Questions to ask when talking to a seller

[qbynewbie]

I'm fairly seriously considering purchasing an older Sea Ray Sundancer. I'm looking at boats that range from $10K up to about $25K, and from 26' to 32'. I'm getting back to boating after a long absence so looking for advice.

If I get real serious about a boat, I'll definitely get it surveyed and possibly have a mechanic check the engines. But I obviously don't want to do that with every boat I consider, so I need to winnow the list down to one or two.

I don't want to drive these poor sellers crazy with 100 questions, so I've tried to think of the pertinent ones. Here's what I've got:

• Where is the boat located?
• Is it in the water now?
• Will a sea trial be possible?
• Has it been surveyed recently?
• Has it been used in salt water?
• Has it ever been submerged?
• What engines does it have?
• How old are the engines and how many hours do they have on them?
• Are there any known maintenance problems or issues with the boat?
• What options or accessories are included?
• Does it include a trailer?

Am I on the right track here? If you were a seller and someone called to ask these questions, would you feel ok about that?

One last question: Suppose I'm looking at two Sundancers that are pretty comparable. One is $20K and has 270 hours on two engines. The other is $10K and has 1000 hours on two engines. Which is the better buy if both are freshwater boats?

My thought was that if the engines seemed ok, I might be able to get at least some use out of them before needing to replace or overhaul them. But I don't know what it costs to replace/overhaul a couple of engines on a boat like this so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, folks!

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Questions to ask when talking to a seller

I think asking about options and accessories is of value...after the soundness--and the price--of the boat, powertrain and trailer is established, of course. If the boat includes electronics, PFD's, safety gear, anchors and lines, sports gear (tubes, etc.), cover, bimini/enclosure, etc. all that crap can easily add up to some bucks.

Also, whether I'm buying a car, a boat, what have you, I always ask why they are selling. Yeah, they can lie, but it can give you an idea how much negotiation room you have. There's a big difference in ability to negotiate price between the seller's reason being "I'm thinking of upgrading to something bigger sometime" vs. "I need money for rent in three days."

 

[scipper77]

Re: Questions to ask when talking to a seller

Service history can be more important on the outdrives than the motor. Bellows replacement, gimbal bearings, couplers etc... A leaky bellows can lead to damage to these things.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Questions to ask when talking to a seller

I see two questions of value in your list.

Will a sea trial be possible?
Has it been surveyed recently?


Everything else is open to "fudging" the answers.

Engine hours don't mean a lot really. Run an engine at WOT for 100 hours and its done, run it at 3000 RPM and it can last a couple thousand hours with proper maintenace. A qualified mechanic can do a set of compression tests and tell you a great deal about its condition. Just an FYI: When doing an on the water test note the engine oil pressure when cold and compare it to a fully warmed engine at idle. If you see a wide change (40 PSI when cold - 10 PSI when warm) its a very good indication the engine is tired.

Not to be mean but I buy a fair number of boats each year and if there is anything I have learned is never trust the sellers information, far too often they simply are not qualified to answer them and its a rare seller that will tell you everything they know isn't right.

An on the water test is MANDATORY and if the seller won't do it, walk away as fast as you can. Many will say they no longer have insuranc on the boat so it can't be put on the water. I've seen this a lot and finally talked to my insurance agent and have worked it out that I can call him, give him the information on the boat and he'll cover a test drive on my insurance policy. The agreement with him is that if I buy the boat I get it covered through him.

I totally agree with the first bold statement above,
but am left with a little confusion at the 2nd!:redface:
Are we talkin' inboard motors or outboards?? Outboards have no problem being run WOT, they're made for it.
JMO,
JBJ

 

[qbynewbie]

Re: Questions to ask when talking to a seller

If a recent survey has been done reading it will be of help. If it hasn't been done he needs to budget for it.

A surveyor and I are going to meet tomorrow to look at a boat. If it's junk, I'll pay him for an "inspection" ($70 plus mileage). If it's not, he'll do a survey.

It's a Sea Ray SunDancer 270, so I/O.