Top 3 questions to ask when buying a used boat.

[MEGASLAM]

Hi all,

Curious what you think the top 3 questions are to ask when buying a used boat? I haven't owned a boat myself but have been around them my whole life. I'm looking at 17-19 foot aluminum OB with a walk through console. It will be interesting who comes up with the most unique/insightful question!

[aanderud]

You can ask all the questions you want, but the fact is, the person you're talking to is selling the thing to you, and he's not necessarily in it for friendship -- he can easily just answer your questions with favorable answers, and there's really not much you can do to disprove it. So, in my opinion, a thorough inspection and test drive are the best things you can do. I mean, sure -- go ahead and ask him where he stores it in the summer and winter, was it covered all the time if it was outside, who has done any maintenance on the motor and what type it was, how many times he had it on average, when was the last time he packed his wheel bearings, etc...but in reality, his answers don't really matter. The condition of the boat is what matters. I mean, if you buy a used boat from a boat store, the salesman likely won't be able to answer any personal questions or history of the boat...but worry not, you should be able to detect any severe issues with a good inspection and test drive.

Before even dropping it in the water, check the prop, lower unit, batteries, general condition of the hull, carpet, flooring, seats, windshield, etc. Check out the wiring and operate any electronics or items that can be done on dry land. If you like what you see, ask to drop it in the lake or river and test drive it.

On the water, you'll be able to operate all of the electronics (depth finders, GPS, etc), live wells, trolling motor(s), outboard motor, etc. Run the outboard at all speeds. Steer the boat agressively at various speeds. Stop and start the motor a few times. Be sure you help unload and load the boat so you know if there's any issues with the trailer. These are just the basics. I'm sure you can find a more comprehensive list if you use google or a used boat buying site or something.

[Boogaard]

if you dont put it in the water before you buy it atleast have it hooked up to some ear muffs to run the motor. Check to maybe see if rivets are missing? if newly furnished things are in it i.e. carpet might have a reason for that that is not good. Like anything something used is something used. They guy wants you money and more than likely will tell you what you want to hear! Good Luck. I would buy new if you can afford it. Look around price some models out, you might be able to find a good deal with last years model. Good luck

[Ray Esboldt]

I would want to put it in the water and run it. That's it.

However, you can get quite a bit of testing and inspection on dry land. One thing to not overlook is the trailer. First, a basic inspection and test of the functionality of the lighting system should be in order. Any trailer wiring issue is repairable, but let me tell you they are a pain in the rump to execute on most trailers. Second, make sure the tires are in servicable condition and the bearings have enough grease to make it home. And, plan on doing a bearing repack and possible race replacement when you get it home. Finally, make sure everything is welded and sturdy. Trailers take a beating rolling down the road. Lesser quality trailers don't always hold up that well over time.

[MuskieJunkie]

1 Why are you selling it (this is the most important question, IMO)? If he says "I have 4 kids and never use it" Good, if he says "I am just looking to upgrade" Could be bad.

2 How long have you owned it? "Original owner" - good, 1 or 2 years and he's the 3rd owner - Bad. Good boats don't change hands much, lemons get bought and sold a lot.

3 Does everything work and have you ever had any problems with it? If he comes clean with some of the issues then he's probably being honest. If he says "No, never one problem, it's been perfect" I would be leary.

I also look at their garage, house and truck. If the garage is unorganized, the truck is full of garbage, and/or the yard is full of junk cars, junk boats etc, those are all red flags.

[marine_man]

I usually don't ask too many questions until I've had a chance to look the boat over from bow to stern.

A couple of things I would do:

1) Leak Test or Compression Test - if you're buying a used motor from a private party this is a pretty important step in my opinion - it will give you a good feel for the health of the motor.

2) Transom - if you tilt the motor all the way up and lock the tilt stop and push down on the lower unit, does the transom flex excessively? Can you see any cracks in the transom area indicating it's rotten or weak? Another indicator is if they have a transom saver on a larger boat - if they do the transom is probably in good shape - this isn't a guarantee though either.

3) Boat Floor - walk around on the boat floor. Any soft spots, spots with excessive flex? What you're looking for here is the beginning of a rotten floor

4) Hull of the boat - any scrapes / gouges on the hull? Any sheared off rivets, potential leak spots?

5) Keel - Any flat spots in the keep toward the rear of the boat, indicating it was dropped off the trailer on the landing?

Those are all the major things that for me considering some investigation at a minimum.

Some of the things that are easier to fix / consider:

6) Trailer Bearings - if you get the chance to pull the boat, do the bearings rumble / howl? Another good indication of this is if they have bearing buddies typically the bearings are OK. If they have the dust caps on yet they may warrant further investigation.

7) Trailer Lights, as Cliff said above.

Good luck!

marine_man

[cjac]

 Quote:

I also look at their garage, house and truck. If the garage is unorganized, the truck is full of garbage, and/or the yard is full of junk cars, junk boats etc, those are all red flags.

Funny........that's exactly what I was thinking!

I've winterized mine at the dealer and kept every receipt of what's been done. In my case not much has been other than maintenance, so that's a good sign too. See what they have for back-up....

Boats naturally do take their share of bumps and nicks, it's inevitable. I have little jars of touch-up paint those in cases, shows I care about the upkeep of the boat in general. Conversely, excessive wear and tear spots can show trailering issues, potentially bad mooring techniques, etc. Again, signs of overall upkeep.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I will never, ever, not once, ever again buy a boat without putting it in the water first. Lesson learned, the hard way. I bought my current one from a family member and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Realize that if you're buying a 1978 boat, you're getting something 30 years old and is bound to have some battle damage. A 2006 boat's battle damage should be minimal to non-existant.

"Why are you selling?" is a great question. If it's a 20 year old boat, and he's buying a new one, I can dig that.

"What's your lowest price?" Might as well find out now. If you can't afford it you can't afford it. Why bother going any farther.

"What work did YOU do on it?" If the seller is a crafty guy, it may be cool to see what he did to make it more "User friendly." If the guy doesn't know which end of a crescent wrench bites, run away quickly if he did a bunch of work on it.

[MEGASLAM]

Thanks for all of the great advice so far!!! I'm impressed by the amount of detail you're willing to type out. You're what makes this forum great!

mega

[MEGASLAM]

Thanks for all the help. Decided on a 2003 19 Crestliner Tourney with a 200hp yam. More boat than I was looking for but the price was right.

[NCLaker]

I've purchased a couple used boats had have and pretty good luck so far. Besides the water test, I like the peace of mind having a mechanic look at it. Some will come to you so you don't have to bring it to a shop.

When asking questions, I ask open ended questions and make the owner fill in the blanks (e.g. tell me about the maintenance of the boat) Responding like they know what they are talking about is much more comforting than the owner not having a clue.

I saved a bunch of money and think I ended up with a couple very nice boats ... but when buying new it is always a gamble since they typically don't come with a warrenty. Good Luck!

[marine_man]

Thanks for the update on your purchase! Sounds like a nice rig!

marine_man