Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

[JoLin]

Shopping for a 27-30 foot boat. We want a large-sized v-berth, and a ?fixed? dinette separate from the berth. Saw a ?94 Carver 280 Express, asking price $13K. I called my friend Bob (fellow Power Squadron member, 100 ton captain?s license, mechanical engineer and buyer and seller of boats for 40-odd years). Man?s a gold-mine, and I have a standing offer from him to check out and sea trial any boat I?m interested in, so we can determine if it?s worth a survey.

Okay, there?s water in the bilge above the float switch, so we know that isn?t working. I run the pump and empty the bilge. Bob wanders through the boat and points out the leaky port (window) in the head. He checks the oil.

Bob: Pretty clean. How many hours on the boat this year?
Owner: hardly any- 10, 15 max.
Bob: You change the oil this season?
Owner: My mechanic did. Only uses synthetic. He?s great. Been servicing the boat for years and takes real good care of it. Mechanically it's great. No problems at all.

Bob: You?re more than a quart low.

Owner: uuhhh? maybe he didn?t fill it all the way??

ROFLMAO. So, did the 'great mechanic' screw up a simple oil change (and god know what else), or did the 'great motor' burn over a quart of oil in 15 hours or less? Sheesh!

 

[mj05]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

wow!

 

[Chris-R]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

That's great!

 

[scipper77]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

I feel bad for the next guy to look at that boat. I'm sure the owner will top off the oil and tell the same stories.

 

[bluedevil211]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

What is wrong with people??? That is amazing!

 

[Solittle]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

Never ever take what the seller says as fact without personally verifying what he says.

 

[642mx]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

You had to bring a friend along to help check the oil?...lol

Just kiddin...

 

[JoLin]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

You had to bring a friend along to help check the oil?...lol

Just kiddin...

Just that one- other boats don't even need oil....

 

[JoLin]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

I feel bad for the next guy to look at that boat. I'm sure the owner will top off the oil and tell the same stories.

Hopefully the next guy will also look hard at the transom and see the steady drip... drip... drip near the steering (the reason the bilge water level was high). Bob directed me to wipe down that area, which is how I spotted that. He was suspicious about the bilge water being all because of rain, though I did taste it and it tasted fresh (that's a fun activity).

Also, Bob explained to me that the reason for the new starter on the boat was the bilge water that flowed back every time he went bow high, wetting the starter and causing the bendix to rust.

He spotted enough problems I might have missed, to prevent me from spending good money on a survey.There's no substitute for having a friend who's been doing this stuff for years and years. All it cost me was a diner breakfast

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Boat Shopping 101 - Why it's good to know people

You?re more than a quart low.

I looked at a truck like that once. When I pulled the dipstick it had 1/4" of thick black crude oil on the end of the stick, at least 2 quarts low and long over due for an oil change. I just put the dipstick back in and left it as is, hoping the next person looking at it would check the oil too...