Hull condition is the one thing you cannot negotiate your way out of. On fibreglass, look for stress cracks radiating from fittings, soft patches around the transom, and repairs where gelcoat colour changes. On timber, the fastenings and the garboard seam tell you more than the topside paint ever will.

Engine hours matter more than the boat’s year, and how those hours were run matters more again. A tender doing short cold runs in and out of Sanur every day is harder used than a boat doing long crossings to Lembongan. Ask for the service log, the impeller and anode replacement dates, and a compression test on anything older than five years.

Then ask where it will live. A mooring or a hardstand slot is not automatic in Bali — Serangan, Benoa and Sanur all work differently, and the annual cost plus availability can change the economics of the purchase completely.