If you're going to insist the seller pay for the checkout, you more or less
become obligated to accept whatever documentation the seller *already has*
regarding the mechanical condition. Should the seller be forced to pay for a
fresh inspection for every (possible) looki-loo that comes along? If you were
the seller, you'd pay to have it checked out only once and then just show the
results to interested parties. That would seem very reasonable, from the
seller's perspective.

As a buyer, you want a fresh, current, unbiased assessment.

The reason the buyer wants to pay for the inspection/ haulout/ survey is to
avoid any conflict of interest. You want that surveyor or mechanic working for
*you*, period, and understanding that his task is to help you reach an informed
decision on the boat- not help his actual client (the guy paying his bill) sell
it.

If the cost of launching the boat for a test run seems prohibitive, you have
some real shockeroos in store should you take up boating.