Before arranging a viewing, write down the ordinary days you want to spend aboard. Include the waters, number of people, storage or moorage arrangements and who will operate the boat. Use those needs to reject unsuitable options early. A larger cabin or a low asking price does not solve a boat that is difficult to keep, maintain or use.
For a brokerage listing, save the asking price, currency, specification date and included equipment. Confirm that the boat is still available and where it can be inspected. Photographs help you prepare questions; they do not establish present condition.
Make the first viewing useful
Ask for maintenance records, previous survey reports, invoices for major work and a list of known defects before travelling. Identify engine and equipment models so you can investigate service support. Treat an older survey as background, not a substitute for an inspection commissioned for your purchase.
At the viewing, compare the boat with the inventory. Ask the owner or representative to demonstrate access to machinery, batteries, tanks and seacocks where appropriate. Can someone actually reach the components that need routine care? Check the living arrangements with the people who will use them: berths, toilet, seating, boarding and movement around the boat.
Record unanswered questions and visible concerns with permission to take photographs. Do not operate unfamiliar machinery or begin dismantling equipment yourself. The viewing is an opportunity to decide whether further investigation is worthwhile, not an attempt to replace a surveyor.
Agree on the investigation before committing
Discuss the purchase agreement, inspection conditions, deposit handling, deadlines and acceptance process with the broker and, where needed, an independent legal adviser. Make sure the written terms describe the opportunity to investigate that you intend to rely on. Do not assume that every agreement provides the same right to reject or renegotiate.
Engage an independent marine surveyor with relevant experience for the vessel type. Transport Canada's buying guidance notes that changes to a used boat can affect compliance and identifies a marine surveyor as a person who can examine it. Ask your prospective insurer or lender what report and qualifications they require before commissioning the work.
Define what the survey and sea trial will cover
Request a written scope and exclusions. Ask whether the assessment includes an out-of-water inspection, operating systems, machinery or rigging, and which areas need separate specialists. An engine inspection, oil analysis or rig assessment should be discussed explicitly rather than assumed to be inside a general condition survey.
Arrange the trial with the seller, operator and inspecting professionals. Agree on who handles the boat, what will be demonstrated, the conditions needed and the procedure if weather prevents a useful trial. Ask the professionals to explain the observations they want recorded and any limitations of a short run.
Budget separately for survey fees, the yard, launch arrangements and specialist attendance. Coordinate the appointments so the right people can see the boat in the required state. Read our boatyard booking guide for the questions a haul-out quotation should answer.
Check the identity and ownership paperwork
Match the hull serial number and other identifying details to the documents provided. Establish who has authority to sell and which equipment, tender or trailer belongs in the transaction. Obtain appropriate advice about ownership, registered interests and any required searches for the particular sale.
A pleasure craft licence is not proof of ownership, as the Safe Boating Guide explains. Transport Canada's licensing document checklist sets out what ownership evidence must contain. Registered-vessel transfers follow a separate registration process. Determine which applies before closing, particularly for an imported boat.
Price the first year before deciding
Build a worksheet using written quotes rather than a fixed percentage of the purchase price. Include:
- Purchase, applicable taxes, transport and transaction costs.
- Survey, trial, haul-out and immediate work identified by the inspection.
- Moorage or storage that is actually available for the boat.
- Insurance, routine servicing, fuel and consumables.
- Training, required equipment and any necessary upgrades.
- A reserve for unplanned repairs and eventual disposal.
Transport Canada specifically includes maintenance, insurance, fuel and eventual disposal among ownership responsibilities and costs. Use the inspection findings to separate work needed before use from work that can be planned later. Obtain estimates for the important items while the purchase decision is still open.
Only then compare the boat with the needs you wrote down at the start. The useful outcome is a boat whose condition, paperwork and operating commitment you understand, including a clear decision to walk away when they do not fit.