How to win a boat auction

Start with what you can spend in total. Take off the $399 document processing & boat transfer fee, the cost of getting the boat home, registration and the repairs you expect. What's left is your highest bid. Write it down, and don't go past it in the last minutes. See boat auction fees and payment.

• Filter live auctions by boat type, state and current bid, or start from a type page such as pontoon boats or fishing boats.
• Look near you first: boat auctions by state lists every state with boats up for auction now. A closer boat costs less to bring home.
• Check what similar boats sold for to see what a fair winning bid looks like.
• Boats with low bids right now: boats under $1,000.

Whether the engine runs, what title comes with the boat, whether a trailer is included, and every photo. Assume anything marked unknown needs work, and use Ask a question on the listing if something matters to you. See how to check a boat before you bid.

Add the boat to your watchlist and let the site tell you when you're outbid, rather than refreshing the page. Ending soon lists the auctions closing in the next 24 hours.

Each listing shows its end time and a countdown. Any bid in the final 2:00 adds 2:00 to the clock, and that repeats until the bidding stops, so a last-second bid can't steal a boat and you always get a chance to answer.

The amount you enter is your bid, shown to everyone straight away. Any whole-dollar amount at least $1 over the current bid is valid, and you can raise your own bid while you're leading.

Registration is free. New bidders can bid up to $2,500 per boat until their first completed purchase; the limit lifts automatically after that.

On eligible listings, Make an offer lets you name a price instead of waiting for the auction to end. We can accept, decline or counter. An accepted offer is invoiced at exactly the offer amount, with no document fee.

Every bid is binding: if you win, you've agreed to buy at that price and pay within 48 hours. Stick to your limit from step 1.