Great Loop Boat Buying Checklist

Shopping for a boat for the Great Loop? This free fillable PDF helps you check a boat before you make an offer. Current Yachts clients use it when they tour boats for the Loop. Fill it in on screen or print one copy per boat, then compare your options side by side.

What's inside

• Route specs: the numbers a Loop boat has to meet, including air draft for the fixed bridge near Chicago, draft for the Intracoastal, fuel range and bow thruster. Each spec has a space for the boat's own figure and a box to check if it passes.

• The livability test: a walkthrough to do aboard, plus a 1 to 5 rating for the five areas that decide whether two people can live aboard for a year or more: sleeping, galley, head, climate control and storage.

• Questions to ask before you make an offer: 17 questions for the seller or listing broker, covering ownership history, engine and running gear, liveaboard systems and paperwork, with room to write down each answer.

• Red flags and next steps: warning signs to watch for, and what to line up once a boat passes: survey, sea trial, insurance and a final bridge-clearance check.

Create your free account to download the checklist below.