Boat Loan Terms: How Long Can You Finance a Boat?
- You can finance a boat for up to 20 years, but it’s sometimes possible to get a longer loan if you’re buying an expensive luxury boat.
- The average boat loan term is 10 to 20 years.
- Stretching out your boat loan over a long period of time will get you lower monthly payments, but you’ll likely pay more money in interest.
- Shorter boat loan terms come with higher monthly payments, but you’ll probably spend less money on interest.
How do boat loan terms work?
The longer your boat loan, the more you’ll likely pay in interest — but you’ll have smaller monthly payments.
The shorter your boat loan, the less you’ll probably pay in interest — but you’ll have higher monthly payments in the meantime.
Average boat payments by loan term
Consider our hypothetical average boat buyer, Ben. He’s borrowing $37,800 to pay for his new boat at an APR of 10.03%. (Numbers seem random? They’re not. Check our math.)
Here’s what Ben would pay to borrow across terms of 10, 15 or 20 years:
Monthly payment | Total interest paid | Total amount paid | |
---|---|---|---|
10-year boat loan | $500.16 | $22,218.95 | $60,018.95 |
15-year boat loan | $406.89 | $35,441.06 | $73,241.06 |
20-year boat loan | $365.53 | $49,927.16 | $87,727.16 |
If Ben’s just looking at the monthly payments, it’s a no-brainer — the 20-year boat loan comes with the lowest monthly payments.
But when Ben considers the amount of interest he’ll pay, he sees that if he chooses the 20-year loan, he’ll pay more money in interest than the boat cost in the first place.
How we got these numbers
The average cost of a new boat is around $42,000. If you make a 10% down payment, you’ll borrow $37,800.
To find the average boat loan rate, we used internal data on closed boat loans in the LendingTree marketplace in 2024.
What boat loan term should you choose?
Follow these steps to choose the right boat loan term for your wallet:
1. Make a budget.
Take a look at your bank account and create a budget to decide how much you can set aside for your boat every month.
Keep in mind that your boat payments are only one part of the cost of boat ownership. You’ll also need to budget for things like insurance, maintenance, taxes and storage fees.
2. Choose your boat.
You’re probably already eyeing a specific boat model (or two). Look up the cost of your boat on J.D. Power.
If you’re getting a loan for a used boat, find a few listings online to estimate the average price.
3. Use a boat loan calculator.
Play with a boat loan calculator to help you decide what boat loan term fits your budget. Here are some numbers to keep in mind:
Loan amount
Plug in the cost of your boat minus a 10% to 20% down payment. New boats cost $42,000 on average, while used boats cost around $10,000 on average.
Interest rate
The best boat loan rates start at 6.36% for excellent credit, as of this writing. Average boat loan rates are 10.03%. Boat loans for bad credit have rates that max out just under 20%.
Boat loan term
Loan terms are typically between 10 and 20 years. To avoid paying too much money in interest, choose the shortest boat loan term with monthly payments you can comfortably afford after accounting for the other costs of boat ownership.
How to find a boat loan
Fill out a form
Take two minutes to answer questions about your identity and the boat you’re buying.
Choose a lender
We’ll send you offers from up to five boat lenders if you qualify. You can pick the one that fits your budget.
Get on the water
You’ll send in a formal application with the lender you choose. They’ll send you the money for your boat if you’re approved.
Frequently asked questions
Boat loans are typically 10 to 20 years. If you want to save money on interest, you can choose a shorter loan term — but your monthly payments will be higher.
The average monthly payment for a $30,000 boat is $357.26 for a 10-year term, $290.64 for a 15-year term or $261.09 for a 20-year term.
This is assuming an APR of 10.03%, which was the average boat loan rate on closed boat loans on the LendingTree marketplace in 2024. We also assumed a 10% down payment of $3,000.
Yes, most boat lenders offer loan terms up to 20 years. But with a loan term that long, you can easily end up paying more in interest than you paid for the boat in the first place. If you need a 20-year term to make your boat payments affordable, consider an alternative like leasing a boat.
You can finance a $25,000 boat for up to 15 years (or higher, depending on the lender), but some lenders will limit your loan to a shorter term like 10 to 12 years.
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