1st time boat buyer

Hi folks,
Thought I posted this earlier today - guess not!We are in the market for our first boat. Make no mistake, we don't have hugh bucks to splurge first time which will make this a bit more complicated for us. To get a old used boat with few issues when we don't have all the boating knowledge of what to look for stay and or away from, I hope this site can help us out a bit.
I guess a checklist of what to look for in the boat. We would be looking for a 18-22 ft bowrider (preferred). Is there a checklist of things to look for when viewing a boat? Is a water test run necessary (I wonder how people see from their driveway?) Whatever you can offer would be great. Looking through some posts I do see some issues I had not even thought of.
My biggest fear is the engine, if they are problem free or potential dogs. How can one non mechanical person tell the difference? Is a jet boat worth looking at? Is inboard better than outboard? I gather brands are not as important when you get down to age but there must certainly be some STAY AWAY model years or manufactures.
Again, any help would be great!

Thanks all.

Bill

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Run a quick search for "looking to buy a boat". All your questions will be answered my friend. Good Luck.

Re: 1st time boat buyer

Welcome to iBoats. . . see my comments below.

Is there a checklist of things to look for when viewing a boat? Probably . . maybe do some searching.

Is a water test run necessary (I wonder how people see from their driveway?) Only if you want to know how the boat works in actual conditions of use. If you plan on running only in your driveway, then it would not be necessary.

Whatever you can offer would be great. Looking through some posts I do see some issues I had not even thought of. Your budget . . . cost of the unexpected, cost of normal maintenance., etc, How old are you thinking about? Structural rot is prevalent in older boats.

My biggest fear is the engine, if they are problem free or potential dogs. They are potential dogs

How can one non mechanical person tell the difference? No, they cannot

Is a jet boat worth looking at? Sure

Is inboard better than outboard? No, they each serve a purpose . . . there are actually 3 Outboard, Inboard/Outboard, Inboard

I gather brands are not as important when you get down to age but there must certainly be some STAY AWAY model years or manufactures. It is not like cars or other things that have 'bad' model years, etc. Boats are fairly consistent over the years, each having some level of variability within a product line. Many folks have certain preferences on brand name ,etc. I have my own list of preferred brands, but they tend not to be budget friendly.

Re: 1st time boat buyer

We would be looking for a 18-22 ft bowrider (preferred).
Good size for a 1st timer

Is there a checklist of things to look for when viewing a boat?
"Major" things would be a rotting transom, stringers, etc. along with the power train.

My biggest fear is the engine, if they are problem free or potential dogs. How can one non mechanical person tell the difference?
Find a reputable boat shop or mobile mechanic to pay that does a pre-purchase mechanical survey. Even that's no "guarantee" but at least someone took a look at it.

Is inboard better than outboard?
Matter of preference but with an inboard, you have to worry more about gas fumes and that you can cause an explosion if you don't follow proper safety procedures. With an outboard, that's not much of an issue.

I gather brands are not as important when you get down to age but there must certainly be some STAY AWAY model years or manufactures.
A well cared for and maintained boat of any manufacturer is better than the best brand name that was not taken care of. You may want to find get someone to do a hull survey for you.

Is a water test run necessary (I wonder how people see from their driveway?)
Here's the thing: buying a used boat is not like buying a used car: very few folks will ever take you for a 'test' ride if you just show up not knowing exactly what type of boat, size, etc. you are looking for and ready to buy. Usually the 'test' ride is when the boat is delivered, you have cash in hand ready to trailer it away yourself from the boat ramp.
What you "may" get away with is IF someone is going to be going boating anyway, you might see if they have some extra time to take you out if you offer to pay for the gas. Of course this is ONLY after you've taken a look at the boat in the driveway and like what you see that if may be a boat you will buy.

What you really should do is go to 1 or more of the closest boat ramps to you and talk with folks heading out or coming back in regarding the type of boat, what they like/dislike about it, etc. Most folks are willing to talk and share as long as they are not in an urgent rush.

If you want to "window shop", go to a dealer who has many boats just sitting there and look at those and ask questions of the dealer.

Mark

Re: 1st time boat buyer

With the engine, it will depend the age of the engine and how well it is maintained. If you maintain them they will run great! If you don't like to maintain them, it won't last you very long. Especially with an older boat. Make sure the owner before you maintained his boat, so you won't get stuck with his problems.

Re: 1st time boat buyer

a cheap boat is good to buy first, lots of things to learn, like docking. you don't want to be slamming your new 60k boat into the dock. gives you some practice without having to worry about every little scratch you put on it. unloading and loading, don't forget to raise the prop when pulling your boat out of the water. done that, now when i put the boat in the water i put a note right on the dash of my truck that says "raise prop" only need to do that once also gives you a chance to see if you actually want to own a boat. gives you an idea of what you actually want in a boat, and that you really won't know until you've had one. then if the one you bought isn't really what you thought you wanted you can sell it and go looking for something that suits your needs a little better.

as far as reliabilty in a boat, i really don't think those two words belong in the same sentence. maintainence is your best friend, and finding one that has been loved is a must. the one thats been sitting in the back yard and is full of leaves and sticks is probably not a good choice to buy. but the problem in the lower market is most of them are neglected. major repairs can cost you more than the boat! take your time and look at as many as it takes. one mans clean boat is anothers pile of crap. i think i looked at 15-20 boats before i bought my first one. it took that many to find one that was in my opinion worth buying.

the other thing i found is almost every person i talked to who had a boat to sell was at the very best decieving. a little weathered on the interior most of the time ended up being totally thrashed. just a couple of scuffs on the outside meant scratches from front to back. everything looks great in a pic on craigslist. what i found to be most helpful was having them email you some detailed pics, recent pics. can't tell you how many peeps will send you pics taken 5 years ago and tell you they took them yesterday!!! that way you can zoom in on them and get an idea of what it actually looks like. 1 fuzzy pic of the inside usually meant thrashed interior. far away pic of outside meant scratched and sun faded.

a water test is great, but a lot of the time is not practical. good buys go fast this time of year so your great find may sell before you and the buyer can both be able to get together. also not everyone lives 5 miles from the nearest ramp, hard to get a guy to drive his boat 45 minutes to an hour for a test drive. if you don't know much about boats and don't know anyone who does your best thing is to take it to a shop and have it looked over. i would check on thier prices for an inspection first, and find out what they actually do. prices and services vary greatly so be careful.