LittleSister
Well-Known Member
It's not just how well the engine has been maintained (important though that is), but with an older engine the robustness of the particular design and the availability of the spares count for a lot.
I was put off buying a boat some years ago by it having a Petter, having searched the forums and found various adverse comment on them in those terms, and little or none in their favour. (That's not to say there might be some out there still running fine.) I saw the same boat advertised a few years later with a replacement engine, suggesting the purchaser found the Petter unsatisfactory.
When recently considering buying another older boat, where the cost of replacing or rebuilding the engine (a reputable brand with most spares readily available) was a nigh on the value of the boat, I did consider getting a formal engineer's report on the condition of the motor before committing myself. I came to the view, though, that it would be quite expensive to do so, and that all the written advice in the report would be so hedged with qualification it wouldn't give me commensurate assurance.
Having satisfied myself that the engine appeared well looked after to my amateur eyes, I paid a local engineer (recommended by a friend in the boat trade), to come and run it (ashore) and give me his verbal comments on it. He was able to bring to bear his far greater experience and familiarity with the particular model.
He spotted that the exhaust manifold and alternator had been changed at some point, said he thought the model was a good one but pointed out a potential weakness of which I was unaware even after trawling the net, and said the engine seemed good for its age as far as he was able to tell without running it under load or dismantling parts. This gave me sufficient confidence to proceed with the purchase. Only time will tell whether the engine is as good as it seems, and the risk is all mine, but for the modest sum it cost me I am very glad I took this route and would do so again.
I was put off buying a boat some years ago by it having a Petter, having searched the forums and found various adverse comment on them in those terms, and little or none in their favour. (That's not to say there might be some out there still running fine.) I saw the same boat advertised a few years later with a replacement engine, suggesting the purchaser found the Petter unsatisfactory.
When recently considering buying another older boat, where the cost of replacing or rebuilding the engine (a reputable brand with most spares readily available) was a nigh on the value of the boat, I did consider getting a formal engineer's report on the condition of the motor before committing myself. I came to the view, though, that it would be quite expensive to do so, and that all the written advice in the report would be so hedged with qualification it wouldn't give me commensurate assurance.
Having satisfied myself that the engine appeared well looked after to my amateur eyes, I paid a local engineer (recommended by a friend in the boat trade), to come and run it (ashore) and give me his verbal comments on it. He was able to bring to bear his far greater experience and familiarity with the particular model.
He spotted that the exhaust manifold and alternator had been changed at some point, said he thought the model was a good one but pointed out a potential weakness of which I was unaware even after trawling the net, and said the engine seemed good for its age as far as he was able to tell without running it under load or dismantling parts. This gave me sufficient confidence to proceed with the purchase. Only time will tell whether the engine is as good as it seems, and the risk is all mine, but for the modest sum it cost me I am very glad I took this route and would do so again.
