ENGINE ISSUES
Naturally, these are at the top of the list. If you buy a boat with a faulty engine, you're setting yourself up for a major disaster. So take out the dipstick and inspect the oil to make sure it's in good shape and not milky (which indicates water in the oil). Check the plugs to make sure they aren't encased in carbon. Listen to how smooth it sounds while running. Show up 15 minutes early for the sea trial, so the seller doesn't warm it up ahead of time. But most importantly, if you don’t know very much about engines bring along a friend who does, or better yet, get your mechanic to go along for the ride.
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Few operations are more difficult than changing a boat's wiring, which frequently runs beneath decks, through narrow chases, and into cramped compartments. When inspecting a used boat, turn on each and every electrical component one by one, from lights to electronics, one at a time. Then turn them all on at once. Also, take a peek at the fuse box. If you see an assortment of different brand fuses, indicating that some or many have been replaced, ask why (and if the problem was fixed). Also, take a look at the state of the wiring; is it straight, well-loomed, and supported? Or, are you looking at a rat’s nest of wires that will make it nearly impossible to track down problems in the future?
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PUMPS
The bilge pumps are, of course, what your most concerned about. You can turn a switch on and off to see if it works, but that doesn't mean the float switch is working. To be sure, go into the bilge and manually activate it. Washdowns, heads, and everything else driven by a pump should all be running as well.
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WET BOAT
You can’t see this problem, but you can usually detect it. One way is simply by looking closely at the way the boat floats. If at all possible, ask the owner to remove any heavy gear onboard and observe how the boat sits in the water. Is it sitting even? Are the scuppers well above the waterline? Does it sit nearly level, with the bow slightly up? If the answer to any of the questions is no, you need to wonder why. If you have a moisture meter and can check cored areas of the boat. Tap on suspected saturated areas with a mallet, and you’ll hear a different tone than you will in dry areas of the boat.
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CABIN LEAKS
You can ID cabin leaks easily by seeing watermarks. But not always, especially if the seller has done a thorough job cleaning the boat. To see if any hatches, ports, or seams leak, take a hose and spray it full-blast at these potential leak spots. Then go down below, and check for any water that may have come in.
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HULL & DECK JOINT SEPARATION
The hull to deck joint is obviously important. Wherever possible, especially if you see any abnormalities in the rubrail. (A bent or twisted rubrail often indicates a spot where the boat came into contact with something hard, like a piling, which probably stressed the joint). It’s also a good idea to give the rubrail a thorough soaking with a hose, all the way around. Then look for spots where water came through, check for added water in the bilge indicating that the joint’s seal is not good.
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LOWER UNITS
Lower unit issues are common in both outboards and stern drives, and can be very tough to spot. Most of the time, they arise after a bad seal or hairline crack in the casing allows water intrusion. The only way to know for sure that a lower unit is completely sealed is to run the boat, then look at the lower unit oil to make sure it doesn't have a milky appearance. If the seller is okay with it, crack the drain screw a hair and let a little oil drain out onto your fingers, so you can look at it.
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Sea Trial
A sea trial is so important. You never know what you’ll learn about a boat unless you run it. Maybe the steering is a lot looser than you’d like, the throttles are sticky, there is a strange noise. So the number-one rule about buying a used boat is: never sign on the dotted line until you’ve gone for a ride.
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You can always hire a boat Surveyor to do all the above work for you, but there is still no guarantee you will be happy.
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