How do you know if a boat you're buying on a hard standing will float?

[MisterBaxter]

Walk round the hull and note all the through-hull holes - the ones that are meant to be there. Then get in the boat and work round them methodically, checking that seacocks seem to be in good condition, and that the hoses fitted to each are sound and terminate properly somewhere useful.
Then take a good look at the stern gland (if there is one), turning the shaft with your hand to see if it feels loose. Then tighten the greaser a turn or two and see if any grease appears around the shaft.
Then inspect the keel bolts and bilge area, looking for dampness and corrosion, along with the external keel/hull join, if there is one.
If that all goes well and you go ahead, close all the seacocks before launching, then open them one by one...
A friend who knows boats would be a huge help, as would a surveyor. Do you know the model of boat? Would be useful to see what they sell for in good condition, to help judge how much money to risk or spend.

 

[westernman]

Fill it with water and check that the dock stays dry.

That's a joke by the way before the usual suspects get upset.

Perfectly sensible thing to do before launching a clinker built dinghy which has been sitting around a long time and whose joints have dried out. You will have to keep topping it up for a few days.

 

[capnsensible]

Perfectly sensible thing to do before launching a clinker built dinghy which has been sitting around a long time and whose joints have dried out. You will have to keep topping it up for a few days.

Or be in England where it rains.

 

[Shanty]

I've been offered a cheap boat. It's on a hard standing. The owner knows nothing about it - it came with the property after the guy died, he just wants rid, so that's why the price is so low. It looks good, but what steps can I take to be as sure as possible that the thing floats before going to the considerable hassle and expense of buying it and putting it in the water? I see boats on hard standings all the time for sale, people must buy them. How and why do people do that if they're not absolutely sure that the boat floats? The owner of the one in question has been assured it floats, but ultimately he's not willing to promise it since he hasn't seen it in the water either.

Bonus question: What happens when a boat sinks, legally? Do I get a big bill for the cleanup?

Just a thought - does the seller have the right to sell the boat? You say "it came withe the property". Was it specifically included in the sale? If not, it is possible the executors were not aware of its existence. It is even possible that the boat didn't belong to the deceased - might have just been stored for someone else. Worth checking.

 

[Concerto]

Fill it with water and check that the dock stays dry.




That's a joke by the way before the usual suspects get upset.

I know someone who bought an old steel motorboat whose bilges were full despite being out of the water. Nobody wanted to buy it due to the water, but he realised the hull was sound as it held the rainwater and no leaks showed under the hull.

 

[Wansworth]

do You see your self as a sort of macgiver fixer of problems,thinking on feet? the op that is

 

[V1701]

Fill it with water and check that the dock stays dry.
That's a joke by the way before the usual suspects get upset.

Believe it or not I once saw an ad with the selling point "the hull is watertight, which we know because it was full of water and none was leaking out".

To the OP I think most of us would prefer a potential purchase to be out of the water, that way we can see the whole of the hull. Only thing we can't check as easily would be whether the engine is running OK. We would presume that the boat will float, as others have said forget about hairline fractures just check through hulls, etc. There's a good book you should get - Don Casey "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" or something like that...

Your main considerations are:
Is the hull sound, are are the sails, engine, standing rigging (wires that hold the mast up), bunk cushions ok? All are expensive if not.
And how (and how much money wil it cost) are you going to get it from where it is to where you want to keep it?

 

[penfold]

Just a thought - does the seller have the right to sell the boat? You say "it came withe the property". Was it specifically included in the sale? If not, it is possible the executors were not aware of its existence. It is even possible that the boat didn't belong to the deceased - might have just been stored for someone else. Worth checking.

At risk of drifting the fred; if it's on the property when sold then for practical purposes it's also sold unless specifically arranged otherwise. The rules around chattels are mostly about the buyer pursuing the vendor for financial loss, in this instance it's a buyer disposing of an item. The likelihood of the executor not knowing exactly what they were selling is small as they are legally obligated to know.

 

[Wansworth]

When I was in my twenties backin the 1970s impecunious yachtsmen had to take risks buying a boat.Cheap entailedrisk a surveyor might look at it for a price but to cover himself he would demand a keel bolt to be drawn which could entail expense.All my boats have been cheap and old but when your young problems can be solved the answer should I buy such a cheap boat only you can answer knowing the skills you have to solve possible problems.You will learn a lot and your grasp of the enormity of buying a boat will serve you in good steadfor your future life as boat buyer .Internetwithits attendant forums can be a trap as only you know the real condition and internet advice is free and without strings and probably without value.

 

[Momac]

I've been offered a cheap boat. It's on a hard standing. The owner knows nothing about it - it came with the property after the guy died, he just wants rid, so that's why the price is so low. It looks good, but what steps can I take to be as sure as possible that the thing floats before going to the considerable hassle and expense of buying it and putting it in the water? I see boats on hard standings all the time for sale, people must buy them. How and why do people do that if they're not absolutely sure that the boat floats? The owner of the one in question has been assured it floats, but ultimately he's not willing to promise it since he hasn't seen it in the water either.

Bonus question: What happens when a boat sinks, legally? Do I get a big bill for the cleanup?

