Canadian For Sale Listings

[cowlum]

Hi Everyone

What websites to Canadians (especially B.C. Canadians) use to peruse sailboat for sail listings.

Here in NZ we use a website called Trademe.co.nz . Its similar to ebay and is the pretty much the place to go to but anything. It caters for all the sailboats worth only a few grand through to brand new boats.

Moored boats | Yachts & sail boats | Trade Me

Is there anything like this for canada?

I have found sailboatlistings.com and yachtworld.com both of which seem more focused toward America and both of which seem a bit light on listings considering the population of Canada.

Asking because I may move there in a few months.

thanks in advance.

[cowlum]

There doesn't seem to be an edit button. Sorry for the poor spelling and misplaced words. Ill work harder next time.

[RedHerring]

New & used sailboats for sale British Columbia. Find; masts, charters, catamarans, sails, sunfish, riggs and more on Kijiji.ca

This and Yachtworld.

[Lake-Effect]

In Canada there's of course Kijiji and craigslist, and they seem to have the most listings. There are a few proprietary Canada-wide websites (eg boatdealers.ca, boatcan.com) and I think autotrader.ca has boat listings. Many boat brokers use a 'skinned' version of yachtworld's engine.

I keep tabs on boat sales here in Canada via rss feeds or regular visits. If you want some links for BC, or you're searching for a specific type or make, PM me and i'll see what shows up.

[RedHerring]

Lake-Effect: if I were to shop for an old, but well-maintained cruiser in Ontario, would you say that Kijiji + Yachtworld represent pretty much everything that is up for sale in that category, or is driving along shore and walking around the docks still a reasonable method to dig up more prospects?

[nwdiver]

Yachtworld, advanced selection=Canada+BC

[hamburking]

I've bought and sold several boats on kijiji. IMHO, kijiji is the place to look. Any interesting boat I've found on other sites, like individual yacht club classified web pages, were also listed in kijiji. Can you tell I like kijiji?

Also, this is worth a look:
Used Sailboats in central Canada
Its a listing (with links) to all the major sailboat sites in central canada.

Also, its a real buyers market. So don't be afraid to make an offer substantially lower than the asking price if you like a boat, but not the price.

In my area, craigslist is not used by anyone.
Ebay is dominated by american boats, many hurricane damaged.

[SV Maclas]

I would suggest usedvictoria.com and usedvancouver.com Both sites are free and are getting lots of boats listed on them.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by RedHerring

if I were to shop for an old, but well-maintained cruiser in Ontario, would you say that Kijiji + Yachtworld represent pretty much everything that is up for sale in that category, or is driving along shore and walking around the docks still a reasonable method to dig up more prospects?

I agree with hamburking; kijiji seems to be the single best site to find boats for sale by owner, and especially for that older but serviceable cruiser that's too old/cheap to interest a broker. But it's still a fraction of the whole market. You can see the Kijiji listings for all of ontario by going to ontario.kijiji.ca

If you are searching for a newer, more expensive boat, you should also look at the broker listings (mostly on yachtworld).

Diligence pays off. If you haven't narrowed your search to a few models, then keep watching the online sites. Ontario Sailor and GAM magazines have for sale listings. And try to visit the marinas in your area, and yacht clubs if you know a member. You will start to get a better idea of the market and what you want. You may also fall across some forlorn cruiser with the tattered "For Sale" sign on it that exactly fits the bill.

If you have settled on a specific make/model, try to find an online forum for that particular make. You will gain alot of insight about the boat, and you will often find for sale posts from owners who are moving up or retiring.

When we were searching for a Sandpiper, we scoured the online ads of course, but the boat we eventually bought was advertised in a small town's weekly flyer, that someone had mentioned in the Sandpiper forum.

This book helped us gain an understanding of the process.

[shorebird]

I would still consider broker listed boats, around Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and even Seattle. Most sellers are expecting a commission to come from their own pockets, and may be only a little higher on asking than a private listing. There is a much better selection, and several boats can be evaluated on the same dock on the same trip. I'm not clear on the market where you are at, but here in BC, clean, well kept "brand-name" boats that are listed for fair market or slightly below do sell quickly. Good luck, hope to see you in BC.

[SunnyJ]

Been surfing boat ads for years. Suggestions above are bang on.Kijiji is the Craigslist of Canada except for Vancouver where they have a healthy use of CL it seems. When I see a nice boat on Kijiji (in Canada), I will search craigslist (in America) and see what the same vessel is going for. Sometimes shocking.

[Nicholson58]

Take a look at boats on the Great Lakes. There are a few charters in the North Channel and the Lakes in particular, including the US, have a lot of gently used sweet-water boats. This will require some effort and you may need to look for marinas and yards in various towns using the internet and a map. Economic pressure around the lakes has put many vessels on the hard for several years. You yard in Muskegon (Torresen) has several rows of yachts for sale. Many boats are for sale by owner and listed on the public boards at the various yacht clubs.

[hamburking]

Some very good points above. I'm sorry to say that some of the best deals on sailboats are in the economically depressed areas. In particular, the south shore of lake erie comes to mind. Older boat prices vary greatly based not just on condition, but location as well, and there are some bargains out there....I should know, I'm sailing one. There's money in Toronto, which keeps boat prices high there, but as you move north, the prices drop. Same goes for heading east up the st lawrence river. And as mentioned above, great lakes boats tend to be in better condition....sweet water, and the boats are only in the water half the year, and then seldom used at that.

[Nicholson58]

current brokerage boats at Torresens in Muskegon. These are a few of the small to medium sized boats. The larger boats are scattered around the yard. Great Lakes Marina has more. I am sure there are bots at Eldeans in Holland. THere are probably 20 yards and clubs within 10 miles of Muskegon. I estimate that about half of the boats in the yard did not launch in the last 3 years.