Buying a used boat anxiety-talk me down.

[Scott Danforth]

I been looking at the use boat market for a whileI have never seen it like this. It is like everybody has decided to go out and buy boats. Seen boats purchased out from under me site unseen. Even if I wanted to get a new boat, if I brought it today I would not see it till July.

the Covid pandemic had the entire planet buying boats, RV's and renovating their houses vs going to disney, on a cruise, or flying to europe.

if you bought a new boat today, the only way to see it in July is if the dealer placed the order in February or sooner. most boat builders are scheduled out until August of 2022. some have a back log until 2023. high volume spec boat builders are having issues getting resin for making the hulls. boat seat upholsters can not get foam, starboard (seat substrates) or vinyl because most items are on back-order or allocation.

 

[Jimwhall]

In another year or so the market will calm down especially when the stargazers realize what's involved in owning a boat such as cost of maintenance, fuel, financing, repairs & all the rest of it & they start dumping them. Hopefully, manufacturers aren't dumping garbage on the market like they did back in the 80's & 90's with no regard for quality control when the boat market went wild back then.

No way would I spend $20k on a 14 year old 20 ftr. unless the previous owner stored it in a sarcophagus. I don't care who built it.

The thing that is tough is that I want it for my kids years in HS. It gives us something fun to do as a family. Eating a year decreases those available summers by 1/4

 

[Jimwhall]

Thank you. So if the hole is in good shape, not repaired, no cracks or repairs there is a decent chance it is okay?
Also question on the 15 years thing. Do boat manufacturers really just design for 15 years of summer use? Or is it 15 years of constant use? My sylvan is now 26 years old and really has not had any major issues. But we are only using it in the summer.And it is aluminum

I mean if it is really just 15 years of summer use, then there is no point in buying a fiberglass boat that is anything but a couple years old. And those are way out of my price range right now.

So... did glasses boats

The 15 year service life is merely an opinion, not documented fact. It's all about care. I've seen 6 year old boats that were pure junk. My last garage kept boat was 35 years old when I sold it and it was good as new.

Nine people together on the same boat, with all the crap they bring, will be a nightmare, even if its a 30 footer. Six from the same family is doable.

yeah I was unclear about that. 9 people would be a max ferry job really. Mostly it would be me, my 2 kids. And maybe 2 of their friends.
Were older glasses boats tougher?
My Sylvan is aluminum and that thing has been a tank. It just doesn’t seem to ride as nice as the glass boats. But before that I had a ‘69 Larson that I got from my Dad and traded it in ‘95. It was fine (if small, 14 ft) till the end. We weren’t kind to that boat. Summers we drove the hell out of it and it spent winters in northern Michigan with a tarp.

 

[JimS123]

Were older glasses boats tougher?
My Sylvan is aluminum and that thing has been a tank. It just doesn’t seem to ride as nice as the glass boats.

Actually, the older glass boats were much worse. The guts were made of wood and many of the decks were not well sealed to prevent water intrusion. Rot was common.

Everything is a trade-off. The minor wood in Aluminum boats is easily replaced. You sacrifice ride quality.

 

[Jimwhall]

Actually, the older glass boats were much worse. The guts were made of wood and many of the decks were not well sealed to prevent water intrusion. Rot was common.

Everything is a trade-off. The minor wood in Aluminum boats is easily replaced. You sacrifice ride quality.

So we probably just got lucky with the old Larson. Maybe the cold dry winters helped us out.

 

[JimS123]

So we probably just got lucky with the old Larson. Maybe the cold dry winters helped us out.

Or maybe you were smart enough to dry the boat out before you covered it. Freezing temperatures exacerbate the deterioration of wet transoms and stringers.

 

[Jimwhall]

Or maybe you were smart enough to dry the boat out before you covered it. Freezing temperatures exacerbate the deterioration of wet transoms and stringers.

We did that. I was kind of a nut about drying it out. I never assumed that was extra special care though. I just hated mold lol.

 

[JimS123]

We did that. I was kind of a nut about drying it out. I never assumed that was extra special care though. I just hated mold lol.

It wasn't "extra special", it was what was required.

The problem is that not enough people understand that and that's why there are so many rotten used boats for sale.

 

[hugh g]

Boats live in water & that's what destroys them.

