need advice on buying used boat

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

This Mercruiser 4cyl. is a Lincoln block, I don't know who works on these anymore, or who if anyone has replacement blocks? or parts?

so this is one to stay away from? this might save me a trip to seattle

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

maybe I should focus on that old starcraft back in post 86, it looks pretty darn clean for an old boat, and it's local, what are those motors like to work on and get parts for?

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

the guy posted that starcraft again, it must not have sold, so I just e-maild him and asked to take a look at it if he still has it, maybe I can take a look tomorrow before work

 

[sea wolf]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

Mr. Stuart, the first pics that u posted are of a Bayliner. I would pass on the Reinall. The OMC drive on that will be a maintenance nightmare. It looks like an 800 series. Parts hard to find, expensive, a hassle to maintain, etc. What year is the Bayliner?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

I'd be racing you to the Starcraft if I wasn't in the east. Check out the Starcraft forum here to see some pics of burroaks starcraft he just finished which is basically this same boat. Aluminums are great in my opinion.

 

[tmh]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

I'd want that Starcraft for under $3k or so, depending on actual age. If that's original upholstery you can bet it was VERY well cared for. The hull looks kinda shallow, so the 115 hp OB ought to do fine on it. Someone else will need to tell you if that engine is a good make/yr for parts, etc.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

I'd want that Starcraft for under $3k or so, depending on actual age. If that's original upholstery you can bet it was VERY well cared for. The hull looks kinda shallow, so the 115 hp OB ought to do fine on it. Someone else will need to tell you if that engine is a good make/yr for parts, etc.

I looked at the starcraft, it's all origional, and very, very well cared for, the guy is so anel about it he has plastic on the seats because he didn't want his grandkids spilling food on them,it's always been garaged, and he's had it since it was new, I looked it over really close, it does have water mixed oil in the lower end unitbut it doesn't look near as bad as that L-drive did, I gave the guy a link to this thread so he can see what were saying about his boat, when we checked the lower unit and saw the water mixed oil, he got right on the phone and started making phone calls, it looks like it's about a 400 dollar fix, but it also look like something I could do myself? a seal kit is 75 bucks, the guy even puts towels over the seats when it's in the sun so the seats wouldn't fade, anyway, I wanted to get your opinion on it, and that lower unit issue, the lower unit is water mixed but doesn't look real bad to me, and he had it up and the lake sitting in the water for the last couple of weeks while they were on vacation, he threw in a 92 evinrude 9.9 horse electric start kicker motor with it, it's set up to run with the boat, he says the kicker has about 20 hours on it maybe at most since new, he's hardly ever used it, and it looks brand new, so does the 115 horse evinrude sitting on the back of the baat, I pullled the top cover to get a look at the power head and it's so clean you could eat off it.

we bartered around on price, and settled on 3800 including the kicker, provided not anything serious is wrong with the luwer unit on the 115 horse engine, the boat is a 78, and so is the engine, the guy seems like a up front honest guy, he told me everythig about the boat, good and bad, but have to admit, other then a light issue on the trailer, there's not much to report, the only work he's ever had to do to it is a carb rebuild, a new lower unit about 6 years ago, and thee throttle and shift cables replaced a couple of years back. he also changes the plugs every year, and greases everything seasonally, and has been changing the lower unit oil yearly, he seems as surprised as I was when he saw the oil come out, it defently had water in it, but it wasn't anything like that L-Drive I lost sleep over.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

