I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

[agallant80]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Hmm... That weird. I never pay taxes on my boat. I guess maybe it varies in states but OP boats in NY so there should not be any problems. On top of all that i actually get money from the government for my boat. In my state which is NY it says that i can write up my boat as long as it has a full cabin with bathroom and living space. It counts as a another house in my state. I guess your just not that lucky. LOL

You are lucky. I just got a $380 tax bill for my boat for 2013.

OP, think TCO and keep in mind that boats are not like cars. Most new boat owners get in to trouble because they do know know of all of the other mechanical systems that are on a boat. They just see the motor and say "well I know about cars and this has a motor so its the same". There are many systems on a boat that work much diffently than on a car. For example the exhaust manifolds. Remember to winterize the boat if you test it.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Im thinking even if the boat is in decent shape and you may find little rot then i would go for the trade. If you enjoy little projects then a little restoration of this boat with you investing $1000 for it then in general its not that bad. Boats are actually fun to restore if it has little rot. But remember this one thing. With any kind of boat new or old you need to be aware of being to be able to fix it no matter what. If you get stuck out there then you better make sure you know what to do or have towing insurance. Boats take alot of time and money and something on a boat is bound to brake within a year. I bet every single user on iboats with a boat over 19ft and a I/O engine has replaced something on the boat every year. And i am one of the few very unlucky people that wind up paying alot of money for parts and repair when on my other boats that are well over 26ft the part cost over 200 bucks depending on what and that is the cheapest price for the smallest part. As of now i am 8k in the hole with my boat and dont know if i will come out with a 100% boat. So i would really inspect the boat very well because it may cost you even more money in the end or over time.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If i was you OP then i would start off on how much this person wants for the boat cash. Then you ask the person as to what condition he is selling it as in his personal experience with the boat. After what you say is for ever damage i find or for every rot i find then you have to negotiate on the price with me after. Then once you come to a value and the guy still wants to trade then you would trade on something that is at equal value. I really never liked trading at all and in you situation you are trading a pair of socks for a pair of underwear. 2 different things you are trading. And you should start with a cash offer and then decide if you still want to trade. I will bet you that you will find something wrong with the boat if the guy is letting it go for so low. Miracles don't exist!!! Good luck and inspect the boat really well and do research on it before trading or giving money!! :happy:

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If i was you OP then i would start off on how much this person wants for the boat cash. Then you ask the person as to what condition he is selling it as in his personal experience with the boat. After what you say is for ever damage i find or for every rot i find then you have to negotiate on the price with me after. Then once you come to a value and the guys till wants to trade then you would trade on something that is at equal value. I really never liked trading at all and in you situation you are trading a pair of socks for a pair of underwear. 2 different things you are trading. And you should start with a cash offer and then decide if you still want to trade. I will be you that you will find something wrong with the boat if the guy is letting it go for so low. Miracles don't exist!!! Good luck and inspect the boat really well and do research on it before trading or giving money!! :happy:

The bold area only works if the boat is advertised to not have any damage or to not have any rot. But if the guy tells you the truth from the start then you will have to think twice.

 

[Brian 26]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

im only going to go through with it if i know 100% theres nothing wrong with it

I highly highly doubt the boat is 100% given how old it is and the way it's been passed around. Motor, structure, drive, electric, pumps, gauges...there will be items that need addressing.

A boat offered for trade on craigslist is a warning sign to pay attention to, a boat offered for trade that just got traded is a red flag. People are more likely to try and pass off junk on a trade vs cash transaction. I also highly doubt this guy has the proper paperwork for the boat and trailer.

To answer your original question, if it has the paperwork, solid motor, drive and structure and a ripped up interior (as you stated) $2,000 give or take.
If it has rotten floor or motor issues it's worth nothing.

The trailer alone is worth something, maybe $500.

Smoke and others have given you excellent advice.

Is there an online ad you can post? Please let us know how the inspection goes, more pictures would be great, and what you end up doing.

 

[ricohman]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

View attachment 218626I think the lesson here is inspect it and then having the will to accept what you missed. I have 15yrs experience in boat building and thought I would find just a few soft spots on the floor of a searay..here is what I found....again listen to the good advise here....

Good grief. Pulling up the deck and finding that would not be ideal. Unless you were looking for and found a project.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Needing boat advice ASAP is a recipe for disaster!! Buying a boat is best done with tons of research and knowledge, and you have come to the right place to learn, welcome. But don't buy any boat that requires a fast decision, it almost never works out well, I would walk away before I would make an uneducated decision. Once you decide boating is for you, maybe this boat will be worth a look, but boat buying is not an impulse buy, that's where folks get screwed and make really bad $$ choices!! Reread the above advice from experienced boaters, they speak in reality!! Have fun with your choice!!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

agreed ^^^ for inexperienced boaters or for an investment you can't afford to lose. But some deals are made with quick grabs. The key as you say is to spend a lot of time learning what to look for so when the deal comes you can grab it. Like buyng an old house.

 

[Augoose]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Hmm... That weird. I never pay taxes on my boat. I guess maybe it varies in states but OP boats in NY so there should not be any problems. On top of all that i actually get money from the government for my boat. In my state which is NY it says that i can write up my boat as long as it has a full cabin with bathroom and living space. It counts as a another house in my state. I guess your just not that lucky. LOL

FYI.....In addition to registration fees, you do indeed need to pay sales tax....7% I believe....
http://www.dmv.ny.gov/recreation.htm#boats

and there's even a form to HELP you pay the tax.

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv821b.pdf

From the NY DMV website.....

How do I register my boat?

See the information about boat registration requirements. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader?. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader?, see these instructions.