 

[nola mike]

My thoughts:
My boat is 35 years old. Yes, I've done a lot of work to it. Worst was replacing the floor--stringers were still solid. Transom has had a few areas of minor rot that I've addressed, but would have become an issue. I keep it in the water moored for 60+ days a year. I have seen the corners that were cut when this boat was manufactured (it was a budget boat 35 years ago). I doubt that build quality is worse now. Like others said, just look at the overall condition of the boat. You can tell if it's been beaten. Is the vinyl faded (I think leaving a boat uncovered is the biggest killer)? Has it been slipped or trailered (again, trailered everyday + covered = much less chance for anything to rot). Check VERY carefully for soft spots in the floor if applicable. Look closely at the rear corners, around seats, very closely in the ski locker, bilge, etc. That's probably the best you're going to do. As for the size: My 19' (generously measured) routinely goes out with 8 aboard, though not all adults. Nobody thinks it's cramped. With an L bench + 2 captain chair configuration, 5 adults in the back is super easy, 6 not uncomfortable. When there are a lot of people onboard, gear gets stowed. We routinely take 40-50 mile trips loaded like that.

 

[JimS123]

Boats live in water & that's what destroys them.

Boats and bathtubs are opposites. Although both live in water one is built to keep the water in and the other built to keep the water out.

No reason for a boat to rot. Not rocket science. Wherever it is stored, its not that difficult to keep the bilge dry and keep it covered with a waterproof cover.

Boats are not supposed to leak, so if it does that's something needing repair.

 

[MN Boat Dad]

I absolutely relate to the anxiety the OP is feeling. I started looking in February and sellers had buyers lined up paying asking sight unseen for boats. I acted fast and made a full price offer on a 1997 Chaparral 2330 pending inspection by a surveyor (not an actual survey, but just a look). Because it was still winter I wasn't able to get it in the water to lake test it. In my case the boat had only 430 hours and the PO was the second owner. The vinyl and upper gel coat is perfect leading me to believe the boat was covered when not in use. Also, the fact it came with the owners manuals and all the canvas, filler cushions, and tables, led me to believe the previous owners all took pretty good care of it. The marina that brokered the sale fired it up with muffs on so I knew the motor at least ran before I brought it home, and it needed an oil change so my shop was able to do a more thorough mechanical exam when it did that. At $18,900 it was way under my budget (although still high imo, but that's the market) so I'm keeping some money aside for things that creep up, but so far on the three days and 8 hours I've had it out it's been great. Until the first time out on the water my mind was planning on the worst case scenario.

 

[Lou C]

No way I'd put 9 people on a 20' boat, that's going to take something like a pontoon boat to be comfortable. My 20' is bigger than modern "20'ers" but more than 5 people is too many in my opinion.
As far as condition, and potential problems, if the boat has a carpeted plywood deck forget it, this is like the worst construction they can use, the holes drilled for seats and the carpet cause rot and after 15 years unless stored inside, or in the arid south west it's going to have rot.
Now if the boat has a fiberglass liner then that's much better, but there can still be rot anywhere there is a penatration to mount seats, etc.
Another thing to keep in mind is parts availablity. Once they went to electronic ignition and throttle body and then EFI, you are dependent on the manufacturers to still make these parts if you have a failure, if not then you are SOL, and have to convert back to a carb with a Delco ignition, or something similar. There have been people sidelined by not being able to get a mission critical part for boats in that age range, both Merc and Volvo.

 

[jhande]

I'm not well versed in boats but would like to add my two cents.

I owned a used fiberglass canoe for years and sold it for more than I paid. It was still in good shape no problems. The floor still held it's shape.

I started a couple years ago searching for a boat/trailer/motor combo, something just to go fishing with. WOW prices went crazy! I thought I could find something for $2,000. Just a few years ago there were LOT's out there for as little as $600. No matter what I looked at they all needed some kind of work. Well I wasn't about to pay 2 grand for a 12' aluminum row boat with leaky rivets. Okay, so now my opinions are to get a fixer upper. I kept looking for a cheap setup with work that I could handle doing myself.

I found my project, in signature, listed for $600 in Maine, I live in NH about 3 hours away. I grabbed my son and off I went. We both pushed hard on the fiberglass hull kind of checking for weak spots. Yup, the floor had a soft spot and the seats were trashed. Talked the seller down to $400 and dragged it home. Sure I have a big job a head of me and need to invest some more money but I'll still be under the cost of trying to find a boat in real good condition compared to my investment.

I wouldn't be so inclined to think that a fiberglass hull only has a 15 year life span. If so my canoe wouldn't of held up or my 43 year old boat wouldn't be in my driveway. Maybe the 15 years is referring to the wooden transom/floor/stringers?

All I can say is don't rush into a boat purchase. Look at all options and sooner or later something will come along.

 

[Scott06]

I been looking for use boats for a while, I am looking for something significantly bigger than my 16 foot sylvan. I boat in lakes and the family wants to do a lot of tubing and knee boarding and waterskiing. I am looking to cart about 8-9 people around.