I'm thinking with the kicker, and the condition of the boat, it's worth 3800 if nothing serious is wrong with the lower unit other then a seal kit, that boat is incredably clean, I was pretty impressed to see something so clean, I looked at the transom, the wood in it doesn't even have any paint flakeing off, it's solid, the boat literally dosn't look like it's much older then maybe 4 or 5 years, it's THAT clean, it does have a fish finder and some Loran GPS thing that's hooked up to work with the fish finder. he'a also a wood worker and it's trimed out very nicely in teak wood, from the condition, when your behind the steering wheel, you'd think you were sitting in a car, it shows no signs of water damage anywhere, the interior is spotless, the floor is as solid as a rock, I looked under all the seats, and the wood frames are perfect, I've seen a lot of boats where the wood under the seats was startiing to rot yet the interior still looked ok, not this boat, it's perfect top to botom, except for the lower unit, he's changing the oil in the lower unit tonight, then he;s going to run it in his driveway for a half hour or soo, and drian the oil again and see how water logged it is and call me back, I left him a deposit on the boat, but would still like to get your thoughts on the lower unit.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

the guy just called me back, he ran the boat for an hour on a garden hose after he changed the oil in the lower unit, and he drained the oil after the run, and showed no signs of water, maybe just needs a seal kit? what's your thoughts?

 

[DufferJim]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

My thoughts are "I'm jealous". I'm a newbie too but I would have had to pull the trigger for $3800. Hell even if you end up having to make a repair you weren't expecting, I'd bet selling the kicker would pay for it and then some.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

I posted some questions over in the evinrude section of the forums, and I haven't heard anything bad about the engine that's on it, they did say that doing the seals in the lower unit might be a little tricky, so I'm thinking of paying the 350 or 400 and having it done, just to be on the safe side instead of doing it myself, as for the kicker, I like the idea of that exttra motor in case somethinbg goes wrong out on the water, being a new boater, I really don't want to get stuck while I'm out with the kids, that probably wouldn;t go over very well with their mom. the guy that owns the boat seems really nice, and is willing to take the time to show me how everything works.

I see a lot of posts where people talk about cleaning this or that, buffing out the hulls ect, there's nothing to clean on this boat, I don't think there's a way to make it look any better then it already does.

I am, still a little nervous about the lower unit, but I have to realize that for the money I have to work with, I'm not going to get a perfect boat, and I'm going to have to get my hands dirty sooner or later anyway, so I think it's worth taking the chance onb the lower unit, I'll pick the boat up tomorrow.

 

[caharris79]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

So... What happened? Come on, the suspense is killing me. I read the whole story! Haha

 

[tmh]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

Buy it!!!! I'd have negotiated down on price because it IS an OLD boat. However, the kicker motor is a fair add-on so I'd say "deal"!!!!

I've said before, you want to buy an older used boat from a "boat nut". You found one, that's for sure. Covering the seats of a 30 yr. old boat is just the kind of anal boat owner you want to buy from. I guarantee the motor is as nice as one that old could be, or that dude would have lost sleep over it.

VERY low risk purchase, IMO. Buy it, use it, if it's not the exact boat you want then sell it sometime and get a different one. You'll probably get hooked on it though and keep it a while!

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

I'm meeting the guy at noon, he was pretty unhappy when he saw the water mixed oil in the outdrive, his first words were, "I can't sell it like this" then he started making phone calls and got some estimates of how much it would cost to fix it, then he asked me what I wanted to do, so we he-haw'd around, and we finally settled on a deal with the kicker, I think I might be able to re-seal the lower unit myself of I get a maintenance manual on the engine, I hear they can be a little tricky, but I figured if I get a book, and follow it real close, I should come out ok.

the guy is very anal about the boat, he doesn't like anyone eating in it, he won't let anyone step on the seats getting in or out, and he's got a ladder to get in it so your not stepping on the sides of the boat, it's darn near 30 years old, but sure don't look like it, I've seen mid 90's stuff that looked a lot worse then this one.

I have a travel trailer that's a 1975, and I got it from the same kind of people about 3 years ago, and I have never in all the trips I've taken it on, ever had any kind of problem with it, and I have pulled that trailer thousands of miles and did 27 camping trips with it last year alone.

