Should I buy a used boat or a new boat? Both used boats and new boats have advantages and disadvantages. Here you’ll find a summary of arguments in favour of both used and new yachts.
Price
New boats are more expensive than used boats for the same build quality, boat size and equipment. If you have are on a budget, it can therefore be worth buying a used boat, as you can get a higher quality, better equipped or larger boat for the same money. In other words, more boat for the money.
Loss of value
You might know this from cars: the value depreciation is particularly high in the first few years and then gradually decreases. A year-old car is typically a car that is as good as new, but at a much lower price. It is similar with yachts. The loss in value of yachts is enormous in the first few years, with the price falling exponentially. Which can mean: If I buy a 35-year-old used boat and sell it again 10 years later, I may even achieve the same price. No chance of that happening with a new boat.
Build quality
The quality of construction, especially at large shipyards, has largely declined over the past two decades, so that today there are many new yachts that are built extremely cheaply and only a few shipyards that continue to build high-quality yachts. If quality is important to you, you are probably better off buying an older yacht. As this is well known on the used boat market, high-quality, old yachts are unfortunately sometimes more expensive than new yachts of the same size.
Cost saving
This 5-year-old yacht from a large series shipyard looks older than it is.
Teething problems
Unfortunately, new boats usually come with a long list of teething troubles. Unlike cars, which are produced in huge numbers on the assembly line, shipyards rarely have good quality management. There is therefore a wide variation in quality when new boats are delivered. I have assisted many customers with the purchase of new yachts and have found this to be the case: No matter how renowned the shipyard, no matter how expensive the boat, there are always defects. Leaky hatches, water in the saildrive oil, a faulty autopilot, a poorly glued teak deck – just a few examples of defects that owners of a new yacht may have to deal with. Shipyards are obliged to rectify such defects under warranty. But in many cases this is only truly enforcible when you hire a lawyer. And if the shipyard finally agrees to rectify the defect, you often have to sail the boat back to the shipyard. A repair by an external company where the boat is located is often not accepted. With used boats, the teething troubles have already been rectified. The older the boat, the more likely it is that there are other defects. A surveyor should inspect the boat before you buy it – whether it’s a new or a used boat.
Waiting times and delivery times
The waiting lists at boatyards are often long and it can take up to three years before you can actually pick up the boat you ordered. There are plenty of used boats on the market on a regular basis and sometimes it is even possible to take over the berth at the same time and not have to go on a tiresome search. However, you need to be patient if you are looking for a very specific type of boat that was built in small numbers, or if you want a particular layout for a frequently built boat type.
Flexibility
If you want to help design a boat yourself, choose your favorites from the options on offer and have very specific ideas about the layout, you probably won’t be able to avoid a new build. Here you have the opportunity to have a say in everything from the choice of wood and upholstery to the sails. Large-scale shipyards usually allow you to choose between a handful of layouts, two or three types of wood, four upholstery fabrics and so on. Smaller yards sometimes also offer semi-custom solutions, where individual elements can be designed by the customer on request. If you have very special wishes, it is best to have a custom build made so that you are not restricted by predefined designs. The layout and design of used yachts are the same as they are. Of course, new upholstery, a new teak deck, even the foiling of the wood in the interior for a new look are no problem. But a second-hand yacht with a classic layout and a saloon in the middle of the ship is not going to be turned into a ship with the saloon in the bow and the galley and owner’s cabin in the middle of the ship. The layout, the feeling of space and the shape of the underwater hull are things that should be taken for granted as they cannot be changed.
You don't find a special layout like this every day.
The saloon of this yacht is located in the bow.
Operating and follow-up costs
Every yacht, whether old or new, needs a berth, has to be lifted regularly, gets a new underwater paint job every year and an oil change (hopefully!). All this costs money, regardless of whether the boat is used or new. There are also unscheduled repairs. With used yachts, you have to assume that more repairs are required than with new boats. These are associated with financial costs and/or working time. Older boats may need a new set of sails, a new engine or a stripping of the underwater hull. It can be helpful if the shipyard that built the boat still exists and special spare parts can be obtained from it. Or if there is an owners’ association with Internet forums where you can discuss the correct care of the yacht with fellow “sufferers”. Second-hand yachts often have the advantage that they are well equipped and you don’t have to invest much in equipment.
Used yachts often have a lot of equipment
Whether equipment carriers, wind steering systems, handheld radios or life rafts, used boats often have a lot of accessories.
