Tip #3 "Helpful Tips For Buying A Boat"

[JP]

When it comes time to buy your boat, whether it is a high performance bass boat like a Ranger or a small tin boat like a Smokercraft, there are some things you might want to consider that could save you stress and money later on.

Speaking with people at different venues like trade and boat shows and at the boat launches, it amazes me how little information is out there for people to make a good decision when buying their first boat. Before you even start looking you want to ask yourself a couple of key questions:

WHAT WILL YOU BE USING THE BOAT FOR?
It sounds like such a silly question, but you would be surprised how many people forget to figure this out and end up getting something that doesn’t work for them. For example, if you are spending most of your time pulling the kids around on a tube or water skiing, then a Fish and ski type rig might be better suited and more comfortable. Also if you are planning to fish for lots of lake trout and troll for salmon and walleye, then a bass boat might not be the best bet.

WHO WILL BE USING THE BOAT?
Again a simple question, but if you ask many marinas they will tell you that every year many newer rigs are traded in because of this quote “My wife doesn’t like it.” Take this into account if your kids or partner will be spending any length of time in the boat with you.

WHERE WILL YOU MAINLY USE IT?
If you are planning to be on big water, then look at boats that can handle the waves and weather comfortably. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who do not think about this and end up buying something that might not be a good fit for them.

2 STROKE VS 4 STROKE ENGINES??

This has to be one of the most talked about subjects when people are looking for a vessel and many of us still are confused over this because of all the manufacturers saying this is better that that. Hopefully this will help clear things up a bit.

4 stroke engines have really become popular in the last couple of years. The benefits are that they are very quiet while operating, you don’t have to mix oil and gas, less maintenance, can troll down much slower than two strokes and are great on fuel. The drawbacks are they are much more expensive, are more costly to repair, generally slower to get up on plane and lower top end speed and about 20% heavier than a comparable two stroke model. Because of the great savings on fuel consumption and slower trolling speeds, these motors are great for trolling all day with no gas fumes or excessive noise. If you are using your boat to pull a tube or water skier you might find that it takes longer to get them up on the water.

2 Stroke engines have been around for ever and many improvements have been made to improve the fuel economy. There has been a rumor going around for a couple of years now that all two strokes will be banned eventually so don’t buy one. Every one has the image of the old smoking motor spewing a thick blue haze over the water. This is not true. All new engines sold must meet specific emissions guidelines for 2006 and 2010 so they are in some cases better than four strokes. Other benefits are more power and throttle response, better whole shot, less expensive to repair, better top end speed and less expensive, overall. The down side to some of these motors are that they can be noisy, can sometimes be harder to start in cold weather, mixing oil in the fuel and spark plugs should be changed every year.

Now that you have figured out this you can devote your energy into finding the perfect rig, but where do you start to look. New or used, private sale or from a dealer??? Here are some points and questions you might want to ask to determine which route to take.

USED BOATS

There are some great used boats on the market every year and it is always hard to figure out what is good and what will be a pain later on. Here are a couple of tips that you can use to save you lots of time and aggravation.

ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
1. Does the seller have the service history on the boat, motor and trailer? This a great starting point to gage how the seller has taken care of the rig (i.e., winterizing, oil changes, spark plugs, routine service, etc.). If there are holes in the service history make sure you ask why.
2. Is the seller the original owner and if not, how many owners before? This can give you an indicator on wear and tear and age of the package.
3. Have they made any repairs to the boat, motor and trailer and what were they? This sounds like the first question but a lot of people do their own repairs or have it done off the record.
4. Are there any repairs that need to be made or potential problems that you should know about? If they are honest they will let you know so you can factor that in to the cost of the package.
5. When were the trailer bearings and brakes (if it has them) serviced last. The last thing you want is to be stuck on the side of the road because of this simple maintenance issue.
6. Any warranty remaining on the boat, motor or trailer and is it transferable to a new owner. Some hull warranties are not transferable.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND BE NOSEY
1. Take your time and look at everything closely and don’t feel bad about being nosey because it might be the only way to see potential problems and gage the overall shape of the boat. Open ever hatch, look into access panels, under the console, etc.
2. With fiberglass hulls pay close attention to the transom and look for spider or stress cracks that may indicate week points or rot. Try running your hand over suspect areas to see if there is any evidence of repair.
3. With aluminum hulls, check all welds for small hair line cracks that could open up over time. With riveted hulls, check to see if any rivets are loose or missing.
4. Open all the hatches to see if they work properly and check the inside compartments with your hand for moisture build up. This might signal other problems like a leak, bad air circulation or rot.
5. Check the hitch on the trailer for dents and wear as well as the chains.
6. Bring a multi meter with you and check the batteries if any for full charge. Batteries left for long periods without charge may develop a memory.
7. Now turn your attention to the motor and give the prop a spin. Watch it for a wobble or uneven rotation which could mean major problems.
8. Loosen the lower unit oil drain plug just enough for a little oil to drip out. The liquid should be clear and not cloudy or thick. If it is then you are looking at at least a bad seal and money to fix it.
9. Run your hands along the skeg and lower unit, look for any bumps or uneven parts that could indicate a re-build and potential problem.
10. If the boat is equipped with a steering wheel, turn it all the way left then right. The motor should turn smoothly and not be jerky or overly stiff. New rack and pinion or hydraulic steering is very expensive.
11. Hop in the boat and walk around the floor and put pressure in every corner to check if the floor is good. If the floor feels spongy or soft it might indicate rot.

TAKE IT FOR A RIDE
If you can take the boat for a test ride to see how it handles and to gage how the motor is running. Re-open all compartments to check for leeks and try the live well and bilge pumps to make sure they work correctly. Turn on all electronics and GPS units and make sure they function correctly as well as try the trolling motor.

FINALLY SEE THE DOCTOR
After all this and you are still interested in the boat, have the motor inspected by a certified marine mechanic and have a compression test done. This will alert you to any problems that you didn’t see before.

BUYING NEW BOATS
Like buying a new car, there are so many choices out there and it’s hard to beat that new car smell. Here are some helpful hints when looking for a new boat.
1. Do your research before you start looking and this way you will have information when you go and start to look.
2. Don’t be afraid to shop around. Dealers can vary in price even for the exact same models.
3. Horse power matters. One of the biggest complaints I hear every year from people who buy a new boat is “I wish I had gotten a bigger motor”. When you are putting a new boat package together remember this because it is a lot cheaper to upgrade the motor now than purchasing a new one a year later (sometimes a savings of $5-10 thousand dollars). A larger motor can actually sometimes save you money on your gas bill. For example a 15hp motor will get a 16.5ft boat on plane with 2 people in it at full throttle, but a 30hp motor will only have to be at half throttle to do the same and it will use less gas with power to spare. This is magnified when you add more weight to larger boats.
4. Don’t settle for just anything. If you are going to be investing in a new boat then make sure you don’t settle for anything less than exactly what you want and is in your budget.
5. Best time to look at dealers for new boats is in the fall. All of the next years models are on the way and if the dealer has any remaining stock they may cut you a good deal to clear them out.
6. Buying new is more expensive, but look at it this way, you are buying piece of mind with dealer and manufacturer backed warranties should anything go wrong.

WHERE TO BUY YOUR BOAT
Here are 2 of the main places where people are most likely to buy a boat and some tips that will help you along the way.

BUYING YOUR BOAT THROUGH A DEALER.

When buying your rig through a dealer you have a lot of options like new or used, financing, manufacturers, motors, accessories and the list goes on and on.
1. When you are looking at which dealer to buy from ask about their service hours and if they have priority service for purchasing customers.
2. If you want to gage the service quality of the dealer then try to talk to customers that may be there having their boat serviced. This will give you an idea of what you can expect. You can also try calling the better business bureau to see if there have been any complaints.
3. Products usually will have a warranty and service backed by the dealer and manufacturer which you usually don’t have when purchasing privately. This usually does not apply to boats sold on consignment.
4. If anything does go wrong the dealer and manufacturer are only a phone call away to answer any questions while a private sale you may be on your own.

