Advice for a "Beginner" ..... ??

CPD

CPD

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Confession time ............... I am on the dark side, having loitered for many years in the yachting/sailing section.

I have a friend who is looking at a small vessel here but is new to boating etc..

He is a sensible guy and has already taken the relevant RYA courses for handling, safety etc.

If you were in the market for a boat like this, what sort of things would you be looking for ?

Any comments, help, pointers etc most welcome. Many thanks .......
 
CPD said:
Confession time ............... I am on the dark side, having loitered for many years in the yachting/sailing section.

I have a friend who is looking at a small vessel here but is new to boating etc..

He is a sensible guy and has already taken the relevant RYA courses for handling, safety etc.

If you were in the market for a boat like this, what sort of things would you be looking for ?

Any comments, help, pointers etc most welcome. Many thanks .......
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For that boat, at that price, there are two big considerations. Either of which could wipe out a large part of the value that he pays. The first is the engine and drive. Must be in good condition and well looked after/serviced. The second is the trailer. Again, good condition and plenty of life left. The rest can be fixed quite cheaply, but if either of those things need replacing, you are looking at the price of the boat again, or thereabouts.
 
To clarify further. I can fix things myself, right down to stripping and rebuilding engines, so nothing on that boat would phase me, but it is not cheap enough to warrant the work. If your friend has to pay someone else to do it, then forget it.
 
That particular boat/advert has warning signs all over it. The owner says dont ask me anything because I dont know, and he admits it doesnt run. The photos of the drive show a lot of corrosion on the skeg. The interior of the boat is a bit rough looking.

I would assume it will need a new engine and new drive . It looks overpriced to me. Look elsewhere there must be better boats for that kind of cash - so avoid this one. Unless you know exactly what you are doing and can ascertain the true condition of the boat before buying it.
 
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One bit of advice I would give to anyone buying a used sportsboat is to buy one with a proper fibreglass floor rather that a plywood floor that is carpeted or glassed over.
Many older boats have these plywood floors and they rot and it’s a big project to repair them. Also, it’s worth looking at where your friend wants to use the boat. An outboard powered rib might be better for sea use.
 
CPD said:
Confession time ............... I am on the dark side, having loitered for many years in the yachting/sailing section.

I have a friend who is looking at a small vessel here but is new to boating etc..

He is a sensible guy and has already taken the relevant RYA courses for handling, safety etc.

If you were in the market for a boat like this, what sort of things would you be looking for ?

Any comments, help, pointers etc most welcome. Many thanks .......
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On a speedboat such as that Sea Ray, having been there myself.

The trailer will need new bearings and pads minimum. There is a very good chance the trailer is American built and illegal to use on the roads here. To get my trailer legal cost me £1400 with two new axles, hitch, VOSA test etc.
For the boat the fuel tank sits below the ski locker and is very prone to water ingress. It's 60 litres and doesnt get you very far at all.
The carb bowls tend to rot out with water ingress and all the jets clog up with aluminium salts. A carb rebuild if the float bowl is salvageable can be done relatively cheaply in parts but it's a continued faff and cold starting was ALWAYS a prayer first issue. The distributer is another weak point as are the exhaust risers. It will almost certainly be raw water cooled and at this age can cause blockages and overheating issues.
The drives are mercifully cheaper than volvo's but not as robust and the impeller sits inside them which is a PITA. They do not take bumps and groundings kindly and I'd suspect with a damaged prop there will be a good chance of gear spalling etc. Mercruiser drives have the dreaded gimbal bearing too. If this hasn't been regualarly serviced and replaced it is a pig to get out and can damage the drive shield. The good news are parts are readily available albeit take their time in coming. Comparatively cheap a short block can be had for around 2k and the drive 1.5k IIRC. Ancilliary parts are significantly more expensive to complete.
If your friend is very hands on it's a boat I'd pay no more than 3k for unless everything is demonstrably pristine and in good working order. It's a surprisingly good sea boat and made rather well not suffering from deck rot etc as many other small boats in it's class, it is however typically American in that it was built as a disposable asset though. As such Sea Ray parts will be hard to find from anywhere other than the USA boat scrappy's. We had a lot of fun on ours, but apart from getting on the water cheaply, I wouldn't do it again.
 
CPD said:
Confession time ............... I am on the dark side, having loitered for many years in the yachting/sailing section.

I have a friend who is looking at a small vessel here but is new to boating etc..

