Check list, Help.

[Alistairr]

Well the day is drawing closer, i have just had a call from the dealer i am getting the boat from to say that it has just arrived with them from America.
They hope to deliver it to me possibly by the end of next week, after they have finished doing some work to it.
I plan on flying down to inspect it and accept the handover of it in the middle of next week, SO I NEED THE HELP OF ALL YOU FORUMITES.

Having never bought a new boat, or dealt with a dealer before what do i need to look out for and what questions should i be asking?

Happy1 you should be able to give me some advice after just going through the same only a couple of weeks ago?

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[duncan]

really really suggest that you take someone with you who has a boat - preferably similar type.
dealer will have a PDI sheet and hand over sheet from the manufacturer that he will run through and get you to sign for warranty etc but you will just be looking at her curves with a big grin on your face; nothing will seem to awefull and you won't see any blemish or problem even if it is on a check list and staring you in the face.
Over time you will get to be the opposite and have a hose prepared to spray the windows hard to see if there are any leaks before you even step on board!
Good luck and enjoy

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[hlb]

Maybe it's just me. Or do most American boats leak? BBut you can hardly take a hose pipe into the dealers show room. Even so, it's not quite the same as twelve hours solid rain. I've had boats for years. Dont know what I'd look for in a new one. Every thing is new, so should be ok and how do you tell untill youve tried it. Apart from a blumin big scratch down the side. A bit late to say things like. I dont like the design of this or that. So just dunk it in the water, blam about a bit and see if it works. If not. Play hell!!

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Haydn

 

[MedDreamer]

How far away is your mooring from the dealer?

It strikes me that there will be niggles with any new boat but if you are on his doorstep they will get dealt with quicker. Out of sight out of mind seems to apply to all of them.

You say he is delivering to you - are you sea trialing it beforehand? keep it near him until you are satisfied that there are no problems.

<hr width=100% size=1>Martyn

 

[Alistairr]

The dealer is in South Wales, and my mooring are in Loch Lomond, thats why i want to check everthing before they deliver it up to me.
The boat will not be in the water when i go down next week so unable to give it sea trial. They are going to show me the ropes (so to speak) on there demonstrator.
People say expect niggles but what sort of niggle? I hope that if anything does crop up the dealer can explain how to put right down the phone.
LEAK!!! what can leak, Engine coolant, canopy, these boats i think have self draining cockpits, Don't they???

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[tcm]

alright look, this boat won't be as totally utterly perfect as a new car. It might be, but unlikely. So, you have to deal with things going wrong, without going bonkers. I have failed to do this BUT the dealer gets the message if they are not too far away. However, since they are, umm there presumably is some means whereby they can deal with aftersales service.

Otherwise, it willl be quite fab. So, concentrate on the fab bits.

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[jimi]

Drive it up the Irish Sea, that'll check it out! Fine weather forecast so should'nt be a problem!

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[jfm]

Alistair, it's not really answering your question but I would double check what trailer you are getting. If there is still a choice, make sure to get a roller coaster not one with beds (ie blocks for the boat to sit on, covered in carpet). Roller coasters are a zillion times easier to launch and recover, mainly because the boat does not have to float off fully, it can roll off and be winched back on. See Happy1's write up of his launch ceremony for description of a non roller coaster trailer.

Dunno if this is relevant, maybe you will leave it on a mooring. Anyway, best of luck, hope all goes well.

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[Alistairr]

No need to worry about trailers, i'm not getting one!!!

I read Happy1's write up on his launch day, i experieced similar problems on launch day with my first boat, it was on those skid plank things, i priced a trailer for the new boat, £2500 for twin axle roller caster that takes24' boat, i thought that was a good price but not justifyable. it will be permanatly moored at marina.

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[Happy1]

Well I am happy to help but I think you may have left things a bit late /forums/images/icons/wink.gif I had five months to get prepared, do the courses, buy the equipment e.t.c. all that cost me more than £9,000 on top of the price of the boat. I am happy to share my spreadsheet with you which details all the items I bought, I will not be using them all at once as I couldn't get in the boat otherwise /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif but there should be a time when each item will be required, I will just have to assess each voyage and load the boat accordingly. It is amazing what stuff costs and what is required when you are starting from scratch.

As far as the handover goes, I didn't have to sign for anything, I was given a plastic wallet with a zip on. I opened the wallet a couple of days later to find mouldy service booklets and owners manual in it. I only found out on Sunday that my steering wheel had a tilt mechanism on it. I had taken loads of digital photo's of the boat as it was at the LBS, I was therefore able to question most of the knbs and dials prior to getting it. I even photographed al the areas of the engine, this was invaluable yesterday when Volvo were able to tell me on one of my pictures which wires I should pull out to stop that annoying alarm!!

Quite frankly I think the service is nonsense, but it isn't only the boats, I have two Porsches and I get the same nonsense from those dealers. I paid to have an upgraded CD player in a new one and after a few months the plastic coating started to come off the knobs, I informed Porsche and two years later I am still waiting for them to sort it. You may think I am soft but when I got the car I was told they could not get the CD holder, after six months I flew out to Germany and confronted Porshe, it was delivered a week later. The point is you should not have to do these things, what is going wrong in this country, nobody seems to give a t.ss?

