Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

[R6Biker]

Hey everyone, my name is Ben and I am in the works of purchasing a 1992 Crownline, 182 I believe with the 4.3L Merc, with just over 500 hours. I am a complete newb when it comes to boating. I know very little besides the bilge pump, "fume" fan, just the very basic's of the boat. I know I have tons and tons of questions but any advice for me would be great. It appears that this forum is full of bright and smart boaters! Thanks everyone!

Ben

 

[Span 24]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Hey everyone, my name is Ben and I am in the works of purchasing a 1992 Crownline, 196 I believe with the 4.3L Merc, with just over 500 hours. I am a complete newb when it comes to boating. I know very little besides the bilge pump, "fume" fan, just the very basic's of the boat. I know I have tons and tons of questions but any advice for me would be great. It appears that this forum is full of bright and smart boaters! Thanks everyone!

Ben

Welcome to the forums! I am new here myself having recently purchased my first boat. I can recommend that you find a friend who is as knowledgable as possible and take them with you to test drive the boat (you ~will~ test drive the boat before purchasing, won't you?)

From personal experience; pay attention to fuel smells and verify that ~every little thing~ works.

Have fun and Happy Boating!!

Michael

 

[R6Biker]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Thanks Michael! I've got a close friend who owns a boat dock, which actually i worked at the docks this past year and he had a 95 bayliner capri, which is what got me hooked on boats. So apart from a few runs in that one I am fairly new. He is going with me tomorrow to look at it, is there any kind of history report that can be done on marine vehicles? He says that all the necessary maintenance has been done/winterized, the hours don't seem too bad for a 17 year old boat.

Ben

 

[bhammer]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Welcome to iBoats. Look for soft spots in the floor and the transom. If you find any, move on. Take the boat for a water ride and make sure all works and stays within limits and doesn't leak. Take a boater's course for your protection as well as use your buddy to teach you the ropes. Make sure you have a tow vehicle that can handle the weight.

 

[R6Biker]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Sounds good, the boat is at the individuals house so I'll have to try to convince him to let me and my friend take the boat out. Tomorrow will tell the tale, hopefully I can get back in time to put some information up here about the boat, it may be Thursday but I can't even being to mention how much I appreciate any advice.

Ben

 

[bhammer]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Ben, let us know what you and your buddy find out. A lake test is a must in my book. Maybe tell they guy you will give him $20 for gas if you don't buy the boat. If you are comfotable, give the full specs and a price. Some here are pretty good with if it is a fair price or not or where you should be.

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Check out the restoration section for some common problems, lots of pics there to give you an idea what to look for when purchacing your boat. I'd also recommend taking a boaters saftey class. Boating is the best sport there is but there are alot of rules, tricks, and courtesys that make it more enjoyable/safe. Little education goes a long way. Good luck.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Sounds good, the boat is at the individuals house so I'll have to try to convince him to let me and my friend take the boat out. Tomorrow will tell the tale, hopefully I can get back in time to put some information up here about the boat, it may be Thursday but I can't even being to mention how much I appreciate any advice.

Ben

Hi, Ben-

I would NOT, under any circumstances, buy a boat without a sea trial (test). Depending on how much the seller is asking you might want to pay for a complete survey of the boat, too. If it's cheap and your friend is knoweldgable you might get away with that okay.

Best of luck!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

welcome to iboats, take a in class safe boating course.

Buying a boat

1st you need to decide what you want to use it for, fishing, cruising, or water sports.

2nd how many people adults, children you want on board of the average outing.

3rd outboard, inboard-outboard, or inboard power plant.

4th Budget, what you want to pay, and what you are willing to pay, when you find
Exactly what you want.

You can hire a marine surveyor, to inspect the boat, or you can do it yourself.

You are mainly looking for soft spots in the deck, transom, cracks, all signs of a rotten, under frame. You walk all over the deck, that a mallot, or hammer with wooden handle, using handle, tap all over the transom, a shape rap is good solid base, a thud, is questionable base.

The motor should be clean, no spots where the paint is discolored, or pealing from heat, having run hot. (This part for outboard motors Compression should be atleast 100psi, and within 10% of each other,)
Spark on all cylinders, good pee stream, check lower unit for water in oil.

The overall condition of the boat will tell you a lot, as to how it has been maintained.
boat motor combo, A 30 year old may be in better condition, than a 3 year old.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Ben welcome to iboats.


DO NOT, under any circumstances, buy a boat without a sea trial (test). Follow TD's advice above. That will keep you a happy boater until foot-itus sets in.

 

[tmh]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Often, for an inexpensive used boat, the owner doesn't want to be bothered with a test ride - but insist on one anyhow. Also, make your offer to purchase contingent on an inspection of the boat by a surveyor or at least a marine mechanic of your choosing. The mechanic can check the engine over for you to make sure you're not buying a pile of junk.

