Boat Surveyors?

[tazrig]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Thank you Walt. I talked to the guy and the boat is currently winterized at a marina. When i asked him if we could start up the engine to see how she ran he told me there was drive on the boat. SO i said it was no problem and we could still run water through the engine. Then i told him if i liked the boat then if there was a way he could get the boat in the water for a test run. And he kinda responded like i could work something out. Later on we crawled onto a discussion of the engine and all its details and specs. He told me that he rebuild the engine last season and i asked him if he had a proof and he responded of a answer that he might have. Over all the engine has 200 hours on it.

Well, it sounds to me that IF the seller allows you to start the motor on muffs and IF he allows you to hire a professional surveyor to go over the boat from top to bottom and IF he allows you to sea trial it to see if you like the way it handles and IF he can produce hard documentation that the engine was rebuilt and is mechanically sound... you might have a good boat. But if he hems and haws about any of that then just walk away. WHATEVER his reasoning it is your $35K and you should be sure you're getting everything you want.

 

[Walt T]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

I don't like it so far. If he rebuilt the engine himself there is no warranty. Stay away.

I don't take 'hours' to do surveys. Really, any good tech who has been around and working on boats for a decade at least can really do a good job. I use experience to know what to check. Your 'Guy' seems vague to me and that is always a warning. He knows he can sell it to someone else without the 'hassle' you represent. What year is the Rinker? 1991 as in your posts? 30K is a very high price. If the boat is perfect, might be worth it but this 'guy' apparently 'might' have records.

Move on is my gut feeling.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Hey BD -

A certified/accredited surveyor will know what to check, so you can use the SAMS or NAMS or websites to find some in your area. They will check everything that they can in a 'non-destructive' manner. Usually, they will have a moisture meter to check for water retention in the hull & structure. As far as the engine, many won't check much, other than visually and maybe an IR gun to check for temperature while it is running etc. that is where you would want a mechanic to do an inspection and compression test of the engine. some surveyors will do more engine inspection than others. When I got my 330SS, I happened to find a surveyor who was certified in both the vessel and the engines, so he could do both. When I got my 242SS, I had to hire 2 people, surveyor and mechanic, but they seemed to work together OK.

As far as running the engine, you would be best served to wait until you have a break in the weather (Spring is coming according to the calendar :noidea: ) and do a full sea trial with the surveyor on-board. It seems that you may be too anxious to get this done and just willing to run the engine via a hose on land. Not a good idea, as just about any engine will run fine with no load.

Tell us what year the Rinker 270 is, as that will be a factor on the pricing. I happened to see a new 270 at the boat show last weekend, and thought as a new boat (2014 model), it was a bit pricey.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

my surveyor would not tell me for sure. He said its up to the owner on what he will allow him to check.

wow, I'd run from that guy... it's like taking your car to a mechanic telling him to check for problems and he ask's you what you'd like him to check..... I thought he's the expert... the guy with the knowledge base.... we can all thank the letigous society we've become (seems that way anymore,,sad) ie- gee Mr Surveryor... I took the boat out you checked over and it sank...surveyor says.. " you did not ask me to look for holes in the boat"........

 

[Walt T]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Member schmember, I don' need no stinkin membership. Then again I don't do many of these and its all by word of mouth.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

No its a 2004 or 2005 rinker i think. But what bugs me is that he has 200 hours on the engine already and the engine had bin rebuild last season. From my understanding he got a marina to rebuild it with a possible chance that he may find the receipt.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

No i mean i have quit some knowledge of boats. Ive bun boating since i was little so i have some years put into it. I can check it and i will before i get the surveyor to come and look. But i just want a second opinion from a professional just to make me feel more safe with being 35k poorer.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

i think he said it was a 2005 or 2006 rinker 270. And im not rushing i am not busting out 35k for a boat i cant test drive. If he cannot put the boat in the water for me to run it at WOT then its a no go. I just want a boat before the season starts so if it does need work it will be ready for the opening of the boating season. A good friend of mine said that when he was buying a boat he checked it himself and for everything he found wrong with the boat that the seller did not inform him he would negotiate on a lower price but if the boat was listed AS IS then there would not be much negotiation involved which this rinker is not. I am also looking at a 1998 searay 270 that is listed for 16.200 so i have a back up in case this one falls through.

 

[Walt T]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Its possible the engine was frozen and was replaced. No receipts- no go.

This thread did get me walking a little down memory lane... One boat I was just getting started on, the owner started taking off the storage cover and we saw three racoons scramble out as we removed it. The interior was absolutely and completely trashed. Fiberglass and wood were chewed, racoon crap everywhere, omg it was bad.

Then there was the off brand ski-boat, not sure what brand it was, I had never heard of it. At any rate I had done exterior hull and trailer examinations, lifted the center engine cover and... No engine. Owner is stupefied and I can tell he's not faking. Apparently somebody stole the engine out of the boat which was parked in his driveway all winter. Last I saw of him he was sitting in his front yard mumbling to himself.

Then there was a pretty nice Sea Ray Sundancer, one of those older '80s models with the standard aft berth, head, kitchen and V berth that was so popular. I notice a bit of sagging on the floor up top in the cockpit and the seating area behind the cockpit. Kinda weird since its all fiberglass. Downstairs I see that the seller who owned his own home remodeling business had 'remodeled' the interior. As he had done to so many houses he had decided to 'open it up' inside by removing the wall between the aft berth and dining area, removed the entire dinette set and placed recliners in place of it. He then had built storage cabinets above the V berth so you had to crawl in there carefully to sleep. He had also completely redid the kitchen so there was this weird half size refrigerator in it. The guy was used to straight lines though and not curved hulls and the cabinetry work reflected that. It was a sight to see.
I wish I still had the pictures, I lost them on a hard drive failure dammit.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

A good surveyor will have a history on/of manufacturer, boat style, etc...... They will know where to look for problems, and have the proper equipment to test.

$500.00 moisture meter
Oil analysis
bore scope
etc....

A survey is good for 5 years. You can use it for changing insurance, loan, if they start the rate increases.
If you go to sell, then it can be used to help secure your asking price.

It gives you a starting point on repairs and you simply keep track of receipts and pictures of the repairs, then add them to the printed/pdf files.

Yes the print out is long and lots of pages that smaller craft don't need, but the form is standardized.

You also have to look at what the surveyors could do. In the example above they were very restricted on what they could do, but gives you an idea what they look at.
The buyer needed the surveyors to have better access in order to get a better survey.

Is a surveyor human ? sure and they have insurance too. You need to make be sure they do carry, so both of you are protected..

Bigdog just make sure the surveyor has access to what he/she needs. When you set down with them there are price breaks on how in depth the survey goes. If the owner says no to what the surveyor needs then you need to get involved.

No access, no survey, no sale.

good luck
huts

 

[tazrig]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Its possible the engine was frozen and was replaced. No receipts- no go.

+1^^^ I agree with Walt. Whatever the the reason was for the motor being replaced, if he doesn't have receipts on the motor then RUN!!!

 

[mr 88]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Uhhhh in this day and age the Marina that did the engine work should have a computer printout for ALL work done on that setup while in there yard.A simple phone call to them should verify if it was even there for work.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Boat Surveyors?

Yea, I will put the purchase on hold for now until i figure out what to do with my old boat that is currently in nit the best condition. Will get back to you guys ASAP after i figure out what to do with the old boat. Thanks again