Boat Evaluation: Ten Most Important Points To Check

It is possible to determine the value of a boat by yourself before buying or selling. Besides having a general idea of the market value for the kind ob vessel, it is fundamental to know what to look for. This ten point checklist tells you about the most important factors that may affect the end price of that boat or yacht:

1) Start with the boat hull and understructure. Are there any scrapes, cracks, signs of badly executed repairs, or fading? All these will negatively impact the boat value. Please note that the hull is best examined with the boat out of the water.

2) Check the fittings and hatches: Check any deck or hull fittings to ensure that they are in good condition, fit well, function correctly and, where they go the hull, are watertight. Open and close all hatches to see if they're in good working order and that they don't show signs on water ingress inside. If they do, it can mean that they're not watertight. Open and close any/all sea cocks to check that they're easy to operate and are watertight when closed.

3) Check the engine block, including the ancillary systems such as steering. You should of course turn the engine on and try it out. After that, have a look inside and check for oil leaks or for too much smoke in the engine compartment, for eventual cracks on the engine block, and for the state of all the cables and moving parts.

4) Test electrics & switches: Test anything that has a switch or a handle, to see that they function correctly, in particular navigation lights, horn, bilge pumps, internal lights, winches, heating, generator, cooking facilities, taps, toilets. Also check all electrical cabling, looking for any signs of repair, temporary fixes, rust and loose connections.

5) Have a look at all the bilges, under the flooring. Oil signs are a bad sign, you don't want any oil leaks. Watermarks from flooding are sign of a lesser problem. You will want to enquire with the current owner when the flooding happened and why.

6) Look at all the external surfaces, such as the deck, the upholstery, and the wood on the superstructure. If the boat is used some signs of consumption are normal, but have a keen eye for over-use. Even if this point may just seem cosmetic, it could have a major effect on the negotiation of the value of the boats, so don't neglect it.

7) Have another look at the wooden parts of the boat, if any are present. Is there any sign of warping, chipped areas, or damp spots? Is the wood well maintained? This is a difficult and expensive area to repair, and you want to make sure that there won't be too much to do extra.

8) For sailing boats, check the sails and the rigging . Check that all the sails and rigging (including spares) are in good condition; do not only look for evidence of repairs, but also make sure everything functions easily and flows freely.

9) Are any accessories, such as dinghies or navigation electronics, part of the boat evaluation? Don't overlook these as they may make quite a difference on the end price, and provide a basis for extra negotiations and price reduction.

10) What about the safety equipment? If any is include, don't only determine its value but use it also as an indication of the general state of the boat, as people who keep their boat well usually have safety equipment in top condition.