best used yachts

• Frank Magazine
• Denison History
• Virtual Tours
• Alaskan Yachts
• Azimut Yachts
• Back Cove Yachts
• Beneteau Yachts
• Benetti Superyachts
• Bertram Yachts
• Boston Whaler
• Broward Yachts
• Buddy Davis Sportfish
• Burger Yachts
• Cabo Yachts
• Carver Motoryachts
• Center Console
• Chris-Craft Yachts
• Cruisers Yachts
• DeFever Trawlers
• Dufour Sailboats
• Fairline Yachts
• Feadship Yachts
• Ferretti Yachts
• Formula Yachts
• Fountaine Pajot Cats
• Grady-White
• Grand Banks Trawlers
• Hargrave Yachts
• Hatteras Yachts
• Hinckley Picnic Boats
• Horizon Yachts
• Hydra-Sports
• Intrepid Boats
• Jarrett Bay Sportfish
• Jeanneau Yachts
• Kadey-Krogen Trawlers
• Lazzara Yachts
• Lekker Boats
• Luhrs Sportfish
• Marlow Yachts
• Maritimo Yachts
• Marquis Yachts
• McKinna Motoryachts
• Meridian Yachts
• Midnight Express
• Mochi Craft
• Neptunus Motoryachts
• Nordhavn Trawlers
• Nordic Tugs
• Ocean Alexander Yachts
• Offshore Yachts
• Oyster Sailing Yachts
• Pacific Mariner Yachts
• Palmer Johnson Yachts
• Pershing Yachts
• Prestige Yachts
• Princess Yachts
• Pursuit Yachts
• Riva Yachts
• Riviera Yachts
• Sabre Downeast
• San Lorenzo Yachts
• Sea Ray Boats
• SeaVee Central Consoles
• Selene Trawlers
• Scout Yachts
• Sunseeker Yachts
• Tiara Yachts
• Trinity Superyachts
• Viking Yachts
• Westport Yachts

10 Great Used Motoryachts You Can Buy For $150K

January 16, 2017 1:45 pm

Consider this scenario: you’re in the market for a used motoryacht — probably nothing smaller than 40 feet — with a budget of $150,000, more or less. You want a boat from a good builder (preferably one of their more popular models), and you’re open to the layout as long as it’s comfortable. Everything else is on the table.

If that describes your boating future, you’ll be happy and perhaps a little surprised at the choices available to you in a used motoryacht or cruiser yacht .

To find out for ourselves, we spent two weeks researching this market on YachtWorld, boats.com, etc., and came away with a list of ten models that represent a cross section of what’s available for about $150,000. There’s a lot to choose from here — traditional aft cabin motor yachts, cockpit motor yachts, classic pilothouse yachts, and sporty sedan cruisers.

All of the ten boats profiled below were popular models during their production years which means (a) that a clean used model should be relatively easy to find, and (b) selling or trading up one day should be no problem.

At the end of the day it’s good to know $150,000 still buys a lot of boat. Assuming 20 percent down and a 15-year note, the monthly payment for one of these yachts can be less than $1,000. For many, that’s an affordable number, especially with strengthening home values and historically low interest rates. Food for thought as we approach the spring boat show season.

1. Carver 500/504 Cockpit MY Production Years: 1996–2000

At a Glance: A super-popular model for Carver, basically a condo on the water. This is a cockpit version of the Carver 455/456 Aft Cabin model produced during the same years.

Spacious two stateroom maple interior has a folding bulkhead in the forward VIP stateroom that conceals a small guest cabin/den to port with convertible bunks. (This feature was eliminated in 1999 when the interior was redesigned and the name changed to Carver 504.)

The large U-shaped galley is aft in the salon rather than forward as it is in most motoryacht floorplans. In the master stateroom, the walkaround queen bed faces aft to permit the installation of cockpit access door. Washer/dryer is in forward stateroom. Twin 450hp Cummins diesels cruise at 18 knots.

Best Feature: Huge interior, the result of moving the superstructure well forward in the hull (note the relatively short foredeck).

Pr ice Spread: From a low of about $150K up to the mid-to-high $200s for a newer model.

2. Carver 444 Cockpit MY Production Years: 2001 – 2006

At a Glance: The top-selling cockpit yacht in this class for several years. Basically a Carver 396 Aft Cabin with a good-sized cockpit. The 444’s huge full-beam interior — made possible by raising the side decks to eye level — comes as a surprise. With its panoramic views and nearly seven feet of headroom, the salon’s dimensions are those of a much larger boat.

To save space, the forward head is split with the shower stall to port and toilet compartment to starboard. A sliding glass door in the (smallish) master stateroom opens directly into the cockpit.

In 2004, an optional “Extended Salon” floorplan with a full-size dinette, enlarged galley and redesigned VIP stateroom became available. Twin Volvo 370hp engines cruise at 18–19 knots. Carver sold a ton of these stylish boats.

Best Feature: Enormous salon/dinette/galley area with panoramic outside views.

Price Spread: A random YachtWorld check will find several priced in the mid $100K range.

3. Meridian 411 Sedan Production Years: 2003 – 2008

At a Glance: Very popular (and very affordable) sedan cruiser — a winning blend of sharp styling and spacious accommodations — made the Meridian 411 one of the best-selling midrange boats in her class. Huge interior layout with galley and booth-style dinette forward, a step up from the aft salon area with entertainment center and facing settees.

Large salon windows bring the outdoors in. Modern decor with cherry cabinets, Ultraleather seating, and Corian counters. Master stateroom includes private en-suite head; guest stateroom has a double berth (tucked under the dinette) and access to the second day head. Extended swim platform leads to a large cockpit (with molded bridge steps) suitable for fishing and entertaining.

Lower helm was optional. Wide side decks make it easy to get to the foredeck sun pad.

Best Feature: A super-social flybridge with sun lounge, wet bar, settee, and aft sun pad.

Price Spread:  Low-to-mid $100s to over $300K.

4. Silverton 39 Motor Yacht Production Years: 2002 – 2008

At a Glance: This maxi-beam aft cabin cruiser — and her lookalike predecessor, the best-selling Silverton 372/392 Motor Yacht — is proof that a roomy interior trumps graceful styling almost every time. Elevated side decks on both sides of the house provide a huge full-beam salon as well as direct flybridge access to the foredeck.

The 39’s galley rivals many larger boats in storage and counter space. Both staterooms have queen beds, generous storage, and en-suite heads with stall shower. High-gloss cherry trim, Corian counters, and Ultraleather upholstery compliment the interior. Molded steps lead from the swim platform up to a roomy aft deck with wet bar, bench seating and hard top.

Note the triple helm seat on the flybridge. The 39’s high freeboard will test your docking skills on a windy day. Standard 380hp gas engines cruise at 16–18 knots.

Best Feature: Enormous two-stateroom interior dwarfs anything in her class. Excellent galley.

Price Spread: $150K to the mid $200s.

5. Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse Production Years: 1994 – 2002

At a Glance: Arguably the best big-boat value ever. Spacious, well appointed, and surprisingly fuel efficient. This is basically a restyled (and lengthened) version of the very popular Bayliner 4550/4588 Pilothouse.

Her three stateroom, two head interior features a full-beam salon with large U-shaped galley forward to port, wet bar, L-lounge seating, and large side windows. In the pilothouse, there is a settee aft of the helm and a companion seat to port.

Visibility from the pilothouse is excellent. Second guest stateroom with upper/lower bunks doubles as a den and opens directly to the master stateroom — very clever. An inflatable dinghy can be carried on the extended flybridge deck. The engine room is a tight fit. Forget all that talk about Bayliner quality — the 4788 is simply a lot of boat for the money.

Best Feature: Comfortable salon that opens to the large cockpit — perfect for entertaining. 

Price Spread:  Low-to-mid $100s for a 1994–95 model to $230 to $250K for a 2001–02 model.

6.  Sea Ray 550 Sedan Bridge Production Years: 1992 – 1998

At a Glance: Stylish 1990’s cruising yacht with three-stateroom interior and extra-large cockpit. The salon is impressive, a wide-open (carpeted) living area with cut-down galley, long leather sofa, entertainment center, and big wraparound cabin windows.

The forward master stateroom is huge with an island queen bed, two hanging lockers, vanity, and private en-suite head. Roomy guest stateroom has a full-size berth, and the second guest cabin has over/under bunks. Both heads have stall showers, but guest head is tight. Lower helm was optional. Center transom door is flanked by built-in bench seats in the cockpit.

In 1996, the flybridge ladder was replaced with molded steps and the helm was relocated aft. The 550’s straight sheer and drooping bow are distinctive. Detroit 625hp 6V-92 diesels cruise at 22–23 knots.

Best Feature: The large cockpit and party-time flybridge — great attributes for entertaining.

Price Spread: $150K to the mid $200s

7. Maxum 4600 SCB Production Years: 1997 –2001

At a Glance: Modern styling, an inviting two stateroom interior, and a very competitive price made the Maxum 4600 SCB one of the best motoryacht buys of her day. Maxum engineers packed a lot of value into this boat. The salon is exceptionally inviting with wraparound windows, a long leather sofa, cherry cabinets, and full entertainment center.

A raised dinette is forward to starboard, opposite the home-size galley with overhead glass storage and Corian counters. A lower helm was optional in place of the dinette. Note the tub in the master head. In the cockpit, a center transom door opens to an extended swim platform able to support a PWC.

The 4600 SCB is surprisingly fuel-efficient boat, a feature that stems in part from her relatively light weight. Cummins 370hp diesels cruise at 16–18 knots.

Best Feature: An affordable price — this is what brokers call a lot of boat for the money.

Price Spread:  From about $100K for an older model up to $200K-plus for 2001–02 model.

8. Sea Ray 450 Express Bridge Production Years: 1998 – 2004

At a Glance:   An innovative yacht when she was introduced in 1998. Not many 45-footers have three staterooms. The aft stateroom — accessed via a private entryway next to the salon door — includes a full-length berth with hanging locker and built-in washer/dryer.

Forward of that, the amidships stateroom features a double berth with partial standing headroom and an opening port. An island queen is in the forward stateroom. Both heads include separate stall showers. Aft of the galley is a breakfast bar with two swing-out stools. Small salon windows limit natural lighting below. Topside, the huge party-time flybridge has seating fore and aft of the center helm console. Note the unique staircase descending from the flybridge to the foredeck.

An extended swim platform was a popular option. Cummins 450hp V-drive diesels cruise at 20–22 knots.

Best Feature: Huge party-time bridge area.

Price Spread:  An early model might be found for $150K. Newer can easily exceed $200K.

9. Carver 440 Aft Cabin Production Years: 1993 – 1999

At a Glance: The largest model in the Carver fleet when she was introduced in 1993. A big 44-footer with an usually spacious salon, two double staterooms, two full heads, and a convertible dinette — sleeping accommodations for as many as eight adults.

The maple wood accents and carpeted salon are showing their age, but large cabin windows make the interior open and airy. Note salon entertainment center. Full-service galley includes double sink, upright refrigerator, washer/dryer, Corian counter and hardwood floor.

The aft deck is large enough for a table and chairs, and the flybridge has dual captain’s chairs with bench seating forward of the helm. Bow pulpit, fiberglass swim platform, and radar arch were standard. Carver sold a lot of these boats and used models are plentiful.

Best Feature: Very spacious layout with room to entertain a small neighborhood.

Price Spread:  From about $100K for an older model up to $200K-plus for 2001–02 model

10. Sea Ray 420 Aft Cabin Production Years: 1996 – 2002

At a Glance:   Sleek aft cabin cruising yacht incorporated European styling influences in an era when too many American-built motor yachts looked like floating condos. Well-appointed two stateroom galley-down interior sleeps up to eight — includes L-shaped sofa and raised dinette in the salon, walkaround queen berths fore and aft, two full heads, and stand-up utility room under the salon sole.

Full-size galley comes complete with separate Sub Zero refrigerator and freezer, convection oven, and lots of counter and storage space — a big plus. The aft deck is big for a boat this size. Molded steps make boarding from the extended swim platform easy and safe.

Built on a fully cored hull with prop pockets to level the engines. A good performer with 450hp Cummins diesels— cruise in the mid 20s (27–28 knots top.

Best Feature: Utility room with washer/dryer and pantry — a very unique feature in a boat this size

Price Spread:  From the low $100K range for a 1996–97 model up to about $200K for newer.

Ed McKnew  PowerBoat Guide Founder

Latest News

NEWS | August 19, 2024

85′ azimut 2006 sold by florent moranzoni [eva].

85′ Azimut 2006 Sold by Florent Moranzoni [EVA] EVA, an 85′ (26.82m) Azimut built in 2006, was sold by Florent Moranzoni, who represented the Seller. Special thanks to James von Eiberg of Bluebnc, who represented the Buyer. EVA can accommodate ten guests in four comfortable cabins, including a

NEWS | August 14, 2024

Anantara golden triangle elephant camp & resort: bubbles of refuge.

Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort: Bubbles of Refuge Escape with the elephants at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort. This article was written by Chris White. Photography courtesy of Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort. When the elephant appears at our deck, it’s nine on

NEWS | August 13, 2024

Seattle boats afloat fall show [new & used boats on display].

Seattle Boats Afloat Fall Show [New & Used Boats On Display] Thursday-Sunday | September 12-15, 2024 Denison invites you to view a number of available new and brokerage boats at the 2024 Seattle Boats Afloat Fall Show. Since its inception in Seattle in 1978, the Pacific Northwest’s largest floating boat show, the Boats

Used Yachts For Sale From $200,000 – $400,000

Listed below are used yachts for sale worldwide from $200,000 – $400,000. Use the search tools to narrow your exploration. SYS Yacht Sales offers a wide range of used yachts for sale, including motor yachts, trawlers, express cruisers, center consoles, sailboats and everything in between. Search top brands like Azimut, Ferretti, Sea Ray, Beneteau, Carver, Cruisers, Boston Whaler, Tiara and much more. Need assistance? Contact our experienced yacht brokers. We look forward to helping you find the yacht that's right for you.

Nigel Irens Pleasure Craft

Westport HULL ONLY - PROJECT!

Custom 100' Sailing Yacht

Custom Malaysian boat yard Pulau Duyong

Vantare Custom Flybridge Motoryacht

Wheeler dealer.

