Sportfishing Boats for Sale in Los Angeles: What 35 to 70 Feet Costs and Where They Berth

Most people who search for fishing boats for sale in Los Angeles already know what they want to catch. The harder questions are what the right boat really costs, what it costs to keep, and where in the harbor it will live. This guide answers those three questions in that order.

I work with buyers and sellers of sail and power yachts from roughly 35 to 70 feet across the South Bay and the Los Angeles coast. Sportfishing boats are a market of their own inside that range. They are built to run hard offshore, they carry expensive fishing systems, and their value depends heavily on how they were used. Two boats of the same make, length and year can be very far apart in price.

The honest answer is a wide range, and the published averages show why. In a 2022 look at the brokerage market, United Yacht Sales found sportfishing yachts of 50 feet and up built within the previous 10 years averaged about $5.3 million. When the same study widened the window to boats built in the last 20 years, the average fell to about $2.7 million.

That drop tells you most of what you need to know. Age moves the price more than anything else on a sportfishing boat. A ten-year-old boat has run its engines for thousands of hours, its electronics are a generation behind, and its fishing gear may need replacing. Buyers pay a large premium for a newer hull with fresh power and a current electronics package.

Below 50 feet, the field opens up. Older express boats and smaller convertibles sell for a fraction of those averages, and that is where many first-time offshore buyers start. Because prices in this part of the market swing so much on condition, a single average would mislead you. The useful number is the recent sold price of boats like the one you are looking at, in similar condition, on this coast.

Before you compare prices, sort the boats into types. Each type fishes differently, costs differently to run, and suits a different kind of owner. Listings often mix them together under one fishing label, which makes price comparisons messy.

In the Los Angeles fleet, the convertible is the classic offshore boat. It has a big cockpit for fighting fish, a flybridge for spotting birds and kelp paddies, and an interior that sleeps a crew for a night at the islands. Express boats are the practical choice for owners who want to fish hard without a full crew or a large slip bill.

If you are still deciding between a fishing boat and a general cruising yacht, it helps to see the wider market first. Our overview of where to look in Los Angeles covers the dealers, brokers and listing sites that sell every kind of boat in the area.

Once you know the type, a handful of factors decide where a boat sits in the range. Learn to read these and you will spot an overpriced listing quickly.

Engines deserve the most attention. Most sportfishing boats in this size range run on large diesel engines, and an engine overhaul or a repower is one of the largest bills an owner can face. A boat priced well below similar listings often has an engine issue behind it. A boat priced well above them often has a recent repower that the seller wants paid for.

Fishing gear is the second trap. A tuna tower, outriggers and a live bait system make the boat useful here, where live bait is central to much of the local fishing. But that gear lives in salt air and sun. Check that every pump, valve and line works, and price the repairs before you agree on a number.

The second half of the question is where the boat will live. A sportfishing boat is no use to you if it is berthed far from the water you want to fish, or in a slip that does not fit its beam and draft. Slip supply also varies a great deal from one harbor to the next.

Marina del Rey is the largest small-craft harbor in the area. According to Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors, it holds over 4,600 boat slips across 23 marinas. Each anchorage is run separately, and its own dockmaster manages, prices and leases the slips. So there is no single slip price for the harbor, and you need to ask each marina directly.

Larger boats are harder to place than smaller ones in every harbor. Before you buy a 60-foot convertible, confirm you can get a slip for it. Our notes on Marina del Rey slip waitlists explain what owners face there, and the same caution applies along the coast.

For most owners the choice comes down to where they live and where they fish. A Palos Verdes or South Bay owner who fishes the islands often looks south. A Westside owner who fishes the bay may keep the boat in Marina del Rey and accept the longer offshore run. Our side-by-side of Marina del Rey versus King Harbor and Long Beach goes through each harbor’s trade-offs in more detail.

Ask about more than the slip itself. Check fuel dock access, pump-out service, parking, and whether the marina allows the work you plan to do on the boat. Find out whether there is room on the dock to load ice, bait and gear. Small things like that shape how often you actually go fishing.

The purchase price is only the first number. Sportfishing boats are among the most expensive boats to run for their size, because they are built to go fast and far. Budget for the full picture before you make an offer.

The survey is the cost buyers try to skip, and it is the one they should never skip. A good marine surveyor and a separate engine surveyor can find problems that change the price by far more than their fee. Our breakdown of yacht survey costs in Southern California shows what each part of the inspection runs and what it should cover.

Running costs vary with how you fish. An owner who runs to the offshore banks every weekend will spend much more on fuel and engine service than one who fishes the bay a few times a month. Be honest about your plans when you set your budget.

The last step is where most deals are won or lost. The sea trial is your one chance to run the engines hard, check that the gear works under load and see how the boat handles in real conditions. Our walkthrough from sea trial to closing explains what happens at each stage and how repair findings turn into price adjustments.

Many sportfishing boats change hands between private owners, often through word of mouth on the docks. A private sale can work, but the buyer takes on every task a broker would handle. That includes checking the title and liens, managing the deposit, arranging the survey and handling the paperwork.

As a licensed broker, I represent buyers through that whole process. That means market research on comparable boats, guidance on financing, support at the survey and sea trial, and help with the closing documents. If the right boat turns out to be outside California, I can also coordinate shipping it here. The aim is simple: you pay a fair price for a boat that is what it claims to be.