The Palm Beach International Boat Show is one of the most important weeks in yachting, and every year it brings the same thing into sharp focus: the buyers who get the most out of the experience are the ones who come prepared. As a yacht broker, I've been doing this long enough to know that the most important conversations don't happen on the show floor. They happen before anyone sets foot on a boat.
This year is no different. The show brings together more than 55,000 visitors, nearly 1,000 vessels, and 600 exhibiting brands along Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach. It's the best yachting event in the country. But if you're serious about buying, the prep work starts before you walk a single dock.
Here's what buyers are asking me right now, and what I tell them.
Are Interest Rates Going to Kill the Deal?
I've been asked this more times than I can count lately. The honest answer is no, but interest rates are the biggest headwind in this market right now. This is especially true if you're looking to finance a smaller vessel. Carrying costs are real, and they affect your decision differently depending on the size of the boat and how you plan to structure the purchase.
If you're a cash buyer at the larger end of the market, you're largely insulated from this. If you're financing, the conversation needs to start with structure. You need to understand your options before you fall in love with a specific boat, not after.
Should I Wait Out the Tariffs? - What Your Yacht Broker Should Be Telling You
Right now, manufacturers and retailers are absorbing much of the tariff impact to keep deals moving. That's working in your favor today, but it won't last forever.
I always tell buyers the same thing: waiting rarely works out the way you think it will. The right boat, the one that actually fits your life and how you want to use it, doesn't sit around waiting for you. Being ready to move when the right opportunity comes up is worth more than holding out for a discount that may never arrive.
With Everything Happening in the World, Is This Even the Right Time to Buy?
I get why people are asking this. The situation in the Middle East has pushed oil above $100 a barrel in recent weeks. That has real consequences. Fuel budgets, repositioning costs, and itinerary planning have all shifted. These aren't things to brush off, and I won't pretend otherwise.
What I will say is this: the serious buyers I work with aren't sitting on the sidelines. They're adjusting. They're asking smarter questions about operating costs and being more intentional about where they want to go. That kind of thinking leads to better purchases and better experiences on the water. As your yacht broker, I'd rather have that conversation with someone before they buy than after.
How Do I Know I'm Not Overpaying? Ask Your Yacht Broker First
This is the question people are often too polite to ask their broker directly, and it's probably the most important one. I genuinely appreciate when a client asks me this because it tells me they're thinking clearly.
The answer is always the same: preparation. Before any offer goes in, you need to understand comparable sales, get an honest read on condition, think through the survey, and know what's been sitting on the market without moving and why. That's the work that protects you. It's also the work most buyers skip when they're excited about a boat.
What I'm Taking Into This Week
Palm Beach has become the premier yachting market in the country, and the boat show is a reflection of that. It draws serious buyers from all over the world, and the opportunity for anyone considering a purchase is real.
But the deals that hold up, the ones clients are still happy about two years later, are built on clear thinking and honest guidance. That's what I'm here for.
If you're thinking about buying in 2026, let's talk before you step on a single boat. As your yacht broker, I have complimentary tickets to the show and I'm offering personal guided tours for buyers who want to make the most of their time on the docks.
📩 pd@lukebrown.com · 📞 (386) 295-4668 · QualityYachting.com
Paul Denton Jr. is a 500-ton licensed captain and yacht broker with Quality Yachting, affiliated with Luke Brown Yachts in Fort Lauderdale, FL. With over a decade of hands-on experience from the engine room to the helm, Paul works with experienced buyers, first-time owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating the luxury yacht market.
Written by
Paul Denton Jr.
Partner, Luke Brown Yachts  · 500-Ton USCG Captain