Boat Types
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How It Works
About
A white and navy bowrider running at moderate speed across open lake water with a soft bow spray

Donate a motorboat or powerboat

From a 16-foot runabout in the driveway to a twin-engine cruiser at the marina, if it has real resale value, we can take it. Free pickup by our trusted transport team, running or not, with or without a trailer.

Start your donation here
Two answers now, the rest takes about three minutes.

Every kind of powerboat

Bowriders Runabouts Cuddy cabins Cruisers River cruisers Pontoons Deck boats Center consoles Dual consoles Crossover boats Ski and wake boats Surf boats Jet boats High-performance boats Utility boats and skiffs Airboats Antique and classic powerboats

Is my motorboat worth donating?

We accept motorboats with real resale value. That covers a lot: a well-kept older boat, a boat with a tired engine but a sound hull, a boat that hasn't touched water in years. Age matters less than condition. A clean 1998 Boston Whaler is an easy yes; a waterlogged hull with a seized engine usually isn't.

What helps us say yes quickly: engine hours, whether it runs (or what it does when you try), hull condition, and a few photos. If your boat isn't a fit, we'll tell you straight instead of wasting your time.

Not sure? Call (888) 228-7320 and describe it. That's often the fastest answer.

An older fiberglass runabout under a faded blue cover on a rusted trailer in the side yard of a ranch home

How pickup works for motorboats

A member of our trusted transport team coordinates directly with you. Timing depends on both sides' availability. Sometimes a couple of days, sometimes a couple of weeks.

On a trailer
The simplest pickup: the transporter hitches up and goes. Keep the trailer title handy if it has one.
No trailer
The transporter brings a trailer. Driveways, storage yards, and ramps are all routine.
In the water at a marina
We coordinate with the marina for a haul-out or ramp pickup, and time it around slip arrangements.
Shrink-wrapped or winterized
Leave it as it is. Wrapped and winterized boats travel well and need no prep from you.
A cream bowrider with its bimini top up, idling on a calm wooded lake near a small dock

Paperwork for a motorboat

In most states you'll sign over the boat's title, and we handle the transfer from there. A few things vary by state: some states title the outboard motor separately, most title or register the trailer on its own, and registration rules differ for older boats.

Lost the title? That's common and usually fixable. We'll walk you through the duplicate-title process for your state. Coast Guard documented boats follow a different transfer path, which we also handle.

State-by-state specifics live in our state guides.

The tax deduction

For most motorboat donations, your deduction is what the boat sells for, reported on the Form 1098-C we send you. Boats follow the same IRS rules as donated vehicles.

The full guide covers the exceptions and a worked example. We do not provide tax or legal advice; consult your own advisor.

Read the tax guide

Makes we see often

Sea Ray, Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Chaparral, Chris-Craft, Crownline, Four Winns, Glastron, Grady-White, Lund, Malibu, MasterCraft, Monterey, Regal, Sun Tracker, Tracker, Wellcraft, Yamaha, and plenty of others.

Not on the list? It is here to help you find your boat, not to limit what we take. We accept every make and model of motorboat, listed or not, including rare builders and companies that closed decades ago. A donation depends on the boat's condition and paperwork, never the name on the hull, so enter yours on the form even if you do not see it here.

I easily donated my Searay and boat trailer after trying to sell my boat for too long. You guys made the whole process really easy and the boat was gone in only 2 days. I also donated my old Chrysler to you and feel confident I made the right choice in donating with you. All the best.
Ben S. · San Francisco, CA

Motorboat donation questions

My engine has issues, can I still donate?

Usually, yes. A boat that runs rough, overheats, or won't start can still have solid resale value, especially with a sound hull. Describe the symptoms in the form and we'll factor it into the review.

I don't have a trailer. How does pickup work?

Our transport team brings one. Boats without trailers get picked up from driveways, storage yards, and boat ramps all the time. Just tell us where the boat sits.

My boat is shrink-wrapped or winterized. Is that a problem?

No, leave it wrapped. A shrink-wrapped boat travels well, and we'd rather you not pay to unwrap it. Mention it in the form so the transporter knows what to expect.

My outboard motor is titled separately. What do I do?

A few states title outboards on their own. If yours does, you'll sign over both titles and we handle both transfers. Not sure whether your state does this? We'll check when we call.

Does my pontoon boat count as a motorboat donation?

Yes, pontoons and deck boats come through this form. The questions fit, and pontoons are among the most popular boats we receive.

Start your motorboat donation

Takes about three minutes. Your best guesses are fine, or call (888) 228-7320.

BWC Donation: Motorboats

Free pickup by our trusted transport team · We handle title transfer and tax paperwork · No cost to you

KEEP READING
How to donate a boat Tax guide State guides Donate a fishing boat Donate a PWC Donating a pontoon boat Classic wooden boats Classic and antique boats Ski and wake boats Cabin cruisers