What to look out for when buying a used yacht
When buying a used yacht, first check that the documents match, then the condition of the hull and the drive, and the conditions for inspecting the boat ashore and afloat. Do not decide on the basis of photos, equipment or the seller's assurances alone.
The most important thing is to establish what can be checked before the purchase and what is still unknown. An inspection should combine documentation, visible condition, a functional test of the basic systems and questions about history — each of these sources can reveal something different.
Inspection checklist
- Compare the data in the documents with the numbers and the description of the boat.
- Look over the hull, the deck, the underwater body and the area around fittings; note cracks, blisters, leaks and traces of repairs.
- Ask for the service history of the engine, the systems and the work done after lay-up.
- If possible, inspect the boat ashore and during a sea trial.
Questions and decision criteria
Establish whether the seller can point to the scope of earlier repairs, the service dates and the equipment that stays with the boat. Look out for discrepancies between the description, the documents and the inspection. An unknown condition need not rule out the purchase, but it should be identified before you set the terms of the decision.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- treating a fresh coat of paint or a tidy deck as proof that the structure is sound,
- skipping the inspection of the underwater body, the engine compartment and the spaces under mattresses or the sole,
- assuming that missing documents are only a formality,
- buying under pressure without time to check the points that raise doubts.
The paperwork depends on the country of registration
The checklist above covers condition, and it looks the same everywhere. The paperwork does not: the tax, the right register and the deadline for reporting a change of owner are set by the law of the country where the boat is registered. That is the most common source of surprises when buying abroad.
Spain, one of the most common places to buy in Europe, gives you three months to report a change of owner (art. 54 of RD 1027/1989). The application goes to the Distrito Marítimo of the port of registry, and for vessels on the seventh list — the recreational one — to any other Capitanía Marítima as well. With it you file copies of both parties' identity documents, the signed sale contract (a private document is accepted) and a copy of the settled ITP/AJD transfer tax return, that is form 600 or 620 depending on the autonomous community. Form 565 or 576 is added only where a seventh-list vessel is over 8 metres or a sixth-list vessel over 15 metres, fewer than four years have passed since definitive registration, and the circumstances behind the original exemption have changed.
The ITP rate is set by the autonomous community, so the same boat produces a different tax bill depending on where the transaction is settled — check it before you sign, not after. Source: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible — Formalidades a cumplir en la compra-venta (accessed 8 September 2026).
Useful guides
Next step: draw up your own list of questions and inspection points, and record the answers against the specific boat.