Chris Nowell
Active Member
- Nov 28, 2011
- 1,520
- Boat Info
- '05 622 Hardtop w Alaska Bulkhead, 270 Mercury Marine sport inflatable, pulled by a 6.0L Silverado
- Engines
- 4.3 MPI Merc w Alpha I drive, 5 hp 4 stroke Merc aux.
Olds, really nice lookin' boat. Please insist on seeing receipts for the long block and the installation. Be sure the long block is a genuine marine rebuild and that it has been installed by a certified Mercruiser mechanic. I hate to be negative but I've seen automotive engines being passed off as marine engines and I've seen some pretty sloppy work by people who claim to be marine mechanics. I can't over emphasize the importance of things like engine alignment, proper electrical connections and proper marine components. A lot of mechanics will tell you that there's no difference between an automotive engine and a marine engine but there most definitely is. I won't bore ya with the details but if you need more info just ask. Check the hull for pox or blisters, the transom, stringers and floor for rot, and the interior for signs of leaks such as staining around thru hull fittings and the hull/deck joint. And make your water trial a good one that includes a number of shifts from neutral to forward and reverse while listening for excessive grinding of the gears, (clutches are a very expensive repair on these legs). If you want to get a little more technical you can sample the leg oil for signs of moisture too. I always check the engine oil before and after a test run as well. If it's thick and black it's an indication of neglect. If it's brown and milky it's an indication of water intrusion. I could go on and on about what you should look for but instead I just encourage you to ask as many questions as you need to. All boats are going to require some kind of repair at some point in time, so you can only do the best you can to determine that this boat won't need a lot of major repairs right away. As far as the price goes, it sounds good. I just missed a similar one in Louisiana for $7K and it included a trailer. We just paid $8900.00 US for our '89 230 with an older trailer. These types of boats do tend to be a little less expensive in the eastern parts of the country. Again, if you're not sure of something, just ask. The boat we bought was the 17th one we looked at and most of the boats we viewed were about a 4 hour drive from home. It's better to walk away from a dozen lemons and keep lookin' than it is to get stuck with one. Oh yeh, another trick I do is to stick my digital camera down into the bilge and take a number of shots of the bottom of the engine and the bilge and transom. Good luck, hope some of this helps.
