Boat Buying Advice???

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

Macloney

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2014
5,194
5,667
113
Up Nort
We recently moved to a part of Wisconsin where there are lakes and rivers everywhere and boating is a huge part of the lifestyle. I have always been interested in having a boat, but there were not a lot of great places to boat where we moved from. I have no way to tow one, nowhere to store one don't really want to deal with either. I have a coworker who has a 93 Searay Bowrider that I jokingly offered to buy a few weeks ago and he has become interested in selling. I have no prior experience buying a boat, so I turned to the only place I knew I could find complete experts in any subject. He is asking $4000 and that includes a trailer. My research shows this is a fair price and it is right around where I want to be for a first boat.

The boat is stored at a boathouse with a hoist, so there is no towing involved and storage isn't an issue. The catch is that the only time he put it in the water last year it had a dead battery and he couldn't get it started. He has disclosed the dead battery and that it will need serviced due to inactivity before being ready to go. He has also told me about a couple other small issues that are non-issues for me. The boat looks amazing for it's age.

With the battery and service issue I wouldn't be able to trial the boat, this is my big concern. This is a coworker who I would see everyday and I really don't think he would want to screw me over and has tried to be as honest as possible. Do I pay a mechanic to come and service it before buying? Just buy it and take my chances? Have him pay to get it running and add that to the total? Avoid all together?

Also, I don't have any family or friends with a boat that I could use and I already know that this would require ongoing costs and that the best days of boat ownership are the days you buy and sell.

Any advice would be appreciated. TIA
 

cyclonedave25

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jul 10, 2007
21,216
10,608
113
Chicago, IL
I’ll save you the headache and money... don’t buy that boat. Guaranteed the issues go way beyond a dead battery.

The 2 best days of owning a boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. But considering the condition of that boat, the 2 best days are the day you finally get it running and the day you sell it.
 

mattyheiden

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2011
1,273
145
83
MN
What’s the motor on it? Some motors/drives and parts are non-existent these days, especially Cobra OMC’s.
 

benjay

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
5,141
372
83
Seems like a relatively low-risk and low-maintenance entry point into boating. I'd try watching some youtube videos on prepping your boat for the season and see if you can figure it out yourself. Expect it to take effort and patience (and a bit of money).

Don't forget about life vests, registration, insurance, skis/tubes/etc. The costs will add up.

Maybe offer to split the cost of the battery and service prior to purchasing so you could do that test ride.
 

swiacy

Well-Known Member
Apr 9, 2009
1,698
1,334
113
From your description with a good (I assume) trailer thrown in, it is a fair price. I would offer to put a new battery (probably takes two) in the boat with the understanding that you will put it in the water and test drive it. I would take an experienced boat owner with you and have him do the test while you listen to his opinion and the motor while it is running.....after it starts. Lots of things to check: bilge pump, safety lights, whether the prop lifts correctly to go on plane, if the motor oil is clean (not "milky"), if any water inside the motor compartment which indicates the drive unit seal has dried out, whether the impeller has been replaced and on and on. That's why you need an experienced boat owner with you. The motor and drive unit are a different animal when in a boat compared to motors that you are used to. I would be surprised if it "starts right up". If after the test you decline to purchase, tell the owner that the new batteries are his and walk away. Best money you ever spent.
The first boat I purchased was under the same conditions. Turned out to be one of the best buys I ever made. Pulled my kids and grandkids, coved out, etc. Wished I had done it 10 years earlier. I guess I have been lucky as I have not had to spend any money on a boat outside of the purchase price. Simple rule: Don't buy a P.O.S. & maintain what you own.
 

GoldCy

Well-Known Member
Jul 11, 2016
985
684
93
Mercruiser 3.0.

This boat would be for cruising with the family and pulling a tube every once in a while.
Sea Rays are descent boats. Cobalts are probably best. DO NOT consummate the deal without it running and test drive. Especially since you plan to have ongoing relationship. We loved our time with boats. Fortunate to have a friend with one now.
 

Macloney

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2014
5,194
5,667
113
Up Nort
We rent a boat for a few hundred/day when we want go out. $250/day buys a lot of weekends on the water for a $30,000 boat

Boat rental here is $450 a day and I figured that after everything was said and done that dropping around 5k to get on the water for the summer wasn't bad.
 

nhclone

Well-Known Member
Nov 20, 2008
3,370
1,115
113
I would second the option to buy a battery for it as a condition of testing it. That is a nice deal on that boat, but if the issues go far beyond a dead battery you could easily drop that and more on engine repairs. If you are semi competent turning a wrench, boats aren’t too bad but expenses can add up quickly if you need to take it in for every little thing. At that age, things will pop up, it’s almost guaranteed.
 

Cydaddy

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2012
356
274
63
I've been a boat owner going on 21 years. If the owner is serious about selling he needs to get it running or give you a deep discount on the price with the balance to be paid less costs to get running once running. Was it winterized properly? A cracked block would be a huge expense.

What is the boathouse situation and how big is the body of water it is on? If you can't pull it you are stuck there. Do you have access to a SUV/truck to pull it on occasion?

I recommend taking a boating course/safety class if you don't have a boating background.

$4,000 is a pretty low entry cost to give boating a try, but just know what you might be getting into.