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doomster · General Secretary Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 2594

So.....summer time is near and you are thinking of buying your first boat or stepping into one maybe a little newer or larger in size and you have found a sweet deal on a used boat. Good Deal!! First of all, there is several things you should look at, and if you aren't skilled at boats the best in the world, take it to a local marina and have them survey it. But if you feel the need to save that money, you can do a quick survey of it yourself using some of these tactics.

1. Trailer....if it includes a trailer inspect all the tires, bearings, lights, bunkers, rollers, winch and make sure they are in good working condition. Check to make sure you have the right size ball for your hitch, most newer trailers run a 2 inch ball, but I have seen some with 1 7/8s as well.

2. Hull Inspection....take a visual look around the hull, top and bottom. Look for hull nicks, cracks, delamination, repaired sections, and anything that looks out of the normal. This could be a weak link that would lead up to failure. Look for stress cracks around outboard engines and lower units, this could be signs it hit something if you see damage in these areas. Small hairline cracks in older gel-coat aren't a big worry, especially around cleats and such, as long as they aren't too bad off and damaged.

3. Do a thorough check of the floor, all of it, every square inch. Soft spots in the floor are signs of rot, which means it all has to come out and be replaced. It can be a very expensive job. You also have stringers and such in the hull that rot out over time as well. You can get a moisture detector from radio shack, use the settings it best describes in the user manual and check for high moisture levels. The highest I have ever seen on a wood floor that was still in decent shape was 27%. This area is a bit technical and about the best thing you can do as a owner/buyer is check to make sure it is solid and stable, no soft spots. The transom area is also prone to rot as well on older boats, run the engine up and down if it has power tilt and trim and watch the transom, you can also check it with a mositure detector. On an outboard you can almost check it by moving the engine around a bit, with all the weight resting on the transom if its bad, you'll notice it pretty quick. If it is a family cruiser it might have the back to back seats, some are made of plywood covered with padding and vinyl, reach on the backside and check the condition of the wood on the seats, they are prone to rot also.

4. Electronics....lights, speedos, tachs, gauges, horn, radios, bilge pumps, aux fans. Make sure they are all in working conditions. A non-working bilge pump can ruin your day on the water if you spring a leak. If they aren't operating it could be as simple as a blown fuse or a faulty connection.

5. Engines......you have one of a few out there, inboard/outboard which utilizes a car like engine and a prop outdrive, one of the most common known and made. You also have a direct drive which has a car like engine and a direct drive prop system, mostly found in competition ski boats. Then we have another common which is the outboard engine, bolts on the back of the boat usually and has the outdrive bolted to a engine basically. Real common here, mostly 2 strokes, but some newer ones are 4 strokes. In performance boating you have shore drives as well as jet drives, and if you are looking at a boat with these, you probably already are familiar enough to do your own survey. Anyhoo, I myself would do a compression check on the engine as the first thing. I also would do a water test, beware an individual or business selling a boat that will NOT do a water test, unless they put a 100% warranty on it for xxx number of months. Check the engine oil and look at its condition, check the lower unit gear oil as well. If any water has reached those areas, then there is a problem, and it turns the oil a milky color and thins it out. Check to see if the steering feels free and see if it needs grease, see if it has hang up spots which could be bad cables if it runs those. Ask the owner if they have any service records of maintenance done on the boat. Usually if they have done extensive work on them they will save the paper-work or either the repair facility can give you a copy of it if they have it on file.

I can usually go over one in about 45 minutes and give you a pretty good detail on its condition and shape. If you are in the Ro Rap area and need some advice, drop me a private message, would be glad to help you out. I have seen boats sitting on dealer's lots in conditions that needed repair, so just because a marina has it, still do a good inspection. Most all of the marinas around here are pretty good and keep newer inventory to rid head-aches like mentioned above, but you still need to check it out before investing in one, some things they might not have caught on their survey. Some boats are all fiberglass construction, makes life so much easier!