Buy A Used Boat At Government Boat Auctions

Government boat auctions are a massive business and include police and coastguard confiscations. These arrests may often be drugs-related running (one of my own boats was arrested by customs with drugs aboard - before I bought her, I hasten to add, and then disposed of through a government boats auction). vessels at auction may also come from the Navy, which has fleets of sail and power boats which they use for training ratings and officers. These boats may be worked hard but are usually well maintained, up to a point. When replaced they come up on offer at government surplus auctions. You will usually be buying 'sold as seen' and that is a risk unless you really know what you are about.

Government auctions boats - not a headline you see in the press, as it happens every day, but what are the real risks of finding your dream boat this way?

'Sold as Seen' can be pretty scary. It is not easy to have a full survey and sue the government after the event. With an auto auction you may have a few hours after buying to return the car - with a tacht you may have a few days, you may not - it all depends on the auctioneer's terms and conditions, so read them carefully. The main risk is that you may have little time to get the boat properly checked out beforehand - she may be afloat; in that case though, you can easily tell if she is leaking. If she's ashore in a yard it's easier, though you obviously can't easily tell if her hull is tight. Either way, you will certainly be able to look her over beforehand. It may be worth hiring a yacht surveyor if you are not an expert yourself or don't have a knowledgeable friend to go with you. The best auction companies will declare known problems in advance.

If she's been used by the government itself (or an agency), then the vessel will have had a lot of use - on a yacht, rigging and sails may need replacement (not easy to judge rigging without the right technical equipment) and / or the engines might have a lot of hours on them - which is not necessarily a bad thing. Probably, she will have not had her last service and not all equipment will be working (especially electronics). Sometimes there may be a simple condition report and specification.

If the vessel is a seizure, then it can be even harder to judge. Where did she come from? Where was she seized? If she had been used for drugs transportation, then it is possible that it will be sound though a drugs search could have resulted in damage. Smugglers don't put a load of dope in a vessel that's either likely to sink or have a failure and need a tow into harbour. Not good business.


If you have picked out the boat you want to bid on, and she is a recognised design (maybe say, a Hunter), then search the web to find out if there is an owners club. There may be reviews too, maybe on a boating magazine website. These enquiries may give you clues as to the possible problems that you should watch out for with that particular brand or model.

So, why on earth (or on the sea!) would anyone buy a power boat or yacht at a yacht auction? Simple - price. You can get a great bargain that way.


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Phil is an old seadog with over fifty years experience of boats, from sailing dinghies to ocean cruising in his own boat. He owns a government boat auction yacht. Find out more about how to buy a used boat and more about government boat auctions at ==> how-to-buy-a-used-boat.com