what to look for when purchasing a used boat

[michaelrph]

Thanks for helping me with chosing the best year for wakes. Now what things should you look for when buying a used boat. I have never owned a mastercraft. Just I/o Searay and currently a Sugar Sand Jet boat. How do you know if it was well maintained. Thanks for all the knowledge that is out there.

thanks,

Michael

[wakesport]

I just bought my first Mastercraft last year on Boattrader.com. I'm in Wisconsin and the seller was in Atlanta. I talked to my local Mastercraft mechanic about the boat first. Then I asked the seller where the boat had been serviced. I called these peope and talked to them about the boat. I then brought all this info back to my mechanic. His advice was to drive down to see the boat, check the oil, check for any visible problems and make sure the boat started and ran. If all this checked out he advised I buy the boat at the asking price (it was a good deal). I took a friend along who has bought many cars all over the coumtry and we drove down to Kentucky to meet the seller. The boat checked out and I bought it. The only problem was that Georgia does not have titles for boats so it was a little hassle getting the boat titled in Wisconsin. Make sure the seller has the registration card with them. Everything worked out for me and I have a very nice '94 PS190. It only had 260 hours. We have put another 100 hours on without any problems.

[Professor]

Good question and I am sure that some of the other threads have included some of the information you are looking for but it really depends on your own needs. Do you like doing some repair (interior and/or engine), price range and options needed (boom)? No need to reinvent the wheel here and I think some of the best articles about choosing a boat and buying a boat are located at the following web sites along with the links posted there:
http://www.discoverboating.com

http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com

Hope this helps! You can't go wrong with an MC!

[JimN]

Wakesport- Is the 260(+ your 100) on the hour meter or did you have your mechanic hook it up to a diagnostic computer? This will tell you how many hours the motor has actually run. Call MC and give them the ECM serial number and hull ID # so they can see if it's the original one. They can also tell you about any warranty service that was claimed by dealer service departments or recalls that apply to this boat.

[wakesport]

Thanks for the info.

[Thrall]

Michael,
There are a ton of things to consider when looking at a used boat. Many boats, as with cars, othertoys, etc are not very well maintained. Maintenance records are a good place to start, although you may find a very nice boat that does not have comprehensive maint documentation.
Physical condition of the hull and interior is usually a good indication of how the boat was maintained mechanically.
Maybe give us an indication of what you are looking to spend and we can give you a better idea of what to expect to get in your price range.
As you probably already know, MC's hold their value quite well and I'd be more interested in the condition of the boat than model year. ie: I'd pick an older boat in excellent condition than a newer boat that has not been kept up very well.

[SteveO]

MRPH,

You are obviously starting in the right place for information. A MC will be a wise spend for water sports (if you can use the term wise spend and boating in the same sentence).

The resale is definitely at the top of the rage, but you get what you pay for.

[east tx skier]

1. Does the seller have service records? An owner that regularly changed the fluids can be indicative of the sort of anal-retention you're looking for. But there's more to it than that.
2. Look closely at the hull front to back. Are there blisters? Spider Cracks? How's the prop? Bent? Does the shaft appear straight? Do the tracking fins line up? You're looking for evidence that it's hit something or been beached hard.
3. Is it clean? A boat's interior condition is another indicator of how much care its owner gave it. Look at the carpet for rips. Look at the vinyl for cracks or split seams. Boat vinyl is expensive. Redoing the interior of a closed bow boat to factory specs can run $1K more/less. Probably more. Is the motorbox propped up? This keeps condensation from settling around the engine. Another sign of a compulsive owner.
4. Take a look at the engine mounts? Try to spin them. They shouldn't spin. Look in the bilge for oil, gas, transmission fluid. How are the hoses? Belts? Worn?
5. Has it been garaged or otherwise kept under cover?
6. Drive it! Ski behind it! If you don't take the boat out on the water, you're asking for trouble. If the owner gives you the least bit of resistance over this, I'd seriously consider walking. Drive it hard. Drive it a long time. Don't just start it up, sniff the tailpipe, and shut it down. Run it wide open. Try some hole shots. Shut it off. Restart it. Idle about. I had hot stall issues I might have been able to have the dealer address had I run my boat longer than 10 minutes on the test drive. When you start it up, does it smoke? At this time of year, you'd like to see some fuel stabilizer in the gas, so some smoke would be a good thing at start up. But it'll just depend. Watch the temperature guage. 160 is about right for normal operation. If you shut it down though, it'll heat up a bit. This is normal.
7. While test driving, lift up the engine box with it running and give it a listen. Look at the shaft where it comes through the hull and note the drip rate (what is it 4--6 drops per minute)? This is adjustable, so don't worry if it doesn't fall in this range. But if water is pouring in at the shaft, you'll need a new bit of wax.
8. How's the trailer. Look at it after the boat is launched. Are the bunks sturdy? Is the carpet in good shape? Is the boat buddy functioning or is it messed up? How are the angle iron bunk supports? Probably rusty. This can be fixed, but you could point it out for a few bucks off. How's the prop guard? Banged up? Probably. Look where water collects and check for rust. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir on the actuator in the tongue. If it's bone dry, it may be an indication of how things were maintained. Ask to drive with the boat on the trailer around the lot. Do the brakes work? Check the bearing buddies to see if they've been greased. What kind of tires are on the trailer. If it's got car tires on it, expect to spend close to $200 to upgrade to trailer tires. (Yes, mine came with car tires. I'm wiser now).