Norris Yachts 85x18' Houseboat

McQueen Flush Deck Motoryacht

Palmer Johnson 84

Broward Raised Pilothouse MY

Urban legend.

Custom Grand Mistral Maxi one design

Custom Andrews 80

Stardust Cruisers 16x80 Widebody

Mangusta 80

Stardust Cruisers Houseboat

The elegant lady.

De Cesari 24m Sailing Yacht

La cardinala.

Custom SCAFO 24 MT

Hatteras 77 Cockpit Motor Yacht

Arno Leopard 23

Monk McQueen

"obsession".

Lazzara 76 Skylounge

Leopard 21,5 Sport

• Event Details

• Search Used Yachts For Sale
• Search Boats By Brand
• Search Boats By Type
• Search By Location
• Search By Price
• What's My Boat Worth?
• Search Boats Just Listed
• Small Yachts
• Custom Sport Fishing Boats
• Finance A Boat
• Amer Yachts
• Aquitalia Yachts
• Cabo Yachts
• Century Boats
• French Yachts
• Gulfstream Yachts
• Hatteras Yachts
• Shelter Island Yachts
• Solaris Yachts
• Sunpower Yachts
• Sunreef Yachts
• Vela Boatworks
• Virtus Yachts
• Why List With United?
• Why Own A Boat Or Yacht?
• Custom Website For Your Yacht
• United Sold Boats
• Buy A Yacht With Crypto
• Find a Yacht Broker Near Me
• Search For Broker By Name
• Meet The United Support Team
• Our History
• Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
• Stuart Boat Show
• Miami Boat Show
• Palm Beach Boat Show
• Other Boat Shows
• Yachting News
• Yacht Closing Services
• River Forest Yachting Centers

Search All Yachts

United Yacht Sales Search By Price

The price of a used boat or yacht is always the number one factor when searching for your next vessel. united yacht sales has made it easy for you to search all used yachts for sale on the market today by breaking them down by price ranges..

Search All Pre-Owned Yachts

USED BOATS FOR SALE UNDER 100000

USED BOATS FOR SALE BETWEEN $100,000 - $200,000

USED BOATS FOR SALE BETWEEN $200,000 - $300,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $300,000 AND $400,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $400,000 AND $500,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $500,000 AND $600,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $600,000 AND $700,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $700,000 AND $800,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $800,000 AND $900,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $900,000 AND $1,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $1,000,000 AND $1,500,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $1,500,000 AND $2,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $2,000,000 AND $2,500,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $2,500,000 AND $3,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE BETWEEN $3,000,000 AND $3,500,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $5,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $10,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $15,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $20,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $25,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $50,000,000

USED YACHTS FOR SALE UNDER $500,000

Speak To A Specialist

By providing my phone number to United Yacht Sales, I agree and acknowledge that United Yacht Sales may send text messages to my wireless phone number for any purpose. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary, and you will be able to Opt-out by replying "STOP". For more information on how your data will be handled please visit our Privacy Policy .

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

Yachts for Sale

For aspiring yacht owners looking for a luxury yacht for sale, we have put together a fine selection of luxury yachts and megayachts for sale from all over the world. Search BOAT International's collection of superyachts for sale and filter by type, length, asking price or age. Narrow the results by selecting specific features, or browse by speed, designer and much more.

Explore luxury yachts for sale

Search for everything from motor yachts for sale from renowned Dutch yards including Feadship and Heesen , premium Italian names including Azimut , Sanlorenzo and Benetti , popular British builders Sunseeker and Princess , and American megayachts for sale from US yards such as Westport .

Our collection also features sailing yachts for sale from legendary names such as Royal Huisman , Perini Navi , Nautor's Swan and Jongert , as well as some of the most well-known explorer yachts for sale .

Yacht Features

Propulsion System

Sale yacht in Moscow

36 yachts for sale in moscow, customer reviews, popular destinations.

• Sell yacht in Moscow
• Sell yacht in St Petersburg
• Sell yacht in Vladivostok
• Sell yacht in Samara
• Sell yacht in Saratov

Moscow is the largest city and historical capital of Russia, the country's most popular tourist center and the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. In this metropolis, antiquity and modernity are whimsically combined, numerous cultural and historical sights, viewing platforms and entertainment centers make it a center of attraction for tens of millions of tourists from all over the world.

• Price: low to high
• Price: high to low
• Estimate price

• Length 6.90 m
• Beam 2.50 m
• Draft 0.60 m

• Length 6.00 m
• Beam 2.00 m
• Draft 0.00 m

• Length 6.06 m
• Beam 2.36 m
• Draft 0.40 m

• Length 11.80 m
• Beam 3.00 m
• Draft 1.00 m

• Length 8.00 m
• Beam 2.40 m

• Length 8.10 m
• Beam 2.80 m

• Length 10.75 m
• Beam 3.56 m

• Length 8.13 m
• Beam 2.60 m
• Draft 0.90 m

• Length 7.16 m
• Beam 2.58 m

• Length 7.06 m
• Beam 2.55 m

• Length 11.50 m
• Beam 3.50 m
• Draft 0.95 m

• Length 7.05 m
• Beam 2.70 m

• Length 7.01 m
• Beam 2.59 m

• Length 5.81 m
• Beam 2.26 m

• Length 16.20 m
• Beam 7.00 m
• Draft 1.20 m

• Length 9.44 m

• Length 14.00 m
• Beam 4.80 m
• Draft 1.10 m

• Length 9.99 m

• Length 11.88 m

• Length 9.60 m
• Beam 3.05 m
• Draft 1.45 m

• Length 8.60 m
• Draft 0.50 m

• Length 17.80 m
• Beam 4.90 m
• Draft 1.35 m

• Length 8.25 m
• Beam 2.97 m
• Draft 0.59 m

• Length 18.00 m
• Beam 5.80 m
• Draft 1.40 m

• Length 11.40 m
• Draft 0.80 m

• Length 12.30 m
• Beam 3.95 m

• Beam 4.50 m

• Length 16.00 m
• Draft 1.30 m

• Length 10.00 m
• Draft 0.89 m

• Beam 8.00 m

• Length 9.45 m
• Beam 3.30 m
• Draft 1.98 m

• Length 8.67 m

• Length 10.53 m

When planning to buy a yacht in Moscow , pay attention to the offers of 2yachts - we hope you will find a suitable option among current and profitable ads from direct sellers.

Sights of the Russian capital

On the territory of the largest city in Europe with a 9-century history, there are many interesting places and objects. Some of the best attractions of modern Moscow are:

• The Kremlin and Red Square, with which it is worth starting to get acquainted with the city;
• Arbat - the main tourist artery of Moscow;
• The business center of the city with skyscrapers is Moscow City with viewing platforms, including a 360-degree circular view of the capital;
• The Bolshoi Theater is one of the most significant in Russia and the world;
• Tretyakov Gallery with the world's largest collection of Russian painting;
• Ostankino TV Tower, the country's main television tower 540 m high with 2 viewing platforms - open type and glazed at different levels;
• St. Basil's Cathedral (Cathedral of the Protection of the Holy Virgin);
• The historical district of the capital is Kitay Gorod.

It is also worth visiting the river berths, beaches (in Rublevo, Strogino and Serebryany Bor) of the Moscow River, Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, Moskarium Oceanography Center, Novodevichy Convent, Moscow Planetarium, Darwin Museum, Zaryadye Natural Landscape Park and Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNH).

