Hello all,
I'm close to purchasing my first boat and have one we've been working on for a week or so. Everything was great until some major repair was discovered before sea trial. That was fixed but when we saw the boat the condition was visually underwhelming. So, I would like to get some input as to whether or not I'm looking at the right things or being too picky. I've been around boats my whole life (family owned), so I'm familiar with what it takes to maintain them, the basic lingo, and general good/bad/ugly when it comes to problems. That said, this has the amenities I and my wife want and at a great price, but there's some history on the boat that concerns me.
First, the boat is a 210 Sundeck '98 model. We had it out on the lake for a sea trial, and the performance was great. 45 mph at 5,000 rpms. Great throttle response. No engine noise or growling from the outdrive in turns, acceleration through turns etc. The boat rode well and established plane quickly. Mercruiser/alpha 1 combo. Not a lot of 'clunk' in and out of reverse- could hear it and not 'feel' it. We had it out for about 25 mins and was happy with the performance.
However...I do have concerns regarding how well the boat was cared for and what may be waiting for me if I buy...
1) Boat was serviced only every two years; from comments in the maintenance records I can tell the boat wasn't used very frequently. There was a carb. rebuild and that needed to be redone because of lack of use.
2) I was set to trial the boat and while the marina was cleaning it up, they found that the ujoint bellows was severed. The owner repaired this, and the gimbal bearing was ok; they replaced all three bellows while they were in there.
3) Hull has two dime sized gouges in the fiberglass towards the front of the keel, where it begins to curve upwards; looks like beaching damage. There's also discoloration for about 1-2 feet by 6 in. along one side of the hull below the waterline, towards the front of the boat and near the keel; doesn't look yellowed, but 'whiter' and not as consistent color wise than the rest of the hull.
4) Skeg is chewed up, but still resembles its original shape- edge looks like ripping a piece of paper in half
5) Outside condition of above-waterline fiberglass is pretty bad; dings, scratches, gouges and self-repairs; about 15 in total. Decals are bad. The vinyl has several punctures and one of the speakers doesn't work.
6) While I was 'told' that the boat was winterized regularly, I only see one record that shows a 'de-winterization'
That's all I can see- my next step was going to be a full on buyer's check; especially given the way this boat has been cared for. Boat wasn't loved on at all it seems- or, very minimally.
Based on the items I describe, should I run from this boat?
Am I being too picky?
What else should I look at?
Thanks!
I'm close to purchasing my first boat and have one we've been working on for a week or so. Everything was great until some major repair was discovered before sea trial. That was fixed but when we saw the boat the condition was visually underwhelming. So, I would like to get some input as to whether or not I'm looking at the right things or being too picky. I've been around boats my whole life (family owned), so I'm familiar with what it takes to maintain them, the basic lingo, and general good/bad/ugly when it comes to problems. That said, this has the amenities I and my wife want and at a great price, but there's some history on the boat that concerns me.
First, the boat is a 210 Sundeck '98 model. We had it out on the lake for a sea trial, and the performance was great. 45 mph at 5,000 rpms. Great throttle response. No engine noise or growling from the outdrive in turns, acceleration through turns etc. The boat rode well and established plane quickly. Mercruiser/alpha 1 combo. Not a lot of 'clunk' in and out of reverse- could hear it and not 'feel' it. We had it out for about 25 mins and was happy with the performance.
However...I do have concerns regarding how well the boat was cared for and what may be waiting for me if I buy...
1) Boat was serviced only every two years; from comments in the maintenance records I can tell the boat wasn't used very frequently. There was a carb. rebuild and that needed to be redone because of lack of use.
2) I was set to trial the boat and while the marina was cleaning it up, they found that the ujoint bellows was severed. The owner repaired this, and the gimbal bearing was ok; they replaced all three bellows while they were in there.
3) Hull has two dime sized gouges in the fiberglass towards the front of the keel, where it begins to curve upwards; looks like beaching damage. There's also discoloration for about 1-2 feet by 6 in. along one side of the hull below the waterline, towards the front of the boat and near the keel; doesn't look yellowed, but 'whiter' and not as consistent color wise than the rest of the hull.
4) Skeg is chewed up, but still resembles its original shape- edge looks like ripping a piece of paper in half
5) Outside condition of above-waterline fiberglass is pretty bad; dings, scratches, gouges and self-repairs; about 15 in total. Decals are bad. The vinyl has several punctures and one of the speakers doesn't work.
6) While I was 'told' that the boat was winterized regularly, I only see one record that shows a 'de-winterization'
That's all I can see- my next step was going to be a full on buyer's check; especially given the way this boat has been cared for. Boat wasn't loved on at all it seems- or, very minimally.
Based on the items I describe, should I run from this boat?
Am I being too picky?
What else should I look at?
Thanks!
