Re: Sea Trial Questions
Re: Sea Trial Questions
Sounds nice. Unless you have lots of experience, it's a good idea to take a marine mechanic along but here are a couple of suggestions:
Take the family along to both get a feel for how it rides loaded and their impressions. Things you couldn't really care about might be important to them (ease of climbing aboard, comfort of seats, sightlines through the windshield, even noise levels).
If the boat is being put in the water ensure the bilge is bone dry before launch and then check after your ride. Unless it's a choppy day and you're taking significant spray onboard it should be dry at the end of your run.
Try if possible to be present before it's launched. Slide under the trailer and check the hull stem to stern for cracks, crazing, blisters, missing gelcoat chunks or other damage.
Have a close look at the outdrive bellows for cracking or other damage. A boat this new shouldn't have issues in this area but it doesn't hurt to check.
Look for the condition of the outdrive and prop. If the skeg is beat up or bent but the prop is brand new, beware of the potential for more hidden damage. Spin the prop (with engine in neutral!) and watch for wobble or out of true condition. Give it a shake to make sure the shaft bearings are ok. I'd go so far as to crack open the gear case screw and watch for water running out or milky gear lube which would indicate a leak.
Once onboard, crawl all over it, check hatches and lockers and engine compartment. Sniff for fuel vapour, look for damaged wiring, hoses and the like. Check the oil on the dipstick. New, clean oil doesn't necessarily prove anything but dirty, gritty, burnt-smelling oil is a bad sign.
Fire it up (after running the blower a few minutes, of course...) and check all instruments, systems, and powered accessories. Get underway and note how the boat shifts into gear, both forward and reverse. The gears should engage with a positive feel with no grinding or hesitation.
(If at this point you have an owner or sales guy who's more interesting in showing you how loud the stereo is, or won't stop talking in your ear...try to get him to shut up and turn off the music...)
Get up on plane and note the feel through the wheel for vibration or pull from one side or the other. It should track straight and the wheel shouldn't require too much effort. Note the engine sound for anything unusual such as bogging, over-revving, etc.
Hopefully it won't be a glass-calm day so you can get a feel for how it rides over rougher water to ensure it's comfortable.
That's a few to get you going. Again, I'd stress a complete mechanical inspection over and above this stuff but as long as the boat wasn't abused or has some major manufacturing flaw, it's new enough that there should be few problems. Don't forget to ask for maintenance records, inquire about salt-water use, any offered warranty, and see if the thing has an hour meter.
Good luck, post pics, and report back!
