Depending on the type of used boat you want to buy, and the intended purposes for the boat, there are different ways on how to purchase a used boat. If you are simply looking for a cheap fixer-upper, 12 to 18 foot fibreglass or metal fishing or row boat, then looking in the classified section in your local newspaper, nearby towns' papers' online classified sections, and searching online for any buy, sell and trade websites should give you an idea of what is available locally.

If your style and financial situation warrant a nicer boat, along the type of boat with a cover cabin and inboard/outboard motors, then visiting a local marine store to check the types of boats available would enable you to refine your search, now that you know what model of boat you are looking for.

When seaching online, you can type the words "boat, for sale, XXX", where XXX is the name of your town. Or, the best advice is always to look at the new boats for sale in marine stores, walk around a marina or two, looking at all the different types of boats, and decide upon which styles suit you best.

Once you have decided upon the style of used boat to purchase, you can start your search in earnest. There are many websites for buying, selling and trading merchandise. Check out not only the sites from your town, but also the sites from a reasonable driving distance from your home. Read the classified section of your local newspaper, and look at the newspaper online sites' classified sections from all towns within a reasonable driving distance of your home.

If you happen to see something that you like a lot, and is priced within your budget, call to go and have a look at it, giving your name and number, and asking that the boat not be sold before you see it. Before going to see this boat, drive around any lakes or cottage communities in your area, looking for boats for sale on the edge of people's properties.

This is usually the best way to find a used boat, to drive by a cottage or home with a boat for sale on the property. Look the boat over, and if the owner is there, make an offer of 25 % less than the asking price of the boat you are going to see. Tell the owner of the boat that you are on your way to buy a used boat for that reduced amount, and if they are not interested, you will continue on your way to get that boat.

If a deal is brokered, congratulations, you have bought a used boat. If not, continue on your way to see the boat that you found for

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