Yacht donations
Donate a yacht when the cost of keeping her has outgrown the use of her
A cruising yacht carries a standing bill: dockage, insurance, bottom work, systems that need running whether you are aboard or not. Owners reach us when the boat has become an obligation rather than a pleasure, and often after a listing has sat for a season or two without the right buyer.
- Haul-out, yard coordination and over-the-road or delivery-captain transport arranged, worldwide.
- Coast Guard documented vessel transfers handled properly.
- Clear guidance on the yacht appraisal the IRS requires above $5,000.
Have the LOA, year and location ready and call (888) 228-7320.
What counts as a yacht, and when it is really a boat
The words get used interchangeably, so here is the line we draw. Yacht lengths normally start around 33 feet and run to hundreds of feet. Below about 33 feet you are on the right site but the wrong page: use boat donations instead, where the process is the same and the guidance is written for smaller vessels.
There are two main kinds of yacht to donate, sail or power, and both cover an enormous range of size, performance and purpose in mono and multi hull. Owners use them for cruising, pleasure, racing, exploring, or simply because the boat is part of how they live.
Giving Center accepts almost every yacht donation, from a vessel that has never left a river or a lake to a bluewater superyacht that moves from port to port. We arrange and pay for transport, we pick up worldwide at a time that suits you, and we send the IRS forms and paperwork you need afterward. If you are not sure whether what you own belongs on this page, call (888) 228-7320 and ask.
Types of yachts we accept
Sail and power, any size, from anywhere in the world.
Power yachts
Flybridge sportfish, express cruisers, motor yachts, cockpit motor yachts, pilothouse and trawler yachts, tri-deck and mega yachts, and cruising houseboats.
Sailing yachts
Cruising sloops, ketches and schooners, performance and racing yachts, pilothouse and center-cockpit cruisers, and bluewater passagemakers.
Multihulls
Sailing and power catamarans, trimarans, and charter multihulls coming off a program.
Project and laid-up yachts
Vessels with failed systems, out-of-survey yachts, hurricane-damaged hulls, and boats sitting on a yard bill that has been growing for a year.
Builders we gladly accept: Bertram, Sunseeker, Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Riva, Morris, Bavaria, Hatteras, Viking, Ocean Alexander, Grand Banks, Beneteau, Jeanneau, Catalina, Hunter, Island Packet, Lagoon, Leopard and many more. An unfamiliar or one-off builder is not a problem; tell us what you have.
Start here, or read the full yacht donation guidance on our dedicated site
The form above reaches the same team and nothing about the process changes by starting on this page. Giving Center runs a separate site written for yacht and boat owners, with more detail on surveys, documentation, brokerage alternatives, yard liens and yacht appraisals.
See the yacht donation page on Boats with Causes for that depth. Same charity, same EIN 92-1162407, same phone number.
What happens between your call and her leaving the dock
We start with the particulars: length overall, year, builder, model, engine hours, systems condition, where she lies, and what the standing bills look like. A recent survey helps enormously; if there is not one, we will tell you whether getting one is worth it in your situation.
From there we coordinate with the marina or yard, arrange haul-out where needed, and move her by road or by delivery captain depending on size and distance. Documented vessels require a specific transfer process, which we handle. Outstanding yard, dockage or storage liens must be cleared before sale, and they come out of the proceeds, so we establish them early rather than late.
What you can deduct for a donated yacht
Vessels in this class effectively always clear the appraisal threshold, so plan for it from the start.
| Your situation | What you deduct | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|
| Giving Center sells the vessel, which is what happens in nearly every case | The gross sale proceeds | Form 1098-C from Giving Center |
| Proceeds exceed $5,000, effectively always in this class | Gross proceeds, and the IRS requires a qualified yacht appraisal you obtain and pay for | Form 1098-C plus Form 8283 Section B, signed by your appraiser and by Giving Center |
| A yard, dockage or storage lien exists | Proceeds are net of clearing the lien, which reduces the gross sale figure | Form 1098-C reflecting the actual sale; lien documentation retained |
| Giving Center makes significant use of the vessel or materially improves her | Fair market value, supported by a qualified appraisal | Form 1098-C with the use or improvement certified |
| The vessel sells below $5,000, occasionally seen with project hulls | Gross proceeds | Form 1098-C plus Form 8283 Section A |
Giving Center does not provide tax, legal or financial advice. Donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and Publication 4303, and consult a tax professional.
Documentation, registration and title
Coast Guard documented vessels transfer by bill of sale and a filing with the National Vessel Documentation Center, together with a satisfaction of any recorded preferred ship mortgage. State-registered vessels transfer by title or registration depending on the state. We handle the filings; you provide the current documentation certificate or title and sign as owner.
If there is a recorded mortgage or a yard lien, the lienholder must release it before sale. Where the vessel is held by an LLC or a trust, we will need the operating agreement or trust instrument and a signature from an authorized person.
What the market pays attention to
- Marine survey. A recent, clean survey is the single most valuable document you can hand over.
- Engine hours and service history, particularly on diesels, and whether she has been run regularly.
- Systems. Generator, air conditioning, electronics, watermaker, tankage and steering.
- Hull and bottom. Osmosis, previous groundings, the age of the last bottom job.
- Rig and sails on a sailing vessel, including standing rigging age.
- Where she lies. A vessel in a strong brokerage market sells faster and better than the same boat in a remote yard.
Yacht donation questions
Our full yacht donation guidance is on boatswithcauses.org.
My yacht has been listed with a broker for a year. Is donating an alternative?
Often it is the better one. A donation ends the standing costs on a scheduled date and produces a deduction based on the actual sale, instead of another season of dockage while the listing ages. Talk it through with your tax adviser and with us.
Do you accept vessels with an outstanding yard bill?
Yes, provided the bill can be cleared from the proceeds. Tell us the amount early. If it exceeds what she will bring, we will say so plainly rather than move her at a loss, because every cost falls on Giving Center once she is turned over.
Do I need a marine survey?
Not to start, but it helps. For a claim above $5,000 the IRS requires a qualified appraisal, which is a different document from a marine survey and which you arrange and pay for so the appraiser is independent.
Can you handle a Coast Guard documented vessel?
Yes. Documented transfers are filed with the National Vessel Documentation Center along with any satisfaction of mortgage. We handle the filings.
Will you take a project vessel with failed systems?
Sometimes. It depends on the hull, where she lies and what clearing the yard bill would cost. We will give you an honest read rather than a hopeful one.
Should I use this page or boatswithcauses.org?
Either. This form reaches the same team; the yacht donation page there simply carries more depth.
Tell us about the vessel
LOA, year, builder, engine hours, where she lies and what the standing bills are. We will come back with a plan.
Part of vehicle donations. Related: boat donations · boatswithcauses.org · tax benefits