European Inland Waterways

Buying a second-hand boat: a practical guide

26/11/2026
Online

Details

Practical guidance on buying a second-hand motorboat, how to find one, arranging a survey, and registration and paperwork (VAT status). Speaker: Andy Mulholland

Thinking of buying a second-hand motorboat? If you are about to start looking to buy a motor cruiser suitable for cruising the inland waterways of Europe it can look somewhat daunting. This is a practical look at the topic starting at how to find good quality boats from respectable brokers, through aspects such as looking for moorings, finding an independent surveyer, getting any work done, even the dreaded topic of ‘the paper work’. The presenter has kept his own boat in Europe for twenty years, building many contacts in the marine industry, and has been able to help many CA members with advice that has seen them happily achieve their dream.

Motorboat Month talk series

This talk is the final of four talks in our Motorboat Cruising Month (by the Motorboat Section & European Inland Waterways Section) and forms part of the Cruising Knowledge Series which will run over the autumn and winter of 2026-2027.

Future sessions

We are also exploring the possibility of hosting informal online ‘Chat & Share’ sessions in December 2026, offering attendees the chance to ask further questions, exchange experiences and discuss motorboat cruising in a small-group setting. These additional sessions will be shaped by the interests of participants.

Please note: lectures can be watched live online but we do not generally make recordings available after the event, for a number of reasons relating to time and copyright issues.