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First time boat buyer
Hi all!
I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 8:22*am, Haas C wrote:
Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! I'm a newby too. I just bought my boat 3 days ago! A couple things I found... 1) Inboard vs Outboard is a religious issue. In general the Inboards are quieter but the Outboards claim less maintenance. 2) Do a NADA search before going to look at a boat (boats.com). Its like Kelly Blue Book for boats. 3) Probably the first thing you need to do is determine what you want a boat to do (fish, ski, hang out, etc). I decided I wanted to do a little of all of it so I went for a runabout. The runabout does a little of everything (although not optimal in any one). 4) When looking at the condition/maintenance of the boat don't forget the trailer too. -robert |
First time boat buyer
"Haas C" wrote in message ... Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Retain the services of a professional surveyor and also a engine specialist to inspect before purchase. Hours on an engine are only a rough estimate of time between rebuilds or repower. Some gas inboard or I/O engines need a rebuild in less than 1000 hrs. Some, better maintained engines will last longer. As a rule of thumb, however, 1000 hours for a gas inboard or I/0 is about average. I don't now about outboards. Get it inspected .... there's lots more to be concerned about than the engines. Hull, fuel tanks, outdrives, etc. can all be expensive to replace. Faulty thru hulls and sea cocks can sink you. Jury-rigged wiring by a previous owner can fry you. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 11:49*am, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Haas C" wrote in message ... Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Retain the services of a professional surveyor and also a engine specialist to inspect before purchase. Hours on an engine are only a rough estimate of time between rebuilds or repower. *Some gas inboard or I/O engines need a rebuild in less than 1000 hrs. * Some, better maintained engines will last longer. As a rule of thumb, however, 1000 hours for a gas inboard or I/0 *is about average. *I don't now about outboards. Get it inspected .... * there's lots more to be concerned about than the engines. * Hull, fuel tanks, outdrives, etc. can all be expensive to replace. * Faulty thru hulls and sea cocks can sink you. * Jury-rigged wiring by a previous owner can fry you. Eisboch Thank you all. I live in NJ - can anyone recommend a good inspector for the engine and everything else? Thanks! |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 08:22:25 -0700 (PDT), Haas C
wrote: Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Given hours aren't necessarily a good indicator of engine use/abuse, but they have some relevance in terms of maintenance. A 3 year old engine with less than 50 hours on it means that it wasn't used much - a three year old engine with 150 hours on it is about average use. Having said that, the engine with less hours on it may be junk for a variety of reasons and the engine with 150 may be good as new depending on maintainence. As a general rule, 50-60 hrs/yr is a good measure for recreational boats - that's an average. Again, it depends on how the engines were maintained and is not a perfect indicator of condition. With respect to I/O vs outboard, that's a matter of preference. I'm stricly an outboard type. I think they are more convienent to work on, generally more reliable than I/Os over time and you don't have a huge hole in your transom where the I/O passes through. It's really a question of what you are comfortable with. Modern outboards come in three flavors - two stroke injected via manifold (EFI like Optimax), two stroke direct injected (gas/oil is injected directly into the cylinder) and four stroke (like your car engine). In terms of noise, all new outboards, say built in the past three/four years, are quiet - some more than others, but in general, enourmous improvements in noise reduction have been made. I/Os are generally EFI engines - not a bad thing at all. With respect to emissions, again all engines are much improved overall - some more than others. With respect to the boat it'self that all depends on what you wish to use it for. A general purpose outlook (skiing/tubing/touring the lake/fishing) will lead you to a multi-purpose boat. Just sports oriented - perhaps an inboard ski boat, fishing will lead to certain style boats like bass, bay, offshore, etc. Each of these types of boats work better with different engine types - ski boats in general use inboards, multi-purpose boats are I/Os, fishing boats tend to be outboards. One other type of propulsion is hydro-jet which has it's own seperate following. Tow vs slip/mooring can also be an issue. If you don't have the ability to tow the boat you are interested in, you need to slip it with the attendant issues like barrier coat/bottom paint and slip/yard fees. You have to consider the ability to tow when looking at a potential boat purchase. So at this point, it's really a home work issue - what kind of boat is related to it's function is related to it's power is related to how you plan to use it and how you plan to get it to where you plan to use it. Once you have a general idea of what/where and when, you can start digging into it further. Finally, it's always a good idea to pay for an outside agency (dealer) to look at the engine regardless of engine hours. Pay a shop an hours time to go through the boat's engine and do the standard checks to reassure yourself that you are buying something worth the money. |