The best restaurants in Moscow: Pushkin, Balzi rossi, Wine & Crab, Osteria della Piazza Bianca, White Rabbit, Björn, Northerners, Beluga, Lavkalavka and others.

Yachting in Moscow

You can leave your yacht parked in Moscow at the pier of one of the many yacht clubs on the banks of the Moscow River and the Khimki Reservoir - for example, on the territory of the Yacht Port “Estate Port” with 36 berths for vessels up to 15 m long or in CHALET RIVER CLUB yacht club on the border with the Moscow region with 57 berths for vessels up to 17 m long and with a draft of up to 1.7 m. If you are interested in selling yachts in Moscow , we recommend that you use the services of one of the trusted yacht brokers in the region, for example - PRESTIGE YACHTS, ULTRABOATS, IY C or WEST NAUTICAL.

• Advertising

• Netherlands
• United States
• United Kingdom

Service Locator

• Angler Endorsement
• Boat Towing Coverage
• Mechanical Breakdown
• Insurance Requirements in Mexico
• Agreed Hull Value
• Actual Cash Value
• Liability Only
• Insurance Payment Options
• Claims Information
• Towing Service Agreement
• Membership Plans
• Boat Show Tickets
• BoatUS Boats For Sale
• Membership Payment Options
• Consumer Affairs
• Boat Documentation Requirements
• Installation Instructions
• Shipping & Handling Information
• Contact Boat Lettering
• End User Agreement
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Vessel Documentation
• BoatUS Foundation
• Government Affairs
• Powercruisers
• Buying & Selling Advice
• Maintenance
• Tow Vehicles
• Make & Create
• Makeovers & Refitting
• Accessories
• Electronics
• Skills, Tips, Tools
• Spring Preparation
• Winterization
• Boaters’ Rights
• Environment & Clean Water
• Boat Safety
• Navigational Hazards
• Personal Safety
• Batteries & Onboard Power
• Motors, Engines, Propulsion
• Books & Movies
• Cockpit Confessions
• Communication & Etiquette
• Contests & Sweepstakes
• Colleges & Tech Schools
• Food, Drink, Entertainment
• New To Boating
• Travel & Destinations
• Watersports
• Anchors & Anchoring
• Boat Handling

5 Great Values In Used Boats

If you don't want to pay full price for a new boat but want something modern and reliable, these five picks are good starting points..

Advertisement

There are plenty of classics out there and countless old used boats in need of a rehab. But what if you'd like to get one new enough that its tech isn't ancient and its systems aren't all worn out? It certainly can be done, and whether you're in the market for a runabout, cruiser, center-console, watersports boat, or sailboat, there's almost certainly one out there with less than a decade of service that costs about half as much as buying new.

Used boat values can vary radically due to location and condition, so there's no hard and fast rule as to just how much a boat will devalue over time. That said, most boats depreciate quite a bit when first sold, then devalue less year by year until, at some point, prices more or less stabilize. Find a boat of this vintage in good shape, and you could pay not much more than you would for the same model with additional years of use on it. In this used-boat sweet spot, we find the following five boats particularly attractive and include some other gems in case you want to cast a wider net.

Runabout | 2011 Sea Ray 210 SLX

This Sea Ray 210 SLX may be a decade old, but it retains a modern look and significant savings over a newer model.

The 2011 Sea Ray stands out as a find in the world of used bowriders. With modern looks, it was initially equipped with niceties like a stereo with AM/FM/CD (sorry folks, but these do predate today's widespread availability of Bluetooth), snap-in carpet, and the vast majority of the 210 SLX models you find on the used market come with a matching tandem-axel trailer. Standard power for this boat is a 5.0L MerCruiser sterndrive with an Alpha I drive — an extremely popular package intimately familiar to most competent marine mechanics. You may also see the 210 SLX with optional power including the MerCruiser 350 MAG (which produces 300 horsepower) and Bravo III drives.

The 210 SLX has a straightforward layout with bow cockpit seating, helm and passenger's pedestal chairs, and aft seating to either side of the engine box. As is the norm for bowriders of this style, the engine box does double duty as a sun lounge with cushions that flip up for easy transom boarding and extend to either gunwale. There's also a small drink cooler integrated into the passenger's side console. To most people, however, the highlight of the model is a huge extended swim platform (with a flip-down telescopic swim ladder), which stretches the full beam of the boat.

Find a 2011 210 SLX and you'll see numbers in the mid to upper $20,000 price range, with the NADA guides pegging $25,550 as the average price. Sea Ray no longer produces the 210 SLX, but as a point of comparison, the 21-foot bowrider it currently builds, the SPX 210, carries a base MSRP of $47,332 with included tandem-axel trailer and a 200-hp MerCruiser 4.5L with an Alpha I drive. Opting up to 250 horses brings that cost up to just over $51,000. So finding a boat just under 10 years old may, in this case, literally halve your initial purchase cost.

Don't miss these gems! The roomy and sporty Chaparral 244 Sunesta is no longer in production, but a 2008 to 2010 vintage currently runs about half the price of a new 237 SSX. A Four Winns H200 Bowrider is another good choice, and at age 10 can be found for less than half of a new Four Winns Horizon 210, even when well-equipped.

Cruiser | 2012 Regal 35 Sport Coupe

The 2012 Regal 35 Sport Coupe, looks virtually identical to later models.

Look at a 2012 Regal 35 Sport Coupe alongside a new model, and you may be surprised at just how similar the boats seem to be. The exterior styling is virtually identical. Both model years have a bridgedeck with a large convertible lounger to port and a wet bar behind the helm seat to starboard. And both feature a main cabin with a head and galley, a large L-shaped settee, a forward queen berth, and a mid-cabin aft of the entry. It's quite unusual to find two boats from any manufacturer that have model years separated by this long a time span without any major changes — and that's because the styling and design of the 35 Sport Cruiser have proved so popular over the years.

There is, however, one big difference between buying a new 35 Sport Coupe and buying one that's eight years old: price. You can find 2012s from right around $150,000 to just under $200,000. This is a relatively large vessel with relatively complex systems, so you have to expect prices to vary quite a bit from boat to boat. But, by any measure, this represents a huge savings compared to buying new because today's 35 Sport Coupe runs closer to $300,000, and this number can grow depending on the options you choose.

Don't miss these gems! The Cruisers Yachts 330 Express also represents good bang-for-the-buck when stacked up against Cruisers Yacht's modern express cruiser, the 35 (currently the only 33 is an outboard-powered bowrider). There's a lot of price variability from hull to hull, particularly between boats kept in freshwater versus saltwater.

Center-Console | 2017 Boston Whaler 210 Montauk

Boston Whalers tend to retain their value, but you can still knock almost a quarter off the price of buying new by looking at one that’s a few years old.

It's true that, like automobiles, the moment a boat gets sold is when its value takes the biggest hit. And with just four years of use on it, the 2017 Boston Whaler Montauk provides an excellent example of a center-console you can buy almost new while taking advantage of this phenomenon to save some on initial expense. While the brand-new model lists at $63,884 with a single 150-hp Mercury outboard, finding a used Montauk just three or four years old can knock around $15,000, or about 23%, off the bill.

