Almost everyone who decides to buy a boat ends up stuck on the same question: should I buy new, or nearly new, or go for something a few years old? Both camps have plenty of supporters. We have this conversation with buyers all the time, and the answer usually sits somewhere in between.
The hidden cost of a new boat
There is nothing quite like a new boat. Nobody has used it, there isn't a mark on it. But that feeling has a price, and most owners only notice it when they sell. Like a car, a boat loses a large part of its value in its first years. Roughly speaking, a ten-year-old motor yacht sells for somewhere between half and two thirds of what a new one of the same size costs.
So the person who buys new pays for the steepest part of that loss. The next owner gets the same boat for a far more reasonable price.
So is a much older boat the smart move?
Not always. Once a boat is past twenty, its price doesn't fall much further, but something else takes over: upkeep. Engines, generator, air conditioning, wiring, upholstery all have a lifespan, and on an older boat they can come due one after another. A boat bought cheaply can stop being cheap after two seasons of bills.
With a boat of that age, the real question isn't how old it is but how it has been looked after. A twenty-year-old yacht with a full service history and a proper refit can be a far better buy than a neglected ten-year-old one.
Our advice: somewhere around 6 to 15 years
In our experience, the best balance is usually found here. Why?
- The first owner has already absorbed most of the depreciation.
- The small issues new boats show in their first seasons have usually been sorted out.
- Design, equipment and electronics still feel current, and parts are easy to find.
- When the day comes to sell, the boat is still young enough to interest plenty of buyers.
On larger boats, from about 15 metres up, we suggest staying towards the younger end of that range. The bigger the boat, the bigger the maintenance bill.
A quick tip on engine hours
Listings show engine hours as a single number, and most people simply wonder whether it is high or low. It only makes sense next to the boat's age. A motor yacht typically runs around 100 hours a season. Divide the hours by the boat's age: if the result is well above that, the boat has been used hard, so ask for the service records.
Very low hours aren't always good news either. Engines that sit unused for long periods can cause more trouble than ones that run regularly. Either way, a proper survey and sea trial will give you the real answer.
Is there room to negotiate?
Often, yes, and especially at this time of year. As the season closes, many owners would rather sell than pay for another winter ashore, so price reductions pick up noticeably through autumn and winter. If a boat has been on the market for a while and has already been reduced once, a second step is no surprise.
A final word
The right boat is never chosen on age or price alone. Where you will cruise, with how many people and how often, and how the boat has been cared for matter just as much. We start every search by talking these through, then compare each boat a client likes with similar ones on the market, so we can judge together whether it is really worth the money.
If you have a size and budget in mind, get in touch and we will look at the right boats with you. Thinking of selling? Our valuation page is a good place to start.
