Use the first call to remove obvious mismatches
A remote purchase can begin efficiently without pretending that video replaces inspection. Ask about availability, current location, layout, known defects, included equipment and the seller’s timing. Have the representative confirm that the photographs show the boat in its present configuration.
Explain what would prevent you from proceeding. If you need a particular cabin arrangement or a delivery window the seller cannot meet, learn that before arranging flights. An early, specific disagreement is cheaper to resolve than a discovery made at the airport.
Request a continuous walk-through
A useful video moves through the boat in a route you can follow. Ask to see the boarding area, cockpit, helm, saloon, both hulls and safely accessible machinery spaces. Pause for close views of the areas your questions concern. Save permission-based notes and images with dates.
Record what video cannot establish. Smell, vibration, access while working and the extent of a hidden repair do not translate reliably through a phone. A blurry view is not evidence of a defect, but neither is it confirmation that the area is sound. Put it on the in-person inspection list.
Build a document list before booking tests
Request the equipment inventory and service history, and ask what ownership documents can be made available through the appropriate professional. Reconcile the model, year and identifiers across the listing and the transaction paperwork. An unexplained mismatch deserves an answer before money changes hands.
BoatUS recommends a written agreement that makes the parties’ obligations and buyer contingencies explicit. For a distant purchase, have the broker or qualified adviser explain how inspection, acceptance, insurance, financing and closing deadlines apply to your situation. Do not assume a standard-looking form provides every protection you need.
Book the people and the yard together
An available surveyor is only one part of the schedule. Ask who coordinates the haulout, operator, specialist inspections and access to records. Leave room for weather or an unavailable test. Avoid booking an onward delivery that depends on the boat passing every inspection on the first attempt.
If you cannot attend, agree who represents your interests and what reporting you will receive. Request a debrief that separates observed findings from assumptions and untested items. Photographs and written conclusions should let you ask follow-up questions without relying on a second-hand summary of the day.
Include the journey after the sale
Where will the boat remain after closing, and who is responsible for it? Price the berth, any remedial work, your return travel and the intended delivery arrangements. For an international move, obtain advice on the relevant registration, customs and tax requirements before treating the purchase price as the total cost.
Verify payment instructions through a separately confirmed contact channel, especially when an email changes them. A remote transaction works best when every important step has a named person, a document and a date. Distance becomes manageable when it stops being an excuse for unanswered questions.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked October 13, 2026. Procedures, availability and terms should be confirmed for the boat and location concerned.