Skip to content
Inspecting the Hull and Interior : Buying a Boat on a Budget Part V
In prior parts, we had talked about finding the boat, determining the size, speaking with the owner, the trailer and questions about the motor.
Inspecting The Boat
In past chapters we had hashed out some basic pricing agreements and reviewed the condition over the phone but now its time to inspect the boat in person.
Featured Product
The Hull
The seller sent you a bunch of pictures before you came out. Now go over the pictures you have on your phone and start checking the hull.
Crawl under the boat and check for major gouges like I told you to look out for. Do a careful walk around and check the front, especially the keel. That's where there is a lot of rash from running up on the beach.
If everything is good, then carefully do a walk around and look for any damages. There will be scratches and dock rashes as they call it especially on an older boat for this price range.
That's okay as long as it’s not busted through and the fiberglass is damaged underneath. There will also be spider cracks in the gel coat; tha's also okay. This is caused from sun damage and flexing in the boat and hull impacts.
This damage is superficial and cosmetic and won’t cause the boat to take on water or sink. We are not concerned with that.
Again, you're worried about areas that have had a hard impact, busted through the gel coat and cracked and damaged the fiberglass underneath, going through to the inside of the boat. That’s a deal breaker, especially if he did not disclose it.
Featured Product
Interior Check
Next, check the seats. Feel the vinyl and do a close check for cracks. If the vinyl is stiff and dirty, it's going to need to be recovered. You may be able to clean it and condition it with a good vinyl conditioner depending on the how bad it is.
Check the backing on the seats and the frame. Move it back and forth. If it moves excessively, then the wood is more than likely rotten, and you're going to not only need new vinyl, but all new frames for the seats. If you don't know how to do this, you can get into $2500.00 or more very quickly even on a small 17-foot boat.
By the time you recover the back seats, the mid section seats, the front seats and the bow area, it's going to be very expensive. If this is the case, point it out to the seller. If he won’t come way down on the price, then pack up and go if you're unable to recover the seats yourself.
Featured Product
Instruments and Engine
Check the instruments and make sure they're not cloudy, sun damaged or rusted. If they're rusted inside, then water got into the instruments and they're toast. If you don't know how to do electrical, this could be into the thousands with new gauges and wiring .
Go in the back and pull up the dog house for the engine. Some dog houses can be picked up and moved out of the way. Some have pins on the hinges that you can pull out and remove the dog house.
With some, you'll have to use a Philips screw driver to remove the hinges. I would recommend removing the dog house for an engine inspection so you can lay down and really check under the engine for leaks and any cracks in the exhaust manifolds, as well as the side of the engine blocks. I've seen cracks that people have repaired with JB weld.
The best case is when you see JB weld repairs on any of the engine components, then you should back out of the deal. It's not worth taking the chance of having to put in a new engine. Like I said before, this is when you check for oil puddles under the engine in the bilge area.
If you don't find any cracks on the engine block or manifolds, then pull the dip stick for the oil. If you see any milk shake, then you're done. Water is getting into the engine crank case and its time for a new engine. The boat is not worth a new engine.
While we're on the oil, check the color. If it’s fairly clean, then the owner has taken very good care of it.
If it's pitch black and darker than coal, then he has not maintained the boat very well. This could cause some problems down the road. Depending on how the engine performs during the lake test will tell a lot.
Most of the time, if you buy the boat and start changing the oil and filters on a regular basis, the dark oil will eventually disappear after the engine gets cleaned out with fresh oil and filters.
Featured Product
Checking The Drive
If everything passes inspection up to this point, we're now going to check out the drive. Ask the seller if it’s okay to drain a very small about of oil out of the drive. We're talking a table spoon at most.
You can ask the seller to do this for you. Lift the drive all the way up with the trailer switch. Check that the drive comes up with no hesitation. The hydraulic pump should sound strong and the drive should come right up.
If you hear the pump working hard, and the drive is coming up slowly or the pump is spinning faster then usual, you have some pump or hydraulic issues. It could also be low on hydraulic fluid.
When you do the engine inspection for leaks or cracks, you should also check around the pump and see if there's a lot of oil around it. If there is, then you have some leaks.
A very thin film of oil is normal; it’s the huge oil slicks you're concerned with. You may have a bad hydraulic pump or bad hydraulic lines or both. This is not cheap.
Back to the drive. If the drive lifts good, grab a small container and have the owner take a big flat blade screw driver and crack the drain plug on the bottom of the drive.
Back it out but hold the plug against the lower gear case. All you want is a small sample. Once you have about a tablespoon, then turn the plug back in and tighten it. If it's milky, then the drive is going to need to be resealed and more than likely need new bearings.
Featured Product
Most reseals on a Mercruiser Gen one or Gen 2 are going to be close to two grand, not including new bearings. At this point, you need to stop and find another boat unless you can beat him way down on the price. It's not cost effective to buy the boat for the agreed price and then have to put out two or three thousand dollars to get the drive rebuilt.
If the oil is black or if it’s fairly clean, then you're good. Check for excessive metallics in the oil. Some small particles are considered normal. You're looking for a concentrated amount of metallics or pieces of metal. This means you have a problem in the drive and bearings and gears are going out. This is another red flag.
At this point, the boat is not worth repairing unless you can do the work yourself and you can beat him way down on the price. If you can’t, then it’s time to walk away. The value of the boat verses the repair cost just don’t had up.
Let’s attach the flush attachment to the drive while it’s up. Lower the drive and you'll see the slots on the lower gear case. This is where you put on the rabbit ears. Just make sure you completely cover the slots with the flush attachment on both sides.
If you're still with me, thanks for hanging in there. In our next part, we'll cover driveway fire ups and what to look for. In the meantime take a look at all the boat care products here at Better Boat.
Featured Product