But Boston Whalers are a rather unusual case; they tend to retain value better than average, and this shows just how variable different makes and models can devalue over time. Look for a 210 Montauk with an additional five or six years of age, for example, and it's likely to be in the $40,000 range. In other words, while most other boats will be nearing the point at which they retain about half their original value, the Whaler 210 Montauk is still likely to command more like 60% of its as-new cost.

Just how different will the Montauk models be, setting aside the issues of wear and tear and maintenance? Boston Whaler does tend to make numerous incremental changes to its models year by year, so while the major parts of the boat won't differ, you will see changes from boat to boat. Items like leaning posts, console design, the presence (on newer models) or absence (older models) of bow seating backrests.

Don't miss these gems! The Pro-Line 23 Sport center-console was an incredibly popular boat just prior to the Great Recession, and there's a wide selection on the used market today, which generally run well under half the cost of a new boat, often with an included trailer. The Robalo R222 also had a great run in its day, and while most on the market are a bit newer (in the 2014–2015 range) and still retain a little more than half their original value, the savings are quite substantial compared to new models. Looking for a bit more LOA? Consider the Grady-White Canyon 306 . In the nine- to 10-year-old range you'll not only spend half as much, but Grady-Whites tend to maintain good resale values through time, so are likely to see slow devaluation moving forward.

Watersports Boat | 2014 Super Air Nautique 210

Even older water­sports boats can be pricey.

In 2014 Ski Nautique redesigned its existing 21-foot multiwatersports platform, the Super Air Nautique, to offer both wake and surf watersports abilities in a package with contemporary styling. Included with the boat are modern features like ballast tanks (so you can make those big surfing waves) and a hull designed to work in conjunction with Nautique's NSS Surf System, allowing the operator to modify wave shape and size as desired for different watersports activities and skill levels.

Sure, there have been advancements and changes in both the tech and the boat since then, but models like this allow you to get in on very modern watersports engineering while paying used boat prices. Just how big a savings does this make for? Most 2014 Super Air Nautique 210s can be found in the $60,000 to $70,000 range. While that sounds like a lot for a 21-footer, remember that high-tech watersports command top dollar — the new version carries a base MSRP of $104,830. don't miss these gems! The Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV is one of the most popular boats of its kind, and you'll see plenty of listings for used models, which tend to drop below the 50%-of-new mark right around 2012 or 2011. Also of interest may be the Tige Z3, recently refreshed and substantially different in a seven- or eight-year-old model, but has the price drop to match.

Don't miss these gems! The Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV is one of the most popular boats of its kind, and you'll see plenty of listings for used models, which tend to drop below the 50%-of-new mark right around 2012 or 2011. Also of interest may be the Tige Z3, recently refreshed and substantially different in a seven- or eight-year-old model, but has the price drop to match.

Sailboat | Beneteau Oceanis Clipper 343

When it comes to buying a sailboat, don’t be afraid to look at one that’s 12 to 14 years old – or even older.

As even nonsailors know, sailboats are a different animal than powerboats, not only in how they're designed, built, and perform, but also in their resale values. Often built with fewer complex systems and less dependence on advanced propulsion systems designed for high-speed use, they do tend to age better than powerboats. The expression, "live fast and die young" would seem to apply to boats as well as people. And as a result, many sailboats do enjoy a slower depreciation in value.

That does not mean, however, that you can't save a good deal of expense by looking on the used market, especially if you look at boats with just a bit more age on them. The Beneteau Oceanis Clipper 343 provides a great example of a sailboat that, even with 12 to 14 years under the keel, can still be found in excellent condition and provide the kind of new boat reliability sailors want. Because the boat was produced with a single direct-drive inboard diesel power plant (in most cases you'll find a 29-hp Yanmar 3YM30), engine issues are far less likely than they would be with planing powerboats half the age but outfitted with gasoline engines. The two stateroom/single head layout works well for families and entertaining and proves ideal for both daysailing and weekending. Asking price for most older 343s on the market today is in the $80,000 to $90,000 range.

While the 343 is not currently built by Beneteau, the model closest in size being built at this time is the Oceanis 35.1. This new model has the option for a similar two stateroom/one head layout, or the aft cabin can be split into two smaller private rooms. Like the 343, it has a small Yanmar diesel (30-hp with a Sail Drive) for power. List price is $147,700. So while buying used doesn't quite get you to half the price in this case, it comes close.

Don't miss these gems! Though there aren't many on the used market, both the Catalina 22 and Catalina 275 Sport can be found with significant price reductions just seven or eight years back from new. Cruisers looking for a bigger sailboat might want to see the Lagoon 410 , which 10-plus years after being built runs less than half of the new 42, the current model closest in size.

Bottom Line

Assuming the previous owner took good care of the boat you may be looking at, in all of these cases there are several things in common: The models are new enough to be reliable, look good, and offer a reasonably modern level of technology. They're also all old enough to have already gone through the period of rapid depreciation that bothers some price-conscious buyers and are likely to depreciate at a much slower pace on your watch. And while we all may wish we could buy new, if that's not an option, these boats represent a great way to save on the initial investment while getting an almost-new boat with which you can fall completely in love.

Related Articles

The truth about ceramic coatings for boats.

Our editor investigates the marketing claims of consumer-grade ceramic coatings.

Fine-Tune Your Side Scan Fishfinder

Take your side-scanning fishfinder off auto mode, and you’ll be spotting your prey from afar in no time

DIY Boat Foam Decking

Closed-cell foam flooring helps make boating more comfortable. Here’s how to install it on your vessel

Click to explore related articles

Lenny Rudow

New Boats, Fishing & Electronics Editor, BoatUS Magazine

Top tech writer and accomplished sports fisherman, BoatUS Magazine Contributing Editor Lenny Rudow has written seven practical boating books, won 30 awards from Boating Writers International — many for his marine electronics articles – and two for excellence from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. He judges the NMMA Innovation Awards, and is Angler in Chief at FishTalk, his own Chesapeake-based publication. A great teacher and inspirational writer, Lenny hosts many of BoatUS Magazine’s very-popular how-to videos, which can be found on the BoatUS YouTube channel, or at BoatUS.com

BoatUS Magazine Is A Benefit Of BoatUS Membership

Membership Benefits Include:

Subscription to the print version of BoatUS Magazine

4% back on purchases from West Marine stores or online at WestMarine.com

Discounts on fuel, transient slips, repairs and more at over 1,200 businesses

Deals on cruises, charters, car rentals, hotel stays and more…

All for only $25/year!

We use cookies to enhance your visit to our website and to improve your experience. By continuing to use our website, you’re agreeing to our cookie policy.

latest in US News

Gov Hochul disses, rejects piece of Chicago-style pizza during...

California rescue team finds hiker missing for 30 hours —...

Heart-pounding video shows rescuers save beached great white...

Bill Clinton says he may be unable to speak at future DNCs as...

Oprah takes shot at JD Vance with ‘childless cat lady’ remark...

Eric Adams suffers embarrassing gaffe at DNC: 'Sexualize and stay...

Nancy Pelosi praises Biden weeks after pushing him out of...

Guatemalan police arrest 7 accused of trafficking 53 migrants who...

Bomb threats called into 4 chicago hotels used for dnc: report.

CHICAGO — At least four Chicago hotels were the subject of a bomb threat Tuesday on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, according to a report.