To register your boat, bring the following items to a DMV office:

Complete form MV-82-B (Boat Registration / Title Application).
Complete form DTF-802 (Statement of Transaction for Sales Tax) or proof of exemption or tax paid. The requirements and forms for boats are the same as those for motor vehicles. See the information about sales tax.
The proof of ownership listed in the boat registration requirements document.
Proof of identity and date of birth.
Cash, check or credit card for the fee.

Remember that if you have a boat trailer you must register the trailer. See the instructions to register a vehicle.


Proof of sales tax payment, sales tax exemption, or purchase price. You must pay the sales tax, prove that it was paid, or prove your exemption at the DMV office when there is a change of ownership, a lease agreement, or a new resident of NYS applies for a NYS registration or title certificate. You must get a sales tax receipt from the DMV even if the transaction is exempt from sales tax.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

seagull made a few passes before exhausting all ordinance.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If you want the boat, read this:

It isn't like you are buying a $20,000 boat. This boat in good condition and running well is probably worth $1500 to $2000. So, if you are trading $1,000 of your stuff for it, then it is probably a good trade for both of you. But, here are a couple of things:

1. It would be a good starter boat for you. The 3.0 liter mercruiser is pretty easy to work on and is a very reliable motor. Most engine compartments with this engine in it give you room to work on it too. So, you will learn a lot from this boat. The MOST important thing to test is whether or not it has good compression. If so, then as long as you buy parts from inexpensive places that you will probably find online, then you won't have too much to invest into the engine (and if you can work on engines, such as car engines yourself, then you should be able to work on this one). Also make sure the oil in the engine doesn't look milky.

2. The engine probably doesn't have enough power to really tear up the outdrive, so if the outdrive oil looks good, then the outdrive should be ok too. (oil shouldn't look milky).

3. Do not think that you will be a speedster in this boat. A 19' boat with a 4cylinder engine is not one of your faster boats on the water. Keep your speeds less than 25mph and you will preserve your engine life.

4. It is a 1987 boat that you are getting for $1000, I wouldn't expect it to be in perfect condition. If you later find out that the entire hull is junk, then you will get to learn how to take the engine and outdrive off of this boat and put it into another.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Question for you: Do you use the shotgun and motorcycle a lot? You seem to be concerned about dollar figures, but if you don't use the shotgun and cycle much, and you suse the boat all the time, then you may have won.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

+1^^^^^

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If you want the boat, read this:

It isn't like you are buying a $20,000 boat. This boat in good condition and running well is probably worth $1500 to $2000. So, if you are trading $1,000 of your stuff for it, then it is probably a good trade for both of you. But, here are a couple of things:

1. It would be a good starter boat for you. The 3.0 liter mercruiser is pretty easy to work on and is a very reliable motor. Most engine compartments with this engine in it give you room to work on it too. So, you will learn a lot from this boat. The MOST important thing to test is whether or not it has good compression. If so, then as long as you buy parts from inexpensive places that you will probably find online, then you won't have too much to invest into the engine (and if you can work on engines, such as car engines yourself, then you should be able to work on this one). Also make sure the oil in the engine doesn't look milky.

2. The engine probably doesn't have enough power to really tear up the outdrive, so if the outdrive oil looks good, then the outdrive should be ok too. (oil shouldn't look milky).

3. Do not think that you will be a speedster in this boat. A 19' boat with a 4cylinder engine is not one of your faster boats on the water. Keep your speeds less than 25mph and you will preserve your engine life.

4. It is a 1987 boat that you are getting for $1000, I wouldn't expect it to be in perfect condition. If you later find out that the entire hull is junk, then you will get to learn how to take the engine and outdrive off of this boat and put it into another.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Question for you: Do you use the shotgun and motorcycle a lot? You seem to be concerned about dollar figures, but if you don't use the shotgun and cycle much, and you suse the boat all the time, then you may have won.

But i think that if he ever decided to part the boat out then he would get more the 2k back

 

[rivermouse]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

All I can say is being told an engine runs and you actually seeing it run are two differant things. Does the seller want to see the bike run? If so you better see the boat run. If you know little about boats and dont have a place to service/repair it etc THIS BOAT IS NOT FOR YOU if you are really planning on putting it in the water.

 

[Bayou Dave]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Here it is Dec 8th. Wonder if he ever bought the boat?

 

[rivermouse]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Here it is Dec 8th. Wonder if he ever bought the boat?

I doubt it,,,sounds like he was just a "dreamer"

 

[polaris500]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

I doubt it,,,sounds like he was just a "dreamer"

I followed through with the trade and then sold the boat for 2,000 two days later. Some dream....

 

[Brian 26]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

How did the inspection go? Did you test drive it?

With 30+ responses there are probably a lot of us who are curious.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

How did the inspection go? Did you test drive it?

With 30+ responses there are probably a lot of us who are curious.

Ditto!! Please share your process with us!

How did it run? Why did you sell it?

Was your intent all along to trade $1,000 worth of stuff for something that you could flip and get $2000 for? If that was your intent, you lucked out, boats aren't where you wanna try that.

 

[Deltarat]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

The very first thing I want to know is the year of the boat. Next, what outdrive does it have on it. These two features determine if the boat is worth anything at all. Some older boats have outdrive and motor parts that aren't available any more and if you purchase this boat and these items break; you're stuck with something you have to pay to haul away. Was the motor run in Salt water? Is there signs of corrison or heavy grass on hull showing signs it wasn't taken good care of. You do know what B.O.A.T. stands for: Break Out Another Thousand! Older boats can get very expensive when needing repairs due to the fact that the bolts in the motor/outdrive are rusted in place and break off when trying to remove. Find out when it was last serviced and by who. Request all paperwork. Good Luck.