Used boat shopping etiquette

[frankthomas]

Hello... I'm at the beginning of my search for a 17-20 foot inland lake boat. When I find one I like I'd like a mechanic to check it out before purchasing. What is the normal process? I don't expect the current owner to let me hook his boat and trailer up to my truck to haul off to the boat shop for a few days. Or do I? What's typical in this case? And what should I expect to pay to have an I/O checked out?

Thanks!

 

[Old Ironmaker]

They tow the boat in and you compensate the seller for time and gas for a 1/2 hour inspection booked in advance, never a few days unless you pay a deposit. What if they have another interested. If they say no, walk away. Around here you will pay a minimum 1 hour shop rate for any inspection. Unless you are getting a survey an hour should do it for a small 20 footer.

 

[tpenfield]

You could get a marine surveyor. They will go to the boat and check things out. Best to do a sea (lake) trial at the same time. Some surveyors are also certified in engines, so they could do the engine diagnostics as well. Otherwise, you may find a mechanic that does the same. The buyer would pay the expenses for the inspections. The seller would need to make the boat available, and that may involve bringing the boat to the water and captaining the boat during the sea trial.

Usually this all is done when there is an agreement to purchase the boat in place. For lower priced boats, folks tend not to go through all those formalities.

As far a etiquette, 'please' and 'thank you' usually suffice

 

[oldjeep]

Hello... I'm at the beginning of my search for a 17-20 foot inland lake boat. When I find one I like I'd like a mechanic to check it out before purchasing. What is the normal process? I don't expect the current owner to let me hook his boat and trailer up to my truck to haul off to the boat shop for a few days. Or do I? What's typical in this case? And what should I expect to pay to have an I/O checked out?

Thanks!

Depends on where you live. Around here in MN the mythical "marine surveyors" that everyone on this forum always talks about only exist for inspecting ships not 20ft lake boats.

When I sold my last boat I had a couple people wanting to have their mechanics look at it. I told them both that was fine as long as it was a mercruiser certified shop and not some shade tree guy with no credentials (don't need someone messing up the boat). The first guy took offense to that as he was going to take it to his buddy who fixed lawn mowers. The second guy said OK, so I told him that if he could actually get an appointment that I would bring it in on the specified day and let them look at it. Also said that in the mean time that the boat was still for sale.

Now honestly I knew full well that you cannot get an appointment within a month at most qualified shops and even if you can they want you to leave it there for a week until they have time to look at it.

So in the end after the reality of the situation sunk in, the buyer took a chance on a boat that looked brand new and just bought it

 

[jkust]

Yes...the mythical easy to get marine survey. I'm in MN as well and there are if I recall a grand total of two or maybe it was three ceratified marine surveyors. I had one done for my previous boat which was 18 feet. It cost $2,000 that's two thousand dollars which was their minimum price. He spent several hours on it but people toss the marine survey thing around as if all regions have the same availavility. Everything is different in different regions from service that cost half as much, to the exact same boat that costs 2/3 or less and including attitudes. Decent boats sell fast, it's a race to be the first one there at times and asking for a survey or a mechanic to look at it on a lake boat that everyone and their mother can afford is many time going to get it sold out from under you. Larger and more complex boats of course are different. Some of this depends on the economy as well. When it is doing poorly and people are not focusing on luxuries, the paradigm can change. And of course buying off season changes the formula as well. Likely, I would not agree to having my boat taken off my lake to have someone inspect it. I could agree with someone checking it out on my boatlift and that's about it.
My current boat had a line of seven people cued to buy it and I was the first one there. Good boats get serious buyers when they hit the market and everyone can buy an under 30k boat it seems.

 

[savetexomabeaches]

Personally I'd inspect it myself.. Walk around the floor checking for soft spots. Knock on the transom to check for rot. Check the oil, use a flash light and look around the block for oil leaks, rust, cracks, water. Have the owner lake test it. Does it start pretty easily? Any vibrations, knocking, rattling? Does it get up on plane easily? How does it steer? Shift easily? Does it die when you shift it? Watch the gauges, are they normal? Does it have good oil pressure? ---- If it passes all that, you got a decent boat.

