How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

sail&power

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Feb 13, 2006
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I am considering buying a Chaparral 2004 18 ft I/O with 13 hrs of operation in salt water for one year. It had bottom paint so it may have been on a mooring or slip. I will be using the boat in fresh water. The boat appears to be in excellent shape. I do not see any exterior salt water damage. The boat is 150 miles away so I can't have my mechanic survey the boat. The dealer bought the boat in a repo auction; I am getting an excellent price. The dealer warrants the engine and drive train for one season. How can I inspect the boat engine for salt damage? :)
 

Bondo

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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

From 150 Miles Away,......<br /><br />You Can't.......<br /><br />From what you describe,......<br /><br />I'd say Go For It,.........<br /><br />Just Plan on changing the Manifolds Next Year,... Or possibly the year after........<br /><br />Switching to Freshwater operations Now,.... Won't Stop the Salt Damage that's Already Started in the Manifolds......<br />But,...... It Will be Delayed somewhat........
 

Doug Durako

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Nov 17, 2002
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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

13 hours is nothing but the repo part would bother me. Most people who can't make a payment are not inclined to take very good care of anything. Check out the fine print in his warranty. I would also look out on several web sites and find the very same boat to see what the market rate is for purchase right now.
 

Don S

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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

Hire a marine surveyor in that area to inspect the boat. The selling dealer can give you the names of the ones in his area. Or better yet, drive the 150 miles and LOOK at it yourself get the phone book and look up a surveyor.
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

go to yellow page.com list the city, and marine surveyor.
 

cmyers_uk

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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May 4, 2004
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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

You have to see the boat you cant guess whats been done from a distance. I have been running in salt for 7 years with zero problems caused by salt. As Don bondo says in salt the manifolds and risers are considered disposable. Another question worth asking is if the dealer is 150miles away and you have a problem it means dragging it back there?
 

Lou C

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11,798
Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

Here manifolds and risers are usually good for 4-5 seasons. It might seem strange for a boat with bottom paint to only have 13 hrs on it, but maybe the person lost their job and then never used it, and then it was re-posessed. Esp look at the drive, if it wasn't painted with antifouling, it could have barnicles and other salt water nasties on it.<br />Only downside is that if you are in a fresh water area, a salt water boat (as bottom paint may suggest) might lower the resale value relative to freshwater boats there, when you do decide to sell. But overall, 13 hrs in salt is nothing to worry about. Many boats here have 13 seasons in salt and they are still running (with good maintenance).
 

waterone1@aol.com

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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

Here is my opinion on this. 1) 18 foot boats normally do not have bottom paint. Even in salt water, a boat that small is usually kept on a lift or trailered. It may be legit, or it could be someone trying to cheaply cover-up bottom repairs. As someone else said, with a boat that small you will have a rough time reselling it with bottom paint. 2) Never buy a boat without some kind of inspection and sea trial. If you know what to look for and what to look out for....go for it, otherwise hire a professional. 3) What do you know about the "dealer" and their reputation ? Have you read the "warranty" they are offering ? Elsewhere, someone posted that there are one or more "dealers" trying to sell hurricane damaged boats as repo's....beware.
 

goinhungry

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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

Waterone's right on. When I was looking at boats my surveyor told me that in a few months he'd be seeing hurricane boats - and he's in NY! If the boat is trashed, the owner won't make the payments and the bank will repo it to get at least some of their $ back. Technically it's a repo, but it's also a hurricane boat. Just be overly cautious - hire a professional, it's worth every penny - this is a big investment, even if it is a good deal.
 

ron7000

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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.
 

sail&power

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Feb 13, 2006
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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

The rest of the story: I learned that this is a hurricane boat; the bottom was painted to hide hull damage. Be careful. Thanks everyone for their excellent thoughts. Congratulations to waterone1 for his excellent guess re hurricane damage. :)
 

Bondo

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Re: How to define salt damage to boat I am considering buying

Ayuh,............<br /><br />The Power of an Informed Buyer............... ;)
 
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