Guide to buying a Used Boat

Here you will find advice about the process and stages of buying a used boat from Bray Marine Sales.

The Early Stages

Research the market

We encourage you to view as many makes and models as possible on the market to give you an idea of what different styles are available. Why not come and visit our Bray office with our dedicated sales pontoon at Bray Marina? 

• All specifications of Bray Marine Sales boats that are for sale can be found here on our website.
• Each sheet incorporates a Cost Calculator relating to costs such as survey fees, survey lifts and mooring fees at all the MDL Marinas.

Making an Offer

Confirm your Offer to us
Many vessels are open to offers - we can advise you on this.

Purchase Price Agreed
Once the price has been agreed, a 10% deposit is payable and a contract is then drawn between yourself and the vendor. This contract details the conditions of the purchase which are generally:

• Demonstration
• Survey and/or Engine Report
• Acceptance of Finance (if applicable)

All deposits paid to a reputable Broker are held in a Client account which is a segregated account that is separate to the Trading account of the Broker; this deposit is returned if any of the above conditions are not to the purchaser's satisfaction, Terms and Conditions apply - please ask for a copy of our Sales Contract. We are members of the BRBA (Boat Retailers and Brokers Association) and BM (British Marine) this will ensure you are dealing with professional, qualified staff and that business is carried out to a high standard as expected by these professional bodies.

Boat Demonstration
We then arrange a river trial with you, this entails about half an hour manoeuvring on the river; if this has been successful we advise you to instruct a Surveyor, their report is generally available within a few days; if you are happy to send us a copy we will take you through and explain in detail any points raised and recommendations made.

The Purchase

Legal Paperwork and Tuition
Once funds have cleared, all necessary paperwork will be obtained from the vendor including Bills of Sale etc and these will be presented to you during the handover. The handover will generally take about 2 hours - depending on size and complexity of the boat. All basic functions will be explained to you and we will assist you in mooring the boat onto your berth. In depth tuition is available via Bisham Abbey Sailing.