Received wisdom may say that the spring is the best time to sell a boat, but there are many compelling reasons for doing so in the autumn. Granted, in the spring there are likely to be more potential buyers in the market, but equally you will be competing against a larger number of sellers. However, in the autumn there are still lots of people on the water hoping to enjoy the last of the summery weekends, while those who don’t (yet) have a boat are liable to be feeling as though they are missing out in a big way.

Selling a boat in Autumn

Is autumn the best time to sell a boat? Could it also be the best time to buy?



Furthermore, owners who wait until spring before selling will also have had to look after the boat over the winter. This entails ensuring there’s no storm damage, cleaning and tidying, paying for a lift to re-antifoul etc. Additionally, they will have to pay for storage over the winter and could need to get another 12-month mooring contract.

In comparison, autumn sellers won't have a lot of work to prepare it for sale. That is, provided the boat has been looked after during the summer months. Given the cost and time associated with wintering, you can also afford to set a realistic price. This will maximise the chances of selling quickly at or close to the asking price.

If that’s not enough to convince you, the average boat takes more than 300 days to sell. Granted, this figure is inflated by the legions of poorly cared for boats for sale at unrealistic prices. However, given how difficult it is to sell a boat quickly, once you’ve decided, it’s worth putting the boat on the market.

 Is autumn also the best time to buy a boat?


This might sound counter intuitive, but the end of the season is a great time to buy a boat. Buying in autumn means that you find out what works in time to make modifications for next season. It’s a big contrast to buying a boat in the spring, when suppliers and marine traders such as engineers, riggers and sailmakers will already be working flat out for existing customers.

Written by: Rupert Holmes
Rupert Holmes has more than 70,000 miles of offshore cruising and racing experience, in waters ranging from the North Sea to the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn. He writes about all aspects of boat ownership and marine travel, including destinations, seamanship and maintenance, as well as undertaking regular new boat and gear tests. He currently sails around 5,000 miles per year and in the past couple of seasons has cruised from the UK to the Azores, as well as winning his class in the 2014 two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Race. He also owns two yachts, one based in the Mediterranean and the other in the UK.