Buying a Boat - Help

[whacker1]

Ok, now that I know the year, I can be of some additional help.

I don't know the specific years, but the 1994 SeaRay 27' with a Bravo 1 or Alpha drive (I believe) client's boat, had a accordion style hose that all the cables came through the transom in.  It would allow the flex of both the cables and accordion hose material with the lowering and raising of the outdrive.  This rubber accordion design would get dry, brittle and crack, and then the boat would take water on.  First as a drip and then by the time they noticed it the bilge pumps were running for a few minutes with about a 2 minute break in between.  Good thing it was hooked up to shore power, otherwise it would have been at the bottom of the lake still hooked to the dock.

6 volt batteries?  or was that a typo?  I haven't seen those on a boat of that era.

[Buckmark]

3. The compression check should be a differential check - not just compression. Get a good set of gauges and apply air pressure to each cylinder, checking not only for leakage but where the leakage is. i.e. intake, exhaust, rings.

*
If the compression checks out good on an engine no need for a leak down test, waste of time and money..
If the compression comes back weak, or one cylinder is low leak it down, but remember it needs engine work regardless if that is the case...

[luvmystang67]

H20, keeping the little boat for now.  Its too easy to own not to keep.  And I'm kind of proud of that one since I kind of "made it".

Rich, I'll check those that I can.  Not sure how well I can check the sewage.  I'll check the bilges because it has a washdown hose I can use to fill the bilge a little if I verify there's no water in there after we run. 

I don't know anyone who runs a leakdown test on a boat as a standard procedure unless there's an abnormality in the compression check.  I agree this this would be beneficial, but I'd have to get additional equipment for that and it'd take a bit longer (doesn't the cylinder have to be at TDC for that)?

I'll poke the stringers and transom from the inside, but everything in there visually looked very good.  I'll double check the mounts.  I've replaced those on cars and it wasn't a blast.  Thanks for your input

Rick, it has a stainless tank.  Good note on the lines.

[h20hunter]

Right on. I don't know enough about big boats like this to help but if you buy it and it is a pit we can just go sit in it and drink beer.

Good luck with it.

[davyboy]

It sounds as if you got an idea of what you are looking at as far as engine goes. There is way more things to look at other than the engine. I will use myself as a very good example. Was in the same boat as you are {pun intended}  when buying my 1st used boat. I got completely screwed over on it. The motor was in excellent shape and even had all the receipts from maintenance done...however, I did not pay much attention to the flooring and the transom. The floor and stringers was completely rotted out. I only figured it out after running it around on the lake and noticed a soft spot at the back of the boat when I couldn't find where water was coming in it. Paid a guy to help me rip the floor out around the soft spot and that's when we noticed all of the foam under the floor was completely saturated with water. The boat was really heavy from being so water logged. Once water gets past the fiberglass the woods acts like a sponge and will keep absorbing it and it will travel. The worst part was the transom. It was completely rotted out as well. being an I/o the motor has to come out to replace that, This is by no means a easy job to do for a shade tree mechanic. I licked my wounds cut my losses and sold that money pit. So just make sure after u check the motor out and IF it passes, spend just as much time looking at the structure of the boat as well. bring an ice pick with you and poke around on the transom to check for rot. open up the ski locker and poke around on the stringers. If anything feels soft walk away. Looks for crack in the gel coat where the outdrive bolts to the engine. This is a good way to check if the motor has been flexing do to a weak transom. Good luck with the boat. I learned my lesson on that boat and made the one I just bought much easier.

[cooltimber]

don't forget your dwell meter,u can check all electrical currants.

[Rich_S]

I don't know anyone who runs a leakdown test on a boat as a standard procedure unless there's an abnormality in the compression check.  I agree this this would be beneficial, but I'd have to get additional equipment for that and it'd take a bit longer (doesn't the cylinder have to be at TDC for that)?

Yes on the TDC and the crank has to be held in place or the air pressure will rotate it unless it is precisely at TDC. It is useful in detecting slow headgasket leaks which may not be seen on a simple compression test. Leaks into the cooling system seem to be epidemic on boats and any exhaust system faults get expensive real quick. I bought a differential tester at HarborFreight tools for about $50 mainly for use on my homebuilt airplane. And it doesn't even have headgaskets! Or heads, per se, for that matter.

[luvmystang67]

Update for interested parties:

Thanks for all of your input.  Some were very helpful.

I feel like it is really hard to mask problems on a boat and usually there are signs that things are bad. Previously, the guy just seemed sketchy, but when I went to look today there were problems with the boat, which were somewhat anticipated.

There was some water in the bilge after being in the water for only an hour.  When it idled for 15 min the engine was overheating and I had to tell him to turn it off after the risers were so hot I couldn't touch them.  The outdrive wouldnt lower.. but seemed to be trying.  He mentioned there were some title concerns because it was in a previous owners name still...

SOOO, not buying that boat.  Now I've got 99 problems and a boat aint one... he has 99 problems with one boat that isn't mine.  Phew... I think I'll sit and count my money tonight.

Thanks again.

[Taco280AI]

Sounds like the owner was trying to unload a troubled boat onto someone else and make it their problem.

[whacker1]

Wow....sounds like a boat that was stored for awhile that didn't get the TLC it needs. 

sucks to be that guy.  best of luck on the boat hunt.

[Ellensburg]

I bought my first boat this year and its probably the best investment I've ever made.

I looked on and off for 2 years. I am super cheap, and wanted a great deal.

I ended up finally finding a 1992 - 19 foot seaswirl with a 150 horse johnson outboard for $2900.


Did a lot of work on my own like installing a fish finder, installing downrigger mounts for the narrow gunnels and some minor gel-coat repair.

It takes some time, but my boat is a fishing/crabbing machine now and I didn't spend a lot on it at all! Just be patient. You can find some really good deals in the off season.

[rwl77]

I would run lots of boats that fit the bill of what youre looking for

[Blacklab]

Right on. I don't know enough about big boats like this to help but if you buy it and it is a pit we can just go sit in it and drink beer.

Good luck with it.

LMAO!!!