Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

[oldjeep]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I decided to pass on the boat. I realize that the seats likely could be cleaned, but for my first boat I would rather get something that doesn't need work right away. I think it could make a great boat for someone who knows more about boats than I do. Thanks for the help - this site is really valuable.

Looking at 10K upper end brand boats that are 8-15 years old, it is probably not realistic that you will find anything that "doesn't need work" Good luck in your search.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

whats your realistic budget?

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

The older the boat the more chance of problems; seen, unseen, and developing. Good luck with which ever you choose.

I know the value in this boat, but I have a feeling I am going to pass. Just too many questions and not enough experience on my part.

this is next on my list - a solid 2+ hour drive from my house, but hopefully it is in better condition. Already in touch with the guy.

Crownline 202BR

Hopefully boat owner ship is less stressful I already know the answer to that though :lol:

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I'll bet the pictures in that ad in your first post are several years old. I would skip this boat as it appears to have been neglected. Find another boat that's actually been used and maintained.

I'll often have the owner send me the original pics. The EXIF information will tell you the actual date/time it was taken in most cases. (and sometimes location!) Anyway, if it were me, I'd still be looking at that boat. A little mildew on the seats can be cleaned up. At least for up here, that boat is EXTREMELY cheap, i've seen comparables going for double that, depending on engine at least.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

X 2. If it were closer I'd consider it for a flip. Easy enough to winterize and get to PA/OH and sell ion the spring.

I'll often have the owner send me the original pics. The EXIF information will tell you the actual date/time it was taken in most cases. (and sometimes location!) Anyway, if it were me, I'd still be looking at that boat. A little mildew on the seats can be cleaned up. At least for up here, that boat is EXTREMELY cheap, i've seen comparables going for double that, depending on engine at least.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

If the price is right and the seats are the only questionable part I'd buy it. He probably put it away wet too many times...
The few times we came back late from Skiing and covered up due to a storm- the mold grows Incredibly fast if I dont get a chance to dry the boat out or we have a rainy week.

Pictures of the interior?

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

If the price is right and the seats are the only questionable part I'd buy it. He probably put it away wet too many times...
The few times we came back late from Skiing and covered up due to a storm- the mold grows Incredibly fast if I dont get a chance to dry the boat out or we have a rainy week.

Pictures of the interior?

I didin't take any pics when I went to see it. As I said the seats all seemed in good shape, but looked bad if that makes any sense. I have found some other boats, but nothing close to me that I am interested in. I did see this one, but its a good 4 hour drive

Used 2002 Four Winns 180 Horizon, Pulaski, Va - 24301 - BoatTrader.com

 

[jkust]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I'm sorry to hear that you ended up passing on it. There's going to be a world of difference between a 1990's boat and that Crownline if you care about how contemporary the boat looks. I had a very similar situation way back when I bought my sig boat. The guy had money to burn and let all of his friends take his nearly new boat anytime they wanted and it was pretty disheveled but the price was really low. Not rotted but just really beat up like a boat 15 years older. I passed for the same reasons you did but ended up just upping my budget anyway when I saw what was available at the time.

I really like the look of that Fourwinns. Did I miss the price..I didn't see it in the ad? In the early 2000's many of the builders were stuck back in the 1990's style and FW was one of the ones that seemed a bit more forward thinking design wise. I especially like the fiberglass floor which for me would be on the must have list...making the selection a lot slimmer.

 

[britisher]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

When you buy a used boat it's like buying a used car, you are buying someone else's problems. So even if you look for something else, maybe newer or older, cheaper or more expensive, then you are in the same uncertain situation.
That original 2005 boat you were considering at $9K did appear to me to be excellent VFM, despite the mildew on the seats. With something like that you have to determine what is cosmetic and what is not. If everything checked out OK on that boat and you could have pushed him down more on price, then you have a nice little savings fund for things the boat would need.
Personally, I would keep an eye on that boat and wouldn't write it off completely. Watch if it's for sale in a few more weeks. If it is, then you have a bigger bargaining chip to get that $9K down a bit more. It seemed like the dentist didn't skimp on maintaining the boat, other than the leak from the cover and the ensuing mildew on the seats. If the potential saving on that boat compared to the normal sale price is substantial (and I think it was), then you can afford to hire a professional to check the boat out. I personally think it's a diamond in the rough.

