat is large enough for a family of 4 or 5, then you also need to make
sure it’s set up so parents feel comfortable letting their children look
inside. Remember that we all want to buy a boat that’s ready to go, in
“turn-key” condition, and if your boat is neat and clean you are way
ahead of the competition.   And it is competition, your boat will be
judged against every other boat a buyer looks at, which will be in the
dozens.

De Clutter

Go through your boat and pull out everything that doesn't have to be
there. Clean out the cupboards, lockers, drawers, refrigerator or ice
box.   Clean off the bunks and berths; sure, you can have some
bedding on them, but don’t keep them full of your extra sails or the
barbecue. Next move onto the engine room and bilge, clean out all
the spare parts and can’s of oil or polish. Keep them handy to give
the new owner, but they don’t need to be taking space if they don’t
help show the boat in a better light.

Clean, Clean, and Clean Again

Grab your bucket and sponge- clean every part of the boat you can
reach. Scrub the decks, the bright-work, the interior, the shelves,
the cupboards. Pull out the cushions and scrub the surfaces below.
If you have wood trim, pay special attention to any loose paint or
varnish. After you clean it all up, wax it all down. Lets get the boat as
shiny as possible. If you see rust or corrosion, handle it now. When a
buyer makes an offer, they will hire a surveyor to check your boat out,
the better the report, the better the buyer feels about it. If you know
of service or safety issues, it's always better to take care of them
before a surveyor points them out.

Power

Now we work on the engine and engine room. Wipe down the motor
and make it look clean. Scrub the floor below it and remove any
stains or puddles. Check your hoses and clamps, inspect the belts,
tighten whatever needs it, and make sure it looks as good as it can. If
an engine looks well cared for, a buyer will feel better. Put down an
absorbent pad to catch any leaks. Call your mechanic and have them
inspect the engine and make sure it’s running at top condition.
Nothings worse for a deal then to have a surprise issue while going
on a Sea Trial.

Visit a broker or two

Meet with a few brokers. Check out who’s really tied into the local
market and who has the connections with the local clubs and
boaters. Ask how they advertise and exactly what they will do to
market your boat. Do they rely on the Internet for everything, or do
they also run advertisements in the marine publications. Do they
charge you extra for advertising, or is it included. Do they list your
boat in multiple places on the Internet? Are they tied up with marine
lending companies to help finance deals.   Are they a brokerage
selling boats for owners, or a dealership more interested in selling
new boats. Maybe the last thing to consider is…”Would I buy a boat
from them?”

How Long will it take to sell my boat?

That’s always a tough question to answer.    Your broker can give you
a list of comparable sales over a specific time period, and in each
case it also tells us how long a boat was listed for. It’s not 100%
accurate, but we can get a good idea of what the selling prices have
been, and what the time frame was at. We also can see where the
original asking price was compared to the final selling price. We work
for you, and we’ll price your boat where you tell us to. But, we’ll also
tell you where we think the price should be.    The prices you see on
Yachtworld and in magazine ads are “Asking” prices, and rarely
reflect the actual sales prices on a particular model. The length of
time a boat is on the market directly ties in with condition, price, and
local market conditions.   We occasionally sell boats in a month or
less, but more often than not, it takes 6-12 months, and for more
expensive boats in the Ventura County region, even longer.

Larry Dudley Yacht Sales
A division of Smugglers Cove Yachts, Inc