Used boat purchase advice

[bennnyjw]

Hello, i am in the process of most likely purchasing a 2001 four winns horizon 180le with 150 johnson outboard.

price tag is 9,400$

One owner. Had lower unit replaced last year at the dealer im working with who sold boat to original owner.

Engine looks clean, little to no signs of oil leakage, hoses in good shape etc.

My only concerns:
Both sides of a small section of wood backed vinyl with staples is rotted out, seems to be very thin plywood to begin with not marine grade and probably the only wood on the boat anyway. They are going to replace.

center battery/oil compartment had mildew/mold around the sides on the fiberglass walls. Probably common. But i have read lots of discussions about water logged boats. Many say foam gets logged, others point out their math and numbers are off. Much of the comments are about old restores and not in regards to new age vec construction. The dealer is going to give me a test drive on the lake they are at, seems like if i do a top speed measurement that may tell me if it is holding water?

Next i want to make sure this is a good boat for the money. Nada seems to be way off on alot of what i look at.
dealer is going to include a anchor, life jackets, and re-upholster the three back cushins as some stiches have come out.

thank you!!

 

[harringtondav]

Your best reality check is to Google used boat pricing. Go to a NADA site. You'll know if the dealer is in range. Their prices can be tweaked by boat and motor condition.

Structural rot is the demon in used boats. This one sounds like a candidate with the rot and mold you note. I'd be wary without a knowledgeable survey.

 

[bennnyjw]

Thanks for the reply. I have searched every dealer and marina within a 150 mile radius. Not much out their. I am also avoiding I/Os as many around here are not cared for.

it seems to be all fiberglass/foam contruction. So no rot anywhere else? But not sure about foam holding water?

 

[harringtondav]

I know of very few boats that aren't built with wood structure under the floor and with wood transoms. The foam is mainly for flotation if swamped. And it will hold water if wet. A very bad sign. A properly maintained and stored boat should have zero water get under the floor. I'd keep looking for another boat.

 

[bennnyjw]

From what i have read it was a big selling point for four winns in 2001.
Like Bayliner, Four Winns uses traditional hull construction, but individual components are all fiberglass rather than marine ply. Stringers are fiberglass shells filled with foam. A fiberglass deck includes the consoles and bow cockpit in the mold. The floor is fiberglass and topped with standard snap-in carpet. Cleats are through-bolted and backed with wood blocks, glassed into the underside of the deck. The engine compartment is gel coated.

 

[Ciera2450]

$9400 seems pretty high

 

[JimS123]

The pictures look nice, but the price is way too high for an 18 year old boat. A replaced lower unit to me indicates the previous owner let things go one way or the other. A marine survey will tell if its waterlogged or not. If they insist on that price, have them pay for the survey and provide the results.

 

[bennnyjw]

Thanks for the replies. I was thinking the price high but everything i have seen listed around within $2,000 didnt seem as well kept. Asking them for a survey is a good idea!

 

[JASinIL2006]

Lots of boats around that era started going to non-wood structure, but it also isn't uncommon to find boats with fiberglass stringers and bulkheads, and a wood transom core and/or wood deck. I'd check those closely. You usually can see what's underneath by looking at the stringers that form the walls of the ski locker (if it has one). If it is all fiberglass, that's really a selling point, although you still need to rule out waterlogged foam.

Price might be a little high, but it really depends on where you live. Boats around my part of the world (where boats aren't that plentiful) always seem to cost more than boats in areas with many more choices.