Police responded with K9 dogs to at least one of the hotels following an email claiming there would be pipe bombs at the buildings, Fox 32 Chicago reported .

“Police and K9’s at the Nobu Hotel in west loop … our news desk received an email claiming a pipe bomb threat at this and three other west loop / near west side hotels,” the local TV channel’s political correspondent Paris Schutz  reported  on X.

The threat was reported after anti-Israel protesters marched outside the convention venue Monday afternoon — with multiple activists arrested after tearing down a portion of a security perimeter fence.

The Chicago Police Department told The Post: “The U.S. Secret Service is aware of threats made to various locations in the Downtown area. Law enforcement personnel are screening the affected areas and examining the credibility of the threat.”

Advertisement

Maps: Ukraine's incursion into Russia forces Moscow to make an important decision

Ukraine's shock incursion across the Russian border into Kursk Oblast may force important strategic decisions on Moscow as President Vladimir Putin's troops are taken as prisoners of war and supply lines are threatened. The Ukrainian attack took Russian forces by surprise, according to one U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly .

According to the Institute for the Study of War , Ukraine’s cross-border gambit allowed Kyiv to seize the battlefield initiative, long held by Russian forces who were able to dictate the time and place of fighting and force Ukrainian troops to expend manpower and equipment on defensive operations.

“It's been a very real success,” former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, now a senior director at the Atlantic Council , told USA TODAY. “The latest data, not confirmed, says they've taken as much as 750 square kilometers (289.5 square miles) and may have gone as far as 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) from the border.” 



One week in Kursk : See evolution of Ukraine's incursion across Russian border

Can't see the map above ? Click here to reload the page.

The war institute says Putin may have incorrectly assessed that Ukraine did not have the capacity for such an attack − and that Russia’s treatment of the international border as a dormant front line represents a strategic failure.

Seth Jones, director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies told USA TODAY that the attack was a "huge psychological success and morale success for the Ukrainians because it puts the Russians on their back foot. It surprised the Russian military. It makes them look incompetent for not protecting their border, and I think it's a huge morale boost to a Ukraine that's really needed something recently, even though it's had successes in the Black Sea, including against the Russian Navy and in Crimea."

"The tables have been turned, at least slightly and at least temporarily, with the Ukrainian incursion," said Jones, "This is a Ukrainian offensive operation. It looks very different from those we saw in 2023 or 2022, which were trying to retake territory that the Russians had seized in Ukraine. This is moving into Russian territory, which I think took the Russians by surprise. This was a real surprise attack."

The push into Kursk may force Russia into a decision to treat the border as a front rather than a dormant area, with implications for Moscow's deployment of personnel and materiel within Ukraine. The war study institute reports that Russian defensive forces appear to be hastily assembled and may be below intended strength and that Russian conscripts stationed in Kursk were unable to retreat and return to their units. The capture or death of conscripts poses a political risk to Putin because he would need to explain the casualties to the Russian public, according to the war study institute.



"It's almost certain that the Russians are reconsidering force deployments, but reconsidering is not the same as deciding to change those deployments in a major way," Herbst said.

"Russia, politically, can't afford to let this happen again," said Jones, "I think it'll force them both to keep an eye on intelligence indications and warnings and also devote more forces to protecting the border."

A video posted online showed a "heavily damaged" Russian convoy in Kursk filmed early Friday, according to BBC Verify . The uploader was later arrested by Russian authorities.

Herbst said that “Russian efforts to stop (Ukrainian forces) have so far been at best fruitless and at worst disastrous. The destruction of that armor column a few days ago was a disaster. There are still not enough Russian forces to stop this offensive.”
 But Herbst cautioned that more Russian personnel and equipment may be headed to the area and may be able to resist Ukrainian forces.

Reuters reports that Russian tanks, artillery and rocket systems were moved to the southern Kursk region as Moscow "imposed anti-terrorism measures" .

The operation could present a real problem for Putin according to Herbst, who suggests the Russian leader may be downplaying the severity of the incursion by declaring a counterterrorism operation . "A counterterrorism operation is not the same as a war where you have opposing troops on your soil, which of course is what you have here."

The incursion comes as prominent Russian oligarchs are speaking out against the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Nikkei Asia , Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire metal magnate with close ties to Putin, called the war "mad" and criticized Russia's defense spending. "If you want to stop the war, first you need to stop the fire," he said, calling for an "immediate, unconditional cease-fire" in Ukraine.

Deripaska "does not seem to be a candidate for defenestration, so watching what happens to him and watching to see if there will be other voices like that could be an indication of things coming apart in Moscow," said Herbst, referring to a long string of suspicious deaths of Kremlin critics.

According to The Institute for the Study of War , the Kremlin released a half-hour video of Putin reprimanding federal and regional officials with the apparent intention of sending a message to other government officials to refrain from commenting on Ukraine's Kursk incursion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the operation in a post Saturday to X, formerly Twitter , describing a push to drive the war into "the aggressor's territory." Zelenskyy thanked international partners for implementing sanctions against Russia and the United States for new defense aid, including Stinger missiles, HIMARS mobile artillery ammunition and 155mm artillery shells.

Beyond Kursk, Jones said Russia's main effort for offensive operations has been Eastern Ukraine. "It's been primarily to increase control of areas. We've seen a big push in Luhansk Oblast," said Jones, "The challenge has been they haven't been able to take areas quickly and they haven't been able to take advantage of changes in strategy. So they're taking huge casualties when they do it."

"Huge casualties to the degree that were somewhere around 500,000 total casualties since the war began, which is enormous. These are astronomical numbers that Russia or the Soviet Union haven't faced since World War II."

Read more about the war in Ukraine:

• One week in Kursk: Maps show Ukraine offensive as Russia builds trenches after attack
• What's behind Russia's sluggish response to Ukrainian raid?
• Ukrainian attack edges into Russian city, site of pipeline, railroad
• After Ukraine troops cross into Kursk, Putin blasts 'provocation'
• From 2023: Maps of Ukraine counteroffensive and Russian defenses show advances, battle lines
• From 2022: Fighting rages around Europe's biggest nuclear power plant

Keep up with news abroad and its impact in the US: Sign up for USA TODAY's Russia-Ukraine War newsletter.

Contributing: Carlie Procell, Tom Vanden Brook and Dan Morrison

Ukraine war latest: 'Mass disruption' to messaging apps in Russia; Moscow comes under huge drone attack

Moscow has come under one of the largest attacks by Ukrainian drones yet, with Russia saying it destroyed 45 Ukrainian drones overnight. It comes as Kyiv's forces continue to push into Russia's western Kursk region. Meanwhile, major messaging apps have been disrupted in Russia.

Wednesday 21 August 2024 17:35, UK

• Moscow comes under one of largest drone attacks yet, Russia says 
• 'Mass disruption' of Telegram and WhatsApp in Russia
• Ukraine making 'marginal advances' in Kursk
• Russians in border region told to avoid dating apps
• Moscow claims capture of another village in Ukraine's east
• Michael Clarke : Ukrainians 'trying to worry Russia as much as they can'
• Your questions answered: What is Ukraine hoping to achieve with invasion of Russia?

That's all our live coverage on the war in Ukraine for now.

We'll return with any major developments this evening. If not, we'll be back tomorrow with all the latest updates.

