Thoughts please re little used boat

[Mark H]

I just looked at a 2009 32 foot shaft driven boat with only 300 hours on it. It has twin Volvo engines and the boat looked in reasonable order but tell tale signs of not having been particularly well looked after. For example the stainless has the beginnings of corrosion apparent in corners etc. (but nothing that a bit of elbow grease wouldn't cure)

On looking in the bilges there was a surprising amount of sea water sitting in there, possibly up to 3 inches. The engines were not sitting in water but I noticed a lot of the clips and fittings were showing signs of more established corrosion. The engine hasn't seen an oily rag in a while.

I like the boat over all but am at an early stage of interest so have not asked too many questions. If the boat has a proven maintenance history then presumably there should not be too much to worry about.

I have a nagging concern about the amount of water sloshing around in the bilge. Does anyone have any thoughts on this or advice? Obviously any purchase will be subject of a full survey and sea trial.

 

[sarabande]

any signs of the water (is it sea water definitely ?) having been higher in the past ?

 

[[2068]]

Tasting the water (yuck!) will tell you if fresh or salty water.
If fresh, could be a rainwater leak.

If salty, could be leaking shaft glands, assuming no visible salty deposits on the engines.
Should not hard to either tighten up, or re-pack if necessary.

 

[Bigplumbs]

I would pump out the water after you have tested it to see if it is salt or fresh. Then have another visit to see if the level has risen

Dennis

 

[bigwow]

Tasting the water (yuck!) will tell you if fresh or salty water.
If fresh, could be a rainwater leak.

If salty, could be leaking shaft glands, assuming no visible salty deposits on the engines.
Should not hard to either tighten up, or re-pack if necessary.

And if it's a leak from the holding tank?:disgust:

 

[Seastoke]

You would tell by smell usually rain

 

[benjenbav]

Whilst it may not seem very manly I would be inclined to spend a few pounds on a salinity test kit rather than taste the bilge water.
Otherwise 50 hours a year and an opportunity to add a bit of value to a still newish boat with no more than elbow grease doesn't sound like a bad starting point for further interest.

 

[Mark H]

Thanks for the advice all. I hadn't considered it might just be rain water! Will be keen to hear about maintenance history and hopefully there is a history!

 

[TheOrs]

I bought a boat with water in the bilge; didn't think much of it.

Turns out one of the feedthroughs was leaking. I fixed it eventually but had to get it lifted to do so. It soaked up a lot of water & I believe it is still wet (and overweight). I will be much more cautious next time.

As a minimum, dry it out and see if it returns. In my case I would have been able to see it after about 1/2hr. If I couldn't do this simple test I would walk away.

 

[Mark H]

Yes this would be one of my main concerns. With little use apparent, I am also a little concerned re the engines exposed to salt water sloshing around in the bilges. (hence the corroded clips and fittings?)

 

[Medskipper]

There's not much that can't be fixed on a boat! All depends on the costs of fixing it? It's a very good haggling point?

 

[Momac]

What a shame to neglect such a relatively new boat.
I would want to see the water pumped out and the engines checked over ,also check the sump for and fuel tank for any corrosion. Get a price for making good any defects and negotiate a deduction from the price of the boat. Then do the work yourself if you are able.
Alternator and starter motor also need checking as very liable to suffer if standing in water .
300 hours isn't unbelievably low . My boat had 200 hours at 11 years old . Most of the issues were electrical and relatively easily fixed. I have added almost 300 engine hours since July 2014. Regular use seems to me to help prevent faults developing.

 

[boatingdave]

Bilges quite often have water in them, my boat is well serviced and used regularly and I have water in the bilge from the shaft seals over a period of time and the bilge pump doesn't empty the bilge fully (very few do unless you have a separate small sump). I would recommend you change any corroded clips and check all mounting bolts (especially around any raw water pipes, impellor housings) etc. The hours are OK but defo check the oil - if acidic and has been left then there could be internal engine damage risk is very low but impact could be high depending on what you find) - as part of the purchase process just get the oil analysed and if OK just give her a service and just pump the bilge out. You may also have a problem with the batteries if she hasn't been kept on shore power and the bilge pumps have been trying to run.
So in summary - unless there is evidence that it has been a lot higher and/or the oil looks OK just about everything else you've described can be 'fixed' but a good haggling point. No boat is ever perfect.

 

[Mark H]

Good to hear all your views and very reassuring. Glad to have the benefit of all the experience!

 

[Jim@sea]

I bought a boat which was 15 years old. The previous owner had obviously emptied the bilges but there was a bad leak which only became evident when the engine was running. The rubber exhaust tube (pipe ?) after it went from the heat exchanger had a Jubilee Clip which fixed it to the Exhaust Outlet Skin Fitting. The rubber tube was re-enforced with a coil of wire, over the 15 years the rubber had obviously become porous, thus allowing water to reach the metal coil, which in turn had rusted, very badly, and over time part of the metal coil had sprung apart, splitting the outer rubber so that when the engine was running the exhaust water was seeping into the bilges.
Being a clever bugger I did not have a Survey on the boat, although having boats (8) over a 40 year period I was not aware that rubber exhaust pipes were perishable. In my defence the only way you could see where the exhaust pipe joined the exhaust outlet skin fitting was by removing the diesel tank.
Had the boat been in the water when I went to see it and run the engine it would have been noticed straight away.
Had I have had a surveyor he would have known that exhaust tubing only has a working life of perhaps 20 years but perhaps less.

 

[timv]

I have just bought a seventeen year old boat with 256 hours on it and I have had trouble with condensation building up in the fuel tanks due to the inactivity .I also have had to have the aftercoolers flushed as apparently things start to grow on the sea water side if its not used regularly a.May be worth just checking these two things as sometimes tanks will rot and need to be cut out which sounds expensive .

 

[Mark H]

Thanks again for the experiences, tis food for thought.