Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help :(

[Andy'sDelight]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Thanks to all of you....really!

I will give a few more bits of info, and if no opinions change, I will walk (or run Haha). It is a one owner boat. There is a stack of receipts for all sorts of repairs and maintenance from the years it was on the boat lift. It didn't have water in the motor fresh put of storage, the water showed up after a complete tuneup with fresh fluids, on the first start in years with cuffs at the marine shop. They said all looked good upon draining previous fluids, the milky mix of death showed up only after it ran for a few minutes. I have always been a huge fan of buying used one owner vehicles, and maybe boats just don't matter as much. I don't have any pictures, but just imagine a 92' Glastron g1900 in about mint condition. The engine looks clean enough to eat from. Someone cared about this boat.... But that does not change the fact that something major has happened. I have $3500 to spend on a boat, and can keep looking, but yes, the Glastron look has me sprung.... I was looking at late 80s bayliner capris, rinkers, etc and they all were thrashed..... Should I just stop looking for a reliable $2500-$3500 boat or does that amount of money allow for a good all around boat? Before I end this final plea, I will remind everyone that I do get the option currently to have this issue found at the sellers expense....knowing all this do I wait to see what the issue is and if it is minimal, fix and buy, or do you all remain planted in the recommendation to move on. This is my list rebuttal, if the mass says to walk, I will. Thanks again to all!

You're making a critical sin as a buyer. You are in love with this boat and you're letting it affect your judgement. This boat has sat through 4 winters of freezing and thawing with absolutely nothing checked or looked at. The milky oil issue popped up after all fluids were drained and refilled. That means something gave out during the sitting period, meaning something cracked. Could be alot of things, cheap or expensive. But that's just one of MANY things that could have deteriorated badly during that time. I'm not talking just the engine. I get weary of things deteriorating/going bad after one winter, and I have an outboard. 4 years of sitting for an I/O is just bad news and the milky oil is telling you that. $3500 in this market will get you a good boat. I know this because I sold a solid Wellcraft V20 with a 97 130 HP outboard for $3300 and was lucky to get that. I spent over 7k in that boat and the buyer walked away with a ready to go, no headaches, solid boat with trailer. And i'm in NJ where prices are seriously inflated. Do yourself a favor, take a breath and just go look around. Check craigslist, your local boating or sporting magazines, marinas, etc... I guarantee for $3500 you will find a boat that you will fall in love with even more and have less headache.

 

[xlur8ed]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

I was afraid of that....ugh, why can't people just be honest from the get go... How much is a good starting price for a semi reliable boat?

 

[xlur8ed]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

You're making a critical sin as a buyer. You are in love with this boat and you're letting it affect your judgement. This boat has sat through 4 winters of freezing and thawing with absolutely nothing checked or looked at. The milky oil issue popped up after all fluids were drained and refilled. That means something gave out during the sitting period, meaning something cracked. Could be alot of things, cheap or expensive. But that's just one of MANY things that could have deteriorated badly during that time. I'm not talking just the engine. I get weary of things deteriorating/going bad after one winter, and I have an outboard. 4 years of sitting for an I/O is just bad news and the milky oil is telling you that. $3500 in this market will get you a good boat. I know this because I sold a solid Wellcraft V20 with a 97 130 HP outboard for $3300 and was lucky to get that. I spent over 7k in that boat and the buyer walked away with a ready to go, no headaches, solid boat with trailer. And i'm in NJ where prices are seriously inflated. Do yourself a favor, take a breath and just go look around. Check craigslist, your local boating or sporting magazines, marinas, etc... I guarantee for $3500 you will find a boat that you will fall in love with even more and have less headache.

You have hit home, and I thank you for that. I will continue my search...so knowing my budget, what is a safer bet...outboard or I/O? Which ages better and is easier to fix (read: less expensive for the knick knack stuff that WILL commonly fail on a motor with some age?)

 

[Philster]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

"Reliable" is a subjective term. What kind of boat? At that price, you need the simplest 2-stroke outboard to have any reliability. An I/O for 3500? Reliable? No way.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Sit tight until you receive the verdict. Since the gentleman is paying for the exploratory surgery you have nothing to lose, and waiting a little while will help you cool down and think rationally.

 

[zagger]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

^Agree with waiting for mechanics verdict. The boat sounds real good and no one here will be able to asses it better than a mechanic that put his hands on it.

 

[xlur8ed]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

^Agree with waiting for mechanics verdict. The boat sounds real good and no one here will be able to asses it better than a mechanic that put his hands on it.

Fair enough, but even if it something super simple and fairly affordable to fix, do I ever trust it? I have to wait a week to hear what failed and no matter the outcome, it has been said over and over here NOT to buy it.

Everyone here says id be nuts to buy it regardless is its a $100 fix or $2500 fix.

Way I see it right now is the only way id buy it is if I can get a rebuilt motor installed for that $3500 price point (meaning get the boat for $1000 and $2500ish to replace it.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Sounds more and more like you want someone else to make the decision, at first I thought it was just your style of writing. It is your choice. No one here was born with a perfect boat in their mouth, all we can do is relate to you our collective experiences.

My current boat purchased price was $2700 and it was floating at the Marina's dock when I arrived. It had sat 2 years before the Marina decided to repo and sell it for slip fees owed. The deal was it had to be water ready. I drove it around for 20 minutes or so, it ran pretty good, started right up, etc. The engine and outdrive were solid but it needed an interior. I did not know what I did not know, but I took it home and 2 weeks later we got out on the water with passable seating for $3200 total. THEN I found out what aging outdrives REALLY need (bellows, u-joints, bearings, props, etc.), we have about $4500 in it total now and it is still not shiny, but it is reliable. I was just lucky that the engine and drive had not been abused much prior to me.

I think you are in love with the look of it now and that will mess with you for sure.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Fair enough, but even if it something super simple and fairly affordable to fix, do I ever trust it? I have to wait a week to hear what failed and no matter the outcome, it has been said over and over here NOT to buy it.

Everyone here says id be nuts to buy it regardless is its a $100 fix or $2500 fix.

Way I see it right now is the only way id buy it is if I can get a rebuilt motor installed for that $3500 price point (meaning get the boat for $1000 and $2500ish to replace it.

Unless you've already determined not to buy the boat any speculation as to what would or wouldn't be a deal breaker is a rush to judgment. Whether you buy a used boat for a grand or twenty grand you won't have confidence in her until you've lived with her for a while. Regardless of what you spend, until she becomes "your rig" you'll find yourself asking "what was that?" every time you hear a noise you can't identify. The best thing you can do is crack open a cold one, free your mind, and let the mechanic sort it out on the owner's dime. Once you've heard from him you can begin to formulate an informed and lucid opinion of the boat's suitability or unsuitability for you. Just remember there are no guarantees when it comes to used boats. They are caveat emptor. If the due diligence has been performed and on balance a rig seems like it's worth a shot at some point the dice will have to be rolled knowing there's a chance they'll come up snake eyes. When that point is reached YOU are the one with the dice in his hands and YOU are the one who has to make the final call.

 

[Hunters Dad]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Mark me down for agreeing with the last 2 posts by 'Incoop'.

Take a deep breath, crack open a cold one and wait to hear from the doctor...er..uh...mechanic. When he determines what it is and how much it will cost to repair, it will give you more leverage with the seller. You have already decided to purchase a used boat - no matter what one you buy, there will be problems, some small, some big. Boats need LOTS of TLC, and you will be getting your hands dirty (or your wallet - whichever you choose) no matter which one you buy. IMO - if you can get him down a few bucks to say $1000 - $1400, it sounds like you will be getting about as good of a deal as you are likely to get. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[xlur8ed]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Sounds more and more like you want someone else to make the decision, at first I thought it was just your style of writing. It is your choice. No one here was born with a perfect boat in their mouth, all we can do is relate to you our collective experiences.

My current boat purchased price was $2700 and it was floating at the Marina's dock when I arrived. It had sat 2 years before the Marina decided to repo and sell it for slip fees owed. The deal was it had to be water ready. I drove it around for 20 minutes or so, it ran pretty good, started right up, etc. The engine and outdrive were solid but it needed an interior. I did not know what I did not know, but I took it home and 2 weeks later we got out on the water with passable seating for $3200 total. THEN I found out what aging outdrives REALLY need (bellows, u-joints, bearings, props, etc.), we have about $4500 in it total now and it is still not shiny, but it is reliable. I was just lucky that the engine and drive had not been abused much prior to me.

I think you are in love with the look of it now and that will mess with you for sure.

You are about spot on with trying to gather info, but moreso looking for someone to say "
This is a bad deal, having a boat sit for a long time cost me $xxxxx over the years, and my life experience has proven also that this is a bad idea". I do need others to make the choice for me, because I am not one to make a good decision on it, as I have no experience. I know realistically that a boat costs money......I'm not looking for a new boat for $3500, and know it will cost me time and $ over the years....I'm just trying to gather insight and educate myself on if I should buy THIS boat or ANY boat with my budget. I don't need a boat, but have money that I don't care to toss around lightly......but not a lot of money. Do I just buy a golf cart, snowmobile, golf clubs, or take a trip....I have always wanted a boat, but never really had the money to just basically throw at a toy until now (being I sold a car for a great profit, and the car was never used....so kinda free money). If $3500 buys me something that I can casually enjoy and can net some sort of return down the road (not profit, but get something back when I'm done or upgrade) then great. I manage a shop that builds fast and fun cars, so I have done the car toy thing.....now I'm simply looking to get my feet wet with a boat. I don't want to spend $15k on q boat, because I have zero experience and want to save the boating errors for a boat that isn't really much of an investment. If I love it and want a more fun/reliable boat, then I will get one....but no sense to buy a Corvette when you have never driven a manual transmission kinda thing.... If it is going to cost me $1000 annually for a boat, then I don't want one.

