I went to look at a boat that was listed on Ebay last weekend.
Knowing little about boats, didn't really know what to look for except
overall general condition. Looked good to me compared to others I've
seen in price range. Hull seemed in good shape, upholstery was good,
engine seemed good, so I took the plunge and bought it tonight. There
was a bit of a bidding war between two folks in the last 2 minutes
that ran the price up some unfortunately. I don't know why folks
don't wait til the last few seconds to start a biddign war. It would
keep the price lower by my thinking. Anyway, I sniped it in the end
with 9 seconds to go. Tell me what you think.

Ebay Item # 4564837481

On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 01:15:32 GMT, Captain Chaos
wrote:

I went to look at a boat that was listed on Ebay last weekend.
Knowing little about boats, didn't really know what to look for except
overall general condition. Looked good to me compared to others I've
seen in price range. Hull seemed in good shape, upholstery was good,
engine seemed good, so I took the plunge and bought it tonight. There
was a bit of a bidding war between two folks in the last 2 minutes
that ran the price up some unfortunately. I don't know why folks
don't wait til the last few seconds to start a biddign war. It would
keep the price lower by my thinking. Anyway, I sniped it in the end
with 9 seconds to go. Tell me what you think.

Ebay Item # 4564837481

You overpaid by about $1,000.

As to the mechanicals, I'd have the engine and outdrive gone through
by a dealer - you might also want to check out that "soft" floor - the
soft floor could mean soft stringers.

"Captain Chaos" wrote in message
...
I went to look at a boat that was listed on Ebay last weekend.
Knowing little about boats, didn't really know what to look for except
overall general condition. Looked good to me compared to others I've
seen in price range. Hull seemed in good shape, upholstery was good,
engine seemed good, so I took the plunge and bought it tonight. There
was a bit of a bidding war between two folks in the last 2 minutes
that ran the price up some unfortunately. I don't know why folks
don't wait til the last few seconds to start a biddign war. It would
keep the price lower by my thinking. Anyway, I sniped it in the end
with 9 seconds to go. Tell me what you think.

Ebay Item # 4564837481



I would never buy a boat sight unseen and without the purchase being subject
to a structural survey and compression test of the engine...I hope you did
that. If not, bad news.

The ad listed a soft spot under the engine. Not good.

The engine has been rebuilt and will need to be replaced in the next 1,000
hours.

" The new owner should take the time to change fluids and detail the boat"
Yikes! Does this mean that the oil has not been changed???

OMC outdrive....good luck in finding replacement parts for a 1989.

Sorry to say but for a 19 foot no name bowrider you could have done better.

But I hope it works out for you.

I'd have offered half that, to be honest, and the "soft spot" thing is
worrisome...

A boat with lots of hours which has been cared for properly and run
regularly is worth more than a low hour boat which has sat neglected. A
stored boat should always have new fluids before storage, as gasoline does
nasty things to carbs and fuel system components when it turns to varnish,
and used oil and coolant have acids in them that will harm the engine.

"Soft spots" are usually due to standing water, which can only accumulate if
left uncovered or improperly covered for a length of time, meaning there are
other likely moisture related concerns like rusted fittings, cables, and
controls which may be unseen until they fail. Replacing flooring in that
location will be a nightmare- replacing a transom will be nearly impossible
for a novice, and very expensive with a professional.

You want a great boat for skiing, tubing, etc? I'll sell you ours after next
weekend for $5k. Immaculately maintained, stored indoors during winter,
fully covered in summer, and doesn't have any "weathering" or need any
maintenance, since I treat it with the care it deserves as a valued asset.


"Captain Chaos" wrote in message
...
I went to look at a boat that was listed on Ebay last weekend.
Knowing little about boats, didn't really know what to look for except
overall general condition. Looked good to me compared to others I've
seen in price range. Hull seemed in good shape, upholstery was good,
engine seemed good, so I took the plunge and bought it tonight. There
was a bit of a bidding war between two folks in the last 2 minutes
that ran the price up some unfortunately. I don't know why folks
don't wait til the last few seconds to start a biddign war. It would
keep the price lower by my thinking. Anyway, I sniped it in the end
with 9 seconds to go. Tell me what you think.

Ebay Item # 4564837481

The picture of the engine compartment looks a *little* scary. The starboard
stringer, beneath the visible engine mount, appears to be flaking away. I
would guess (and only guess) that a good portion of the interior plywood
flooring it shot and the stringers are on their way out.

I agree with Jim - I would be a little skeptical of engine maintenance when
the seller chooses to advise potential buyers to change the fluids. I would
tend to steer towards sellers that like to brag by showing off their
detailed maintenance logs. But even then, I would still bring in a
professional surveyor to uncover potential problems.

So - was it right for you? I guess it depends on how soon you can get $3800
worth of enjoyment out of it. For an out-of-business unmemorable brand, I
don't see any real purpose in pouring a lot of money into a proper
restoration. I would think it would likely be best to get what you can out
of it. If it runs and is safe - hell, take it out on the water and have
some fun. That's all you were after anyways, right? If you were hoping to
pick up the ladies, I probably would have suggested a good haircut and a
$3800 suit. Just kidding - have fun and welcome to boating.





"Captain Chaos" wrote in message
...
I went to look at a boat that was listed on Ebay last weekend.
Knowing little about boats, didn't really know what to look for except
overall general condition. Looked good to me compared to others I've
seen in price range. Hull seemed in good shape, upholstery was good,
engine seemed good, so I took the plunge and bought it tonight. There
was a bit of a bidding war between two folks in the last 2 minutes
that ran the price up some unfortunately. I don't know why folks
don't wait til the last few seconds to start a biddign war. It would
keep the price lower by my thinking. Anyway, I sniped it in the end
with 9 seconds to go. Tell me what you think.

Ebay Item # 4564837481

PS- See those 6 bidders with 0 (zero) feedback rating? I'll bet at least 2
of them are actually the seller logging on from a diff. computer to pump up
the bid... just a thought.


"Captain Chaos" wrote in message
...
I went to look at a boat that was listed on Ebay last weekend.
Knowing little about boats, didn't really know what to look for except
overall general condition. Looked good to me compared to others I've
seen in price range. Hull seemed in good shape, upholstery was good,
engine seemed good, so I took the plunge and bought it tonight. There
was a bit of a bidding war between two folks in the last 2 minutes
that ran the price up some unfortunately. I don't know why folks
don't wait til the last few seconds to start a biddign war. It would
keep the price lower by my thinking. Anyway, I sniped it in the end
with 9 seconds to go. Tell me what you think.

Ebay Item # 4564837481

On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 02:25:07 GMT, "Douglas St. Clair"
wrote:

So - was it right for you? I guess it depends on how soon you can get $3800
worth of enjoyment out of it.

At the boat shop where I hang out on occasion, last summer they had a
spate of eBay boats come through - older, no longer made models and
every one of them had a major problem - whether it was transom,
floors, engine, stringers, etc.

Oddly, every one sold for around $3,000 and every one was bid up a the
last minute.

I don't buy from eBay anymore because of that - people get their
friends to bid and start a bidding frenzy - happens more often than
not.

eBay is a joke.

On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 06:20:38 -0400, HarryKrause
wrote:

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 02:25:07 GMT, "Douglas St. Clair"
wrote:

So - was it right for you? I guess it depends on how soon you can get $3800
worth of enjoyment out of it.

At the boat shop where I hang out on occasion, last summer they had a
spate of eBay boats come through - older, no longer made models and
every one of them had a major problem - whether it was transom,
floors, engine, stringers, etc.

Oddly, every one sold for around $3,000 and every one was bid up a the
last minute.

I don't buy from eBay anymore because of that - people get their
friends to bid and start a bidding frenzy - happens more often than
not.

eBay is a joke.

Come on, Tom. If it weren't for ebay, some of the guys here would never
have a date.

LOL!!!

I like that one - I'm putting it in my one liner folder.

Man, you guys are a rough crowd. One half-way positive response to a
new boat buyer. Is that how you guys typically welcome new folks? I
bought the boat to have fun as someone stated. I expect with a boat
this age that some repairs may be needed at some point. I don't plan
on sinking a bunch of money into it and believe it will suit my
purposes well.

With your price advisories, I'd have to say you guys haven't been boat
shopping in a while. Maybe prices are higher here in the Southeast, I
don't know. $3000 will not get you a nice boat at all. I have
looked at this boat personally over this past weekend, and in my
novice view, it is a nice boat. It actually looks better in person
than in the pictures. I would have liked to have paid less, but for
the sake of $500 or $1000, I am not going to sweat it.

On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 10:40:49 GMT, Captain Chaos
wrote:

Man, you guys are a rough crowd. One half-way positive response to a
new boat buyer. Is that how you guys typically welcome new folks? I
bought the boat to have fun as someone stated. I expect with a boat
this age that some repairs may be needed at some point. I don't plan
on sinking a bunch of money into it and believe it will suit my
purposes well.

With your price advisories, I'd have to say you guys haven't been boat
shopping in a while. Maybe prices are higher here in the Southeast, I
don't know. $3000 will not get you a nice boat at all.

Hopefully, you will luck out.

Collectively, the experience here is unmatched in any other boating
forum spanning from 50 foot Grand Banks and a North West cruising
expert to light sailing boats. Speaking only for myself, I have
roughly 50 years of experience with boats and know what can and can't
go wrong with a purchase like this.

Bottom line - you asked, we answered. You didn't like the answers
because they didn't fit your opinion, that's not our fault.

As to price, there are more boats on the used market than you can
shake a stick at and I guarantee you if you had taken the time to read
through the local shopper's rag or Boat Trader, you would have found a
good boat for the same money, bigger, better and probably better
maintained.

It's my opinion that anybody who buys off of eBay at the auction price
is crazy - in particular a boat. However, if you are satisfied, fine.

Do yourself a favor before finalizing the deal. Get a cheap rubber
hammer and thump the engine stringers and transom around that
outdrive. If you hear a nice solid thunk, then you'll probably be
safe. If you hear a dead thump, then you have a bad transom and or
stringers and the boat isn't worth the money.

I have
looked at this boat personally over this past weekend, and in my
novice view, it is a nice boat. It actually looks better in person
than in the pictures. I would have liked to have paid less, but for
the sake of $500 or $1000, I am not going to sweat it.

Good enough - if you are happy with the purchase, do it.

That's all that counts.