All in all.. Any boat seller that is trying to sell his boat for a nice amount of cash will understand that you as a buyer will want to check all this stuff.. And if they put up a hassle about it, WALK AWAY. Never "fall in love" with a boat.. This is $$$$.. Make sound decisions.

 

[fishin98]

A couple of years ago, I put my 2000 Bayliner 1802 Capri Cuddy up for sale...I priced it right and took the prospective buyer and his family for a boat ride. Up for sale @1100, sold cash in my hand by 1500. When looking at a used boat for sale, ask for a test ride, don't expect the seller to let you take it to a mechanic to check it out.

 

[jimmbo]

A lot of less than ethical people go around pretending to buy a boat and ask for a test ride. They show up at lake, with wife, kids, a wakeboard/skies and somehow figure they are entitled to a family day at the lake. If selling, I take the boat to my dealer, have them do the inspection, and have it available for a serious buyer to look at. Cheaper than a couple of Shyster Days

 

[Old Ironmaker]

There is something like 120 miles of Lake Erie shoreline in our county as well as more on a deep navigable river. There is exactly 1 qualified "Surveyor" here and he works for the Marina selling boats so doesn't do it privately any longer.

A run in the water is the best way you can get a feel for a boat. It might look great on a trailer but it may too much or not enough boat for you. My wife insisted that she wanted to buy a high horse power sports car. I knew it was too much car for her but didn't argue. 1 test drive proved it to be too much car.

 

[frankthomas]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[H20Rat]

A lot of less than ethical people go around pretending to buy a boat and ask for a test ride. They show up at lake, with wife, kids, a wakeboard/skies and somehow figure they are entitled to a family day at the lake. If selling, I take the boat to my dealer, have them do the inspection, and have it available for a serious buyer to look at. Cheaper than a couple of Shyster Days

That is a tough one... I've had families show up with wife and kids in tow (thankfully no skies/cooler), and yes, I ended up taking them all on a test drive. The wife and kids made the sale for me, the husband was somewhat tentative if it was what he was looking for. So it can work out to your favor!

 

[H20Rat]

The second guy said OK, so I told him that if he could actually get an appointment that I would bring it in on the specified day and let them look at it. Also said that in the mean time that the boat was still for sale.

Now honestly I knew full well that you cannot get an appointment within a month at most qualified shops and even if you can they want you to leave it there for a week until they have time to look at it.

I have done the exact same thing before... I have no problem taking the boat to a certified marine dealer for inspection for a shopper, but unless I'm getting a non-refundable deposit that I keep no matter the results, whoever shows up with cash in hand takes the boat. (Ironically I have bought all but one of my boats in MN because the prices there are almost always cheaper than ND. A total of zero were inspected by a mechanic, and only 1 was even water tested.)

 

[sparsons92287]

I would ask them to tow it to the mechanic and cover the cost of gas. As long as nothing to hide, can't see why they'd decline

 

[Alumarine]

I would ask them to tow it to the mechanic and cover the cost of gas. As long as nothing to hide, can't see why they'd decline

Have you ever done that?
If so, how did it go?

 

[JASinIL2006]

When we were shopping for our current boat, we requested a mechanic look over one of the early candidates (one we ultimately did not purchase). I picked a boat shop near the seller, and he towed it there to be looked at.

Having a mechanic look over the boat saved me a bunch of money; for $250, I found the boat had been repaired with an automotive alternator and starter, that the gimbal bearing was bad, and that the whole boat had been under water to the gunwales! I was totally new to boats and boat shopping, and at that point I had no idea what I should be looking for.

Not all sellers will agree to do it, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[jkust]

Not all sellers will agree to do it, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Your comment maybe the best advice...if you don't ask you don't get.