I'll add to this as it occurs to me. Good luck.

[MarkP]

Wow Doug,

Great post!! Hell, I may go shopping for another boat after that one:toast:

[east tx skier]

Thanks, Mark. I went looking for the last one I wrote like that one, but couldn't find it. So I just rewrote it. Sure I left ten things out. ;)

[André]

We're sure all gonna be more advised buyers the next time around with all the knowledge we've lean from this site.

[bradamerry]

We're sure all gonna be more advised buyers the next time around with all the knowledge we've lean from this site.
Or just buy Doug's boat.

[USC8791]

Tons of good advice for you so far on other posts. To add a little on interior. Make sure you check all the tight little areas between cushions. Check under removable seats where the cushion hits the gelcoat. Many owners just clean the surfaces. If you have a really anal MC owner (like me), there should be no dust, dirt buildup or mildew; indicating the boat was properly wiped down after each use. Same thing applies for the engine cover. How clean is the carpet and bottom side edges of the cover where the two meet? How much grime has bulit up in the cup holders and glove box? Also, follow everyone's advice about checking out the trailer. Many people, especially ski schools, like the "ram and jam" loading method. Check for damage on the trailer buddy if it has one. Food for thought. Hope this helps!

[east tx skier]

Note to self. Clean under the seats tonight. :D

[michaelrph]

thanks east tx skier,

that was just the answer I was looking for, I plan to take my time. The ice doesn't melt off our like for a few months yet.

michaelrph

[east tx skier]

You're welcome. Good luck with your hunt. Now's the time to be a buyer though. If you find something in great shape that you really like, don't hesitate just because there might be something better out there. The really, really sweet deals start to melt as it gets warmer.

[bkblaida]

Michael,

This past fall I sold my Sea Ray (first boat) and bought a 1997 Prostar 205. I found a great selection of boats on flipsell.com. It will be hard to add to what has been said, however I learned a lot from calling MasterCraft direct. They were very helpful. I live in Chicago and found the MC dealer in Minneapolis to be a wealth of knowledge and willing to help even though he was not involved in the deal. After locating the boat in my price range I asked for a lot of pics. I then went down a list of questions, hours, how used, condition, engine compression test results etc, etc asked for specific pics of prop, trailer, engine, anything the first set of pics did not answer. If this all added up I arranged a trip to see the boat. First 3 trips were a bust. One boat from an MC dealer was so bad, we wrote it off from accross the parking lot (the pics looked good and the info from the dealer was so positive we flew down down to see the boat, how disapointing) The 4th trip (to VA) was a winner. A 1997, 205 with 400 hours. Always covered, garaged in winter, not a scratch in the vinyl, carpet could pass for new. Runs like new. All records included. Take your time, set your sights high and trust your gut. Be willing to walk away even if you drove 10 hours to get there! I had 2 MC dealers tell me what I wanted, at what I wanted to pay, was not available. It was available, in fact I had my choice of two boats (I chose the one closer to Chicago). I avoided boats close to salt water as I could not be certain they were never used in salt water.
The search took me 4 months and 3 tickets on Southwest but worth the effort.

Good Luck!

[bkblaida]

One more thought - If you are going to trailer the boat home across several state lines, check the laws in those states for trailering a boat. Wisconsin (and other states) have a spare tire law. You must have a spare tire. If you get a flat, the state impounds the boat. You now have to pay for the tow, pay the impound lot to get your boat and pay a fine.

[atlfootr]

Note to self as well, scrub grime in cup holders and glove box :friday: