Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

[cg17]

Hello board,

I am new to the forum. Thank you in advance for your time!

I am looking to purchase a '93 Crownline 210 CCR with a 5.7 V8 Alpha One Mercruiser. The problem is, the marina is not sure the last time the boat was running in the water.

The last time the boat was registered was in 1997. Apparently the marina inherited this boat (and a couple others) from a marina that went out of business. They've had it for 2 years sitting at their marina without being in the water (apparently the previous owner is nowhere to be found).

They said the boat was winterized properly and that the engine runs (they've started it) and they didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. I took a look at it this past weekend and I did not notice any cracks or corrosion.

We plan on putting an offer in this week, but we want to take into consideration the possibility that this engine may need to be replaced (or major components of it) and would like to work that into the offer.

We also plan on hiring/taking a mechanic with us on the sea trial ? really trying to work the engine.

I was hoping to get some feedback from the board about how you would approach this. The interior and exterior seem very sound and this is a boat I would like to acquire. Also looking at a pretty good deal (considering its been sitting) ? they're asking about $6800 (which I think is high) and I was going to start in the range of $3500 considering the unknowns.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the engine could run well with some tuning, etc.?

I understand this is a very good motor/model, so I was hoping to hear what the more experienced/seasoned board thinks!


Thank you in advance for your time!
Carlin

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

A few items I would be concerned about is the replacement of the bellows, drive line universals, exhaust bellows, shifter bellows, gimbal bearing, water pump impeller, and water hoses. All of these do break down over period of time. Most of the bellows are recommended to be changed approx every 3 years.

Of course other issues is how much gunk is left in the gas tank from stale gas, condition of the the battery(s), and how much rust is inside the exhaust manifolds.

These are just some of the things I would ask about if I was going to be getting a boat that has sat for a long time.

 

[kamby]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

Another thing i would be worried about is the seals/gaskets in the engine. They tend to dry out and next thing u know i got a leaking pan gasket or somthing. etc..

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

I wouldn't be concerned about the seals. I would be concerned about what the marina did to wake up the engine. Did they pre-oil the engine with the oil pump before starting? Did they take out the plugs, shoot some oil in the cylinders and rotate the engine by hand?

Also, you need to look at the title of this thing to see what that looks like before you hand over any money.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

i seem to have gotten away with getting a boat that was sitting for a long time. 15 years under cover sitting in an airplane hanger in my case. so 'they' said. who knows.
everything the other guys are saying. + i did a compression test prior to and after a sea trial. + did a pressure test of the drive prior to and after a sea trial. i don't know how the marina brought my boat back to life. since it's now on it's third year with me, i guess that did it at least some right. also on my sea trial. the dealer (mine was a consignment sale) was having a lot of fun at wot. which was fine with me. figured if it was gonna blow, that might be the time that it'd do it, just coming out of a long slumber then giving it fairly hard use right there after.. i did have to R&R the manifold and riser right after purchase. also, got fairly major treatment to the drive. all the stuff other are saying. + gimble brg. and some drive gear brgs in the drive. probably all stuff that'd have needed done anyways to a boat as old as the one i got. also i've had issues with rust in my fuel tank too, just like others are saying. so far. i've been getting away with R&Ring fuel filters often. 2 or three the first summer, a couple the following. i think i may be down to one a season now. i also try to keep the fuel tank full as much as possible when it's just sitting..

 

[dontask]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

Don't take just any marine mechanic with you, take a Mercruiser trained and certified one only. Get your time and money worth. Also stretch the test drive as long as possible and then if it passes the sea trial recheck all of the fluids for contamination (water). Don't be shy to run the boat hard during sea trial its your hard earned money. Get a dollar figure from the mechanic to bring the boat up to reliable standards (ie bellows, shift cable, gimbal bearing, universal joints, shaft seals, raw water pump impeller, fluids & filters, fan belts, age checked hoses replaced, battery specific gravity at or above minimums, trailer bearings replaced or repacked, trailer lights working, just to name a couple items. Good luck

 

[cg17]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

Thank you all for your thorough responses!