As was said, soft spots in the deck can seem like an easy fix - cut a piece out and replace - but don't be fooled. Usually (almost always) a soft spot in the deck is covering up stringer and transom rot which is a BIG job and unsafe to boat without fixing.

Good luck. I hope this one works out for you.

Be more specific in your question and you'll get great advice/info here.

 

[CaptNCamille]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

I would do two things:
Hire a good marine surveyor to check out the boat including a sea trial and take a boating safety course. See USPS.org for local courses.

 

[chicknwing]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Hey Ben, Welcome to iboats, follow the advice above and you will be fine. The safety class, while not required, will give you a huge head start on being safe on the water. Remember it's not a car, you can't just pull over and get out if something goes wrong.

TC

 

[Blue Crabber]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Welcome to iboats! This is a great forum with lots of info.

As others have said, DO NOT buy without out a sea trial first. If he doesn't want you to, he is probably hiding something. Trust me, i didn't on my first boat and got burned big time!! (Motor with bad compression, rotten floor, rotten transom and no electrical items worked) Wish i would have found this forum first!!

Take a safety class. Knowledge is always good. I am taking a refresher this year with my wife.

Lots of good advice already mentioned, be sure to follow it and you will have a great time this summer!!

 

[R6Biker]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Thanks to everyone, I'm waiting on a phone call from the seller, so I can go look at it. I had figured that I would convince him to do the water run and check how it does, as well as pay for his gas to get the boat to the water. I'll be sure to check the hull and transom with the mallet, I don't know if I had listed the price for the boat. He is asking $6,000 for it, and again it's a 1992 Crownline 182, I definitely DON'T want to get burned. My uncle is a game warden who owns 3 river boats, and even though they aren't lake or sea boats, he'll be able to point me in the right direction for a class! I'll definitely check out the restoration section on potential problems for this model.

 

[tmh]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Well, $6k is too high for a 1992 18' boat. Maybe $4200 or so if in good condition, $4800 if great. However, better to pay a bit more for a VERY good boat than to get a deal on an OK boat, IMO. Not over $5k though for that one.

A few places to check for rot: Any wood-backed trim pieces. Deck under seats and any corners, etc. Engine mount stringers - critical. Bring a socket set and try to tighten the engine mount bolts - if they are very loose or don't "catch" tightly, trouble. Check around windows for water damage. See if screws are tight or can be tightened.

Check to see if any electrical wiring that's been done is done neatly and properly. Test gauges, radio, etc. Lights.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

You can check out the value of this boat at nadaguides.com and know if your about to pay too much. Here 6k for a 1992 in excellent condition is about right.

 

[R6Biker]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

I thought it sounded ok for the condition it was suppose to be in, but then again once I get there to check it out I might find otherwise. I'm a stickler about these kinds of things, i like to find every little flaw on everthing so that I know what's there and why. Plus the boat matches my truck so I'm really hoping this boat is as good as it sounds! haha, although that's not the main reason I'm interested in it, that's just a plus. I was hoping I didn't have to pull a teal/purple/or pink boat with a bright cherry red pickup. lol,

 

[cbavier]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

I thought it sounded ok for the condition it was suppose to be in, but then again once I get there to check it out I might find otherwise. I'm a stickler about these kinds of things, i like to find every little flaw on everthing so that I know what's there and why. Plus the boat matches my truck so I'm really hoping this boat is as good as it sounds! haha, although that's not the main reason I'm interested in it, that's just a plus. I was hoping I didn't have to pull a teal/purple/or pink boat with a bright cherry red pickup. lol,

I am excited for you and hope that it is everything that it is suppose to be. If you get it. Post us some pictures. Nadaguides as near as I could tell says around $4200 but that is average so if the boat is exceptional it is worth more. It's only worth what you or someone else is willing to pay for it. Here the boating season is just getting started. I saw the first boats out on the lake yesterday. Fisherman of course. It's been windy here in Northern Michigan so even if it's 60 it's pretty darn cold and would really be on the water. The fishermen were all bundled up that I saw, all three boats.

 

[Chevysolid]

Re: Absolutely NEW Boat owner, please help.

Hey man, I am up in Hamilton which is NE Indiana.... probably not to far away from you...
anyway.. I just got a 94 Crownline 196BR which is a bit bigger with a fresh 5.7LX (30 hrs. ) , 180 hrs on boat for around 5k. this also came with a 2002 tandem axle trailer rated for over 6000 lbs....

Only issue is a small soft spot under the rear seat in the corner...

Good luck on your new purchase, but dont rush.... there are ALOT of deals to be had, Check craigslist often... I have seen quite a few deals over the last few months... times are tight and people need to sell