Boat that has sat.

[Dougr3]

Thoughts on purchasing a boat that has set outside undercover. It has not been run for 3-4 yrs and you can’t hear the motors run.

 

[Dough]

About like a lottery ticket but with worse odds.

 

[sunbyrned]

Do you mean it’s been under a roof or just a cover? Also, are you saying the seller won’t let you hear the engines before purchasing?

 

[Dougr3]

Do you mean it’s been under a roof or just a cover? Also, are you saying the seller won’t let you hear the engines before purchasing?

Just under cover no roof. The seller won’t start the boat. However just a few hours on the motors.

 

[sunbyrned]

What is their reason for selling as is? Cranking it up is such an easy and reasonable thing to do. Could it be that they just have the boat and don’t know how to operate it? Maybe explore it a bit. It could be a real gem. If they’re just being absolute about it though, then walk away.

 

[Dougr3]

It’s an estate auction. I don’t think they know anything about it.

 

[sunbyrned]

Gotcha. I wonder if it’s possible to get the hull number and check the repair history or if a maintenance log is available. Do they let you take a close look at it? Look inside the boat, look at the engine, see the oil color? This might be a good find actually.

 

[Dougr3]

I’ve been on the boat. It is dirty from sitting outside. The engines look immaculate. The oil looks very clean. Is there a place to look at repair history and maintenance logs like carfax?

 

[sunbyrned]

I believe you can take that number to a dealer and they can see the history. Not sure if you’re allowed to though. Maybe only the owner can. That’s about all I can do help you. Maybe others will chime in on what to look for but it sounds like it could be worth bidding on. 50 hours and the engines are immaculate is tempting.

 

[dgfreeze]

What year/model is it? Is there any way you could take a jumper pack and see if the engines crank over, and possibly start? I wouldn't have high hopes with 3-4 year old gas, but hearing it cranking over would be a good start. If the engine bay looks mint, that lowers the chance it has catastrophic engine failure. I haven't tried, but you might be able to get a prybar/large screwdriver/vise grip on the output shaft or flex coupler and see if you can turn the engines. Even if it does start, without a water test there are a lot of potential issues you could be dealing with, and a lot of very likely issues you will be dealing with. Do the cleanout plugs go in and out nicely? Are the impellers in good shape? (primarily the leading edge) Are the intermediate bearings good, and not leaking? How does the vinyl on the seats look? If it's in the "faulty timing chain" year range, I'd walk away.

 

[Dougr3]

Here is all the information I know. It’s a 16 titled in 17. Trailer tags expired in 18. Impellers are perfect. I powered it up but could not get engine hours. I did see a trip meter of 200 miles at 40 mph. Seats are dirty but not cracks or rips. Clean out plugs go in and out easy.

 

[Beachbummer]

Is the boat accessible to you? With$150 you can get a battery and a compression tester. Do they have the keys? If not you could even hot wire it.

A little spent in inspection will go a long way.

If it looks clean and compression is good and the price is right, you might have a winning ticket.

 

[fatboyroy]

Is it priced or auction type deal?

 

[Dougr3]

Is the boat accessible to you? With$150 you can get a battery and a compression tester. Do they have the keys? If not you could even hot wire it.

A little spent in inspection will go a long way.

If it looks clean and compression is good and the price is right, you might have a winning ticket.

The boat is 2hrs from me. I just drove to look at it yesterday. They do not meet you at the boat they simply say here it is go look. No keys I would not want to put the gas thru the motor. Hindsight is 2020 I should’ve pulled plugs while I was there.

 

[Dougr3]

Is it priced or auction type deal?

Auction

 

[dgfreeze]

Crazy a boat that new would get that much use in the first year or two, and then sit for three or four years. I'd think the engines are fine, had it been an engine failure, or something like that, warranty should've fixed it. I'd say you could possibly be looking at a diamond in the rough, but I'd also recommend proceeding with caution. I'd still try to find a way to turn the motor by hand just to make sure the rings didn't get stuck. All in all, it's a risk you have to be comfortable taking at the price you're willing to pay.

 

[Beachbummer]

Is it widely advertised? And what's the bid start? If it's the one you want and you can save major coin I would consider

In my experience people tend to overpay at auctions with multiple bidders so watch out.

 

[Julian]

Just under cover no roof. The seller won’t start the boat. However just a few hours on the motors.

Run away OR offer a price as if the boat had no engines!! That's nuts!

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

You could buy it at auctions hoping for the best, but, personally, I would assume the worst.

Even if you buy a car at a car auction, you can at least hear it run.

Jim

 

[Dougr3]

Is it widely advertised? And what's the bid start? If it's the one you want and you can save major coin I would consider

In my experience people tend to overpay at auctions with multiple bidders so watch out.

It’s widely advertised. The bid is at 32 currently and you have to pay 15% on top of your bid.