Boats for Sale in Michigan

Registration and titles

Boats are registered and titled through the Michigan Secretary of State. Every motorized boat needs a registration, which runs on a three-year cycle. A title is required for boats 20 feet or longer and for any boat with a permanently affixed motor. Smaller boats with outboards are registered but not titled, so for a 16-foot aluminum fishing boat you are dealing with a registration transfer and bill of sale.

Boater safety

Michigan requires boating safety certification for operators born after June 30, 1996 to run a motorboat with more than 6 horsepower, and personal watercraft operators born after December 31, 1978 need a certificate as well. The Michigan DNR runs boater safety education.

Michigan's water

The Great Lakes shoreline is the big draw. Lake Michigan's west coast has harbor towns like Grand Haven, Holland, Saugatuck, Ludington and Traverse City, each with transient slips. Lake St. Clair, between Detroit and Canada, is shallow, crowded and famous for muskie and smallmouth. Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay is walleye country, and the Straits of Mackinac lead to Mackinac Island.

Inland, Houghton Lake is the state's largest. Torch Lake is known for its clear blue water and the sandbar party scene. Lake Charlevoix connects to Lake Michigan. Gull Lake, Higgins Lake and the chain of lakes around Elk Rapids get heavy summer traffic. The DNR maintains a large network of public access sites with ramps.

What people buy

Pontoons are the most common family boat on inland lakes. Great Lakes anglers look for walleye boats and deeper-V aluminum or fiberglass fishing boats that can take a chop, and the charter fleet runs salmon out of Lake Michigan ports. Cruisers and sailboats fill the big harbors. Michigan also has a long boatbuilding history: Chris-Craft, for one, has deep roots in Algonac.

Season

Most boats go in around Memorial Day and come out by October. That short season means a steady supply of low-hour used boats, and a lot of fall selling before storage bills arrive.

Buying tips for Michigan boats

Winterization is the first question. Ask who did it, whether the engine was fogged and antifreezed, and how the boat was stored. Inside storage costs more but protects gelcoat and upholstery. Check for freeze cracks in sterndrive engines and manifolds.

Michigan has strict rules on aquatic invasive species: remove plants and debris, drain all water and pull the plug before transporting a boat. Check livewells and bilges on a boat you are taking to a different lake. Great Lakes boats can see rough water, so look closely at stringers, transom and hull-to-deck joints for stress cracks.