need some opinions on a boat

[iron21]

hi,
i'm considering buying a used boat but would appreciate some opinions first. The boat is a 1998 18' starcraft w/ a 140hp suzuki. The boat partially sank at the dock but was pulled, drained and the engine was run, oiled and fogged shortly after. I can get it for $2000, which i think is a great price but My main concern is the engine. Even though it was run afterwards, it has been sitting for a year since. Is there reason to be concerned? And the marina cant give me any further information. They say its being sold "as is" and there is nothing further they know about the boat. This marina is 5 hours from me so its not like i could just stop by and check it out. Do you think its worth the risk or should i stay away??
heres the link:
http://www.boats.com/sites/yarmouth/preowned

thanks!!!

 

[Nandy]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

Too risky if they wont let you take a sea trial. I had a yamaha enduro 9.9 hp motor that sank once. I got it out the same day and did basically what you said, fog it, run it, etc... I left it sitting for a couple of months and it frozze. I could eventually got the motor to move and run, but I never trusted it again. I had a similar situation with one of my current boats. I took the boat out in a very steep ramp and the motor got submerged like for a minute of 2. It did got water inside, I ran the motor every day for 2 weeks just to make sure the water was gone. No a problem with that one.

I would not buy any boat or motor that I am not allowed to test. If the boat is fine, then what is to hide?
If they let you run it dont forget to check cylinder pressure, dont take their word for anything you can check yourself.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

With it sitting for a year up north, I would be afraid that something has happened to either the engine or lower unit for sure, plus what it has done to the insides of the boat in a years time.
You know they did not get all the water out of it.
Like Nandy say's, if it is good to go, then they should have no problem with a sea trial.

 

[iron21]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

thanks for the quick replies!
your right. it isnt a good idea to buy a boat without testing it!
but heres the thing, i left a $200 deposit on it yesterday. i wasnt thinking. ya know when you see something that seems too good to be true, you dont think straight lol
anyways, i've never dealt with a marine broker before. what should i do? should i pay them to inspect the powerhead/ lower unit and have them run it a bit?(i KNOW they will charge me) or should i just let them keep the $200 and start looking for another boat? i dont care about losing the 200 dollars(better than 2,000) but i just want to avoid driving 6 hours to pick up a boat that isnt going to be worth it. i'm sure some of you guys have experience with brokers. what do you think i should do ?
again thanks for your help. i value all your oponions
-Jamie

 

[Hashi]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

As the other posts summarized, stay away from that boat...You'll be glad you did. As far as the $200 deposit, see if the broker will apply it towards another boat, now or later. In some cases, like cars, they're refundable, as well.

 

[iron21]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

well, they can just keep my $200.
i called them today and asked if they could inspect the outboard/lower unit to make sure it was working properly.i even offered to pay for thier time. The answer i got was "sorry,we cant do it. were too busy" too busy too spend an hour or two? thats just sketchy..theyre probable trying to hide something from me.. i'm pretty mad about it. but what can you do
thanks for the good advice. i will def stay away now

 

[kaliman91]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

Did you sign a contract that said depsoit nonrefundable? If not put a stop on the check.

I just bought a boat thru a broker.I thought buying a boat would be fun and easy. Not even close. Looking at all the boats i swear there are more pieces of crap out there then anything else.I looked at 13 boats and only 3 of them were even worth my time.I never thought it would be this difficult finding a boat. And i still hope i choose the right one. I beleive i found a good deal on a well taken care of boat but time will tell.

Good Luck

 

[Nandy]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

If you have a simple receipt with nothing written on it as far as it being a "non refundable" deposit then ask for your money back.

 

[pduquette]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

Hi Iron21
I just read the post + looked at the ad . I concour Et all ! On casco bay ,(salt water) ,too much water damage to be "quickly pulled out" .looks like it sat tied to the dock port (pass Side ) down . I also looked at the local map to check local lakesand something caught my eye---to the north of Little Sebago is a small town -----SUCKERVILLE !!!! NO JOKE!!!!

 

[iron21]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

Kaliman: tell me about it! i too thought buying a boat was supposed to be fun and easy. complete opposite. its been a big headache! goodluck with your boat.hope it lives up to your expectations

pduquette: thats pretty funny! and thanks for your geological research! lol

as far as my deposit, i didnt pay by check.. i called up and had them charge it to my credit card. i know, i know..stupid move. guess ya gotta learn from your mistakes.i'm just glad i didnt buy the boat. if it wern't for you guys, i would have!

 

[Kevin-Shearer]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

If you paid with a credit card dispute it. Credit card companies are the best way to pay for something like this. I had a car repair once where the guy gave me a price to fix it that was alot cheaper then the dealership it was at. I had him tow it to his location, when I went to pick it up he said he made a mistake and the bill was basically what the dealership wanted to fix it. I tried to dispute it with him and he wouldn't let me have the car until I paid. I paid with a credit card and then disputed it. Saved me over $450 !!
In order for them not to refund your deposit they have to prove they would have got another offer, not likely.
I just went through what you all are, on buying a boat also. Recommend you only buy locally. I made a bunch of trips and found that if a deal sounds to good, it usually is. They would have been able to sell it locally if there wasn't issues. Ended up finding a great deal close to home just because the place wanted to move the boat and didn't want to spend alot of energy in doing so.

 

[Hardcore]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

that scenario would definitely require a sea trial. furthermore i have heard bad reviews of the riveted starcraft.

it may have sunk becasue some people dont realize that alum boat "sweat" and will slowly fill with water.

 

[maxturbo]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

On your next boat make sure you do a sea trial, check the wiring just like that boat that you just passed up. You have no idea what salt water does to wiring and the electronics if it was under water and sat. for a year. Never trust what you see. Its always what you dont see that hurts your wallet. If you know somebody that knows about boats take him with you. Good luck with your quest on finding that boat.

 

[oops!]

Re: need some opinions on a boat

as far as the deposit goes, if it says non refundable. its non refundable!
your money is gone.
if it doesnt, ask for it back. youll get it.

when u put the money down, u entered into an agreement to purchase the boat, the marina agreed that they would not sell the boat to any one, there for lost potential customers.
the reason u put the money down was so they wouldnt sell it to anyone else.

you changed your mind. the money now belongs to them.

you might ... as mentioned above try to use that money on another purchase, it depends on the dealer and your kind attitude!

good for you though. its not a good idea to purchase somthing you cant try out. if the boat was swamped there may be other considerations like rot.
keep looking and happy boating!