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I really like the look of that Fourwinns. Did I miss the price..I didn't see it in the ad? In the early 2000's many of the builders were stuck back in the 1990's style and FW was one of the ones that seemed a bit more forward thinking design wise. I especially like the fiberglass floor which for me would be on the must have list...making the selection a lot slimmer.

The Four Winns boat was $7695

 

[jkust]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

Some of the early 2000's brands did a good job removing excess wood in their builds. May not have been wood free but not much wood was used. My sig boat for example, most things that would have been made of wood in other brands such as seats and engine compartment dividers are made of thick plastic. The seats have no wood and instead have plastic bases with flow-through foam and breathing holes. I'm not sure if the Four Winns was quite there yet but I suspect they had some of those attributes. There's still a bit of wood in mine but not a lot. Don't forget however, when taken care of, the qualities of wood in a boat are actually a good thing. Many of the forward thinking things in my boat that were a big differentiator at the time are now common place as the builders have mostly gotten the hint.
That Four Winns seems very cheap to me given it has the 4.3 liter in it.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I didin't take any pics when I went to see it. As I said the seats all seemed in good shape, but looked bad if that makes any sense. I have found some other boats, but nothing close to me that I am interested in. I did see this one, but its a good 4 hour drive

Used 2002 Four Winns 180 Horizon, Pulaski, Va - 24301 - BoatTrader.com

I bought my Stingray for slightly below market at the time, it was very dried out paint wise on the exterior, we spent a few days over the next 2 years sanding, polishing/ compounding and waxing, I re-striped it, interior needed some new carpet as origional stuff had heavy traction. I wouldnt wright it off, it's a 7 yo boat, as long as it's structurally there and mechanically sound. The exterior looks sharp! Extractor machine will clean up the carpet, bleach sparingly will fix the mildew on the vinyl.

I went to look at an '07 Glastron 205GT Last year that appeared good in the pix, but was a complete wreck when I saw it, for the right price I would have been interested (8K ish) but not for the 16K the owner was trying to get!

 

[aspeck]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

Sorry, funk, I am late to the party, but I would be back looking a lot closer at that Crownline. Good looking boat and IF it is only cosmetics, a very good price, and marina dock for the rest of the season is a plus. I would double check the floors and transom and if solid, pull the plug, maybe try to get him down another grand or 2, but if not, still a deal. I would also ask for the marina records of what was done each spring and fall, at least for the last few years. Soft Scrub works pretty well on mildewed seats, but there there is some black mildew spots you might never be able to get completely scrubbed away. If my wife wouldn't shoot me I might call him to buy and hold for spring to flip.

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

Sorry, funk, I am late to the party, but I would be back looking a lot closer at that Crownline. Good looking boat and IF it is only cosmetics, a very good price, and marina dock for the rest of the season is a plus. I would double check the floors and transom and if solid, pull the plug, maybe try to get him down another grand or 2, but if not, still a deal. I would also ask for the marina records of what was done each spring and fall, at least for the last few years. Soft Scrub works pretty well on mildewed seats, but there there is some black mildew spots you might never be able to get completely scrubbed away. If my wife wouldn't shoot me I might call him to buy and hold for spring to flip.

You guys are killing me here I was done with the boat, but now I am thinking about it again. I haven't found much close to where I am to even look at and I still think its likely a good deal. I might wait until after Labor day and see if he will come down - if it sells before then then it wasn't meant to be.

 

[doyall]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

Do some additional research (http://crowniehq.net may be a good place to start) and determine if Crownline used wood only in the stringer system for that year. If the transom, deck and seat base/backs are non-wood (especially transom and deck), things look more promising IMO. ASSUMING a proper build (and Crownline appears to enjoy a good reputation) the stringer system is going to be the last and least likely thing under the circumstances to suffer from short term water intrusion. Personally, I wouldn't be overly concerned with the condition of the stringers unless the boat was flooded for a length of time (unlikely with the marina doing the storage). As it relates to the seats, even a cleaning with bleach will possibly not get all the stains out if they are set really deep. As a short term cosmetic band-aid you could always buy some vinyl dye in a spray can and make them pretty at the beginning of each year until it is time to replace the covers.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

Sorry, funk, I am late to the party, but I would be back looking a lot closer at that Crownline. Good looking boat and IF it is only cosmetics, a very good price, and marina dock for the rest of the season is a plus. I would double check the floors and transom and if solid, pull the plug, maybe try to get him down another grand or 2, but if not, still a deal. I would also ask for the marina records of what was done each spring and fall, at least for the last few years. Soft Scrub works pretty well on mildewed seats, but there there is some black mildew spots you might never be able to get completely scrubbed away. If my wife wouldn't shoot me I might call him to buy and hold for spring to flip.

