Advice on purchasing boat long-distance

[crash-proof]

Hey folks,
OK this is my second post, in my search for an adequate (note, am not saying PERFECT) ride.

Desired specs:
- 20 - 21 ft (able to handle 4 adults + 4 kids occasionally)
- Bowrider, deck, or other boat geared for pax comfort.
- NOT pontoon, lol
- "newish" used, 100-400 hrs
- Preferably 4-stroke outboard. Jet boat out of the question.
- Something I can trailer within confines of my 5k tow capacity. (so 4.5k total weight, ideally)

So with all that put together, I realize there's very few or any options in the market within my area (Ft Lauderdale).
When doing a statewide search, I see lots of boats on the west coast, or way further north.

For buyers who have bought "long-distance", how did you qualify the boat first? Just based on photos and chat with owner? Did you hire a local consultant (mechanic or broker) to inspect the boat? With a family of 4 it's quite the commitment to drive across the state for a boat that I'm just taking a peak at and quite possibly not buying, lol. And even then, I'm certainly not qualified as a mechanic. What may look good to me, might pop red flags for a more experienced boater.

All tips much appreciated!

PS - in case you followed a previous thread in which I entertained a partnership, that's behind me and I'm buying this boat solo.

 

[TyeeMan]

A couple of very important things immediately jump out at me. Unfortunately buying a boat essentially sight unseen, or not seen in person does not allow for YOU to take it for a test cruise, physically look it over, get in the boat and jump up and down on the floors to see if they are spongy or not, listen to the engine to make sure it starts perfectly and has no strange noises.
Sure the seller could video a test drive and various other things, but a lot of things could still be covered up. Unfortunately, it gives the seller every opportunity to lie through his/her teeth.

Maybe an option would be to find the boat on line, wherever it may be, have an extensive pictorial or video sent to you, and if everything smells right just you could fly out to look at the boat and or rent a truck and actually tow it home with you.

The more I think about it, purchasing the boat aside, I think you are looking at a pretty expensive proposition.

Best of luck in your search!

 

[ahicks]

We just sold our pontoon because there were too many occasions where it flat took too long to get where we wanted to go. Deck boat was a much better plan for us, but our SUV is only rated for 5000 lbs. and boats we were looking at were pushing that easily. So I looked at an alum. deck boat, and with the much lighter weight, that plan worked. Newer stuff ain't cheap though. Much more than I wanted to spend, so after a lot of research I bought an older Lowe 2220 as a project. With upholstery updated, the engine serviced from top to bottom, a new bimini top, and a decent chart plotter, we have about the same into it as what we sold the 'toon for. Boat is about 3000lbs with trailer. I drove from the Crystal River area (just north of Tampa) up into the north west corner of the pan handle to check this one out, and bought it on the spot. It was from MO. and had never seen salt water. Note that these boats have plywood transoms, and they are much more prone to leaks than a glass boat. Ours is getting better, but it still leaks a bit. Not a huge deal here though as it's trailered.

My main points are that there are deals out there, but be prepared for a road trip. There is no way I would touch anything like this without seeing it and touching it first. -Al

 

[Scott Danforth]

I bought my SeaRay 3 states away in spring of 2008

when I found it on-line, I called the dealer (Marine Max) on a Saturday. I called and talked to the sales person and via fax or email we put together a sales contract that was contingent on a sea trial, inspection, and financing. I used my CC to put down a $500 deposit to hold it, and called the bank on Monday.

when I drove down to Missouri from WI, the following Saturday, i had insurance ready, a bank check ready and i went for a really cold sea trial. I was able to negotiate $500 off the price due to the decals being scratched off. I turned that into 2 sets of skis and PFD's. a phone call to my insurance agent had the insurance on the boat prior to the end of the deal.

never buy a boat without proper paperwork
never buy a boat without a sea trial unless you are buying a basket case project
never enter a contract without a contingency.

If you are buying from a private party, insist on a sea trial. you may need a local surveyor.

 

[Starcraft5834]

i bought a 1987 cuddy 5 years ago, had fun with it with family, not enough room, nor power, heavy prob closer to 4 k than 3 to tow. if you want best overall versatility. buy a toon and put at least a 90 on it.. all the room u need, can do everything u want,,,, get a 3 tube if u want more speed.... live and learn, i should have gone toon 5 years ago,,,

 

[Blind Date]

I'm in MN & my Sundancer came from Cincinnati. I looked at pictures and asked questions over the phone, then negotiated the price before driving to see it. Part of the deal was a sea trial before I handed over the money. You always take a chance when you buy a boat this way. For me the hunt is a part of the fun of buying a boat & nothing better than a road trip to go get it and bring it home!

 

[tpenfield]

My past 2 boats were 3-6 hours away. One was a private sale the other was through a broker. I drove to see the boats after taking with owner / broker.

Looked the boat over. The private owner took us for a ride, which was nice, but not necessary.

I made offers on the spot with contingencies of survey, sea trial, proof of ownership (title). I drove back for survey & sea trial (done together).

The boat that was 6 hours away was fine. So, I arranged to pick it up. The boat that was 3 hours away needed a bit of work, which I negotiated with the seller (private party sale). Then arranged to have the boat picked up.

Before issuing the check, I made sure to get a copy of the title or inspect the original title. I did a lien search on the title.

Insurance from Day 1 on 'agreed value', based on the survey.

 

[crash-proof]

What's a "Surveyer"? I presume someone who will audit the boat, but how do I go about sourcing one close to the seller?

 

[tpenfield]

What's a "Surveyer"? I presume someone who will audit the boat, but how do I go about sourcing one close to the seller?

A marine surveyor is a fancy name for a certified boat inspector.

there are 2 organizations that accredit marine surveyors

NAMS
SAMS

Google them and you can find listings of surveyors in the area of the boat. Surveyors will travel some to inspect a boat, but you may be charged accordingly.

Expect to spend $20-$25 per foot of boat on a surveyor/survey.

 

[crash-proof]

A marine surveyor is a fancy name for a certified boat inspector.

there are 2 organizations that accredit marine surveyors

NAMS
SAMS

Google them and you can find listings of surveyors in the area of the boat. Surveyors will travel some to inspect a boat, but you may be charged accordingly.

Expect to spend $20-$25 per foot of boat on a surveyor/survey.

Seems like money well-spent, but does their inspection cover mechanical issues (motor, bilge, other)? Or more geared toward the hull and making sure it's seaworthy? Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, btw

 

[tpenfield]

The surveyor will cover all equipment on the boat as well as the hull/structure, thru-hull fittings, etc. The engine(s) themselves would not be inspected in any significant depth, other than reaching its rated RPM at WOT, temperature readings, etc.

If you want a more detailed inspection of the engine(s), you can also hire a marine mechanic to do a compression test and other tests, depending on the engine.

On one of my purchases, I had a separate mechanic do the compression test. One the other purchase, the surveyor was also certified in the engines, so he did everything.