We know you have questions and we strive to provide guidance by extending our marine knowledge base to you. Below please find a list of some of our most commonly asked questions. We have created this page in an effort to provide you with answers to Ocean House Marina & boating related questions. We also offer a helpful resources page on our website for more in-depth overviews and explanations of certain topics. In the event that you cannot locate the answer to your question on our website, please reach out to us via phone at (401) 364-6040.
Boat Ownership
It is our goal to guide you throughout the journey to ownership. Whether you are local to Rhode Island or not, we will do our best to ensure that you have a seamless, positive customer experience. We are your marine and boating experts for over 35 years and aim to share our knowledge in a way that ensures your journey to ownership is fun. Boating is an enjoyable, memorable activity and your path to purchase should be too in all the positive ways!
Yes, of course. This has become more common for us within the used boat market. We will provide you with whatever service records we have available to us, compression tests, downloads, hours, etc. In the event that you decide you are serious about the boat, we will provide you with a virtual sea trial via our Garmin video cameras. This will provide you a better perspective of the boat in action as if you were actually here. It is also your right to coordinate a marine survey of the boat prior to finalizing a deal. We recommend doing so, especially when you cannot physically lay eyes on the boat yourself. This will provide you with a better overall picture of the boat and will aid in your final decision to move forward with purchase or not.
Understanding the costs of boating is an important piece of ownership. We believe in transparency and commend you for doing your research. Please refer to our service page for a comprehensive list of services and current rates.
Having over 35 years of experience in the industry, we find that the best time to purchase is just after the new year. The winter boat show season offers our most competitive pricing combined with some of the best promotions offered by our manufacturers. Manufacturer’s may offer extended warranties and additional savings on eligible models during the promotional period.
Ocean House Marina Hours & Locations
Please note, our hours vary by department. Unfortunately, business listing sites like Google and Facebook do not allow us to separate our hours by department. We try to communicate department hours in other ways, but it is always best to call ahead (401-364-6040) to ensure that the department you’re looking for will be available when you plan to stop by. During the winter months, our hours vary from our in-season hours. Our parts and service departments close on Saturdays typically for the months of January, February, and March, while our sales department remains open on Saturdays for abbreviated hours. Sales, parts, and service are closed on Sundays year-round. However, during the season (Memorial Day – Labor Day), our ship store (boat rentals department), and fuel dock are open on Sundays.
We are only open on Sundays on a seasonal basis in the ship store & at the gas dock (Memorial Day – Labor Day). Our dealership, service and parts departments are closed on Sunday year round.
Yes, we have two locations that we are very proud of. Our on-the-water location can be found at 60 Town Dock Road in Charlestown, RI. This is where our customers come for parts purchases, service scheduling and payments, boat showings, sea trials, boat rentals, fuel, brokerage services, dealership offerings, etc.
Our second location can be found at 4937 Old Post Road in Charlestown, RI. This facility is located directly across from Ninigret Park and next to the Charlestown Police Department. Nicknamed “Yard 2”, our second location is our state-of-the-art service facility. This is where your boat will go for rigging if you’re repowering, installing new electronics, or have ordered a new boat.
Registration
As a full-service marina and dealership, one question we get asked regularly is whether or not a trailer can be sold when it was never registered? The easy, short answer to that question is no. However, there are ways to meet the necessary requirements to get the trailer registered so ownership can be transferred to a buyer. To be transparent, this is usually not an easy process and involves a bit of work. This is why we always urge our customers to register their trailers at the time of purchase. Although we cannot go to the DMV for you, we try to make this process as easy as possible by providing all the necessary paperwork and documentation in a packet for the DMV. Why? Because this is really that important and we can anticipate running into this issue when the trailer does not get registered – creating more work and more hassle in the long run.
You may be wondering why this is such a big deal? When the trailer is never registered to the first owner, ownership cannot be transferred to a new owner until the first owner (an however many owner’s after them) have done so. There needs to be a papertrail of ownership proving that the sales tax was paid on the unit. Also, no trailer is road legal in Rhode Island if it is not registered with the department of motor vehicles. There are very few states that do not require trailers to be registered. When a trailer is not registered, and ownership cannot be passed on, the trailer loses all value.
We have had instances where a customer will come in looking to sell a used boat, motor & trailer package. However, they disclose that the trailer is not registered. If they were the sole owner of the trailer, they can simply go get the trailer registered by providing the DMV the following documents:
- Application for title & registration
- RI Sales Tax Form
- Bill of Sale
If there have been several unregistered owners of the trailer, the situation is a lot trickier. The last registered owner has to be tracked down and it must be requested that they complete registration. This can pose a major obstacle when the last registered owner is unreachable or unwilling to help out.
Repowers & Electronics Upgrades
Based on your boat information, we will work with you to select the best outboard to suit your boating needs. You will be provided a thorough rigging estimate of the work we anticipate will need to be completed. This will give you an idea of the total for the project. With that said, sometimes we run into work that is unexpected. In these special cases, our service department will communicate these additional requirements to you and suggest a plan of action and also provide estimated costs for additional work. Rigging work gets scheduled based on our current availability with consideration to your desired timeline for delivery.
