How to sell a boat or jet ski on boatsales

The big benefit of selling via boatsales is that people go there with a single purpose in mind – they want to buy a boat or jet ski.

The other big benefit of boatsales is that you get help throughout the whole selling process, and not just when money flows or (if the fraudsters are out to get you) doesn’t flow into the bank account.

Don't forget, if your boat is priced at less than $7500, you can advertise on boatsales for free.

How do you do it? Follow these steps to sell a boat or jet ski on boatsales.

Go to the boatsales website and hover over the “Sell My Boat” button, and then click on “Create an ad”. If you don’t already have an account on boatsales – you’re likely to have one if you’ve already been researching your next boat – you will be asked to create one. 

If you do already have an account, just log in.

You can revisit this login once you’ve created your ad to manage it, such as changing details or adjusting the price.

You will need to provide information about your boat, including the make, model, year, and condition, hull numbers, engine numbers and in the case of trailers, vehicle identification numbers. You should also include any extra features such as electronics or accessories.

Also, be very clear about what equipment will be sold with the boat – if the photos show life jackets on the seats, a buyer might expect they're included in the sale – and what electronics such as chartplotters and radios will transfer to the new owner.

Buyers are likely to also appreciate you providing details about the engine fitted to the boat, including its age, the number of hours it has been used, and maybe even the results of the latest compression test carried out when the engine was last serviced.

The condition of the engine will have a big influence on the price you can ask for the boat.

If the boat is sitting on a trailer, include a description and a condition. While it’s not likely to be a deal-breaker, a trailer in useable condition is a key advantage.

Likewise, if a boat is on a mooring or in a marina, indicate if this is also available as an option with the sale.

Boatsales allows you to upload up to 30 photos of your boat. Make sure to take high-quality photos that show the boat from different angles.

You may also want to provide a walkaround video of your boat. Shoot in a vertical format – most of the traffic on boatsales comes from smartphones – and make sure to talk about the highlights of the boat you’re selling.

We already have a handy guide on how to shoot photos to make your boat look good on boatsales.

You will need to set a price for your boat. Consider the market value and condition of your boat when setting the price. You can do this by looking at similar boats listed for sale on boatsales, or using a service such as RedBook to look at the history of a boat’s price.

When you first list the boat for sale, boatsales will ask you to provide an estimated price range for the listing. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how much your boat is worth, as you can always come back and change this setting.

Boatsales offers different listing types, including Standard, Premium, and Ultimate. Choose the listing type that best suits your needs and budget.

A Standard ad gives you the confidence of privacy and fraud protection – both highly important factors in the online economy.

You can also upgrade to a Premium ad that will rank higher in search results on boatsales and get more eyeballs on your listing, while an Ultimate ad package will push your ad up even higher in the listings, appear in the used boat showcase for 30 days, and provide a virtual phone number to prospective buyers to protect your private number.

You can also upgrade or downgrade your listing package at any time, as well as choose the option of a showcase or virtual phone number at any time.

Write a detailed description of your boat that highlights its features and condition. Be honest and accurate in your description.

The boatsales listing allows you to select a number of different ways for buyers to contact you, as well as your availability on weekdays and weekends if they wish to arrange a pre-purchase inspection, and whether you are prepared to take the boat to the prospective buyer for an inspection.

It’s important to let buyers know if the boat and/or trailer are registered at the time of sale, and how much registration is left before it needs renewing.

You can also say if the boat uses antifoul, what the decks are made from, who designed or built the boat, and its name.

As an online safety feature, you can even choose if your phone number is displayed. If you don't show your contact number, potential buyers can still contact you via a direct message on boatsales, making it important to check in regularly to see how your listing is doing.

Once you have completed all the steps, review your listing to make sure everything is correct. Then, publish your listing and wait for potential buyers to contact you.

It's a good idea to monitor your listing regularly and respond promptly to any inquiries or questions from potential buyers.

You can do this by logging into boatsales, clicking on your name at the top of the browser and selecting “Messages”. You can also manage your ad via this menu.

Try and be as responsive as you can with buyers, answering questions quickly and honestly. 

It will also be handy to set a floor for how low you will go when negotiating the price of a boat, as no one is likely to buy it for the listed price unless it truly is a bargain.

If someone wants to come and inspect or sea trial your boat, make sure that it is clean and tidy, and in an accessible space where they can crawl under and around it.

Vehicle transfer, change of ownership or notice of disposal forms may need to be completed (signed by both the buyer and seller) when a boat is sold.

We also recommend you call your state or territory authority and notify them that it’s been sold. 

In some states, the responsibility lies with the seller to prepare and submit the transfer papers, while in others, it’s up to the buyer.?

Either way, it’s important that the seller keeps a copy of the form as a record of the transfer and date of sale. 

Tasmania now requires both boat sellers and buyers to confirm that a boat being sold is in a seaworthy condition and is safe to take to the water. The buyer and seller will have to submit separate paperwork confirming this within 30 days of the sale.

This new requirement – the first in Australia – is in direct response to a number of on-water fatalities in the state linked to the sale of unseaworthy boats.

Note that you will need separate transfer papers for both the boat and trailer, which are registered separately.

Boatsales provides this handy online guide outlining everything that buyers and sellers need to know.

As always, this information is correct at the time it was published. Please check on boatsales to make sure nothing has changed.