US man buys a 60ft yacht sight unseen for $5,000 and quickly finds out what he's let himself in for after visiting it in person
Published on May 23, 2026 at 3:52 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on May 23, 2026 at 3:52 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
When this American man bagged himself a 60ft yacht sight unseen, he thought he’d hit the jackpot – and then he saw it in person.
This 1977 Hatteras Yachtfish, located outside of Tampa, Florida, was secured for $5,000.
Discovered on Facebook Marketplace, this listing had blurry photos and sparse details.
It was a risky purchase, but it can’t be that bad…right?
Buying a 60ft yacht sight unseen is a risky move – but was there a reward at the end of this risk?
Making a purchase on Facebook Marketplace at 2am doesn’t sound like a set up for a sound decision, does it?
Admittedly, we’ve seen people buy boats off Marketplace before.
But that’s exactly what Gus, the host of YouTube channel InTooDeep did.
It’s a fitting name, because he sure took a gamble on this 1977 Hatteras Yachtfish, purchased sight unseen.
On top of the initial purchase, there was a $1,000-per-month dry dock storage fee.
At the time of the video, he’d owned the boat for eight months – so that’s $8,000 all in all.
A lot of money had been spent on this boat, so what was the situation on-the-ground?
Well, there were positives to point out – a structurally solid hull, decks and roof in good condition, and a high-end aftermarket stainless steel anchor pulpit.
Unfortunately there was plenty of bad too and it seemed to be lurking beneath the surface.
The interior wood was heavily rotted, the generator room had previously been flooded, and the generator had been ‘roached’.
There was a whole load of work that needed to be done.
Could this boat have a comeback?
The primary goal for Gus was to see if the 60ft yacht could be salvaged.
After converting a shore-power adapter to his own extension cord, he powered up the boat’s 120v AC breaker panel.
Unfortunately, his efforts didn’t produce the desired results as the port engine cranked but didn’t catch.
By the end of the video, he was calling it a day, vowing to return with an electric fuel pump to prime both engines.
“As long as the engines in this boat are good and the running gear is good, this boat’s going to be in the water running and driving, going on an adventure in three videos,” he declared.
It’s an ambitious aim, but there’s nothing wrong with aiming high.
We’ve seen plenty of people take on the challenge of rebuilding boats and doing wonders with what they have to work with – like this couple with their abandoned superyacht.
Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