I feel good about the boat, he said the boat weighs about 1000 pounds, it would be easy to pull on some of our camping trips, at 18 feet, it's got plenty of room inside, it seats 7 people, so there's plenty of room for the kids, and before I bring the boat home, he said he would take the time to go over it with me so I know how to work everything, he also asked me if I was going to store it outside, it was my impression that he really doesn't want to see it go to someone thats not going to take care of it.

I'll get more pictures of it today and get them posted up here, I think it's worth the 3800 with the kicker, if I have to spend money on the lower unit to get it fixed, plus the kicker gives me the opportunity to find a cheap little 12 foot aluminum boat that I can throw up on top of the utility trailer for some of our tent camping trips, I've been seeing some of those old aluminum boats in ads around here for about 200 bucks.

I was told to stay away from riveted aluminum boats, but one look at this boat and you'd know it's been well cared for, the rivets on it are still sealed in paint or what ever they used on them, from climbing under the boat, the bottom is not scraped up at all, it doesn't look like it's ever been beached, there's no dents on it anywhere, the hull looks about as new as one can look for a 30 year old boat.

 

[DufferJim]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

Congrats man. Looks like a great boat

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

Just read this whole thing and when I got to the pics of the boat you're looking at my jaw dropped. I bought my boat for $3500cdn (which I thought was fair at the time) and that winter decided to completely rebuild EVERYTHING because the boat was rotten. For the $3000 extra (and time) I invested I could have got better, bigger boat. Not upset I spent so much on it because I did get to customize it and can call it my own now, but I wished I would have waited.

I hope when I get back home in a couple hours I see you're the new proud owner of this boat Also the way this season has been, you still have another good 2 - 2 1/2 months of boating you can get in. Then you get to try and deal with the spring itch which is always fun rofl.

PS. Not sure if it'd make you nervous to do so, but a year from now if you purchase this boat and really enjoy it... take this gentleman out on a fishing trip with you (your expense) and show him how much you appreciate the chance to get your kids and family into boating. Just a suggestion Good luck.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

you know, when I got to the guys house at noon, he had that boat hooked up to his truck and ready to go, and said, "lets go boating" I spent all afternoon with him, when we were done, we went back to his house, and he went over every inch of that boat telling me about this and that, he was as anal on the water with his boat as he was with the upkeep, he told me not to push the motor, never run it at full RPM for more then a few seconds, or just enough to get it up on plane, (I have to tell you, that boat does about 45, it's fast) he slowed down to an idle at every wake, told me because it's aluminum, I should never slam it into the wakes, the throttle is so smooth, you can run the thing with one finger, it moves very easy, and doesn't hesitate at all, I got home, with the boat, and my family was ready to go hit the river, so off we went, spent the rest of the afternoon, and well into the evening out there but didn't bring my camera, so I promise I'll have pictures tomorrow, so far today in the time I've been on that boat, I've heard from at least 4 different people as to how nice they thought the boat was, it brings lots of comments.

now to top all that off, he handed me the original canvas boat cover that didn't have a single hole in it. he said if he's hauling it down the road, that canvas is on it, and it's the one he got with the boat, it also has the original flag mount and factory flag from 78 that goes on the nose of the boat, it mounts to the very tip of the front grab rail and the very front of the boat, it's a little starcraft triangle red and white flag, it also has the flag pole and mast and flag for the back, this boat had everything it came with when new, it was unbelievable, and nothing is weathered, soiled or damaged in anyway, I even got the original touch up paint for any nicks it might get, I got the owners manual for the boat, the 115 horse outboard as well as the owners manual for the 9.9 horse kicker, everything was neatly wrapped in a water proof bag and in the glove box, we ran that boat until after dark, all the lights work even the insterment lights work.

