Buying a boat new or secondhand can be a stressful but exciting time. For most it will be a long term investment so some forward planning is needed to make an informed decision
And even if this isn’t your first boat no one likes to get caught out buying a lemon.
So in this article I’ll be outlining the dos and don’ts of boat buying, from a marine mechanics perspective, meaning I’ll be going over the more technical side of what to look out for and what checks you can do to make an informed decision.
DO’s
- Do get a professional pre purchase inspection
- Do get oil samples done
- Do your research to know what you are looking at
- Do arrange an initial inspection
- Do arrange a sea trial
- Do consider boat and motor age
- Do ask to see service history
DON’Ts
- Don’t buy sight unseen
- Don’t inspect without doing your own research first
- Don’t skip a sea trial
- Don’t be afraid to walk away from a bad deal
- Don’t expect no extras after purchase
OK let’s get started!
Professional pre purchase inspections.
Don’t underestimate the advantages of a proper professional pre purchase inspection, yes it is another cost you need to factor into the sale price but what you get in return is an overview of the condition of the boat and engines and this information can definitely help you with haggling on the initial sale price and give you a better idea of what you are looking at.
Oil samples.
Oil samples are an easy way of checking the internal condition of an engine, giving you a heads up on possible issues that haven’t become serious problems yet.
Two of the main things you are looking for by doing these samples are water in oil and excessive metal in oil.
Water in oil is not ideal because you have water where its not supposed to be and this can cause all sorts of issues from destroying clutch packs to corroding bearings and other internal components.
Excessive metal in the oil is a sign of excessive internal wear on components like bearings and running surfaces. This can indicate the engine oil doesn’t get changed regularly, the engine or drive bearing tolerances are too tight, a failing internal component or the engine or drive is nearing the end of its service life.
Know what you are looking at.
Before considering even contacting the boat owner or dealer for an inspection, do your own research!
Have a google of similar boat/engine packages and look at what prices they are going for and what condition you are likely to be looking at.
Get an idea of what the engine / drive packages are in it and research what other people are saying are common problems with them.
If you have a good idea of the common problems this gets you ahead of the game with what to look for when you do see the boat in person.
Some common problems may be easy fixes too so you might be able to haggle the price to then fix the problem cheaply and easily after purchase.
Initial inspection.
Give the boat a good overall Visual check looking for damages in the hull,deck interior, windows etc… and don’t forget to give the engines and drives a visual once over as well looking for any
leaks, paint discolouration (indicating overheating) corrosion,cracked or broken components etc..
Also check all boat systems work, lights, pumps, navigation, chargers, engine instruments, bilge pumps, engine blowers etc…
At this stage it’s good to check engine and drive fluids are at the correct levels and don’t look or smell bad
Sea trial.
Before setting off on a sea trial have an idea of what speed / rpms the boat and engine package
Should get, you should be able to find this information online either on the engine or boat manufacturers pages, as long as the boat is not a custom build.
This can give you an indication of boat engine condition and possible boat / engine issues, dirty boat bum (marine growth on hull), wrong props, tired engines etc…
When underway listen to the engines do they sound rough or are they vibrating heavily?
How is steering and gear engagement?
Have a visual of the engines running (at idle for safety) looking for active leaks.
Boat and motor age.
Consider the age of the boat and motors / drives.
An engine / drive servicing schedule is dependent on the hours of service.
You should be able to get a service schedule from your respective engine brand dealer online.
It’s good to get an idea of what kind of service maintenance will be required after you take ownership.
Older vessels could need all sorts of major work later in life like engine mounts, sail drive bellows, valve clearances etc…
Some of these works will require engine or drive removal, so factor this into the asking price.
Service history.
Ask for any service history documents. This will give you an idea of how well looked after the boat is.
A well looked after boat should have up to date service history, if the boat doesn’t have any service history documents either paper or online it does not mean the boat hasn’t been looked after it just means you don’t know what sort of previous life the boat / engines had, has it runaground? Was it repaired after being damaged in a hurricane? Has the boat been repowered? Etc…
Buying sight unseen.
While some people do seem to get away with buying boats sight unseen, I would advise against it for a few reasons, one being anyone can make a flashy ad with cool pictures but you just don’t know if these pics are old, new or even a different boat altogether, I have heard a few horror stories from people getting caught out like this.
Plus in my opinion nothing beats the hands-on approach of being able to touch and feel all aspects of your potential purchase.
Sometimes it can feel like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen for a long time and on the other end of the scale could have you running away as fast as you can.
Inspecting without researching.
Stepping aboard a perspective purchase for the first time without doing any prior research can have you making some bold decisions trusting your gut so to speak.
Boats as a whole can be quite complex with lots of different moving parts from instruments, controls, pumps, lots of electrics to all sorts of engine and drive packages all with different advantages and disadvantages.
Knowing what you are looking at will help you massively not just with avoiding a lemon but saving you a boatload of money by having a good idea of what the boat is worth in today’s market with the engine / drive package on board and the overall condition everything is in.
Skipping the sea trial.
This is what I would consider the most important part of the whole buying experience! Please don’t skip doing a sea trial!
You may think you have found the perfect boat, everything works, it looks great, the interior is exactly how you would want it to be, the engines and drives are cutting edge … but without a sea trial how do you know how the boat performs?
What I’m trying to say here is some boats just don’t perform and this can be for a lot of reasons like maybe the boat wasn’t set up properly from the factory (under or oversized props, equipped with the lowest hp engine package to keep costs down etc…)
The boat may have an issue that would only be apparent on a sea trial like lots of growth on the hull slowing it down or maybe even overheating engines.
Knowing when to walk away.
Sometimes you just fall in love with a vessel and there is nothing anyone can say or do to change your mind and that’s OK but don’t let your heart get in the way of common sense, some deals just need to be walked away from.
The main thing to consider with deal breakers is budget, some small easily fixed items may not be considered as deal breakers but stuff like major boat or engine works that could cost you well in excess of your budget should be considered as definite deal breakers.
Major deal breaking stuff I would look out for would be bad osmosis or rot in the hull, engines with excessively large engine hours without any service history, a very long list of extras on a pre purchase report, oil samples showing signs of excessive metal or water in oil.
I am sure there are a lot of other things that could also be deal breakers for different people. It really just depends on what is important for you and what kind of boating you are going to be doing.
Wrapping up.
Obviously with any purchase you do run the risk of coming across other unforeseen issues down the track, but by doing your own research, doing an inspection, sea trial, checking service history and being able to identify common issues you can mitigate that risk somewhat.
Easy fixes can be a good haggling point and may save you some money on initial purchase, but remember to know what the repairs are going to cost before making the deal.
And if all else fails “there are plenty of fish in the sea” so to speak, just because this boat didn’t work out for you, the cost of oil samples and pre purchase inspections could have saved you from a financial bottomless pit, look you never know the very next boat you look at could be your dream boat.
So in summing up, this list of dos and don’ts of boat buying, while not exhaustive, is a great way of getting to know your prospective purchase and can save you a great deal of money in the long run.
Keeping your vessel in top shape doesn’t have to be difficult. Explore The Everyday Captain for more, actionable advice, step-by-step guides, and helpful resources designed to keep you safe, save you money, and make boating more enjoyable. Whether you’re tackling a repair, improving maintenance, or just learning the basics, The Everyday Captain has you covered.