First time boat buyer
"Haas C" wrote in message ... On Apr 3, 11:49 am, "Eisboch" wrote: "Haas C" wrote in message ... Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Retain the services of a professional surveyor and also a engine specialist to inspect before purchase. Hours on an engine are only a rough estimate of time between rebuilds or repower. Some gas inboard or I/O engines need a rebuild in less than 1000 hrs. Some, better maintained engines will last longer. As a rule of thumb, however, 1000 hours for a gas inboard or I/0 is about average. I don't now about outboards. Get it inspected .... there's lots more to be concerned about than the engines. Hull, fuel tanks, outdrives, etc. can all be expensive to replace. Faulty thru hulls and sea cocks can sink you. Jury-rigged wiring by a previous owner can fry you. Eisboch Thank you all. I live in NJ - can anyone recommend a good inspector for the engine and everything else? Thanks! Just look up "Marine Surveyor" in your area. He/she should be certified and can likely recommend a mechanic as well. I paid $12K for my first boat many years ago. I didn't have it surveyed or inspected because I didn't know any better. I spent another $6k-$8k or so over the next couple of years just to make it safe and halfway reliable. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
After you decide what kind of boating you'll be doing, spend some time
talking with boaters at the launch ramp you'll be using. Ask them why they bought the boat they have and if they'd buy the same boat again. "John H." wrote in message ... On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 08:22:25 -0700 (PDT), Haas C wrote: Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Having had an I/O and an outboard, I would go with an outboard for a smaller boat, something you'd be trailering around to different lakes. I would think between 50-100 hours a season is reasonable as far as hours go. Obviously, the fewer the better. Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! -- John *H* (Not the other one!) |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 08:22:25 -0700 (PDT), Haas C wrote:
Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Having had an I/O and an outboard, I would go with an outboard for a smaller boat, something you'd be trailering around to different lakes. I would think between 50-100 hours a season is reasonable as far as hours go. Obviously, the fewer the better. Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! -- John *H* (Not the other one!) |
First time boat buyer
"William Andersen" wrote in message ... After you decide what kind of boating you'll be doing, spend some time talking with boaters at the launch ramp you'll be using. Ask them why they bought the boat they have and if they'd buy the same boat again. Just make sure none of them have twofootitis. It's contagious. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
Eisboch wrote:
"Haas C" wrote in message ... Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Retain the services of a professional surveyor and also a engine specialist to inspect before purchase. Hours on an engine are only a rough estimate of time between rebuilds or repower. Some gas inboard or I/O engines need a rebuild in less than 1000 hrs. Some, better maintained engines will last longer. As a rule of thumb, however, 1000 hours for a gas inboard or I/0 is about average. I don't now about outboards. Get it inspected .... there's lots more to be concerned about than the engines. Hull, fuel tanks, outdrives, etc. can all be expensive to replace. Faulty thru hulls and sea cocks can sink you. Jury-rigged wiring by a previous owner can fry you. Eisboch I have over 1200 hrs on my I/O s, and was told by a mechanic, if you follow the recommended maintenance schedule (especially oil change every 50 hrs, and at the end of the season and fogging your engine whenever you won't be using the boat on a regular basis, a fresh water boat you should be able to get about 2500 hrs before a rebuild. He said if it isn't maintained properly, or run at much higher RPM, you can expect a rebuild in the 1000 -1500 hr range. I hope this info is correct. The engines currently purr, especially if I rub them them just right. ;) I don't run the boat WOT, and normally will back the rpm down to 3200-3400 once I am on plane so they don't take as much abuse as some engines. |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 9:29*am, John H. wrote:
Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert |
First time boat buyer