I am scheduled to take a lake test this weekend of a 2004 SeaRay 200 select. It has about 600 hours on it, which seems about right for regular summer usage in Michigan. It is on the third owner. It has a 5 L Mercruiser with a bravo 3 out drive. The impeller and the gimbel were replaced this year. Little over $20,000. (It appears to be a sellers market right now).

I read the used boat checklist, and plan on going through that. I've also looked at a bunch of YouTubes on doing boat inspections. I guess I was really excited at first, because I've been looking for a long time and this boat fits all my needs. However, after seeing 1 guy who had a 1997 SeaRay that he bought, boated around with, and then brought home only to discover that the stringers were rotted I am now super nervous. I can check for a lot of things, I can check the transom, I can do the tap test, and I can check the motor. But the stringers seem like they are completely tucked under the deck and unavailable to do a thorough check. And if they are rotten it sounds like the boat is a ruin. I am really nervous. This is a ton of money for me. I am slowly talking myself out of purchasing any used boat. But I cannot afford a new one and cannot get a surveyor to look at 1 quickly enough so that would just mean no new boat for me.

Does anyone have any knowledge of this brand and model of boat? If the bilge and the motor compartment are clean and the floor is solid can I assume the stringers are in good shape? Or is this boat too old and I should just assume there is some rot? also, I am 285 pounds, how can I tell the difference between a soft floor and 1 just giving into my massive girth?

Thank you for any help.

P,S, Sorry for the stilted language, I had surgery and so I am dictating everything.

I have a 2004 Sea Ray 200 sport which is similar to the select except the select has a integral extended swim platform and nicer interior trim.

I dont think the stirngers are wood in these boats but probably a call Sea Ray would tell. Floor is FG as well. There may be somw wood in the transom but it is a relatively small area as there are two sponsons that extend aft on either side of the drive.

Seller might ,if you have money in had, drill a couple holes in transom to confirm wood is ok. Plug with 5200 if ok. There are 1" plgs in stringers on either side of engine where they fil the floor with foam they pull out with a screw driver. I think youll see the strigers are hollow not laid up glass and wood like in old days. If I were selling I would do this if some one had a wad of cash in my face... but if the market is hot now and there are several potential buyers maybe not...

These are nice size family lake boats I really like ours.

 

[dingbat]

I wouldn't be so inclined to think that a fiberglass hull only has a 15 year life span. If so my canoe wouldn't of held up or my 43 year old boat wouldn't be in my driveway. Maybe the 15 years is referring to the wooden transom/floor/stringers?

The primary concern related to service life is the long term exposure to UV and ozone that has consequential effects on plastics (thru hulls), rubber (hoses) and vinyls (seats and tops) used in the construction of boats.

You also have the issues of long term exposure to marine conditions, ie. corroded fuel tanks, compromised support structures (transom and stringers), fiberglass degradation in the hull, etc.

My boat will be 26 years old this year and it's been completely refitted twice now. Actually, better than new at this point.

 

[Jimwhall]

Just an update;

I pivoted after looking at how many people I'd really end up taking out (5-6 not 8-9), and my comfort level with older boats. With the help of a friend who has a lot of experience purchasing used boats (successfully) I ended up purchasing a 2016 Four Winns H190 SS with the 4.3 L mercruiser with the alpha one outdrive. I'm told that the 4.3 in the alpha-1 is reliable with good parts availability, if not overly powerful. The boat is in excellent condition with maintenance records going back to when it was new. I ended up paying a lot more than I originally wanted to, but the seller was fair and honest I feel that all end up spending more time on the water with my family than worrying about it.

Thank you everyone for all your input. It was a big help.

 

[nola mike]

Just an update;

I pivoted after looking at how many people I'd really end up taking out (5-6 not 8-9), and my comfort level with older boats. With the help of a friend who has a lot of experience purchasing used boats (successfully) I ended up purchasing a 2016 Four Winns H190 SS with the 4.3 L mercruiser with the alpha one outdrive. I'm told that the 4.3 in the alpha-1 is reliable with good parts availability, if not overly powerful. The boat is in excellent condition with maintenance records going back to when it was new. I ended up paying a lot more than I originally wanted to, but the seller was fair and honest I feel that all end up spending more time on the water with my family than worrying about it.

Thank you everyone for all your input. It was a big help.

Good choice. Many boats that size have a 3.0L. The 4.3L will have all the power you need. Should hit 50mph or thereabouts and can handle all the watersports you'd care to throw at it. That package with a (likely) lighter boat and a lighter drive/engine will probably perform better than the 5.0. But don't kid yourself, you'll always need to worry about it. Maintenance is key on the i/o's.

 

[southkogs]

Not getting off that easy:


We can be a rowdy bunch.

 

[Jimwhall]

Not getting off that easy:
View attachment 341935

We can be a rowdy bunch.

lol!!