A quiet season has led some buyers to expect bargains. But stock remains tight, paperwork matters more than ever, and the market is proving more active than the mood music suggestsWhen activity levels drop, assumptions tend to fill the space. A softer economy should mean softer prices; fewer listings but perhaps more negotiating room. But for yachts in the 40-60ft bracket, the reverse is true. Supply is slimmer, values have held and, in many cases, strengthened.
\nOwners are hesitating to sell because replacing what they have is no longer straightforward, and many who might once have traded up or down are choosing instead to sit tight. The result is a quieter market that still behaves as a healthy one. Buyers are looking, brokers are fielding enquiries, but the flow of stock is slower and more selective.
\nIn this environment, expectations need to adjust. This is not a distressed market and not an opportunistic one either. It is a narrower channel where clarity and preparation count for more than confidence.
\nNo silly offers
\n\u201cThe myth dangerous to the buyer today is that we\u2019re in some kind of buyers\u2019 market brought on by an economic downturn,\u201d says broker Alex Grabau. \u201cWe\u2019re not, and most brokers will tell you stories of someone really wanting a boat, putting in a silly low offer, and it not working out well for them.\u201d
\nThat mismatch often spills into seller behaviour too. \u201cThe owner gets annoyed, gives an obvious \u2018no\u2019 at best, or just takes the boat off the market and keeps the boat,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople forget that sellers are often buyers. If they don\u2019t see anything they want to move to, then why would they let go of the boat they\u2019ve already got?\u201d
\nRising new boat prices have reinforced this. Many owners now see little sense in stepping sideways for a higher cost. The usual chain of upgrades has slowed, reducing the supply of well-kept yachts entering the market. Even owners who were previously quite active in the market are taking longer to decide, which contributes to the feeling of contraction from both sides.
\nA weak Swedish Kroner has made Swedish yachts, such as this Arcona 50, attractive to buyers with stronger currencies. Photo: Arcona Yachts
\nPace, not price
\nDespite fewer listings, good yachts are still selling promptly. \u201cWe\u2019re achieving pretty good prices,\u201d Grabau says. \u201cEven above asking, in some cases. The market is quieter, but good boats at the right money aren\u2019t sitting.\u201d
\nThe \u2018right money\u2019 reflects a shift in how buyers approach the process. Expectations of distressed discounts generally come to nothing. Sellers of clean, properly documented yachts know that their boats are competing in a thin field, and buyers who turn up prepared are often the ones who secure the boat.
\nThe quieter pace gives buyers more time to think but doesn\u2019t translate into cheaper deals.
\nIn an update on the state of the market as 2025 drew to a close, Sue Grant of Berthon commented: \u201cIn most cases in this market, yachts are selling on price \u2013 additional equipment makes a yacht easier to sell \u2013 but not worth more.\u201d
\nShe also noted that: \u201cBadly presented yachts are sticking. There is choice in the marketplace and buyers are currently \u2018project\u2019 averse.\u201d
\nSome of the most straightforward sales now happen before a yacht reaches the open market. This is simply timing: photography, paperwork checks and listing preparation can all take days or weeks. In that period, a broker with a clear brief from a buyer can match the yacht before it appears online.
\nArticle continues below\u2026<\/p>\n
Relying solely on listing alerts puts buyers at the back of the queue. Buyers who keep in contact tend to join the process earlier and more realistically.
\n\u201cSome of the best boats never even make it online,\u201d Grabau says. \u201cIf we know exactly what you want, your timeline and your expectations, we can move quickly.\u201d
\nCross-border sales may have become more administrative since Brexit, but they haven\u2019t stopped. \u201cIf it\u2019s the right boat at the right price, paying VAT doesn\u2019t automatically make it the wrong decision,\u201d Grabau adds.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve sold UK VAT-paid boats to Europeans who\u2019ve paid VAT again.
\n\u201cSometimes it still makes sense, and the boat ends up with dual VAT status, which can help later.\u201d
\nMore often, delays stem from missing documentation. Evidence of VAT status, CE compliance and a yacht\u2019s location at the end of the transition period remain fundamental. These elements, not sentiment, are what derail sales.
\nRising new yacht prices and new build times continue to make well spec\u2019d recent models such as this Fountaine-Pajot Isla 40 appealing on the second-hand market. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget
\nPrep for success
\nFor sellers, the basic principles remain unchanged. Yachts with clear information, good photographs and transparent history attract more interest. A buyer should be able to form an initial judgement from the listing alone. Anything less reduces enquiries. Proper preparation at the start \u2013 checking paperwork, gathering invoices, confirming VAT evidence \u2013 remains the single best way to avoid issues later on.
