On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 21:21:10 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

Purchasing a boat (or car or other high priced items) sight unseen is
something I would not do.

I agree with that unless the price is so low you can afford to scrap
it and walk away. I would also not buy without a sea trial even if I
decided to skip a formal survey. You can learn a lot on a sea trial
if you know what to look for, not necessarily true for a first time
buyer of course.