You crane the bloody thing in and take it for a test drive , or get your surveyor to do it

 

[William_H]

My first thought was that the OP obviously does not know much about boat ownership. I have said many times before new wanna bee boat owners need to know if they really want a boat. Boats demand attention and time and money to keep and have. The purchase price being cheap even if the boat proves OK will be much more per year than purchase price. Unfortunately you never know if you will be a successful boat owner until you buy one. Obviously the members of this forum are boat lovers. But in any anchorage you will find boats where owner has neglected the boat and simply does not use it enough to justify costs.
Ok if OP has the urge to try boat ownership. Assuming everything is on the boat that he will need then cheap price might make it a good deal or at least not a terrible deal.
As said we give advice not knowing what sort of boat it is. Essentially a smaller boat is less likely to have hidden leaks. The hull itself will be fine. It is keel attachments and holes for prop shaft rudder shaft and water inlets that might give leaks. The smaller the boat the less possible leaks. A mobo if small is likely no places for a leak if outboard motor. But then motor is likely a problem. A small sail boat will also need a motor plus as said mast sails etc. Plus of course how o yo get it to water to launch? Think hard ask questions and good luck ol'will

 

[Poignard]

(...)
It looks good, but what steps can I take to be as sure as possible that the thing floats before going to the considerable hassle and expense of buying it and putting it in the water? I see boats on hard standings all the time for sale, people must buy them. How and why do people do that if they're not absolutely sure that the boat floats?

(...)

I suppose most people would assume that if the boat floated to wherever it was lifted out, it is capable of floating away from there.

Unless it came on a low-loader.

 

[zoidberg]

Fill it with water and check that the dock stays dry.

That's a joke by the way......

'Submariners' humour', eh?

 

[coopec]

Is there no real possibility of tiny hairline fractures that let water in? I've never had a fibreglass boat before, don't really know what a leaky one looks like.

Thanks. It is a fiberglass boat
(You are not giving too much away are you?)

I have a deep distrust of people who join a forum (this forum and others) then immediately start asking questions while giving absolutely nothing away. We don't know their location, what the plans for the boat are, what construction, what they can afford.....

But they have fun don't they? They have a chuckle seeing 20-30 people on the forum trying to answer their inane questions.

Don't be a NingNong, do a little research yourself, visit the marinas, visit the boatyards, consider a trailer boat (if you have a vehicle)

Have a good day.....

 

[Boater Sam]

Estimate the volume of the hull. Weigh the boat. If it displaces more than its own weight in water it will float.
Archimedes worked it out long ago.

 

[Daydream believer]

Estimate the volume of the hull. Weigh the boat. If it displaces more than its own weight in water it will float.
Archimedes worked it out long ago.

What if it has a hole in it?

 

[Biggles Wader]

What if it has a hole in it?

Take a bung. Everyone else does these days.

 

[Daydream believer]

Take a bung. Everyone else does these days.

I am a sailor, not a politician

 

[oldgit]

Depends on the value of the boat and if you are prepared to take any risks at all.
Most/marinas/boatyards are very wary when lifting any boat back into the water.
Be it something that has merely been out for a few days for its annual fettle ie anodes, A/F etc or for something bit more serious , stern gland repacking or replacing sea water cocks.
Anything that has been ashore for any length of time would probably raise alarm bells.
Have yet to buy a boat from elsewhere and ship it back , where the crane driver or hoist operator has not held the boat momentarily and instructed that the bilges are checked for water ingress before he will even consider removing the strops.
Suspect this is low value boat in the sort of yard that would normally store this type of boat.
Get price to lift and hold , drop it in the water, still held in the slings and lift all the floor hatches.
Either the water will gushing in and you pay for the lift and walk away or maybe merely the odd weep which can be sorted as and when.
The real weeping comes later when you realise what boating is all about.
The choice will be yours. ?

 

[Stemar]

First things first. Are you interested in the boat because you're already a sailor and it's time to buy a boat, or have you seen the boat and thought, that could be fun?

If the latter, I would say that an unknown quantity like this isn't for you yet. Some people get bitten by the bug and it's an incurable disease with symptoms like being wet and cold and broke, and considering it fun. Others just don't. Try it and see.

Your questions imply little knowledge. We don't know the size of the boat, nor if she's a sailing boat or a motor boat. Is there an engine? If so, does it work? If not, can it be got going cheaply or does it need replacing? If a sailing boat, how old is the rigging? That needs to be replaced every 15 years or so, and it isn't cheap. Old sails won't be efficient, but can still give you a lot of fun, rotten ones are another major expense.

Yes, people do buy boats like that and turn them into their heart's desire, but far too many turn into heart - and wallet - breakers. A quote from a billionaire who took on a major restoration is "I expected to get it done in a couple of years with a small budget. It turned out to take five years and a huge budget." It's something than almost anyone who's taken on a restoration can relate to. Don't expect yours to be any different.

As a matter of course, I always try to dissuade people from taking on project boats. If I succeed, I've saved you from a whole world of trouble. If you're too stubborn to listen, it's just possible you're stubborn enough to do it but reading between the lines, I don't think you're ready for this one.