The best time to coordinate a repower is in the fall/beginning of winter. Typically, we find that Yamaha offers their best promotions during this time. These sales events may include extended warranty coverage and additional savings on eligible models. This will also ensure that you’re at the front of the line for our rigging schedule. Believe us, once boat show season hits, things can get a little hectic around here. Not only is our service department working on repowers and electronics upgrades, but we’re also starting to get boats commissioned for the upcoming season.
To avoid interruption during the season, we recommend repowering over the winter. While your boat is being protected from the harsh New England weather, we can work with you to plan whatever upgrades you’re interested in. Completing the work over the winter months means that you’ll have a boat that is ready to go at the start of next season.
Selling/Trading
When purchasing a new boat, many people weigh out selling their boat privately vs. trading it in. Of course, there as pros and cons for each side. However, as a dealership, we have a set process when it comes to taking a boat on trade.
First things first, paperwork. There are certain documents that we require in order to transfer ownership once a buyer is found:
- Boat Title (This depends on state of registration)
- Copy of Boat Registration
- Copy of Outboard Registration(s) (RI boat registrations only)
- Trailer Title (If a trailer is included in the trade and weighs more than 3,000 lbs)
- Trailer Registration (If a trailer is included in the trade)
Do not stress if you cannot locate the boat title or registrations. The DEM allows you to apply for a duplicate title and a copy of the registration records if necessary. With regard to trailers, we will require proof of registration – we cannot simply take your word for it. If you cannot find your current registration, but can find a previous registration that will suffice. However, if you cannot locate any registration certificates, past or present, you can report the registration lost and apply for a duplicate by mail. Also, please note, trailers weighing 3,000 lbs or more are titled in the state of Rhode Island. Both the registration and title are required to transfer ownership from a seller to a buyer.
Before we go ahead and collect paperwork from you, there is a process we follow specific to considering and deciding to take in a boat on trade:
- Connect directly with an Ocean House Marina Salesperson
- Provide the details of your boat (year, make, model)
- Provide the details of the outboard(s) (year, make, model, hours)
- An OHM Salesperson will create two reports:
- NADA Valuation Report (provides a valuation of the boat depending of condition; similar to Kelly Blue Book for cars)
- Soldboats.com Report (shows boats of the same year, make & model sold recently and for what sales price)
- The salesperson will recommend a rough trade value based on the reports, but a specific trade value cannot be determined or agreed upon until we’ve checked the boat out.
- At this point, the ball is in your court. You let us know whether or not you’d like to move forward given the rough trade value provided
- If you decide to move forward, we will request that you bring the trade to us so we can conduct an inspection of the trade. At the point of inspection, we can determine a specific trade value based on your actual vessel. Factors that impact the value include:
A. Condition
B. Items requiring repair
Please be aware, when we take a boat in on trade, we then have to associate our brand with the vessel when we go ahead and sell it. Therefore, we will not take in anything that does not meet the standards of our reputation. Also, a trade value is always going to be lower than the value to sell the boat on your own. If you are looking to yield a higher return, please check into our brokerage service (link to informational brokerage page/article).
Let Us Sell Your Boat For You – Ocean House Marina Brokerage Service
Looking to get the highest return for you boat? If so, we suggest considering our brokerage service. We will take all of the leg work out of the process for you and provide you with increased exposure and expert knowledge.
Brokerage boats must be Yamaha outboard powered. In addition, we require all brokerage inventory to be in good, working condition. Anything that requires remedy will be brought to the owner’s attention in the form of an estimate. In order for us to move forward with the listing, the items will be required to be repaired. Since our name is associated with the sale, we need to ensure that the quality of the boat we’re representing meets a set of guidelines & standards that align with our brand. Please note: there is a $400 survey fee for all boats that have not been serviced by Ocean House Marina within the past year.
Below please find a list of brands that we broker. For any brand not listed, please call our sales department to discuss the boat further (401-364-6040 ext. 1). From there, we can decide if we can list it for brokerage.
- Regulator
- Scout
- Rossiter
- Hurricane
- Sanpan
- Sweetwater
- AquaPatio
- Polar Kraft
- Maritime
- Mckee Craft
- Hydra-Sports
For more detailed information regarding our boat brokerage service please visit our boat brokerage page.
Interested in Selling Your Boat with Us?
Looking to upgrade or sell your boat? Along with our new boat inventory, we also offer a comprehensive brokerage service. All brokered boats must be outboard powered (preferably Yamaha, Johnson & Evinrude), in good running condition. If you have not serviced your boat with Ocean House Marina within the past year, a $400 survey fee will be charged to the seller for the performance of an in-house inspection survey. In order for us to consider listing your boat, please be prepared with copies of the following documents and items related to the vessel:
- Boats are titled if they are over 14’ in Rhode Island. If they are under 14’ they will not have a title.