I've spoken with a Mercruiser certified mechanic who had me ask what was done to awake the boat and also what they would do for the boat prior to doing the sea trial.

The marina selling the boat said they have changed the oil and water pump, have not done a tune up... "if it's running well, then there's no need to tamper with too much stuff," was what he said.

He said that it runs well (on the trailer), sounds good, and is cooling itself properly. Once the offer is in and accepted, he said they would check the bilge pump and navigation lights and do their own sea trial before bringing me/us down for our sea trial.

To me it still sounds like there is a margin for error down the road if it's been sitting so long and my mechanic said he can almost guarantee it's going to need work before its sea ready. That being said, do you think it's too low for me to start the negotiating at $3k contingent upon survey and/or sea trial?

There's no bimini top, boat cover or navigation system included. There IS a trailer included. They're asking $5,940k. I don't want to insult them, but I also don't want to pay too much!

Thank you again in advance!!

 

[danond]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

$5900 is too much. They got it for free, put a couple hours into it. They're out nothing selling it to you for $200. Get as much as you can out of them - free repairs for the first 90 days, no-cost tune up for a year, whatever. Start with your offer and your own laundry list of wants and work from there!

 

[180shabah]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

They want to negotiate and settle on a price BEFORE a sea trial. I don't think so.

They have never run it in the water, so they have no idea if it runs well or not. It could have four dead cylinders and a bad water pump and still run "fine" on the trailer. In the water under load is another story. Did they do an engine alignment, or are they just hoping the coupler lasts until after the sale?

I say keep shopping.

 

[dontask]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

I looked just roughly what the NADA site shows its worth without adding all the options and without adjusting for condition I could see where they might have come up with their price----if (not likely) it has no issues. Try getting the certified Mercruiser mechanic you have set up for the test ride to give you his safe outside estimate on what the boat needs ($) and deduct it from the real market value. Trust your mechanic more than the salesman. Do not use the mechanic from the business that's selling you the boat. The dealer mentioning small items like repairing lights are nothing ($) compared to the outdrive, engine, fuel tank work that might be needed.
As far as this boating sitting for 10 years that could lead to more problems than a boat that has been used for 10 years and maintained properly. So the point here is no added value for sitting unused. Also if the last owner really cared about (and for) this boat would it be in the situation that it is in now? Good luck

 

[180shabah]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

Also if the last owner really cared about (and for) this boat would it be in the situation that it is in now?

Probably true, but maybe not.

My boats original owner purchased it in '96, and best I can tell he cared for and treated it well. Unfortunately, luck wasn't with him and he passed away before the original registration expired in '99. The boat got caught up in the estate settlement (kids fighting etc) until December 2004(fortunately,in a warehouse the entire time), then it bounced around until a dealer took it on consignment in February 2005. I bought it 3 days after it hit thier lot. I got a "brand new" '96 Mariah in '05 for very little money, after a complete fuel system renovation(still original tank) and tune up, bellows, etc I have a 13 year old boat that is in better condition than most boats half that age. If I would have had to pay for the work that was needed to bring it back to reliability, things would have been different.

Of course DIY puts me in a unique position - four years later and I could break even if I sold it today.

 

[cjprofessorguy]

Re: Boat/motor sitting for (potentiall) 10 years?

Just FYI- make sure you have your mechanic check it out thoroughly, such as fuel line connections, etc before you go on a sea trial. I had an issue with this several years ago. I was test driving an old i/o (volvo engine, 4 cyl) and the boat had been sitting for a couple years and started fine and ran good on the trailer, but when under a load in the water started missing. They tracked it down to a clogged fuel line and then forgot to tighten the clamp on the line coming from the tank which was sitting right next to the engine under the seat. We took it out and it started smoking and I looked to the rear of the boat and saw flames so I dived out and just as i hit the water the gas tank exploded, sinking the boatand leaving us in the drink until we got picked up. pretty scary for a 19 year old at the time. Just be thorough so this doesnt happen to you...