No Sea Trial ????

[AZBoatDreamer]

The owner of a Boat I'm looking at says he is too busy to perform a Sea Trial.

Should I walk away from the purchase or is there another way we can come to an aggreement for a sea trial.

I was going to offer a deposit of $1,000 on a $6,000 asking price boat so I can take it out for a sea trial myself and if all goes I will make an offer. Does this sound reasonable.

or

Should I make an offer to purchase the Boat and if we are in aggreement of the purchase price, I will insist on doing a sea trial before I put up any money.

Thanks.

David

 

[triumphrick]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

There's a lot of things to look at during a seatrial...I guess he isn't too interested in selling the boat....I would walk on this one...

 

[robert graham]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

You really need to do a sea trial before you buy this boat or you just set yourself up to be diappointed, or worse yet, totally screwed! I mean the motor might have a bad cylinder or anything. Good Luck!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

passing a sea trial or no deal.

 

[Maxum21]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

i would be hesistant to put money out like that. i'm assuming its a private seller. I would do your second option. agree on a price, bring cash or check with to show him your serious, and if still no ride, walk away..

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

More I think about it with your opinions I like the second option. Sea trial and agreement price before any money Exchange hands.

Thank you,

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

Definitely option two. The "two busy to perform a sea trial" sounds fishy. Fishey enough, in fact, to not trust him with any deposit money. Regardless of how good the reason (or excuse), no purchase without a real sea trial.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

Yes private seller.

He has kept good maintenance records though.

 

[scutly]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

bought mine off a driveway without a sea trial. :redface: first boat. fell in love on craigs list. pretty much new i wanted that boat so i low balled him cause of no sea trial. he laughed and said no thank you. i told him to call me if we could take her out. he called a couple days later and accepted my offer but sheepishly mentioned it might need outdrive work due to hard shifting. but it ran like a top. 450 hrs on a freshwater cooled 5.7. ended up needing a neutral interrupt switch and there is nothing wrong with the drive. not that id recommend anyone spending large money without a trial. just sayin it worked for me.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

I can see both ways on this one... I can see that I would normally want to run a boat in the water before putting down cash... on the other hand, I can easily see being busy enough at some times of my life and if getting rid of a boat didn't rank in the top priorities at the time, not being willing to break away from other things (not an insult to anyone or a purchaser, just the way my head works sometimes). I would go with my gut... and to be honest, if I had gone over it with a fine tooth comb and was comfortable with the make of boat and liked, it I might buy it without a sea trial... especially if it was a good deal on something I wanted and I could afford it.

(I tend to view money I spend on a toy more from the perspective of what I am willing to pay for it and what it is worth to me rather than a careful analysis of "market" values...)

will he let you have it surveyed? perhaps if he's not interested in your idea, maybe he would agree to make sale contingent on passing a succesful marine survey.... Just a thought. Good luck with it!

 

[timmyjoebob]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

Option two is how I just bought my boat. Worked out the deal over the phone. $1000 deposit. Rest to be paid after completion of sea trial and inspection. Sent the deposit. Did the trial three weeks later (couldn't get there any sooner). Cashiers check handed over after title was signed over.

No buyer out there will finalize a boat transaction without seeing if it'll float. Errrr, correction... no smart buyer...

A sea trial is expected, but I can see the seller not want to take every Tom, ****, and Nemo out to do a test-drive.

Good Luck!

 

[capt sam]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

I have bought several boats without sea trials but I either knew the boat or the owner or had been on the boat before, I wouldn't do it with a stranger. I have also sold boats with no sea trial even though I offered, although I would always recommend one in your situation.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

Did he tell you anything about the condition? My first thought is something is wrong and he doesn't want you to experience it for yourself.

On further analysis I guess I can see his point, but I have to make some assumptions. I'll bet he thinks he's already priced it at bargain basement and doesn't want to bother with someone who wants to nit-pick over small crap.

Or, he probably thinks he'll have to go out of his way so you can sea trial it and doesn't think selling it for 6K is really worth it if he has to do that. Lots of people say they want to be there and see it run...alot less actually show up.

I say meet him and show him you're serious, agree to a price pending sea trial. If he doesn't want that you have your answer.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: No Sea Trial ????

A couple of things to consider:
We don't know what type of boat we are talking about here, or location. Not all of them warrant the effort. Sea trial in February in New Hampshire? Maybe the seller has something there. Is the boat in the water, or on a trailer 45 minutes away from the "sea" where you will "try' it?
As a seller: Would you hand over your boat to a total stranger for 1/6 of the purchase price? For any price? Or, from the seller's standpoint, do you mean sea trial with both seller and buyer aboard? He might be too busy to go on a boating excursion in the winter.
If the boat is a standard set up, and you are familiar enough with the type of boat to know how it handles, etc., no "sea trial" is necessary--you want a mechanical inspection instead. Unless it's an i/o with possible bellows leaks.
So some compromises: subject to mechanical inspection; 30 day warranty; lower price to compensate; wait until spring.
There are many circumstances where "sea trials" and "marine surveys" don't make sense, just as other boating rules don't always fit.

 

[truckermatt]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

get a sea trial first...

a boat i was looking at was in EXCELLENT shape and everything was like new (for being 25 years old...) but it was march and the seller did want to take it out (couldn't yet either...lakes froze) but he would even run it on the muffs... it was like 50 degrees...

any ways, i passed on the boat, and it was still there in may, so i went back again and asked for a test drive, and he said ok.... so we get to the lake... and i turn it over and clunk clunk clunk.... it blew a rod the earlier fall and he left it sit.. he even had the boat winterized (from a dealer) with receipts and all to make the unfortunate buyer more confident with out a test drive...

Now there was no real way to know that a rod was broke in the motor unless i was able to start it up....

Just be careful is all i can say.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

Maybe the boat already is cheap, even with problems. If so, you might want to make a reasonable offer and hope for the best.

Or if you don't really care if you buy the boat, you could make an offer that allows for a worst case scenario. If the seller doesn't accept that, tell him/her that you are willing to pay more if it checks out in the water.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

For the Question of my Location, I live in AZ, Do I need to say more. Boating season is all year. I think the Temp today is going to be in the low 70,s

I haven't made any offer on the boat. I want to look at a few others but this one is at the top of my list.

Thank you.

 

[lprizman]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

walk,,,plain and simple-sumthin aint right

 

[northernmerc]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

For the Question of my Location, I live in AZ, Do I need to say more. Boating season is all year. I think the Temp today is going to be in the low 70,s

Please don't rub it in. It may be relatively warm, but doesn't boating require water?:

OK, I know you have a few man made lakes along the Colorado, and I've spent time there myself. I remember seeing one of those lakes on a hot day in summer where one could have walked across the lake, from one shore to the other, by stepping from boat to boat.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: No Sea Trial ????

LOL Im in the phoenix area and I have access to 5 man made lakes an hour or less away.

Yes we have water.