Private Purchase of New Boat is an Engine Survey Necassary

[Newbroom]

I have agreed to buy a boat from a private individual subject survey and sea trials. While I am happy to accept the limitations of a full condition survey. Do you think its is necessary to have a separate engine survey.

The engines have been regularly serviced by a trained Volvo engineer and always looked after by him.

I used to be a engineer my self and I don't know what a survey is going to tell me besides what I see and hear myself.

The engines are clean, oil and diesel free, the oil is clean. and generally the whole engine room is tidy and clean and looks well maintained.

On sea trials I will monitor revs engine oil pressures and temperatures at different speed ranges.

Will an engineer be doing much more.

Dave

 

[lydiamight]

Might be worth getting a sample of engine oil from each engine and then sending it off for analysis.

 

[jrudge]

I have never had one ..... but knowing what I know now I would get a volvo engineer to give them a once over. This may or may not be a survey but they see things and know things you don't! Once you pay its your problem!

 

[Momac]

In 2014 I had a survey on my present boat which included a trial and an indication from the surveyor that the engines seemed to perform okay. I couldn't make it to the survey but my wife attended.
I decided the surveyors opinion was good enough.
I have since doubled the engine hours - the engines seem sweeter now they have run in a bit and had some good long runs.

There is some element of risk buying any boat . It sounds like you have the experience to decide whether the engines are running okay.

 

[Jim@sea]

You should find out how much it would cost to have a Compression Test done. Just because the engines and engine room is clean could mean that it has been cleaned for selling purposes.

 

[Jim@sea]

I have since doubled the engine hours .

A boat I bought had low engine hours I decided to remove the dashboard to spray underneath with WD40 and I noticed that the Engine Hour Meter had a rubber plug connection which if you pulled it apart stopped the engine hour meter from running, the rubber joint was well worn,
The boat had been serviced by the owner (an engineer) The impeller was in the process of disintegrating.

 

[Momac]

A boat I bought had low engine hours I decided to remove the dashboard to spray underneath with WD40 and I noticed that the Engine Hour Meter had a rubber plug connection which if you pulled it apart stopped the engine hour meter from running, the rubber joint was well worn,
The boat had been serviced by the owner (an engineer) The impeller was in the process of disintegrating.

I replaced the belts and impellers in a full engine service fairly soon after buying the boat.
I believe the engine hours to be genuine. I have two engines and , since its flybridge boat, four hour counters.

But I agree hour counters can be deceptive. They can be replaced and start again from zero. One of my tachometers played up for a while last year and the hour counter in it is short a few hours compared to the other three.

 

[rosssavage]

You should find out how much it would cost to have a Compression Test done. Just because the engines and engine room is clean could mean that it has been cleaned for selling purposes.

A leak down test will tell you far more on a diesel, but not as many people have the kit to do one.

As a good rule of thumb, if it starts easily from cold the compression is good. It needs to start on all cylinders within ideally one turn of the crankshaft.

 

[dpb]

Based on my own experience, i would pay an engineer to come on the test run and check the engines......he will know what to look for.

My surveyor spotted the non working fridge and battery charger......few hundred pounds each to fix........but not engine issues that later coat thousands.