Disclosure Policy
Opal Marine, founded in 2016 and serving the salt-air trade since, operates this platform as a decision-support resource for boat dealers and marina operators tracking regional marine-industry sales. Our core mission is to provide actionable intelligence on used-boat category velocity ahead of peak season, helping operators trim inventory risk and catch the rising tide of buyer demand. To maintain editorial independence and operational transparency, we disclose that Opal Marine participates in select third-party monetization programs, as detailed below.
We are a participant in the West Marine Affiliate Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn referral fees by linking to West Marine products. When a reader clicks a West Marine link on Opal Marine and makes a purchase, we may receive a small commission—at no additional cost to the buyer. Similarly, through the Boat Trader Partner Program, listings or links to Boat Trader inventory may generate compensation for Opal Marine when those links lead to transactions or qualified leads. Additionally, as part of the Discover Boating Referral Program, we may earn a referral fee for directing users to Discover Boating’s resources or dealer connections. These relationships do not influence our analysis of market trends, nor do they affect which used-boat categories we highlight as moving fastest.
In compliance with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, Opal Marine ensures that all affiliate and referral links are clearly identifiable and that our editorial content remains separate from any commercial arrangement. We do not accept payment for favorable mentions, nor do we alter our velocity tracking methodology—based on proprietary aggregation of regional sales data—to benefit any partner. Readers should assume that any link to West Marine, Boat Trader, or Discover Boating on this site is an affiliate link, and Opal Marine may receive compensation for resulting actions. For full details on our data sources and tracking methods, please consult our methodology page or reach out via our Contact Us page.
We believe that transparent monetization reinforces reader trust, especially in a market where a boat dealer’s bottom line depends on accurate, timely intel. Our affiliate and referral partnerships help fund the operational costs of scraping, verifying, and analyzing regional sales data without requiring a paywall. We encourage all readers—seasoned marina operators and brokers alike—to verify any product or service claims independently before making purchasing or inventory decisions based on our content. Opal Marine is not responsible for third-party pricing, availability, or terms offered by West Marine, Boat Trader, or Discover Boating.
For any questions regarding this disclosure, our affiliate relationships, or your rights under FTC regulations, please navigate to our Contact Us page. We welcome haul-out-level scrutiny of our practices—because in this industry, trust is the only ballast that holds. No fake contact information is provided on this page; all legitimate inquiries should be directed through the official Contact Us channel on opalmarine.com.