we're going to put the mounts and flags back on it tomorrow and sail it in all it's glory, I have to say, after I was done with with the owner for the day, it literally brought a tear to my eye to see someone put so much care and pride into something, you can tell just by looking at it, "they don't build em like this anymore" all the hardware on it shines, I feel very fortunate that I was able to find this boat, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it's perfect for my family and I, and the guy has worked with me every step of the way, he said the water in the outdrive bothered him so bad last night that he woke up t 2:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so he went out and fiddled on the boat, more shining, cleaning, polishing, heck, even the trailer looks brand new. as I left with the boat, he told me to never hesitate to call him if I ever have any questions about the boat, he sold the boat because his wife doesn't have much upper body strength anymore and he was worried that she might fall out of the boat or something, it was to hard for her to get in and out of, so he's going to buy a new boat that will accommodate his wife better, there was three people after the boat and he decided to sell it to me even though he had said it's going to go to the first person that shows up with the cash, there was another couple that was supposed to come back yesterday to buy it, and when they called to come get it, he said, "sorry, it's been sold" and I hadn't even paid him for it yet.

I know I can rattle on, but this boat is really impressive, I'll get pictures of it when I have it out tomorrow, I'm going to make sure I have my camera this time,

I know it's not that old of a boat, but it's old enough that you really do feel like your running something vinitge when your out on the water with it

I pulled the drain plug on the hull tonight after I got home, and after being out on the water all day, not so much as a drop of water came out of the drain.

I know I have a lower end unit repair to make to the boat, but considering everything, and the care it's been given, I really can't see where the lower unit would need much more then maybe a seal kit, I really see nothing on that boat that needs any kind of work at all, other then the lower unit, everything else is rock solid

the guy even had all the touch up paint for all the colors on the boat, including the engine

 

[tmh]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

uh.......all I can say is THANK GOD we made you be patient!!!!!!!!!!! The "gotta buy a boat NOW" excitement is something we ALL have had! It needs to be tempered so you can look around to find the right one, as you obviously did.

Don't worry if it's not the "perfect" boat for you....a little secret maybe no one told you - there's no such thing! You got what will serve you very well for a long time.

NOW, you have the burden to keep that thing in great shape!!!! When you nick it up or get a small rip in a seat you'll feel like you let the previous owner down somehow!

btw, I agree you should take him out for a ride once a year because it just sounds like a cool thing to do! You never have too many friends and this guy has some of himself invested in that boat. Actually, have HIM take you out in your boat!

Congrats on the purchase. Score another one for iBoats forums and the helpful folks here! They got me through being a new boater (so far) and they'll do the same for you.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

uh.......all I can say is THANK GOD we made you be patient!!!!!!!!!!!

being patient was the hard part, I was even reluctant on this boat, but it paid off, and yes, I will ask the previous owner if he would like to go out on the water. and I'm sure he will say yes, he's a nice guy, I never once got the feeling he was just trying to get rid of a headache, he made sure I knew I was welcome to call any time no matter how dumb I thought the question might be.

I'm up early today waiting for the rest of the family to get up so we can go boating, I have the camera loaded up with fresh batteries.

I did take the little kicker motor with me yesterday, couldn't figure out how to start it, I'm going to have to read the owners manual and figure it out, I want to find an old 12 foot aluminum boat to put the kicker on, I see them listed locally for about 200 or so, their old ugly and beat up, but they float, I thought it would work good for camping.

catch you guys this afternoon.

Stuart

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: need advice on buying used boat

J I bought my boat for $3500cdn (which I thought was fair at the time) and that winter decided to completely rebuild EVERYTHING because the boat was rotten. For the $3000 extra (and time) I invested I could have got better, bigger boat. Not upset I spent so much on it because I did get to customize it and can call it my own now, but I wished I would have waited.

Suzuki, doing the work yourself really allows you to get to know your boat, I think you did ok, if you look at the link in the very first post I made in this thread, you'll see what happened to me when I got impatient, it was not good, I ended up with the worst boat I could have asked for, and when I got it back from the shop, the repairs estimate was almost as much as I paid for the whole boat, they said it would cost at least 3000 to get it on the water.