We agree, As I said above it should be a great flip. It is too far for me to go to drag home. Winterizing and storage costs little compared to the expected ROI.

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I think Crownline offered the following in 2005 on their boats. I see it listed for many different 2005 Crownline boats I see for sale. It won't transfer to me, but it at least sounds good.

Lifetime Stringer System Warranty Against Delamination or Manufacturer's Defect
Lifetime Structural Deck, Hull and Transom Warranty To First Owner

I think this is from 2007 or earlier so I assume this is how the boat was made - still looking for confirmation from someone. I don't know if the wood stringers with fiberglass over them is truly better or not as they say in this document, but at least its not just wood stringers.

Crownline Boats: Sport Boats, Fishing Boats, Cruisers, Cuddys, Runabouts, Bowriders - Tour - Wood & Fiberglass Hybrid

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

Without a compression test of the power plant and detailed inspection of the bones of the boat, you are really guessing. Cosmetics are just good bargaining chips to get the current owner down on his asking price. I view it as a good opportunity instead of walking away. And it's right in your back yard. If you do your homework as in any major purchase(you should be doing this with any boat you buy), getting the facts straight to eliminate all the guessing, you will be fine. Bottom line is don't disqualify a boat with cosmetic issues.

 

[britisher]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

I realise that folks may be getting you confused because we are saying don't let the Crownline slip away, but as a new boater yourself (I was the same last year), I think it's accurate to say we have unrealistic expectations on buying our first boat, as we no previous experience to compare to. So mildew upholstery to us looks crap, but to an experienced boater they would see that as superficial and ignore it. But given your inexperience you let that be the first thing to turn you against the boat.
If you decide to revisit the boat, I would ask you to consider..how long has the dentist had the boat advertised? That should tell you that you can sit back and keep a watchful eye and then go back back with time for sale as a bigger bargaining chip. I also note that you mention the Crownline has the warranty for the First Owner. Here again, you could work that situation to your advantage. If you found the boat had some structural issues, then you could maybe get the First Owner to get the warranty items dealt with prior to an agreed sale. Crownline don't need to know he's selling and you're buying.
Also, the Marina that stored and maintained the boat should be able to give you unbiased information on how the boat was maintained. I know in an earlier post you said the dentist knows the guy who maintained it and might not be unbiased, but if this mechanic is serious about keeping his business going and you as a new customer, he's shouldn't flim flam you. It's a known fact that disatisfied customers tell 20 times more people about their dissatisfaction than satisfied customers do. You are all in a small town, so he ain't going to commit commercial suicide.
You need to go back, ideally with someone who knows boats and check it out again in greater detail. Take a fine tooth comb with you this time!

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Neglected "newer" boat - what to do?

thanks for all the responses - I got in contact with the guy today and said I think I wanted the boat. He said someone was coming to look at it and if they weren't interested he would let me know. Well they declined and I bought the boat.

The boat has 154 hours on it and has the 4.3 Mercruiser. It did have the lifetime warranty on the stringers, deck, transom, but as I said its not transferable. The seats didn't look as bad as I thought, but generally the boat needs a good cleaning. The outside will need a really good buffing and some of the graphics are pealing so I might look into taking them off and getting new graphics at some point. The radio is actually an updated stereo that has an amplifier and subwoofer under the back seats - I will try to get that all working over the winter. My wife and kids met me and we took it out for a spin - its not as fast as I thought it might be, but that is likely a good thing for my first boat. The speedometer said roughly 35mph, but I am not sure if that is accurate or not. The tach doesn't work, but I am not worried about that.

I really need to get used to the boat though - I haven't owned a boat before and have only driven one a few times. Docking it was a little scary, but I did OK. It didn't help I was still in my work clothes (dress shirt and pants).

Here are a few pics of the mildew - my phone died before I could get a shot of the outside. The engine compartment is pretty stained, I know that isn't coming out, but at least its hidden.