Anyway I still feel guilty with our boys out in the Gulf, they are going through tremendous stress and grotty conditions, makes me humbled even though I am no longer part of 3 Commando Brigade and have done more than my fair share in the past. Returning from war puts life in perspective, I've done it and am gradually unwinding, it takes years and years.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Happy1]

Errr! I may have to differ slightly there, what if my boat had rolled off and SMASH, hit the deck? At least with the bunks you know you are floating. I have heard stories about both, and decided on the bunk, but there again I am new to it and have not had experience of roller coaster ones. Best to listen to both sides and make up your mind.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Happy1]

By the way GREAT looking boat, makes mine look a bit sad and old fashioned!! I reckon yours will fly, mine has a good planing time and drives well, with your extra length it should be even better.

Good luck anyway, hope you have a launch day 1,000 times better than mine /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[squidge]

Hatches and windows leak so check, as the boat flex the tiny gaps around windows ect open and let in water, may not seem a problem untill you sit on a wet bunk or have dripping clothes. Try to take off the rose specs and look at it as if you are buying a car / house ? look for the defects in the finnish, be fussy now , you can bask in the glory when you get it back. Better you to find the defects now than your best mate or friend who says "should this bit fall off like that?"
When collecting your new boat you are in control, the dealer wants it off his hands ASAP and the money in his bank. Where its much harder for you to get back.
/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[DavidJ]

Crawl over it inch by inch looking for any scratches poor mouldings, poorly fitted or damaged bits. The dealer will be able to get most superficial stuff done easily whereas once you are on the water it's not so easy.
It does spoil the day a bit to be really piccy but it's your boat and it must be perfect.
If there is anything to be done, hold back the final payment and delay delivery.
David

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[Alistairr]

Not at all, Happy1 your boat is fab.
We searched high and low for a new boat before deceiding on the Rinker.
We went to LBS 2002 and Southampton Boat Show 2002. looking at all cuddies between 20' and 26' . We sleep on the boat every weekend, so deceided we wanted as big as possible. The Rinker fitted our needs as the walk through transom was a big selling point as we have a small dog who is now able to get on and of the boat himself. We went LBS 2003 where we looked at everything again and still preferred the Rinker, so did a deal at the show. We looked at the Glastron, lovely boat but sleeping in a cuddy when you are 6'4" tall it has to big, the REgal 2450 was a lovely boat as well but the bow was so sharp you could not lie side by side with your wife.
We thought about a cruiser 25' to 29' but we are still young and prefer the speed thrill, plenty of time for big cruisers later. (hopefully)



<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[Alistairr]

CHEERS. for the good advice everybody,
Theres a lot to take in, I guess i am going to have to take my time and be thorough.

NO MR NICE GUY. EH.....?

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[oldgit]

You could call your new boat Jenny Taylor /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>My little Princess/forums/images/icons/laugh.gifthe 33 of course.

 

[jfm]

singing the praises of rollercoasters

Happy, you WANT your boat to roll off. You control it with a winch. And anyway, even on a steep slip they dont roll off fast. They tend to ease their way off the rollercoaster, with a mild push by hand, so often you do not need even the winch line to control it. You do not want the boat to float on/off. OK, you have to with bunks, but it's not the best way. If it's floating, it goes where it wants. Wind, tide, etc. Much better to have the trailer only a bit in the water, esp when recovering it, then as the boat is winched back on it ceases to float, puts some of its weight on the trailer. That way it cannot blow sideways and comes on perfectly. Your brakes/hubs stay out of seawater, and the trailer stays hitched to car. I do not have as much trailer boat exp as others on here but have been doing it 20 years and would never have anything except roller coaster. But all imho

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[Happy1]

Re: singing the praises of rollercoasters

Well as far as experience goes you will be hard to beat me, I have none /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I bought a 6,000lb electric winch with 30mtrs of cable, don't know why but seemed a good gadget to buy. I have paid a fortune to put my boat in a marina and have not got the slightest interest in trailers or trailering around, life is too short for that. I intend to employ someone to do all that stuff, I may tow it, but would prefer to have it appear where and when I want at a marina of my choice. I have paid £1,800 for this trailer plus the cost of the wheel clamps that are required by the insurance companies! so I guess that I or whoever I employ should use it.

If you work out the cost of the trailer (too late for me), time, slipway fees and fuel, plus getting your boat prepared every weekend, plus cleaning e.t.c it has far cheaper to keep it in a marina and just step on it as and when you feel like it. The other reason it is in a marina is the fact that it was really bought for my son for his 16th Birthday, he can't drive so it would be pointless sitting on the driveway. He can get the train to the marina with his mates and off he goes.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Confused]

!!!!!

9K on safety gear ! ( Chokes on his coffee ) Did you fit out the QE2 ?

For the times you use the boat , wouldnt it be cheaper in the long run to charter a rescue boat to go out with you each time ?

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