Here is a reminder of today's key events:

• Moscow came under one of the largest attacks yet by Ukrainian drones, with Russia saying it destroyed all of them;
• Kyiv's forces have reportedly destroyed or damaged all three bridges over the Seym River in western Russia, a move that could potentially trap Moscow's forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance into Russia and the Ukrainian border;
• Russia's reported use of aerospace forces to defend against Ukraine's invasion "likely demonstrates continuing personnel shortages",  the UK's defence ministry said, adding the personnel are "being misused" which "could reduce Russian capacity to re-take territory in Kursk oblast";
• Moscow's troops claimed to have taken control of a Ukrainian village in the push towards the key strategic hub of Pokrovsk city in the eastern Donetsk region;
• Ukraine's parliament voted to ratify the Rome Statute, allowing the country to join the International Criminal Court - a key part of its drive to join the European Union;
• Russians in the border region invaded by Ukraine have been told by Moscow's interior ministry to avoid using dating apps to prevent Kyiv's forces from gathering intelligence;
• Telegram and WhatsApp were disrupted by a malicious attack which also affected other sites such as Wikipedia, Skype and Discord.

Ukrainian forces have made additional advances in their invasion of Russia's Kursk region, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said.

The Washington-based think tank said Kyiv's forces were continuing to strike Russian pontoon bridges and pontoon engineering equipment (as we reported in our 2.51pm post).

In its assessment, it said Ukrainian troops do not control all of the territory behind the forward line of forces operating in Russia.

But it said Moscow's military command "continues to complicate and bureaucratise its thus-far ineffective command and control structure" for its response to the attack.

It also noted Russian authorities had reportedly re-deployed units from lower priority sectors of the frontline in Ukraine back to Russia in order to address the ongoing invasion in Kursk.

The ISW said it had previously noted such deployments "could affect the tempo of Russian offensive operations".

Russian Orthodox priests have brought an icon to the site of a massive fuel depot fire in southern Russia sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack in the hope it will help tame the blaze, the local diocese has said.

The icon of the Unburnt Bush is considered by Christians in Russia to be a talisman against fire.

We have been reporting on how the fire has been burning since Sunday despite efforts by firefighters to douse the flames.

Around 20 of 74 storage tanks were on fire, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing local administration boss Valery Gornich.

Volunteers who previously helped Ukrainian refugees are now providing shelter and essential items to Russians affected by Kyiv's invasion of western Russia.

We have more details on the mass disruption to the Telegram and WhatsApp messaging apps in Russia we reported earlier (see 12.57pm post).

Moscow's state communications monitoring service said the problems were caused by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

The service said the attack had been repelled and the messaging networks were working normally again.

Local media said other sites such as Wikipedia, Skype and the social media platform Discord had also been affected.

"The disruption is related to a DDoS attack on Russian telecom operators," the service said, without elaborating on who might have been responsible. 

Russia began to block access to Telegram in 2018, a move which had little effect on the availability of the app there.

WhatsApp's parent company Meta was branded an "extremist" organisation by Moscow in 2022 and its other services such as Facebook and Instagram are now banned in Russia - though they can still be accessed via virtual private networks (VPNs).

Russia has closed airports in its northwestern cities of Murmansk and Apatity and restricted the use of airspace over those cities, the TASS news agency has reported.

Such measures are usually taken in Russia because of potential or actual Ukrainian drone attacks.

Ukraine attacked Moscow earlier today in one of the largest attacks yet on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022 (see 09.51am post).

Russian authorities said they had destroyed all of the drones headed towards the capital.

Kyiv has said its forces are using US-made HIMARS rockets to destroy pontoon bridges and engineering equipment in Russia's western Kursk region.

Ukraine has destroyed or damaged at least three bridges over the Seym River since Kyiv launched its attack three weeks ago.

"Where do Russian pontoon bridges 'disappear' in the Kursk region? Operators... accurately destroy them," Ukraine's special operations forces said on Telegram.

It said HIMARS rocket systems were used - the first official statement from Kyiv that Western weapons had been used as part of the offensive.

We are now seeing "the battle of the pontoon bridges," says our  defence and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke .

He says Russian vehicles carrying the pontoon equipment "are pretty obvious from the air because they've got bridge pieces on them," and the Ukrainians are using drones to go after the individual vehicles.

"When they see a pontoon bridge beginning to emerge they try and attack it. The Russians have been trying to build lots of these and the Ukrainians have been trying to attack them."

Russians in the border region invaded by Ukraine have been told to avoid using dating apps to prevent Kyiv's forces from gathering intelligence.

Moscow's interior ministry told residents, military and police personnel in the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions to avoid "online dating services".

"The enemy actively uses such resources for information gathering," it said on Telegram.

Ukrainian forces are continuing to push into Russia's western Kursk region in an offensive that began two weeks ago.

Ukraine's parliament has voted to ratify the Rome Statute, allowing the country to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) - a key part of its drive to join the European Union.

The move would allow authorities "to more effectively punish" suspected Russian war criminals, according to Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Honcharenko.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for several Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu for their roles in alleged crimes against Ukrainian civilians - Russia has denied targeting civilians.

"Ukraine has already worked effectively with the ICC to ensure comprehensive accountability for all Russian atrocities committed in the course of Russian aggression," Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.

"This work will now be even more effective." 

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Ukraine’s Incursion Into Russia Reveals a Dramatic Shift

The offensive was developed in secret, devised to divert Russian troops away from the front lines in Ukraine and seize territory to use as a bargaining chip.

The incursion is one example of how Ukraine is taking the initiative, exposing Russian weakness and embarrassing President Vladimir V. Putin. Credit... David Guttenfelder for The New York Times

Supported by

• Share full article

By Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt

Reporting from Washington

• Aug. 15, 2024

Ukraine’s incursion into a sliver of Russia is likely to make it harder for Moscow to mount a major renewed offensive in Ukraine’s east and is the kind of surprise operation that could eventually impose real costs on the Kremlin, according to U.S. officials.

The Ukrainian strike, and its continued success, could ultimately have strategic significance, though U.S. officials caution that they will need to see how it plays out to draw firmer conclusions. It could also help rebuild sagging morale among Ukraine’s troops and war-weary population, the officials said.

The incursion, into the Kursk region of Russia, stands in stark contrast to Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive in southern Ukraine last summer. This offensive was developed in secret, devised to divert Russian troops away from the front lines in Ukraine and seize territory to use as a bargaining chip.

Ukraine’s monthslong buildup to the counteroffensive played out in the open. The Ukrainians had sought to retake territory but stumbled when they failed to punch through dug-in Russian defenses, which Moscow reinforced as Ukraine trained for the drive. Ukraine also split its forces during that offensive, against American advice, rather than focusing them as they have this month.

But the incursion into Russia shows how Ukraine’s army has improved its mechanized warfare skills, techniques that it failed to master a year ago.

Since then, Ukraine has been looking for ways to rebound.

The operation itself will not drive Russia to the bargaining table, according to U.S. officials. Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, has pledged not to negotiate while Ukraine occupies Russia, and American officials said he should be taken at his word.

But in public speeches, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, has spoken about the need to puncture the hubris of Mr. Putin. Russia will not make any concessions, he has said, until Mr. Putin’s overconfidence is challenged and Ukraine shows strength on the battlefield.

