Buying a boat in Mallorca: viewing to handover

1. Write the ownership brief first

Start with the trips you will make most often: day boating, family weekends, fishing, watersports or longer crossings. Record typical guest numbers, required cabins, preferred cruising speed, accessibility needs and who will handle the boat. A model that looks ideal online may be awkward to berth, expensive to run or poorly suited to the sea conditions and distances you actually plan.

Set two budgets. The acquisition budget includes price, survey, haul-out, legal or tax advice, registration, insurance and immediate work. The operating budget covers berth, routine servicing, antifouling, lifting, cleaning, winter care, fuel and a repair reserve. Confirm likely insurance and berth availability before becoming emotionally committed to a particular boat.

2. View methodically and record facts

Use the first viewing to test layout and identify questions, not to replace a survey. Photograph the hull identification number, builder’s plate, engine serial numbers, hour displays and registration markings with permission. Run domestic and navigation systems, inspect accessible bilges and machinery spaces, and compare installed equipment with the listing. Ask what is owned outright, leased, excluded or awaiting repair.

Request the document pack early. Useful items include the current registration or registry extract, the seller’s identity and authority to sell, the chain of bills of sale, original purchase or import invoices, EU Declaration of Conformity where applicable, navigation and inspection certificates, engine and equipment records, insurance history, manuals and a signed inventory. A registration certificate identifies a register entry; it should not be treated as the whole proof of clean title or VAT status.

Sources: Spanish Ministry of Transport — Marina Mercante · EUR-Lex

3. Put the offer into a proper contract

An agreed price is not a complete deal. The sale agreement should identify the parties and boat precisely, state the price and deposit arrangements, list included equipment, allocate costs, and define the law, timetable and completion place. It should explain who holds the deposit and when it is refundable. Never assume a broker’s client account or stakeholder role without written confirmation.

Write the conditions that matter: satisfactory ownership and finance checks, acceptable documents, survey, haul-out, engine inspection and sea trial. Define the buyer’s remedies if a material defect appears—withdrawal, repair, credit or renegotiation—and the deadlines for giving notice. Guidance from the RYA likewise stresses an appropriate written agreement, clear title, survey, sea trial and treatment of any mortgage before completion.

Sources: Royal Yachting Association

4. Commission the right survey and sea trial

Appoint an independent marine surveyor with experience in the boat’s construction and systems. Agree the written scope: in-water inspection, haul-out and washed hull, moisture or thickness testing where relevant, structure, steering, skin fittings, electrical and fuel systems, safety equipment and rig if fitted. A normal condition survey is largely visual and non-destructive; specialist engines, oil analysis, electronics or composite testing may need separate technicians.

The sea trial answers different questions. Test cold start where possible, control response, steering, trim, vibration, smoke, temperatures, charging, navigation equipment and performance at several loads. Record conditions, fuel and water aboard and actual engine data. The IIMS code describes a pre-purchase survey as an in-depth structural assessment while noting that other items are normally inspected visually unless the agreed scope says otherwise.

Sources: International Institute of Marine Surveying · Royal Yachting Association

5. Resolve defects with evidence

Separate safety or structural findings from routine maintenance and preferences. Ask qualified yards for written estimates on material items, including access, haul-out, parts, labour, tax and realistic timing. A survey figure is not automatically the eventual invoice. Consider whether parts are available and whether the work would delay the intended season.

Follow the contract’s notice procedure exactly. A price reduction transfers the repair risk to the buyer; a seller repair requires a defined scope, standard, evidence and reinspection. If defects change the boat’s suitability, insurability or value materially, walking away within the contractual conditions may be more rational than forcing a compromise.

6. Verify tax, conformity, flag and insurance

VAT treatment depends on the seller, the boat’s history, its Union/customs status, where it is supplied and whether it qualifies as a new means of transport. Ask a qualified adviser to review original invoices and import evidence; do not rely only on “VAT paid” in an advertisement. For a private used-boat transfer taxable in the Balearics, the ATIB identifies Modelo 620 for transfers of boats and other specified used transport between private individuals.

For an EU-market boat, verify the builder’s plate, watercraft identification number and EU Declaration of Conformity where the Recreational Craft Directive applies. A private import or a craft lacking manufacturer conformity may require post-construction assessment. If registering under the Spanish flag, use the current Marina Mercante procedure and confirm ownership transfer, certificate and inspection requirements. Spanish rules also require applicable recreational craft to carry civil-liability insurance.

Sources: European Commission — Taxation and Customs Union · Agència Tributària de les Illes Balears · EUR-Lex · Spanish Ministry of Transport — Marina Mercante · Boletín Oficial del Estado

7. Complete and hand over cleanly

Before completion, match the final inventory to the boat and confirm that agreed repairs, finance releases and documents are ready. Use the payment route written in the contract, independently verify any changed bank details, and obtain signed originals of the bill of sale or title document, delivery acceptance and receipts. Record engine hours, fuel, keys, remotes and visible condition at the moment risk passes.

After handover, update the relevant register, insurer, marina, radio licence and safety contacts without delay. Change access codes and connected-app ownership, back up manuals and service files, and schedule the first maintenance items. Keep the purchase file permanently: future buyers will ask for the same ownership, VAT, conformity and maintenance trail that you should demand today.

Sources: Spanish Ministry of Transport — Marina Mercante