Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying
where is it?<br /><br />I have an 02 19' bayliner that is bottom painted, i picked that up as a salvage from an insurance company back in 02. It had been slipped in salt water, I now moore it up river in basically fresh water. My drive got trashed this year with barnacles, but the hull does not have one barnacle so I don't see a big deal with bottom paint. Fresh water boats will get growth if they sit in the water all season so bottom paint in my opinion would hold value in the boat not decrease it, trailered or not.<br /><br />If you're sure it only has 13 hrs on it (via an hour meter not someone's word) then there isn't going to be any salt water damage. I would be more worried about freeze damage since it's an 04, already been thru one winter and currently on it's second correct?<br />Make an appointment to go to the boat and observe it run on land. Have them start it cold when you get there, not before, so you can observe it can start cold no problem. Let it run for a good hour on land, up around 2k rpms, look for any water leaks from a crack in the block, manifolds, or heads and make sure it runs at correct operating temperature. Check the oil level before you start it, then after an hour of runtime. If it rises or gets milky white then you got problems. Checking out a boat to make sure it's good isn't all that complicated. Also make sure you can shift the drive into forward and reverse no problem, let it run in gear for a while. If you can get the boat in the water, all the better.