 

[LiFeStArTs@FoRtY]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

I'm going to go against the grain... If the engine is trashed, have a remanufactured replacement dropped in. Even if you end up at 5 grand, you'll have a nice boat that you're proud of and you'll know where it's been. Pricing and value are relative. 5-6 grand for a nice boat with peace of mind is cheap. My neighbor bought a byliner 2855 for $300 after it sat for TWELVE years. He had to pay the storage place off and ended up paying $3500 for the storage for a combined total of $3800. All he did was wash it and change the fluids and is now on his second season. The boat looks like something out of a time warp....shiney, beautiful, and mint inside and out. Oh, it only had 30 hours on the clock and now has like 180.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

xl,

There is a boat out there for $3500 just for you. The Glastron you are looking at may come in at that price, wait and see. There is a finite list of stuff that you will eventually get fixed and then the cost is most assuredly under $1000 a year. If the Glastron has solid transom, flooring, good seats, good hull, good outdrive then renewing the engine may be worth it. No one knows how the Glastron will shake out right now. Keep looking, make yourself look some more, and I mean get OUT and look at some more. Find one right now you can try out even if it is not quite what you want. Be a "playa". That will help you break free from the good looks spell the Glastron has on you now.

 

[xlur8ed]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

xl,

There is a boat out there for $3500 just for you. The Glastron you are looking at may come in at that price, wait and see. There is a finite list of stuff that you will eventually get fixed and then the cost is most assuredly under $1000 a year. If the Glastron has solid transom, flooring, good seats, good hull, good outdrive then renewing the engine may be worth it. No one knows how the Glastron will shake out right now. Keep looking, make yourself look some more, and I mean get OUT and look at some more. Find one right now you can try out even if it is not quite what you want. Be a "playa". That will help you break free from the good looks spell the Glastron has on you now.

Sounds like a plan....ill do just that. Thanks for your continued help!!!

 

[kbmeds]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

I'm in the same boat as you my friend (no pun) I bought a 96' bayliner Capri 1850ss in great condition knowing it had milky oil..there was a few owners and had the block replaced a few years back.. last year it almost sunk at the dock from rain and then was drained and brought on shore then filled the bilge again from rain due to an irresponsible owner..the boat was then winterized with milky oil..I purchased the boat after it was pulled from storage for 850$ thinking regaurdless I can flip it for a small profit cracked block or not.. got the boat home and pulled the pan plug and had about a gallon of water and then 4 gallons of milk quickly follow..now I'm sitting with a boat that hasn't seen the water waiting on cash to fix it...

Its really exciting buying a boat for your first time and the allure of boating itself will make you put aside what's wrong with it and the cash you'll have to put up to fix it...

If you go into it thinking your gonna have to replace the motor id try to get him down on the price b/c a rebuilt 4.3 will cost you atleast 3-3500$ to get put in unless your mechanically inclined and have the time to swap a motor..

Boats aren't like cars you don't wanna get stranded with family/friends on the water..

Bust
Out
Another
Thousand

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Here I just spent a bunch of time reading this only to figure out it's an OLD thread..........:facepalm:

 

[lncoop]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

Here I just spent a bunch of time reading this only to figure out it's an OLD thread..........:facepalm:

I knew it was an old thread and read through it again any way. Now I'm breaking protocol by responding, but only to wonder aloud what he finally decided. It's disappointing to me when someone starts a thread like this and never returns with any sort of closure. I feel so empty, and my therapist doesn't work on Fridays.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

I agree, 'coop. For the record, I agreed with all your points......

 

[emoney]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

As a matter of fact, someone needs to go to the OP's house and demand we get a follow-up post as to what he decided!!!

(I just reread the whole thread too because it got necro-bumped. How dumb am I?) Still a good thread with good advice.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Looking to buy a boat...water in oil...newbie in need of help

As a matter of fact, someone needs to go to the OP's house and demand we get a follow-up post as to what he decided!!!

(I just reread the whole thread too because it got necro-bumped. How dumb am I?) Still a good thread with good advice.

LOL. Now if my therapist finds out I've been necro-bumping he might even come in on a Friday!