Sell Your Boat in the US

Used boats in the US typically sell for $1,350 to $20,200. Boat values turn on the hull and the engine hours, and a survey is standard practice for anything above a modest price.

What boats are worth in the US

Condition	Typical	What it means
New with Tags	$20,189	Unused, tags or seals intact
Like New	$17,161	Barely used, no visible wear
Good	$13,123	Light signs of use, complete and working
Fair	$9,085	Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part
For Parts	$5,047	Not working or incomplete, sold as seen

Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.

What lifts the price

Recent survey with a clean report
Sound hull with no osmosis or repairs below the waterline

What pulls it down

High engine hours with no service history
Missing trailers, which are expensive separately

Selling a boat in the US

Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.

The US resale market is enormous and highly local — most transactions still happen between people within driving distance of each other, and buyers expect to collect rather than wait for a courier.

Distances are the real constraint. State plainly whether you will ship or collection only, because a buyer three states away will otherwise ask.

Working out what yours is worth

Commission a survey for anything above a modest value
Record engine hours and gather service records

Getting it ready

Establish whether any finance is outstanding. A buyer will run a check and an undisclosed agreement ends the sale instantly.
Service or at least run the engine, gather the service history, and note the trailer’s condition and whether it is included.

Photograph

The interior, cockpit and helm
The engine, running, and the hull below the waterline

Put in the description

Whether a road trailer is included, and its condition and any registration
Hull identification number, ownership status, and whether any finance is outstanding

Make, model, length, year and engine: “[Make] 18ft Bowrider, 2008, 115hp Outboard, Trailer Included”. Length and engine power are the searches, and stating that a road trailer is included materially changes who can buy it.

Strongly seasonal. February to July is the market, peaking in spring. Listing in autumn means a longer wait and a lower price, so overwintering is often the better financial decision.

It costs nothing to list

There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the $20,189 a buyer pays is the $20,189 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.

Where in the US

The United States is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of the United States with their own page for boats.

Common questions

Where can I sell a boat in the US?

List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.

Is there any outstanding finance?

Answer directly and be ready to evidence it. This is the first thing a careful buyer checks and the fastest way to lose one is to be vague about it.

What is osmosis?

Water penetrating the hull laminate, showing as blisters below the waterline. It is expensive to treat and buyers check for it.

Does the trailer add value?

Considerably. Trailers are expensive separately, and a boat without one is much harder to move and therefore to sell.

More: how to sell a boat, what boats are worth, or Vehicles across the United States.