1st time boat buyer. 1980Searay 24'.what do i look 4??

[neira]

its my first time buying a boat. im looking at a 1980 24 foot sea ray. what are the main things to look at when i look at the boat???? its has a full cabin,stove,electricity, and sleeps 4...please tell me what i need to be concerned with????<br />

 

[CAPTAL]

Re: 1st time boat buyer. 1980Searay 24'.what do i look 4??

Well i heard those boats usually sink if they have holes in them... just look for some holes. then look for an engine. make sure its in the back of the boat. turn the boat on and see if it starts. i heard the fish dont like boats made in 1980. my friend had this exact same boat and he could never catch a keeper fluke. watch for c*m stains in the cabin. they get quite annoying to remove. if you know what i mean. my firend had a stove also and his boat burnt down when he lit a smoke. the good thing is that it sleeps 4 ..you your dog your mom and you know who. 24 foot is big but 25 foot is bigger. and besides all that i would say a 2003 would be better.<br /><br />p.s. <br />my boat is better

 

[DJ]

Re: 1st time boat buyer. 1980Searay 24'.what do i look 4??

fjackie,<br /><br />If this is your first boat. Don't trust your own judgement on whether or not this boat is sound or it's a money pit.<br /><br />Invest some money and hire a reputable marine surveyor. If you're serious, the money invested will be very well worth it.<br /><br />The things they will check are:<br /><br />1. Hull integrity.<br />2. Stringers, transom. Sea Rays of that vintage had alot of wood in them.<br />3. Electrical system. House and engine.<br />4. Engine. I assume it's an I/O?<br />5. Outdrive.<br />6. Sea trial.<br /><br />I do not know your experience level in boat handling. If you're a novice, take a boat safety course at least. A handling course would also be advised.<br /><br />This is a pretty good size boat for a novice.

 

[TxRiverRat]

Re: 1st time boat buyer. 1980Searay 24'.what do i look 4??

DJJohns gives good advice. <br /><br />I had a 1981 Sea Ray 192 and you better have it looked at. I took great care of that boat, but there are certain things you need to look at:<br /><br />1. Wood Floors: Make sure they aren't warped or rotted.<br /><br />2. Check that cooling system. Mine had a CLOSED cooling system, meaning it did not take water from the lake to cool it off. It has a radiator, just like a car - be sure it's in good shape.<br /><br />3. Inspect that outdrive. Does it have the OMC or the Mercruiser? I had a merc, and I was always told they were alot better than OMC. <br /><br />4. Take it for a test drive.<br /><br />5. Have a mechanic or Marine Surveyor look at it.<br /><br />Hope that helps...

 

[albany joe]

Re: 1st time boat buyer. 1980Searay 24'.what do i look 4??

Ditto the 2 previous posts. This is not like buying a used car. The 2 critical items are the engine/outdrive, and the structural integrity of the hull and anything that can rust (was this boat in the ocean?).<br /> You should spend the money to get a survey done. If there are problems you will have saved yourself a lot of grief, and if there are no problems you will have peace of mind. In a 22 year old boat, there will be some problems, hopefully minor.<br />Good luck, Joe