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert I agree if you have some knowledge of what to look for. However, the OP indicated he was purchasing his first boat and came across such that it appears this is a new experience for him. If he's buying an old boat for a couple of $1000, that's one thing. But he was considering outboards, inboards, I/Os in the 3-6 year old range which are likely to be a more significant investment. For example, finding out what risers are on the engine and the fact that they need to be replaced every 4-6 years is not something he is likely to be aware of .... until they go bad. That situation is ripe for the assistance of a surveyor and mechanic's inspection, IMO. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
"John H." wrote in message ... On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 13:27:06 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary" wrote: On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert I might not plunk down $800, but I'd take it to a mechanic and have the engine looked over. I've a feeling he could get something in the 18' range checked out for a lot less than $800. For sure. If you are not familiar with a boat and it's various systems, a survey can be well worth it. When we bought the Navigator it was brand new and had never been commissioned. We paid cash for it, so a survey for financing was not required. I still retained a surveyor anyway and spent the day with him while he went over the boat. He knew a heck of a lot more about it than the dealer and the time and money was well spent in terms of getting me up to speed on the boat. *That* survey didn't cost 800 bucks either and he through in two afternoons of on the water handling lessons that were very helpful. That was almost 8 years ago, and prices have probably gone up since then, but it was worth it. I learned a lot. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
"Eisboch" wrote in message ... "John H." wrote in message ... On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 13:27:06 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary" wrote: On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert I might not plunk down $800, but I'd take it to a mechanic and have the engine looked over. I've a feeling he could get something in the 18' range checked out for a lot less than $800. For sure. If you are not familiar with a boat and it's various systems, a survey can be well worth it. When we bought the Navigator it was brand new and had never been commissioned. We paid cash for it, so a survey for financing was not required. I still retained a surveyor anyway and spent the day with him while he went over the boat. He knew a heck of a lot more about it than the dealer and the time and money was well spent in terms of getting me up to speed on the boat. *That* survey didn't cost 800 bucks either and he through in two afternoons of on the water handling lessons that were very helpful. That was almost 8 years ago, and prices have probably gone up since then, but it was worth it. I learned a lot. Eisboch edit .... try "threw" in ..... instead of "through" in. See Vic? I am even forgetting how to speak. or type. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 13:27:06 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"
wrote: On Apr 3, 9:29*am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. An hours shop time might cost $125 max - most likely $95 to $100. A full inspection by a surveyor might cost $300 max for the type of boat he's looking at. If he doesn't require a written report just a verbal report that the boat is in decent shape, even less. |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 13:27:06 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"
wrote: On Apr 3, 9:29*am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert I might not plunk down $800, but I'd take it to a mechanic and have the engine looked over. I've a feeling he could get something in the 18' range checked out for a lot less than $800. |
First time boat buyer
"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in message . .. Eisboch wrote: "Haas C" wrote in message ... Hi all! I am about to purchase a pre-owned/used boat soon - it will be my first time purchasing. I am going to buy something between 3-6 years old - with that kind of age, what would be a good use of engine hours? Not sure if i am getting an outboard, inboard, I/O, but would welcome any and all suggestions. i am going to be boating mainly on lakes. When i see ads, i usually see engine hours listed - just wanted to know how many hours are too much, etc. Thanks! Retain the services of a professional surveyor and also a engine specialist to inspect before purchase. Hours on an engine are only a rough estimate of time between rebuilds or repower. Some gas inboard or I/O engines need a rebuild in less than 1000 hrs. Some, better maintained engines will last longer. As a rule of thumb, however, 1000 hours for a gas inboard or I/0 is about average. I don't now about outboards. Get it inspected .... there's lots more to be concerned about than the engines. Hull, fuel tanks, outdrives, etc. can all be expensive to replace. Faulty thru