Ukraine’s move into Kursk is one example of how it is taking the initiative, exposing Russian weakness and embarrassing Mr. Putin.

American officials say Ukraine will have to build on the operation, with other daring operations that can push back against Russia’s sense that its victory is inevitable. Whether that will include more cross-border incursions, secret sabotage missions or other yet-to-be-planned operations remains to be seen.

On Thursday, NATO’s top military commander, Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, said the incursion had succeeded so far. “Suffice it to say that it appears to be going quite well,” he said during a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“They found an area of weakness in the Russians’ position, and they exploited it quickly and have exploited it very skillfully,” said General Cavoli, a four-star U.S. Army general who is a Russia specialist.

His comments were the most expansive by an American official since Ukraine launched the attack last week. Biden administration officials have deferred most questions about the operation to Ukrainian officials.

General Cavoli, who speaks regularly with his Ukrainian counterparts, said the operation had offered an important boost to Ukrainian morale after months of slow, grinding advances by Russia’s army in Ukraine’s east and south.

“It has had a very good galvanizing effect on the population and on the military itself,” he said.

On the flip side, General Cavoli said the attack blindsided the Kremlin and forced Moscow to scramble to mount a military response.

“It’s had a shocking effect on the Russians,” the general said. “They’re shocked by it. That won’t persist forever. They’ll gather themselves together and react accordingly.”

President Biden told reporters on Tuesday that Ukraine’s offensive inside Russia — the biggest foreign incursion into the country since World War II — has put the Kremlin in a bind. He acknowledged that U.S. officials have been in touch with their Ukrainian counterparts during the operation.

“It’s creating a real dilemma for Putin, and we’ve been in direct contact — constant contact — with the Ukrainians,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s all I’m going to say about it while it’s active.”

Ukraine’s operation has also elicited giddy praise from Kyiv’s backers in Congress.

Senators Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, who met privately with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv this week, urged increased military support for Ukraine.

Asked about the incursion at a news conference , Mr. Graham said: “What do I think about Kursk? Bold, brilliant and beautiful. Keep it up.” He added: “Putin started this. Kick his ass.”

Senior officials at the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department were blindsided by news reports, starting early last Wednesday, about the Ukrainian incursion. The Ukrainians did not tell the Americans about their plans in advance, possibly, U.S. officials said, because they feared the Americans would try to persuade them to call off the high-risk mission and because of Ukraine’s obsessive concern about leaks.

The lack of warning to Kyiv’s foremost Western ally took on even greater meaning when it became clear that Ukraine was using American-supplied vehicles, arms and munitions to help carry out the bold ground operation into Russia.

Unlike earlier over-and-back cross-border raids carried out by Ukrainian commandos, this operation has involved several thousand regular army forces equipped with mobile air defenses and electronic-warfare equipment to jam Russian radars — all signaling Ukraine’s intent to strike much deeper into Russia.

But American intelligence agencies, as disclosures last year showed, have known about Ukraine’s ambition to attack across the border for more than a year. So even if the timing and location were a surprise, the strategic goal was not.

One intelligence report posted on an internet forum by an Air National Guardsman included information about a meeting in which Mr. Zelensky prodded the military to consider a cross-border incursion. Mr. Zelensky, according to the report, wanted Ukrainian forces to “occupy unspecified Russian border cities.”

And indeed, recent policy shifts by the Biden administration made the operation possible.

Under pressure from his advisers and key allies, Mr. Biden in late May authorized Ukraine to conduct limited strikes inside Russia with American-made weapons, opening what was expected to be a new chapter in the war for Ukraine.

Mr. Biden’s decision appeared to be the first time that an American president had allowed limited military responses on artillery, missile bases and command centers inside the borders of a nuclear-armed adversary.

White House officials insisted, however, that the authorization extended only to what they characterized as acts of self-defense to cross-border threats, so that Ukraine could protect Kharkiv, its second-largest city, and the surrounding areas from Russian missiles, glide bombs and artillery shells from just over the border. The White House still barred Ukraine from using long-range precision American artillery to attack air bases and other targets deep inside Russia.

That U.S. policy came under immediate scrutiny after the Ukrainian incursion. Pentagon and State Department officials have said the use of American-supplied weapons and munitions in the attack by Ukraine did not violate U.S. policy.

Other than Mr. Biden’s comments, senior administration officials have publicly declined to comment on the incursion itself, referring all questions to Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have told senior American civilian and military leaders that the goal of the operation is to create an operational dilemma for the Russians — to force Moscow to divert troops off the front lines in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine that have made slow but steady progress for weeks.

John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, said on Thursday that Moscow had “redirected” some troops from Ukraine to Russia but that he did not know how many troops were involved or what role the redeployed troops would play.

U.S. officials said on Wednesday that Russia had withdrawn some infantry units from Ukraine and was sending them to Kursk to help defend against the Ukrainian offensive. They would not say how many troops Russia appeared to be moving or exactly where they were coming from.

But the officials said they had not yet seen the Kremlin divert armored battalions and other combat power that they believe Russia would need to repel the incursion.

Still, Moscow has had to commit its existing reserves in Russia to the Kursk fight and will need to commit more forces if it is to drive out the Ukrainians. Those forces, American officials said, would have otherwise been used in the coming months for Russia’s slow, grinding offensives in eastern Ukraine.

It is doubtful Ukraine will have enough forces to capitalize on any Russian weakness in Donetsk. Ukraine has used a significant number of troops itself in Kursk and may not have adequate reserves. More important, American officials have counseled the Ukrainians against major offensives this year in the south or east, given the strength of Russian defenses.

By attacking in Kursk, the Ukrainians have taken American advice: Rather than fight through entrenched positions, go where the enemy is not to secure the strategic ground.

How strategic the push proves to be will only be known in time.

The Kursk operation also aims to seize and hold territory to increase Ukraine’s bargaining leverage, American officials say they have been told, perhaps to swap Russian territory for the land near Kharkiv that Russian forces took in the spring.

American officials expressed surprise at how successful the Ukrainian operation has been so far, and how slow and disjointed the Russian response has been.

One senior U.S. official called the incursion a “Syrsky Special” — alluding to Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, who took over as Ukraine’s top military commander in February. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal American assessments, said it was the flashy kind of operation that Mr. Zelensky loves.

But U.S. officials also said that they continued to take a wait-and-see attitude.

One senior U.S. official called the operation a big gamble.

Julian E. Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades. More about Julian E. Barnes

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

Drone Attack on Moscow:  Russia said that it repelled a large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow . Authorities did not report any damage or casualties.

Ukraine’s Incursion:  Russian troops defending a pocket of territory in Russia’s Kursk region were at risk of becoming encircled, military analysts said, after Ukraine bombed bridges  that are the only routes for resupply or retreat.

Kyiv’s Risky Bet:  President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to hold Russian territory as leverage in future peace talks . But Russians who know President Vladimir Putin expect him to lash out.

An Orthodox Schism: Ukraine’s Parliament passed a bill that would ban a Russian-aligned branch of the Orthodox church . Ukrainian officials have accused the church of aiding Russia during the war.

Women in the Work Force : More and more Ukrainian women are replacing men mobilized in the army . But there are not enough of them to make up for the labor shortage affecting the economy.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

Advertisement