whisperstart
Cadet
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2012
- Messages
- 10
So I'm looking at this boat that's an end of season deal. It's a 1980's Sea Ray. The person selling it has taken me out on it twice now. First time just for a short period of time, maybe 10 minutes. It took awhile to start it, but he said he hadn't started it in probably 2 weeks. I took a new job and have been pretty busy so it had been almost 2 weeks and he hadn't sold it yet, so I stopped by again today and we took it out again, probably for an hour this time. It started much quicker this time. I posted in the trailering forum a week or so ago because my first concern was if my vehicle could tow it, but I've solved that problem. Anyway, it's a 24 foot cruiser. He got it in 2009, used it that year, he let someone winterize it that claimed they had been winterizing boats for years. Come summer 2010, he put it in the water, and it wasn't doing so great, turned out the block was cracked. So he got a Crate motor from s&j motors out of Washington State (Remanufactured) not rebuilt. Also replaced the outdrive. The warranty just expired on the Motor.
So anyway, he doesn't want to pay to store it again this winter, and is downsizing his toys to clear up some debt, and I think I'm able to get a pretty good deal on it. I'm not a mechanic, and I'm having trouble getting one to come do a "survey" on it. Everyone is so busy since the season is wrapping up. I know it has a new bilge pump, new starter solenoid, and a bunch of other stuff really.
I even found his Facebook page and saw where he posted that he was basically sad to be selling his boat to pay off some debts, and if any of his friends wanted to go out on it before he sold it, now was their chance. This would make me believe that it's fine, that he really is selling it for the reasons he says he is.
So it doesn't seem like there is really anything wrong with it. And before anyone asks, I've been boating for 3 years now. Started on a small beater runabout, thought I would get something bigger and wanted a cruiser, so bought one kind of as an impulse without water testing it, motor locked up about 3 weeks into owning it and it made me so mad I just sold it and took a loss. Then my friend who was going through a divorce didn't have anywhere to keep his boat, so I offered to store it at my place if I could use it, so I've been using his boat this summer, but it's time to get my own again.
I think it's safe to say that if there was anything major wrong with it, it would have died today when we were out on it for over an hour. I can't think of anything someone could jerry-rig to make work long enough to show a boat to a potential buyer, and hope it doesn't fail while taking it for a test ride.
I verified all the receipts for the new motor/outdrive. He paid 5g's for the boat 4 years ago, then had to put 6400 into it to replace motor/outdrive and labor and various other things. So he's in it over 10 grand, is asking 4 grand for it but will take 3500 so he doesn't have to pay the 500 storage fee for the winter.
I'm just skeptical cause it's a boat, and I've been burned before on them. The 2 year old remanufactured motor and outdrive give me a lot more confidence. I'm not rich, but I can afford upkeep and repairs as they come and go, and the gas it will need. I'm just really wanting a cruiser I can depend on and enjoy for the next 2 summers before I think about getting something that was made in the past decade and is not 30 years old.
I would appreciate anyone's advice that's willing to give some!!
So anyway, he doesn't want to pay to store it again this winter, and is downsizing his toys to clear up some debt, and I think I'm able to get a pretty good deal on it. I'm not a mechanic, and I'm having trouble getting one to come do a "survey" on it. Everyone is so busy since the season is wrapping up. I know it has a new bilge pump, new starter solenoid, and a bunch of other stuff really.
I even found his Facebook page and saw where he posted that he was basically sad to be selling his boat to pay off some debts, and if any of his friends wanted to go out on it before he sold it, now was their chance. This would make me believe that it's fine, that he really is selling it for the reasons he says he is.
So it doesn't seem like there is really anything wrong with it. And before anyone asks, I've been boating for 3 years now. Started on a small beater runabout, thought I would get something bigger and wanted a cruiser, so bought one kind of as an impulse without water testing it, motor locked up about 3 weeks into owning it and it made me so mad I just sold it and took a loss. Then my friend who was going through a divorce didn't have anywhere to keep his boat, so I offered to store it at my place if I could use it, so I've been using his boat this summer, but it's time to get my own again.
I think it's safe to say that if there was anything major wrong with it, it would have died today when we were out on it for over an hour. I can't think of anything someone could jerry-rig to make work long enough to show a boat to a potential buyer, and hope it doesn't fail while taking it for a test ride.
I verified all the receipts for the new motor/outdrive. He paid 5g's for the boat 4 years ago, then had to put 6400 into it to replace motor/outdrive and labor and various other things. So he's in it over 10 grand, is asking 4 grand for it but will take 3500 so he doesn't have to pay the 500 storage fee for the winter.
I'm just skeptical cause it's a boat, and I've been burned before on them. The 2 year old remanufactured motor and outdrive give me a lot more confidence. I'm not rich, but I can afford upkeep and repairs as they come and go, and the gas it will need. I'm just really wanting a cruiser I can depend on and enjoy for the next 2 summers before I think about getting something that was made in the past decade and is not 30 years old.
I would appreciate anyone's advice that's willing to give some!!
