7 Places to Find Free Boats
FreeBoat.com
FreeBoats.com is an online free boat advertising company with headquarters in Miami, Florida in the United States. The organization has over 350,000 boats in its listing in about 152 countries.
To get a free sailboat in FreeBoats.com, visit FreeBoats.com official website. You will see a listing of free or nearly free boats and also marine equipment. You can scroll down for more and select your preferred yacht.
Some of the boats offered for free include:
- Big boat 76 Uniflite
- Trailerable Day Sailer
- 1997 Sea Ray 240
You will save up to $245,000 when you get a free boat on FreeBoat.com.
Usually, most free boats require a little service work to get them back on the water.
Carefree Boat Club Free Boats
Carefree Boat Club is a private club with locations across Canada and the United States that offers free boats for sailing.
In Carefree Boat Club, you will be able to access;
- A wide range of boats, including 18’-27′ Cruiser, Pontoon, Deck, Bowrider, among others.
- Unlimited boat usage
- No extra charges since fuel, repair, and maintenance are all taken care of by the club
Once you are a member, you can sail with whatever boat your eyes would pick. With over 70,000 boat trips per year across the US and Canada, you can enjoy Carefree boating in three easy steps:
- Make an online reservation through your mobile app or website and specify the date and time
- Next is to pick up your boat (you will find the boat ready in water filled with gas)
- Enjoy the ride then bring the boat back.
What’s more, Carefree Boat Club membership allows you to save more than 1/3 of the cost of buying and maintaining a boat.
Membership payment in Carefree Boat Club varies depending on the type of membership and location. Usually, there is a one-time fee ranging from $3500 to $5,500 and an additional monthly payment of $350 per month.
Wooden Boat Magazine Free Boats
Wooden Boat Magazine is an American publication founded in 1974 that is well known for advertising free boats and has its main headquarters in Brooklin, Maine.
The magazine’s main audience is boat owners, designers, admirers, and builders of Wooden Boats.
Some of the free boats you could find here include:
- Free Lapstrake Dyer Dinghy
- Free Saybrook built lightening
- 40′ Diesel Ketch
You will need to head over to the Wooden Magazine free boat page to choose from the range of free fishing and sailing boats.
Craigslist Free Boats
Craigslist Summary
- Posts are anonymous
- Quick and easy listing in a matter of minutes
- Little to no seller fees, most auctions are free
- Sell within your local area
Craigslist is an American advertisement website that allows buyers and sellers to interact and do business online and offline. It serves more than 80 countries and has sections for jobs, housing, aw well as free boats.
To get a yacht on Craigslist for free, go to boat donations home on eBay, in the search bar, type ‘free boats.’ You will then see a list of donated boats that you can purchase for as low as $19.99.
Since most free boats are abandoned, you will have to do minor servicing to get them back to the water.
Kijiji Free Boats
Kijiji is a Canadian advertising website that allows exchanging goods and showcasing services such as free boats. There are over 100 cities in Canada and 220 in the US that use the Kijiji brand.
To get abandoned boats for free on Kijiji, search the listings by using filters and your current location.
Some of the almost free boats you can get in Kijiji are;
- 1989 Doral Monticello 270 Cruiser
- 2005 Southbay Super Sport Tritoon
- Sylvan Pro Select 17.Fishing Boat
It is worth noting that while online marketplaces such as Kijiji and Facebook may have thousands of boat listings, they are very competitive. Therefore, consider searching for free boats at the end of the boating season. This is the time boat owners are looking to avoid marina fees during the winter and are willing to let go of their boats. The search volume reduces by 40% which means less competition.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace Summary
- Buyer and seller accountability as you need a Facebook account
- Built in messaging system to keep on top of queries
- Access to a massive marketplace
- Ratings system maintains honesty
Facebook is an online social media and social networking website that provides a conducive platform for marketing goods including free boats.
To get free boats on Facebook, go to Facebook and choose from the free boat listings. You can also join some of the Facebook groups where you can find various posts on the abandoned boats for free.