BUYING A BOAT PRIVATELY

There are some great deals to be had when you purchase a boat privately, but here are a couple of things you might want to consider looking into before buying.
1. When you contact the seller of the boat, write down all the options and details that were advertised so you can refer to them if needed. This way you will be organized and ready to ask any questions that might come up when you view the boat.
2. When you go to view a rig, drive by the seller’s residence once before stopping in and pay close attention to how their property is kept. Is the grass cut, is there garbage every where, is the house or building in good shape? This will give you a basic indication on how they take care and maintain their possessions, like the boat.
3. Ask to see ownership of the boat and trailer and make sure it has the sellers name on it. Sounds silly, but there have been many cases where the buyer has gotten ripped off because of this.
4. One of the downsides of buying privately is that almost 100% of the time there is no warranty on the package so make sure you ask about any remaining factory warranty and if it can be transferred to you. Some warranties are not transferable.
5. Most private sellers do not want to put out the time and gas to take everyone who is interested in their boat for a test drive so leave it to the end to ask.
6. Follow all the points on buying a used boat and you should be good.

Hope this will be helpful and good luck with your new toy
Cheers
JP

[JP]

guess no one liked the article

[Wallyboss]

Hey JP it's not that we didn't read it, it's that we had nothing to add to it
I think that's why people wanted a boats and motor forum, to get some good info and have somewhere easy to store it.

BTW it was good info thank you.

Wallyboss AKA Dan

[JP]

Thanks Wallyboss. I just want to get feedback on the tips I write so I can improve them and find out what people want to know.
Cheers
JP

[Viking]

I too thought it was a great read. You keep posting 'em and I for one will keep reading them.

[Jale]

Sorry JP. I too would have comented as well but I think that you covered all the points very well. An excellent starting point for anyone looking at buying a boat

Joe

[ady]

great read - all good stuff.

One extra thing I noticed this year on buying new, beware advertising gimics. One manufacturer may sound cheap to get you into the showroom, prices quoted usually include small engines. Once you start udgrading to what you want, there is not a lot of difference in the prices. So check ALL boat makers and all dealers you can get to, don't be put off by thinking that a particular make is more expensive. As JP hinted, don't compromise, get what you want.

[fishforfun]

I enjoyed the read too JP.

[grumpy7790]

I have just one to add,

Sell your old boat first!

G

[dskrizzy]

Great Read JP!

I just went through buying a new boat, luckily I had been in touch with some people who offered similar advice.

Boat newb's will get a heck of a lot out of your article.

I didnt even know this boat forum existed until yesterday

You can bet I will be using this forum to ask quite a bit of questions and for some advice.

take care,
dennis

[ScottyDon't]

very informative.... too bad I'm just dreaming about buying a boat:)

[JP]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and would like to do more of these tips in the future. Does anyone have any advice about the structure of the article or anything else that could help me improve.
thanks again.
JP

[M.T. Livewell]

You could make it shorter.

Just kidding. As the boys were saying, I'm glad you got it into the boat forum. It is very comprehensive, hence few replies.

My only advice, wherever you can, add a picture. And, if it gets too lenghty, breaking into mini-articles.

Well done. Thanks for the tip.

M.T. Livewell

[Wall-I-Guy]

The lack of interest is likely due to the fact not many are in the market for a boat right now. When they are, I'm sure they will refer to your tips.

They are well done

[ady]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and would like to do more of these tips in the future. Does anyone have any advice about the structure of the article or anything else that could help me improve.
thanks again.
JP

Great post, keep it up. Most boaters build knowledge through experience, sometimes it takes a bad experience or decision to learn something. Posts like these help us newbies or those with limited ownership to avoid some of the nasties.

There a lots of topics that have been touched on in FH that could be covered by this sort of post. Prop choice for different boat usage. Routine maintenance. etc etc.

I love these and read em all. Cheers JP.