Actual-Facts Used Boat Buying Guide Articles | Boating

By: Kathryn Ali

When buying a used boat for the very first time, most people will agree that it is better to buy your first boat through a dealer who has a good/sturdy reputation.  If you have not bought a boat  before, it is hard to trust the private sellers and their so-called deals. 

No matter where you buy  your used boat or who from, there are some things that you need to be aware of ahead of time.   

History of Boat Maintenance:
Request for a history of the maintenance/repairs, so you can find out how much work has been done to it in the last few months.  It will also let you know whether  the owner has been keeping up it's maintenance.   Get the name of who made the repairs and ask them what future work will need to be done.

Boat Inspection:
Have a marine mechanic do a boat inspection before buying the boat.
Sure it can be an expensive testing but it saves a lot of grief later on. If you decide to inspect the boat yourself, then you should at least check the spark arrestors and plugs, the alternator, belts, hoses, strainer, blower, shift cables and engine alignment.

Hull Condition:
Checking the condition of the hull of the used boat is important.  You need to check for mismatched paint, gel blisters, dry rot, and holes.  Walk around the boat, tapping on the hull all over to make sure the wood/material is solid.

Propeller:
Look at the propeller of the used boat  Are there cracks or nicks? Is it bent or warped?
All these things and affect the efficiency of the propeller.

Boat Storage:
Find out if the boat was stored inside or outside when nobody was using it.  The best storage is dry but if it is outside and well-kept, then that is alright too.

Upholstery:
Look for signs of the colour fading and ripped seams. 

Boat Extras:
If you ask if anything else comes with the boat, you will be often surprised what extras the boat owner has to give you.

 Boat Appraisal Guides
Look for the boat that you want to buy in your local boat appraisal guide or N.A.D.A.
The Guide will let you know if the boat you want to buy is at the current market value.
If the value is lower than in the guide, you need to ask the owner why is he is selling the boat for less than the book value. See of his answer makes sense.  Who knows, you may have found yourself a really good deal.

When buying a used boat or used car, you really need to know what you want and how much you want to spend on it.  Try to not let emotions get in the way. 

Traveling on the Road with Boat
Last but not least, is you vehicle strong enough to pull the boat on a trailer?   I have seen too many cars that try to pull an over sized boat behind them up steep hills and they just did not make it to the top.  Entertaining for us to see the mud spraying from the spinning tires…but not pleasant at all for the poor boat owner who cannot get his boat over a hill or back up the boat ramp.