Resources
Know what you're getting into
Buying or selling a boat can be hard. That's why we're here. These are the parts of the process people most often wish someone had explained up front.
4 guides
Buying a boat
Financing, surveys, sea trials and what to look for in a pre-owned boat.
Boat loans and financing: how it actually works
Down payments, loan terms, what marine lenders look at, and how financing fits into the timeline of an offer.
Read the guide
Marine surveys and valuations: what to expect
What a pre-purchase survey covers, who pays for what, and how to use the findings in your negotiation.
Read the guide
The sea trial: how to get the most out of a boat test drive
A practical checklist for the dock, the run and the return, so you learn what the boat is really like.
Read the guide
Buying a used boat: new or pre-owned, and what to look for
The trade-offs between new and pre-owned, and the checks that separate a good used boat from a project.
Read the guide
5 guides
Selling a boat
Pricing, timing, preparing the boat and the paperwork at closing.
The best time of year to sell a boat on the Chesapeake
How the boating season, the fall boat shows and winter storage shape when buyers are out looking.
Read the guide
Preparing your boat for sale: the mistakes that cost sellers money
Cleaning, decluttering, fixing the obvious and gathering records, plus the four mistakes that cost sellers most.
Read the guide
How to price a boat, and how long it takes to sell
Sold comparables, competing listings and condition, and why the right price shortens the time on market.
Read the guide
Selling a boat with a loan on it, and the Coast Guard bill of sale
Paying off the loan at closing, releasing the lien, and the documentation paperwork for a federally documented boat.
Read the guide
2 guides
Owning a boat
Winterizing on the Chesapeake and what a boat really costs to keep.
Winterizing your boat on the Chesapeake: a checklist
Engines, fuel, water systems, batteries and covers: what to do before the first hard freeze.
Read the guide
What it really costs to own a boat: dockage, fuel and the rest
Slip fees, storage, insurance, maintenance and fuel: how each cost is built, so you can budget before you buy.
Read the guide
Buying, at a glance
From offer to closing in about 30 days
- 1
Day 1
Written offer
Price, contingencies and the two key dates, typed up and signed electronically. All you need to start is your driver's license.
- 2
On acceptance
10% deposit
Held in escrow. The deal is not official until money changes hands, so send it as soon as the offer is accepted.
- 3
Weeks 1 to 3
Survey and sea trial
A surveyor's report on the boat's condition, and time on the water to see how she really runs.
- 4
About day 30
Acceptance and closing
Accept or reject the vessel at about three weeks, then close about a week later.
Go deeper
Every boat is different
A guide can only go so far. Ask a broker who has owned, cruised and lived aboard on this bay about yours.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Yacht Brokers of Annapolis located?
- We're at Port Annapolis Marina, 7080 Bembe Beach Rd #211, Annapolis, MD 21403. You can reach us on (410) 206-2755.
- What areas do you cover?
- We provide yacht brokerage service to Annapolis as well as Kent Island, Washington D.C., Baltimore and the surrounding areas.
- Do you handle both power boats and sailboats?
- Both. Matt focuses on power boats and Deanna started in sail and later added power, so the brokerage covers both sides of the market rather than specializing in one.
- Can I see boats that aren't your own listings?
- Yes. As a buyer's broker we represent you on any listed boat, not only our own inventory, and we're part of the local broker network in Annapolis.
- How quickly will someone get back to me?
- A broker replies within one business day. If your enquiry is time sensitive, call (410) 206-2755 and you'll reach a person rather than a queue.
Ready to make a decision?
Yacht Brokers of Annapolis can help you get started today.
- Call
- (410) 206-2755
- Visit
- Port Annapolis Marina, 7080 Bembe Beach Rd #211, Annapolis, MD 21403 Get directions
Send us a message
Tell us what you’re after and a broker will come back to you.