Boat Moisture

SR DREAMING

New Member
Sep 17, 2017
4
Boat Info
1999 Searay sun catcher 330
Engines
Boatless
We are considering purchasing a sea ray sun dancer 330 with no power steering 1999. We just completed a marine survey which found elevated moisture areas from the windlass to the windshield. There were also multiple areas of mold with in the storage compartments on the main level as well as in the cabin below. There is also one area of the railing that is very loose They have appeared to try to caulk it to resolve the problem. I'm leery of purchasing this at a cost of 42,000 My husband is leaning towards trying to negotiate the price. He is investigating the dry boat system vs doing a full fiberglass repair. Can anyone give me their inside a recommendation on if this is a wise purchase or not to try and repair this boat? We are new boaters so I really don't want a money pit.
 
If there's mold inside the cabin I would take a pass.

You wouldn't by a house that had mold damage so why by a boat where you will be exposed to mold in a confined space.

If you have mold on the surface..... I bet inside the walls, wood and other soft surfaces it's everywhere.
 
If there's mold inside the cabin I would take a pass.

You wouldn't by a house that had mold damage so why by a boat where you will be exposed to mold in a confined space.

If you have mold on the surface..... I bet inside the walls, wood and other soft surfaces it's everywhere.
Thanks Little Ducky... I was thinking the same thing myself. So is mold NOT common inside a boat? The surveyer didn't seem concerned. And told us to spray it with bleach water.
 
Boat most likely has water intrusion throughout the deck. Very costly and time consuming fix.

Headliner in cabin must be removed to access and remove rotted deck from underneath... then re-glassed from below.....new headliner....etc...etc. Sounds like the bow rail needs removed and re-bedded (probably rotted underneath).

I would walk on this one.
 
Do not buy it. That is a known area of risk in these models. Once the moisture gets in it rots the balsa core in these areas. That causes more hatch leaks and structural issues. It's a major problem. The repair is very expensive and the value of the boat is much lower than same boat without that moisture issue. If the price is maybe $20k less than one without moisture it "might" be worth it but it will be hard to insure and hard to sell later. I would pass. There are lots of 330s out there. Buy the best one you can find.
 
It's pretty common for boats of that vintage (late 90's early 2000's) to have some level of water/moisture intrusion in the deck. Over the years things like the windlass, deck rails, hatches, just have a way with working the sealant that was used when they were installed loose. If the boat sits outside, the constant heating/cooling along with rain, dew etc just takes toll. The dry boat system could be a good solution, the traditional method of replacing the decking core is a major job - I would just be aware of that. As far as the mold, it might not necessarily be related to the deck moisture. I would need to figure out if it is due to the wet deck or is just due to the boat being closed up for long period without any type of AC or dehumidification. There are lots of 330's and 340's of that vintage that have been in northern climates or in covered slips that don't have these problems - maybe you should keep looking.
 
Anything can be repaired but the cost for a true and effective repair on a large deck area can run well into 5 figures. Does it make sense to spend 25%+ of the cost of a boat to do a major repair caused by previous ownes ignorance or neglect?

And, repairing the wet core is only part of the problem......you will also have to locate and repair the points where moisture ie entering t he deck core.

Another factor to consider here is that you can clean up the surface mold in a vessel's interior, but you will be chasing mold/mildew from here on out unless you remove and replace all the wet deck core.

"Run, Forest, Run" away from boat with a large wet deck core area.
 
Thank you for all of the advice. My instinct was to run but didn't want to jump to any conclusions since I really have little knowledge on the subject. We are going to pass.

Can anyone tell me if it is better to purchase a used boat through a dealer? Do they offer some type of warranty like on a used car ? Did they already have inspections done so we don't have to keep paying the cost of a marine survey ?
 
Dealers don't offer any particular advantage in shopping for used boats, besides, their prices are usually a bit higher than brokerd boats because dealers have more overhead. You should be looking for the very best 330DA you can find (if t hat is what you are shopping for) and it really doesn't matter where you find it. Some dealers do surveys on the more expensive trade-in's but your chances of finding a 20 year old boat in a dealer's inventory is very low because they are too old for the dealer to get a buyer financed thru their normal lenders.

As far as surveys are concerned, never try to use a survey provided you be the seller or his representitives. Make your deal and draft the sales contract to include contingencies for a hull survey, a mechanical survey, a sea trial, at a minimum. Then, commission your own survey after you have the boat controlled by the sales contract.

If you guys are boating novices, I would suggest t ht you get a trusted friend to go along with you to look at the boats you are interested in. Failing that, if you can take a lot of photos and post them here, some of us have been boating for most of our lives and will be able to guide you in the right direction....or at least tell you what questions to get answered before you get committed to a contract (and surveys).
 
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Dealers don't offer any particular advantage in shopping for used boats, besides, their prices are usually a bit higher than brokerd boats because dealers have more overhead. You should be looking for the very best 330DA you can find (if t hat is what you are shopping for) and it really doesn't matter where you find it. Some dealers do surveys on the more expensive trade-in's but your chances of finding a 20 year old boat in a dealer's inventory is very low because they are too old for the dealer to get a buyer financed thru their normal lenders.

As far as surveys are concerned, never try to use a survey provided you be the seller or his representitives. Make your deal and draft the sales contract to include contingencies for a hull survey, a mechanical survey, a sea trial, at a minimum. Then, commission your own survey after you have the boat controlled by the sales contract.

If you guys are boating novices, I would suggest t ht you get a trusted friend to go along with you to look at the boats you are interested in. Failing that, if you can take a lot of photos and post them here, some of us have been boating for most of our lives and will be able to guide you in the right direction....or at least tell you what questions to get answered before you get committed to a contract (and surveys).
Great advice...thank you!!!
 
Thanks Little Ducky... I was thinking the same thing myself. So is mold NOT common inside a boat? The surveyer didn't seem concerned. And told us to spray it with bleach water.

NO.....unless it's in a bilge or sump box where water is supposed to be or a deck locker that has no or poor drainage.

On buying boats..... I bought my 98 290 DA from the dealer/marina I've had a relation ship with for a number of years.... and my sales guy even said always get a survey....and the $1000 spent on the survey saved me almost $7000 in mechanical repairs. Price was adjusted and I bought it.... plus the marina serviced the boat for the last 7 years.... after getting approval from the owner at the time, I got all 7 years worth of records. Which read perfectly like a boat that's been taken care of except for the transom issue that was found when the boat was pulled for the survey.

Find a local CSR boater to see if they will look at boats with you..... especially if they have a similar SR you are looking.
 

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