hulls and sea cocks can sink you. Jury-rigged wiring by a previous owner can fry you. Eisboch I have over 1200 hrs on my I/O s, and was told by a mechanic, if you follow the recommended maintenance schedule (especially oil change every 50 hrs, and at the end of the season and fogging your engine whenever you won't be using the boat on a regular basis, a fresh water boat you should be able to get about 2500 hrs before a rebuild. He said if it isn't maintained properly, or run at much higher RPM, you can expect a rebuild in the 1000 -1500 hr range. I hope this info is correct. The engines currently purr, especially if I rub them them just right. ;) I don't run the boat WOT, and normally will back the rpm down to 3200-3400 once I am on plane so they don't take as much abuse as some engines. My 351 Ford engine was still OK but down on power at 1450 hours. They say the newer engines are good for 2000 hours with decent service. |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 4:11*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
edit .... * try "threw" in ..... *instead of "through" in. See Vic? * I am even forgetting how to speak. * or type. Eisboch- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Richard, you've been readingg too many fo my podsts.! |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 6:02*pm, "JimH" wrote:
"Tim" wrote in message ... On Apr 3, 3:41 pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" *The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. ===================== Glad it worked out for you so far Tim. * I look at a survey as a bit of insurance and a good second opinion.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - That's a good thought, now that I re-read my post I feel that I may have seemed a bit arrogant to the OP, which wasn't my intention. I would deffinately agree that being a first timer with little or no knowledge of the craft they wish to by, then a good, independant mechanical survey may be just the ticket. But I would suggest that one should really pick oput the best they can find in the price line they can afford, almost as if it is to be "the one" THEN have it researched. otherwise a eprson can survey them right down the line and do nothing but waste a lot of their time and money for the existing owners benefit. |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 7:37*pm, John H. wrote:
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" *The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yes, they did. i feel quite fortunate. I did buy them off ebay, and I did ask some questions. But the neat thing abotu it is that i didn't' bit more than I thought I could afford to lose. I mean, even if they were dissapointing, I could have scrapped them out and sold off the parts for more than I gave for them. Actually i feel prettyproud of myself. the little 18' Chris was 1500.00 USD and has been a blast, even if a bit small. The cuddie is a 77 Marquis 23' and even though cosmetically it was a bit lacking, via polish ( no chalk) and needed a slight bit of cosmetic wood work, the boat is solid as a rock. engine oil was not new but reasonably clean, filters looked great. no oil in the bottom of the hull. I gave 1281.00 for it, dual axle trailer w/surge brakes and all. Even with paint flaking off the trailer I could tell the trailer had been well kept because it had new brake lines and master cylinder installed in a moderately recent time frame. The boat;s 350 GM starts easily, doesn't smoke or flutter, and runs absolutely great. John, I think I did well, and that means that it helps make up for past blunders... LOL! good karma? |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote:
On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys! |
First time boat buyer
"Tim" wrote in message ... I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. ------------------------ You have some mechanical expertise that many of us don't. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
"Vic Smith" wrote in message ... On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 17:11:03 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote: "Eisboch" wrote in message edit .... try "threw" in ..... instead of "through" in. See Vic? I am even forgetting how to speak. or type. I think I more often just drop a more often and repeat a than use the wrong one. Your system is probably better. --Vic I am happy with it. It's optimized and working. Mrs.E. rarely asks me to do stuff anymore. The honey-do list has been outsourced. Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:37:59 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys! He found them in a land fill. Or was it eBay? Well, doesn't matter - rougly the same thing. :) |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 16:53:41 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote: On Apr 3, 7:37*pm, John H. wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" *The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yes, they did. i feel quite fortunate. I did buy them off ebay, and I did ask some questions. But the neat thing abotu it is that i didn't' bit more than I thought I could afford to lose. I mean, even if they were dissapointing, I could have scrapped them out and sold off the parts for more than I gave for them. Actually i feel prettyproud of myself. the little 18' Chris was 1500.00 USD and has been a blast, even if a bit small. The cuddie is a 77 Marquis 23' and even though cosmetically it was a bit lacking, via polish ( no chalk) and needed a slight bit of cosmetic wood work, the boat is solid as a rock. engine oil was not new but reasonably clean, filters looked great. no oil in the bottom of the hull. I gave 1281.00 for it, dual axle trailer w/surge brakes and all. Even with paint flaking off the trailer I could tell the trailer had been well kept because it had new brake lines and master cylinder installed in a moderately recent time frame. The boat;s 350 GM starts easily, doesn't smoke or flutter, and runs absolutely great. John, I think I did well, and that means that it helps make up for past blunders... LOL! good karma? You can find good deals on eBay and you can find crap on eBay. I konw of a guy who bought a Ranger 518 off eBay for a decent price - not too high, not too low. He looked the boat over before closing the deal and the first time he launched, the boat started shipping water. Turns out, the seller had run the boat up on a rock and split the hull right where the bunks were on the trailer. You gotta be carefull on eBay. |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 17:11:03 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Eisboch" wrote in message edit .... try "threw" in ..... instead of "through" in. See Vic? I am even forgetting how to speak. or type. I think I more often just drop a more often and repeat a than use the wrong one. Your system is probably better. --Vic |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 16:53:41 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote:
On Apr 3, 7:37*pm, John H. wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" *The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yes, they did. i feel quite fortunate. I did buy them off ebay, and I did ask some questions. But the neat thing abotu it is that i didn't' bit more than I thought I could afford to lose. I mean, even if they were dissapointing, I could have scrapped them out and sold off the parts for more than I gave for them. Actually i feel prettyproud of myself. the little 18' Chris was 1500.00 USD and has been a blast, even if a bit small. The cuddie is a 77 Marquis 23' and even though cosmetically it was a bit lacking, via polish ( no chalk) and needed a slight bit of cosmetic wood work, the boat is solid as a rock. engine oil was not new but reasonably clean, filters looked great. no oil in the bottom of the hull. I gave 1281.00 for it, dual axle trailer w/surge brakes and all. Even with paint flaking off the trailer I could tell the trailer had been well kept because it had new brake lines and master cylinder installed in a moderately recent time frame. The boat;s 350 GM starts easily, doesn't smoke or flutter, and runs absolutely great. John, I think I did well, and that means that it helps make up for past blunders... LOL! good karma? the best! |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 7:53*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote: On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:37:59 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" *The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys! He found them in a land fill. No, that's where my shop computer came from... ?;^ [] |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 8:11*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 16:53:41 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 7:37*pm, John H. wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41*pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. *The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" *The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yes, they did. i feel quite fortunate. I did buy them off ebay, and I did ask some questions. But the neat thing abotu it is that i didn't' bit more than I thought I could afford to lose. I mean, even if they were dissapointing, I *could have scrapped them out and sold off the parts for more than I gave for them. Actually i feel prettyproud of myself. the little 18' Chris was 1500.00 USD and has been a blast, even if a bit small. The cuddie is a 77 Marquis 23' and even though cosmetically it was a bit lacking, via polish ( no chalk) and needed a slight bit of cosmetic wood work, the boat is solid as a rock. engine oil was not new but reasonably clean, filters looked great. no oil in the bottom of the hull. I gave 1281.00 for it, dual axle trailer w/surge brakes and all. Even with paint flaking off the trailer I could tell the trailer had been well kept because it had new brake lines and master cylinder installed in a moderately recent time frame. The boat;s 350 GM starts easily, doesn't smoke or flutter, and runs absolutely great. John, I think I did well, and that means that it helps make up for past blunders... LOL! good karma? You can find good deals on eBay and you can find crap on eBay. I konw of a guy who bought a Ranger 518 off eBay for a decent price - not too high, not too low. *He looked the boat over before closing the deal and the first time he launched, the boat started shipping water. Turns out, the seller had run the boat up on a rock and split the hull right where the bunks were on the trailer. You gotta be carefull on eBay.