\nGrabau is clear on this: \u201cPrice on Application is something we push against. It puts buyers off.\u201d
\nFor buyers, the current environment rewards organisation rather than opportunism. Decisions on layout, length, displacement, VAT requirements and budget need to be made early. The more focused the brief, the more likely a broker can place the right boat before it reaches the market. Buyers who arrive with a realistic view of the market also usually have a much smoother experience, as there is less friction between expectation and reality.
\nThe pace may feel slower, but when both sides are well prepared, transactions can move quickly. Buyers take more time to research; sellers take more time to compare. The resulting deals tend to be cleaner and more deliberate.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t assume the market is something it isn\u2019t,\u201d Grabau advises. \u201cIf you\u2019re clear and sensible, you can still get exactly the boat you want.\u201d
\nAfter two years of searching Julia Michard settled on a Hylas 54. Photo: Julia Michard
\nCase study \u2013 \u2018We found our boat after a two year search\u2019
\nJulia Michard and her husband spent two years travelling across Europe in search of a capable bluewater cruiser. Their search took them to Amsterdam, Palma, Italy, Dublin and northern Spain, and over time they viewed more than 25 yachts. Many of those looked competent in their listings but felt noticeably different once aboard.
\n\u201cSome had leaks, some had heads that didn\u2019t work, and a few had clearly been sitting untouched for a long time,\u201d she says. \u201cYou stop taking photographs too seriously.\u201d
\nVAT documentation became a repeated problem. Several yachts advertised as VAT-paid had no paperwork to support the status.
\n\u201cPeople often believe what they\u2019ve been told by a previous owner. But if the documents aren\u2019t there, they aren\u2019t there. You learn that quite quickly.\u201d
\nAs the search progressed, their real priorities emerged. Proper headroom for her taller husband, good interior light and a layout they could live with for years carried more weight than any item in a specification list.
\nThe Michards\u2019 long-term plan also shaped their thinking: seven years of extended cruising, beginning in the Mediterranean and crossing to the Caribbean the following year.
\n\u201cWe weren\u2019t buying something for weekends. We needed a boat we could actually live on.\u201d
\nPhoto: Julia Michard
\nAfter countless viewings and a few encouraging near-misses, a 2005 Hylas 54 came into budget. They hadn\u2019t considered Hylas models early on, assuming they were out of reach, but by this stage they had seen enough comparable yachts to recognise its condition and specification immediately.
\nA viewing and survey followed quickly.
\n\u201cIt actually moved faster than we expected after two years of looking,\u201d Julia says. \u201cBut when the boat is right, it\u2019s right.\u201d
\nThe long search made the decision straightforward rather than difficult. Each rejected yacht had clarified something, and by the time they found the right one, they understood exactly why it suited them \u2013 and exactly what they were buying it for.
\nWhat we learned
\nWhat two years searching for the right yacht teaches you\u2026<\/p>\n
Photographs only ever tell part of the story. Wide-angle interiors and bright deck shots often disguise long periods of inactivity, while a plain listing can hide a well-kept yacht.
\nVAT status must be evidenced, not assumed. Several yachts described as VAT-paid produced no documents at all. Asking early avoids wasted travel.
\nA viewing that rules a yacht out is still useful. Travelling long distances only to reject a boat isn\u2019t failure; each visit clarifies expectations about layout, condition and what \u2018well maintained\u2019 actually means.
\nThe feel of the interior matters more than specifications. Headroom, natural light and a layout that works day-to-day consistently proved more important than equipment lists.
\nYachts left standing for years usually cost more than they appear to. Two seasons ashore or green dust in the cockpit often indicate deeper issues.
\nPriorities emerge over time. What seemed flexible or subjective at the start of the search \u2013 stowage, brightness below, simple practicality \u2013 became non-negotiable after a dozen viewings.
\nWhen the right yacht appears, momentum helps. We knew what good looked like, so the viewing, survey and purchase moved quickly.<\/p>\n
If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/p>\n
Yachting World is the world\u2019s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.<\/p>\n
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/p>\n
Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/p>\n
The post Is now a good time to buy (or sell) a used boat? appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A quiet season has led some buyers to expect bargains. But stock remains tight, paperwork matters more than ever, and the market is proving more active than the mood music suggestsWhen activity levels drop, assumptions tend to fill the space. … <\/p>\n