Some of the Facebook groups where you can get free boats are;
- Sail/Power Live-a-board Boats
- Sail Boats for Cheap or Free
- Lake Anna Free and Cheap Boats
- Free, Cheap, or Project Boats
Alternatively, you can find almost free boats on Facebook pages such as Free-Boat.
eBay
eBay Summary
- High user traffic – over 187 million users
- No listing fees for small scale sellers
- Promote your listing from as little as 1%
- Quick processing time for payouts
eBay is a multinational e-commerce corporation that facilitates business-to-consumer sales and consumer-to-consumer sales such as electronics, sneakers, cars, sporting goods, as well as a source of free boats. Project boats, sailboats, powerboats, and fishing boats are the types of boats you can find on the site.
To get a free fishing boat on eBay, search for free boats using filters then click on one and proceed with the payment process.
Alternative Places to Find Cheap Boats
1. Boat Angel
Boat Angel is a charity organization that receives yacht and boat donations and sells them at relatively lower prices to fund the organization or issue them out as free boats.
To get a free boat in Boat Angel;
- Go to boat donations home of boat angel
- In the menu button, click on ‘Donated Boat sales’
- You will see a list of boats on your interface. Select one and place a bid or add it to the watchlist
- To make a payment, you need to have an eBay account since Boat Angel uses eBay for payments and biddings. You can create an eBay account or sign in to eBay if you already have an account.
2. Good Old Boat Magazine
Good Old Boats Magazine (GOB) is a publication that majors on boat reviews, boat repairs, boat installations, sailors stories, and information on free boats.
In Good Old Boats Magazine, there is a page that lists almost free boats – under $2,000. You can also subscribe to their email list to receive boat project how-tos and up-to-date sailing news delivered right into your inbox.
To get a free boat in Good Old Boat Magazine go to Good old Boat site. You will see on the menu icon (At the top right corner of your interface) and Select ‘Boats for sale. Click on your preferred boat, and you get all information regarding it, including how to contact them for purchase.
3. Boat Auctions
Most Auto auction companies post their pre-sale inventories online and some of them even run dedicated marine auctions where they list salvaged, repossessed, seized, or written-off boats.
Some of the popular boat auctions include;
Usually, Boat Auctions sell boats at a relatively lower price and you can try your luck to get a good deal or better yet a free boat.
To get a boat from boat auctions, you first have to register, and once you get your preferred yacht, you can bid on it.
4. Marinas and Boatyards
A marina is a dock that provides services such as repair facilities, restaurants, stores, boat chandlers, and refueling to small boats. Boatyards, on the other hand, are places where boats are built, stored, rented, or repaired.
Very often Marinas and Boatyards find themselves with abandoned boats that they need to dispose of. They are one of the places you could find real gems that never make it online.
Additionally, when you buy a boat at a Marina, you can have a liveaboard parking spot as part of the deal.
To get a boat from the Marina or Boatyards, you have to visit their sites in person. You get to familiarize yourself with different kinds of boat models, and you also meet their hosts, who will give you various tips and the right directions.
Some of the Marinas in the United States are;
- Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas, U.S
- 5th Street Marina, USA
- Marina Del Rey, Califonia
Free Boasts FAQ
How do I cancel my membership on carefree boat club?
To cancel your membership on Carefree Boat Club, you first write a 60-days advanced cancellation notice. In the notice letter, you should include your name, email, telephone number, membership number, address, and reason for cancellation. Send the letter directly to your local Carefree Boat club. They will contact you for more details.
How do I protect myself when buying a boat without the safety net of a dealer?
You can protect yourself by following these steps:
- Make an in-person visit and see the boat
- Upon reaching a price agreement, fill out a purchase agreement
- Hire a qualified marine surveyor to check to cross-check on the boat condition, mainly the engine condition
- Request for a bill of sale from the owner’s seller. It can go in conjunction with the insurance policies and boat registration cards.
- Take pictures of the boat’s HIN and cross-check if it matches the boat title and registration
- Request for the seller to add a line on the agreement form to state if they are aware of defects of the boat