- If the boat is registered in Connecticut, the boat will be title if it was purchased in 2017 or later.
- If there is a lien on the boat, the title will not be in the seller’s possession, however, all payoff information must be provided to our Office Manager, Barbara Fisher, to be verified.
- Please provide us with your most recent boat registration
- An outboard registration is only applicable if your boat is registered in Rhode Island.
We require trailer registrations for all brokered boats. If the trailer has never been registered, a new buyer cannot register the trailer in their name for legal use upon sale.
- We ask that we’re provided with a set of keys, especially because once we have a deposit a sea trial is likely to occur.
- Boat Manual
- Outboard Manual
- Electronics Manual(s)
- The boat bag is usually provided to a new owner and contains the boat, outboard and electronics manuals. A used boat with the original bag & manuals is always greatly appreciated by the new owner. Please note, some older boats will not have a boat bag, but may have original manuals.
- A trailer has a title if it weighs more than 3,000 lbs. If it is under 3,000 lbs there will not be a title.
Please be aware, the originals for the documents listed above will need to be provided upon the sale of the vessel. Some of these documents will require the signature of the seller upon releasing to Ocean House Marina for the new buyer. If you are not local full-time it is helpful for the originals to be provided upon listing the boat to ensure an efficient closing upon agreement & sale.
If you cannot locate your title, please let us know so we can assist you in applying for a duplicate. All trailers must have proof of registration to qualify for resale.
- Ocean House Marina will determine if the prospective seller’s boat fits into the company’s product line.
- Ocean House Marina will review service records and engine hours if the boat has been serviced by our dealership.
- If boat has not been serviced by Ocean House Marina within the past year, a $400 survey will be assessed to perform an in-house inspection. Inspection includes the following:
- Record & check all information of boat, motor, trailer, including serial and vin numbers
- Perform engine survey which includes checking gear oil
- Engine downloads, compression test and overall appearance of motor
- Check all gauge operation, checking all components/switches for proper operation
- Checking all cushions, canvas components for condition
- Checking overall structure of boat and record any defects
- Checking all rigging components, drains, hoses, mounted accessories
- Trailer inspection of tires, bearings, lights and main frame of trailer
- Also includes launching boat and performing sea-trial and record all data
- The Ocean House Marina appointed Listing Broker will determine a fair market value for the boat using a NADA appraisal & a soldboats.com comparative sales analysis
- Ocean House Marina’s Sales Coordinator will be in touch to collect necessary paperwork and explain our brokerage process in detail.
- A listing agreement will be drafted via YachtCloser (an online brokerage platform) & will be sent to seller(s) for electronic signature(s).
- Once a signed listing agreement is obtained, and all required documents & items are provided by the seller, the sales department will take photos of the boat & the boat will be listed online:
- Ocean House Marina Website
- YachtWorld
- Boats.com
- BoatTrader
- Social Media Platforms
- All communications from interested prospects will be directed to Ocean House Marina and showings will be conducted by the Ocean House Marina sales team.
- Once a serious offer is extended, the offer will be communicated to the seller for negotiation or acceptance.
- Once an agreement is reached, Ocean House Marina will complete and process all closing paperwork and provide a formal closing; the seller will be required to sign a bill of sale & the back of the title(s) to process registration/transfer ownership.
- Proceeds will be disbursed to the seller within 2-3 days of Ocean House Marina receiving the funds in full.
- Regulator
- Scout
- Rossiter
- Hurricane
- Sanpan
- Sweetwater
- AquaPatio
- Polar Kraft
- Maritime
- Mckee Craft
- Hydra-Sports
*Please contact us to discuss if your boat brand does not appear on the list above
In New England, the winter is hands down the best time for any upgrade to your boat. Unlike the spring and summer, your marine service center has more time to devote to projects like this and is not battling the volume of work during the season. Better than that, upgrades during the winter months ensures no interruption to your season because the work is completed while your boat is under protection from harsh winter conditions.
Please visit our weather and tides page for forecasting. Please note, Ninigret Pond tides are 3 hours behind Newport, RI.
Service
Usually, if you’re dropping your boat off for service we request that you bring it to your service facility located at 4937 Old Post Road. This yard offers more space and an easier in/out, especially for larger boats. However, sometimes our Service Manager will request that you bring the boat to our on-the-water location. Please feel free to reach out to our Service Manager at 401-213-4185 for further recommendation.
Special orders, discounted items, and electrical parts are non-returnable. Restocking fees up to 20% may be assessed. Customer is responsible for any return freight fees. Returned items must be returned in original product packaging and have no visible signs of wear or use. Credit will be issued in the same form of payment as the original purchase or store credit. Credit may take up to 2 business days to process. Returns or exchanges will not be accepted after 30 days from the date of original purchase. Returns and exchanges are at the discretion of the Parts Manager.
Ocean House Marina will do its best to fulfill warranty issues to the terms of the warranty company. In the event the defective piece needs to be returned to the company, the customer is responsible for the return freight.