looking to buy first lake erie boat need help?

looking for advice on buying a 23'slickcraft fiber glass boat with a 1968 gm motor and has a pre-alpha out drive.looking to see if maybe someone has a punch list or advice on what to look for in the boat and outside the boat any help would be great for me thanks.

Re: looking to buy first lake erie boat need help?

same as with any fiberglass boat.
Make sure you are able to inspect the boat on a trailer and in the water.
When on the trailer be sure to check hull bottom for blisters or cracks in gel coat.
Make sure you do a sea-trial and watch all gauges closely, pay close attention to the floor and transom.

Re: looking to buy first lake erie boat need help?

sampler,

I'm in the greater cleveland area too ( I know you're a little farther than that, but not much when you're on the water)... bet your on OGF?

I'd expand on the details of the boat you want to buy - the guys here LOVE pics and details. Also, you can ask about the motor specifically and find out how easy it is to work on and how easily you can get parts in the engines/motor section.

My ?2... Make certain to see if there are any soft spots in the deck, and if it's not cost prohibitive to you, get a survey done. Depending on the price of the boat, this may save you in the long run.

I would NEVER buy a boat (again-even from a friend) without a water test and compression test. This has cost me plenty... thankfully, ours is VERY fuel efficient and easy to work on. I agree with the PP - watch the guages - and if you don't know what they should mean, get someone who does to go out with you.

Good luck with your quest...