Pre-purchase engine inspection
 

OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

Jim and Becky wrote:
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?




Get an independent referral from this group:

http://www.marinesurvey.org/

Rob

"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?




1. Do not rely on the broker to recommend a surveyor or mechanic. Perhaps
some folks here can make recommendations. Will you be completing the
surveys/inspections in Atlanta?.

2. Make sure the written contract includes wording that a full hull and
mechanical survey/inspection will be completed by personas of your choosing
prior to the finalization of the sale and that items discovered from the
survey/inspection will be corrected by the seller. Additionally, include
verbiage in the contract that the boat must also pass an in the water test
once the initial hull and mechanical surveys are complete.

3. Make sure that a compression test is done on the engine.

Good luck. What make/model is she?

What is the boat and where in Alabama is it?
I Live in Huntsville and know several good mechanics in North to Central
Alabama that I would trust.

Tony


"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

"Tony Thomas" wrote in message
news:uphJd.28111$eT5.15883@attbi_s51...
What is the boat and where in Alabama is it?
I Live in Huntsville and know several good mechanics in North to Central
Alabama that I would trust.

Tony


"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

The boat is a Proline 251 located in Dauphin Island. Must be near Gulf
Shores I'd guess.
Its on Ebay.

"Tony Thomas" wrote in message
news:uphJd.28111$eT5.15883@attbi_s51...
What is the boat and where in Alabama is it?
I Live in Huntsville and know several good mechanics in North to Central
Alabama that I would trust.

Tony


"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

Sorry, can't help you there. It is located south of Mobile.

I would definetly get an independent. Should be able to find one thru the
better business bureau and the yellow pages for Mobile/Dauphin Island. I
would definetly call the better business bureau to verify no complaints.
You might also make a few calls to some local dealers (again find them in
the Yellow pages web site) and see if you get a couple of dealers who
suggest the same inspector.

Tony


"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
The boat is a Proline 251 located in Dauphin Island. Must be near Gulf
Shores I'd guess.
Its on Ebay.

"Tony Thomas" wrote in message
news:uphJd.28111$eT5.15883@attbi_s51...
What is the boat and where in Alabama is it?
I Live in Huntsville and know several good mechanics in North to Central
Alabama that I would trust.

Tony


"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

If you belong to either the Power Squadron or the Coast Guard Aux. you
should be able to contact a port captain in the area and ask for a
referral. You could still end up getting steered to his or her unethical
brother-in-law, but it's less likely than relying on the broker, who
obviously has an interest in how the boat is evaluated.

Capt. Jeff

Call your insurance company or BoatUS and ask for a referral.
Bill

"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

Local Pro Line dealer is Sportsman's Marine in Daphne/Fairhope, AL on the
Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. The number is 251/928-2244. They are a
decent dealership with a good service department. They service my FICHT
each year and no complaints, so far. You could probably get the seller to
agree to have them check out the O/B for you. They are Merc, Rude, Yammie
certified. But, a hull and trailer survey would continue to be needed, IMO.

Good luck.

Butch
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
ink.net...
Call your insurance company or BoatUS and ask for a referral.
Bill

"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?

"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?




Contact an accredited marine surveyor in the area. The Society of Accredited
Marine Surveyors (SAMS) has a site that might be helpful to you.

http://www.marinesurvey.org/samsfaq.html

Bill Grannis
service manager

Jim and Becky wrote:
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?


For the SAMS site address with a listing of accredited surveyors in AL,
go to:
http://www.marinesurvey.org/index2.html

Bill Grannis
service manager

I didn't think marine surveyors did mechanical inspections, Also, personal
experience tells me that even tho a person may belong to some society, it
doesn't mean a thing.
Call an insurance company and find out which surveyors they use in an area
and go with that for a regular survey.
Gordon

"Billgran" wrote in message
. ..

"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
OK so I live in New England and cut a deal to buy a boat in Alabama.
I buy it contingent on a survey and a visual inspection.
How do I find a good, trustworthy mechanic to look the engine over?
Do I trust the broker? Thats sounds like the fox in the henhouse.
Call a random dealer in the area?

Any experiences out there to share?




Contact an accredited marine surveyor in the area. The Society of
Accredited
Marine Surveyors (SAMS) has a site that might be helpful to you.

http://www.marinesurvey.org/samsfaq.html

Bill Grannis
service manager