Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

[iamthunderman]

A mint Chap 220 ssi is for sale and the boat is immaculate from what I can tell. Engine looks like new and the boat only has 69 total hours on it. Would you consider buying one without a personal inspection?

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

I would not. I would at least want to physically inspect the boat, engine and drive and see/hear it run. Are you getting it for a great price? If yes - why? If no - why would you by it unseen and not running?

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

I wouldnt, I have learned in the past that pictures look alot better then when you go see it. So if I was spending my own money I would want to see it in person, Make sure all major units work. And that there are no soft spot. Post some pic's and the price this guy is selling the boat for. Also ask him when the pictures where takin of the boat that he showed you.

 

[Thad]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Can I assume you are looking on e-bay?

I have bought a boat unseen. There were a lot of contributing factors as to why. But to do it all over again, I would NOT. Lesson learned!!!
A buddy of mine also bought one unseen. On e-bay. After two years of working on it and me towing him in every other time, he sold it at quite a loss.

Buyer beware! That is all I can say. You might get a heck of a deal, you might get the wrong end of the bull also.

 

[jestncase]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Through my limited boat viewing, I have been looking to purchase a boat in the past few weeks.

I have searched online and gotten excited for many different boats because of the pictures I could see...then I went to look at them.

There were some boats I honestly thought the picture and the boat itself weren't even the same, the boat was just so badly cared for or beatin up and you could not see this in the pics. Stress cracks dont often show on pics...chips in the fiberglass etc...many things that must be seen and unless you're specifically looking for a fix - er - upper...I'd make sure to at least look at it once before id buy it.

 

[BigJ08]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Uhhhh.... No.

 

[iamthunderman]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww222/chapparal220ssi/

those are the pics. Would hiring a boat inspector be a good call? It is a killer deal on a great boat.... 14k for a 2003 chap 220 ssi with 69 hours on it. It is in washington state and I am in Arkansas.

Thoughts?

 

[cpubud]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

not a chance,but if you have the money to[ possibly throw away ]go ahead

 

[eavega]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Before I spend $14K on anything that has a motor on it, I need to take it out and put it through its paces.

-Eric

 

[southtexas]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

A POSSIBLE compromise: You can hire someone local to the boat to look at it for you. Call a nearby boat dealer, see if they know of anyone who can examine it (sometimes speaking directly to the service dept. is the way to go---a mechanic might be willing to go on his off time). Just make sure you don't call the dealer who sold the boat to the guy. And interview your potential "inspector" to be sure you will be FULLY comfortable with his final opinion...basically, make sure you're not hiring the seller's cousin Jed, and that there are no other conflicts of interest that will bias his survey.

Get inspector to give it a full working-over--test engine, major systems, hull/soft spots, trailer, etc. Seller should even be willing to take mechanic out for a sea trial. After all, the mechanic is your paid representative; this alone should indicate to seller you are interested and serious. Should cost you a couple hundred bucks tops (at least it does in my area).

If the seller objects, RUN.

 

[exsailor]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

I bought my current boat sight unseen, but it was new and I bought it from a very reputable dealer. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be willing to do the same thing if the boat was used.

 

[H8tank]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

I did. In fact, I had never even seen a 230 in real life.

However, it was not on ebay, but a single owned 2007 72 hr boat. There were plenty of hi-res pics, and I felt the seller was honest.

Was I nervous the first time out? Hell yeah I was, 300 yards from the ramp just up on plane, there was a very noticeable banging type sound coming from the hull, I slowed down to idle only to realize the 'banging' was the thump from 2x12" Fosgate subs.

If the boat was older, no. But under the right circumstances, yes. I could not have been happier getting the boat I got, and drove 9 hours to do so. We had all the money changing hands between his banker and mine, no cashiers checks or any of that BS.

If I was going to consider the same on an older boat, I would have a survey done.

 

[QC]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

It doesn't matter if it is eBay, Craig's list or a boat advertised here at iboats. The risks are the same. With that said, sure I would buy one unseen. I've bought cars that way too. As southtexas said, find somebody to inspect her though. There is a very happy guy in New Mexico that drove out and bought a boat sight unseen in L.A. Found his personal inspector right here at iboats, if I recall correctly that inspector was me . . .

 

[Chiliando]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

No. Never ever.

 

[superpop]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Where in WA is it, I might go take a look at it for you. I have a 2006 Chaparral 204SSI and I can tell you from personal experience that they are very well built boats. Not a lot of wood used so rot is less of an issue. The thing I would be worried about is compression on the motor and condition of the drive. If it is on the coast or been in the sound I would be concerned about corrosion.

 

[Lightnig]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Unseen and uninspected?

Not a chance.



Now, if there was someone I trusted to inspect it for me, sure. Just like southtexas mentioned, hire a third party inspector (a reputable marine surveyor) and go from there. Given my level of experience in boats, I would trust their word more than my own inspection anyway.

If you are concerned about someone scooping it on you, call them up and make a deposit on it with the condition of the boat being given a clean bill of health by the surveyor (hired by you and reporting directly to you). Yet another way to gauge the sellers honesty, if they are on the up and up and have nothing to hide then they should have no problem with that - if they baulk or are hesitant about an inspection then there should be warning bells going off in your head...

 

[dontask]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Does it have a clear and free title? Does it have a mechanics lean against it? Are you going to get proper documentation at the exact same time or before the money exchanges hands? After the work the boat needs is done is it going to be worth what you have in it?

I think the Titanic has about the same amount of hours on it too.

 

[iamthunderman]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

It is in Bremerton. I looked that up on googlemaps.com and noticed that is in a bay area. Is that all saltwater there? What would need to be done to the boat in order for it to be freshwater worthy?

 

[superpop]

Re: Would you buy a boat without seeing or driving it in person?

Most likely salt water use. I also noticed in one of the motor pics on one of the pulleys that there appeared to be a bit of rust, that is what tipped me off on the question to begin with. Seems like a fair price to me but I would not buy it without a mechanics inspection at the least, particularly with Saltwater use. Nothing to do to prep it for fresh water but an inspection will tell you if it needs things like new risers or manifolds. Personally I would never buy another used boat that had been in the salt but that is just me. This one looks like it was pretty well taken care of though so maintenance records would be the next thing I would ask about. And if it was flushed with FW after every use.