He is a sensible guy and has already taken the relevant RYA courses for handling, safety etc.

If you were in the market for a boat like this, what sort of things would you be looking for ?

Any comments, help, pointers etc most welcome. Many thanks .......
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Your pal would be best with something like this [now sold].

Better pedigree and you would easily get your money back. They do variants from 19-25ft inboards and outboards and frequently come with trailers.

Problem is, they are like rocking horse poop! And there's a reason for it.

I think a member was thinking of selling his? @Bigplumbs
 
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LBRodders said:
Your pal would be best with something like this [now sold].

Better pedigree and you would easily get your money back. They do variants from 19-25ft inboards and outboards and frequently come with trailers.

Problem is, they are like rocking horse poop! And there's a reason for it.

I think a member was thinking of selling his? @Bigplumbs
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I'm guessing that said pal has a budget that matches the £6k price of the eBay boat, so a £15k alternative, while very nice, is probably not suitable. I've been trying to think of what I would spend circa £6k on at this time and, because prices have rocketed, I am struggling to think of much. I think I would be looking out for a very well maintained, but older boat. Trouble is that £6k in thee staycation times, doesn't seem to buy you much at all. A few years ago you could get a lovely little Sealine 195 for that sort of figure. Now they are £10-12K, if you can even find one. An even older Fairline Vixen used to be £2-3k, now £5-6k, so in budget but not quite as sleek and sporty as the eBay boat. In short, now is probably not the time to buy.
 
madabouttheboat said:
I'm guessing that said pal has a budget that matches the £6k price of the eBay boat, so a £15k alternative, while very nice, is probably not suitable. I've been trying to think of what I would spend circa £6k on at this time and, because prices have rocketed, I am struggling to think of much. I think I would be looking out for a very well maintained, but older boat. Trouble is that £6k in thee staycation times, doesn't seem to buy you much at all. A few years ago you could get a lovely little Sealine 195 for that sort of figure. Now they are £10-12K, if you can even find one. An even older Fairline Vixen used to be £2-3k, now £5-6k, so in budget but not quite as sleek and sporty as the eBay boat. In short, now is probably not the time to buy.
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Yeah - don't disagree. (y)

The problem for the OP is that said 6k boat will end up being a boat that cost 15k when it works, but not worth 15k.

Best to up the budget or downgrade the expectations [buy a small RIB / Dory or similar].
 
LBRodders said:
Yeah - don't disagree. (y)

The problem for the OP is that said 6k boat will end up being a boat that cost 15k when it works, but not worth 15k.

Best to up the budget or downgrade the expectations [buy a small RIB / Dory or similar].
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Yes, I agree. I was thinking its easily a 10K boat once on the road/water, but could go higher, particularly if paying for the work to be done. The trouble is that people new to it don't necessarily understand this and see the headline price and think it might be on the water a few hundred pounds later. Even forgetting the mechanicals and the trailer, there is probably £2k worth of canopy and upholstery work needed to make it usable and nice.
 
BruceK said:
I should have kept mine then. It sold for 4k eventually and was on the market a long time. Same boat just a few years older. It's nowhere near a 10k boat unless you're the owner or a dreamer.

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I think you misunderstood me. I meant £10k as in that is what it would stand him in at if he buys if for £6k and brings it up to a working standard. I did not mean it is £10k worth of boat.

On the subject of your boat in the picture. If that is all up and running and the trailer is included, you'd be looking at an easy £6-8K now for it, possibly more.
 
What did the previous owner actually spend £4K on?
It's tired everywhere you look and the seller thinks it's OK to trailer it without the brakes working?
It's and example of two 'dreamers' finding out they have been taken.
 
I had a slightly bigger Sea Ray before, it was a fine boat for what it is.
I would also be wary of this boat, if it was an easy fix surely the seller would have fixed it before selling.

However prices have gone crazy, if he really wants a boat this year then it might be worth budgeting a couple of k to fix it up.
Just make sure someone who knows what they're talking about checks the boat out.
Maybe get it delivered on the back of a proper trailer, and launched by a boatyard. The interior looks tired, but that wouldn't affect your enjoyment. The real question is how bad the engine and drive are.
 
Walk away. Mercruisers are a pain when new, but a 23 year old non runner. This is a very poorly looked after craft, in fact it’s been neglected for years. A good DIYer could fix it up but why would you, it’s not a classic. Walk away
 
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