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Before I gave any money tot he seller[s], I looked the boat over well. I'm not a nit picker, but If something was way out of line that wasn't described,I'd walk. And what was I going to get? a good cussing and bad feedback? i can live with that. they could keep their lies, and I'd keep my money. |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 8:21*pm, "JimH" wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in messagenews:62vav3hrs12mhg4flvgip01ffq1k4olpje@4ax .com... On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 16:53:41 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 7:37 pm, John H. wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:47:12 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote: On Apr 3, 3:41 pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. Tim, didn't your boats cost less than a survey would have? Seems to me you got a pretty good deal on those guys!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yes, they did. i feel quite fortunate. I did buy them off ebay, and I did ask some questions. But the neat thing abotu it is that i didn't' bit more than I thought I could afford to lose. I mean, even if they were dissapointing, I *could have scrapped them out and sold off the parts for more than I gave for them. Actually i feel prettyproud of myself. the little 18' Chris was 1500.00 USD and has been a blast, even if a bit small. The cuddie is a 77 Marquis 23' and even though cosmetically it was a bit lacking, via polish ( no chalk) and needed a slight bit of cosmetic wood work, the boat is solid as a rock. engine oil was not new but reasonably clean, filters looked great. no oil in the bottom of the hull. I gave 1281.00 for it, dual axle trailer w/surge brakes and all. Even with paint flaking off the trailer I could tell the trailer had been well kept because it had new brake lines and master cylinder installed in a moderately recent time frame. The boat;s 350 GM starts easily, doesn't smoke or flutter, and runs absolutely great. John, I think I did well, and that means that it helps make up for past blunders... LOL! good karma? You can find good deals on eBay and you can find crap on eBay. I konw of a guy who bought a Ranger 518 off eBay for a decent price - not too high, not too low. *He looked the boat over before closing the deal and the first time he launched, the boat started shipping water. Turns out, the seller had run the boat up on a rock and split the hull right where the bunks were on the trailer. You gotta be carefull on eBay. I am sure deals on cars and boats were found on Ebay..............but I am also sure there are buyers finding they purchased lemons and got stuck with the *deal*. Purchasing a boat (or car or other high priced items) sight unseen is something I would not do.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Well. Jim, again my philosophy is don't bid more than you can afford to lose. Be cautionally optomistic, and don't jump the gun on an item. there's always plenty more where those come from. |
First time boat buyer
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. |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 10:30*pm, JG2U wrote:
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 20:50:11 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote: *Mrs.E. rarely asks me to do stuff anymore. *The honey-do list has been outsourced. Eisboch Tell me how you accomplished that. *Be specific. *I have to know. *:-) Jack $$$ |
First time boat buyer
"JimH" wrote in message ... "Tim" wrote in message ... On Apr 3, 6:02 pm, "JimH" wrote: "Tim" wrote in message ... On Apr 3, 3:41 pm, "JimH" wrote: "Robert M. Gary" wrote in ... On Apr 3, 9:29 am, John H. wrote: Make sure you get a chance to have the boat and engine inspected before plunking down your money! Everyone says that as a kind of CYA. However, in truth paying $800 to inspect a boat that is otherwise pretty new and been maintained (with documentation) by a well-known shop may not be best bang-for-buck. -Robert ============== It cost me $385 to have my 20 footer surveyed. The survey included the structure, mechanics and a compression test on the engine. I would never buy a used boat without having it surveyed. I'm no expert, but I bought both of my boats without a survey or a "sea trial" The prices were right, and I'm no expert, but I can check stuff out fairly well. Been well satisfied with what I have. ===================== Glad it worked out for you so far Tim. I look at a survey as a bit of insurance and a good second opinion.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - That's a good thought, now that I re-read my post I feel that I may have seemed a bit arrogant to the OP, which wasn't my intention. I would deffinately agree that being a first timer with little or no knowledge of the craft they wish to by, then a good, independant mechanical survey may be just the ticket. But I would suggest that one should really pick oput the best they can find in the price line they can afford, almost as if it is to be "the one" THEN have it researched. otherwise a eprson can survey them right down the line and do nothing but waste a lot of their time and money for the existing owners benefit. ================ When buying used..........I have always walked away from boats that were cosmetically neglected as it told me the owner really did not take pride in caring for the boat, which also translated to the mechanical systems and power train. I also walked away from boats when the owner could not produce maintenance records. Those are the easy things to flag. Structural is another and a good surveyor can be your best friend when it comes to finding a structurally sound boat. Compression testing the engine(s) is also a good indicator on the worth of the boat. I bought my last boat without survey. Did do an in water test. Since it was owned by the sales manager for a large car and truck dealership, the maintenance was most likely done without paper work. But was an extremely clean boat and did find any major corrosion and since the only thing in the boat wood was the floorboards, there was not a lot of structural flaws that could hide. He did have the last repair on the pump for new seals. But I put another 700 hours on the engine before I had to change it. But I am also very familiar with inboard engines. |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:30:14 -0400, JG2U wrote:
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 20:50:11 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote: Mrs.E. rarely asks me to do stuff anymore. The honey-do list has been outsourced. Tell me how you accomplished that. Be specific. I have to know. :-) It's pretty simple here at Rancho Cracker Box Palace. I'm a putz and everytime I get involved in a project, I always end up at the hospital with some kind of injury. She eventually gave up and now hires professionals to do the job. :) She relented about twelve years ago when I wanted to redo the roof. Everything was going along fine until I managed to fall off the roof - fortunately into some overgrown bushes, but I still broke my wrist. Other than doing the lawn every spring and fall, she hasn't asked again. |
First time boat buyer
On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 19:09:58 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote: Well. Jim, again my philosophy is don't bid more than you can afford to lose. Be cautionally optomistic, and don't jump the gun on an item. there's always plenty more where those come from. Keep your powder dry - always good advice. |
First time boat buyer
"JG2U" wrote in message ... On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 20:50:11 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote: Mrs.E. rarely asks me to do stuff anymore. The honey-do list has been outsourced. Eisboch Tell me how you accomplished that. Be specific. I have to know. :-) Jack I could tell you, but then, you know .... Eisboch |
First time boat buyer
Haas C wrote:
Thank you all. I live in NJ - can anyone recommend a good inspector for the engine and everything else? Thanks! RT Associates, Case-McDaniel Marine Group C. Paul Case 732-291-7400 -- Charlie |
First time boat buyer
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:30:14 -0400, JG2U wrote: On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 20:50:11 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote: Mrs.E. rarely asks me to do stuff anymore. The honey-do list has been outsourced. Tell me how you accomplished that. Be specific. I have to know. :-) It's pretty simple here at Rancho Cracker Box Palace. I'm a putz and everytime I get involved in a project, I always end up at the hospital with some kind of injury. She eventually gave up and now hires professionals to do the job. :) She relented about twelve years ago when I wanted to redo the roof. Everything was going along fine until I managed to fall off the roof - fortunately into some overgrown bushes, but I still broke my wrist. Other than doing the lawn every spring and fall, she hasn't asked again. Maybe I'll have to try that method. The wife knows I'm a belt & suspenders type of person when it comes to my personal safety so she has no quams about me climbing a high ladder or working on a roof. (I have an industrial type safety harness and use it anytime my ladder exceeds 15 feet or I'm on a steep roof over one story high) |
First time boat buyer
On Apr 3, 2:35*pm, John H. wrote:
I might not plunk down $800, but I'd take it to a mechanic and have the engine looked over. I've a feeling he could get something in the 18' range checked out for a lot less than $800. I only mentioned $800 because it was the minimum I was able to find calling around local boat shops when I was looking. -Robert |
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