I think I finally found a good boat that's priced well/fair

What I don’t get is someone wants sell a boat. If it was me I want it gone now. I would be so far up a broker digestive track he would want it sold just be rid of me. So ya, I don’t get their lazy attitude.
I used to think it was COVID that made them lazy, easy sales, low supply, high demand. Having worked with boat brokers before COVID I don't think so. Like everything else there are good ones, and there are not so good ones. Seems I run across more of the latter recently.

I have developed a friendship of sorts with one I worked with a few years ago. He's my buyers broker this time. I know he works his butt off, spends a lot of time on surveys/sea trials, travelling to look at boats, etc. He will reply to a text/call though even if it's just to tell me he received it, he's busy, he'll follow up soon. He too is frustrated with other boat brokers lack of response, their attitudes, etc.
 
I used to think it was COVID that made them lazy, easy sales, low supply, high demand. Having worked with boat brokers before COVID I don't think so. Like everything else there are good ones, and there are not so good ones. Seems I run across more of the latter recently.

I have developed a friendship of sorts with one I worked with a few years ago. He's my buyers broker this time. I know he works his butt off, spends a lot of time on surveys/sea trials, travelling to look at boats, etc. He will reply to a text/call though even if it's just to tell me he received it, he's busy, he'll follow up soon. He too is frustrated with other boat brokers lack of response, their attitudes, etc.

People like that, in ANY industry these days, are very hard to find.
 
Ah, a new chuckle to all this. Had my eye on boat #2 for a while. It's been listed for I'd guess 2 months. Yes, it's wildly over priced with low NADA to asking price being $103.000 difference. That's a healthy asking price! There are other newer by 1-3 year models for the same asking price. Not my point but the asking prices are all essentially the same with this 2003 being the most over NADA value asking price.

Rewind 3+ weeks ago. I send an email, zero reply. I call the office and leave 2 different messages, zero reply. Yesterday, I text the listing broker, no reply. Last night I email once again, no reply. Check the ad today "lowered by $15,000." LOL!!! So here I was inquiring about the boat when it was 15k more and they never even responded to me. Obviously it was not going to see at full asking price but now it's 15k less.....classic!!!!
 
I have been waiting for the broker to send me service/maintenance invoices for this 17 year old salt water boat. I received them yesterday: clean/wax the haul 09/21 and fix the VacuFlush. Yes, that's it. No additional invoices or maintenance/service records.
 
I have been waiting for the broker to send me service/maintenance invoices for this 17 year old salt water boat. I received them yesterday: clean/wax the haul 09/21 and fix the VacuFlush. Yes, that's it. No additional invoices or maintenance/service records.
Wow! Sounds like an easy-keeper. Better go buy it right now! Just think of all the money you'll save...
 
Received a bunch of repair invoices on the boat from 2019/2020. One thing I see repeatedly is engine "rust and corrosion". Lots of "clean off rust and repaint". Both wiring harnesses had to be replaced (twin Mercury 8.1s) due to "exceptionally" corroded and disconnected wires. Wires laying loose/disconnected in the bilge. Lots of engine leaks that required new clamps/hoses. Fuel lines replaced (one was laying lose in the bilge) because of corrosion. Wire brush away 8 suspected leak areas on engines, cylinder head to block and exhaust riser/elbow assemblies.

I was told the waterways the boat is used in are brackish. This seems like a lot of corrosion though, possible raw water leaks maybe? What questions should I ask to learn more?

For the mrsrobinson haters, no I am not complaining, looking for champagne on a beer budget, etc. I honestly have never seen invoices like this before. Almost everyone has a reference to rust and corrosion. Trying to understand what could cause this.
 
Last edited:
Received a bunch of repair invoices on the boat from 2019/2020. One thing I see repeatedly is engine "rust and corrosion". Lots of "clean off rust and repaint". Both wiring harnesses had to be replaced (twin Mercury 8.1s) due to "exceptionally" corroded and disconnected wires. Wires laying loose/disconnected in the bilge. Lots of engine leaks that required new clamps/hoses. Fuel lines replaced (one was laying lose in the bilge) because of corrosion. Wire brush away 8 suspected leak areas on engines, cylinder head to block and exhaust riser/elbow assemblies.

I was told the waterways the boat is used in are brackish. This seems like a lot of corrosion though, possible raw water leaks maybe? What questions should I ask to learn more?

For the mrsrobinson haters, no I am not complaining, looking for champagne on a beer budget, etc. I honestly have never seen invoices like this before. Almost everyone has a reference to rust and corrosion. Trying to understand what could cause this.
Sure sounds like those engines were under water or being sprayed with a lot of water.... It's a big deal if the wiring harnesses needed replacement. Then the excessive corrosion issue.... This is a Vino Fino boat for a beer budget. Not much worse than electrical systems going under salt water; time bombs.
 
Sure sounds like those engines were under water or being sprayed with a lot of water.... It's a big deal if the wiring harnesses needed replacement. Then the excessive corrosion issue.... This is a Vino Fino boat for a beer budget. Not much worse than electrical systems going under salt water; time bombs.

Yeah, this was my first thought as well. Either a raw water hose burst and sprayed saltwater everywhere, and/or the boat's been underwater before.
 
I was told the waterways the boat is used in are brackish.
Not always. Everyone thinks the Bay is brackish. Based on salt ppm, north of the bridge it’s pretty close to fresh. From the bridge to Patuxent that is brackish. South of that it’s pretty much saltwater. Where you are.
So while boats up here even raw water cooled can go years before seeing corrosion issues, down at bottom of the bay, you will see much sooner.
It’s 180 miles long, it’s not all the same.
A good example is while it’s common to get jellyfish in august around Annapolis. Its very very rare to see one north of the bay bridge.
 
Not always. Everyone thinks the Bay is brackish. Based on salt ppm, north of the bridge it’s pretty close to fresh. From the bridge to Patuxent that is brackish. South of that it’s pretty much saltwater. Where you are.
So while boats up here even raw water cooled can go years before seeing corrosion issues, down at bottom of the bay, you will see much sooner.
It’s 180 miles long, it’s not all the same.
A good example is while it’s common to get jellyfish in august around Annapolis. Its very very rare to see one north of the bay bridge.
This boat is in Oriental, NC on the Neuse River. When I asked the broker if it's salt he said No, fresh to brackish. That much corrosion makes me think different.
 
I’ve run up the Neuse River many times. The boat is salty at the end of the day. Not to say it isn’t brackish, but there’s definitely a higher salinity content than a Freshwater lake or river.
 
Read some more of the invoices: engine mount bolts frozen because of rust, replaced 2 coils because of corrosion, pin hole fuel line leak from chaffing/corrosion, vacuumed rust out of generator sound shield, corrosion on alternator/starter exceptionally bad and difficult to remove, replace bad main engine 50 amp circuit breaker (rust could/would not trip), replace corroded engine mount that was not supporting engine, sand blast rusty metal part - prime and paint, found multiple, replace all spark plug wires (3 were damaged from chaffing), found live energized wire from harness in bilge, multiple switches/sensors corroded, uncovered many engine harness repairs and by-pass wiring repairs mostly ground wire probably from corrosion, etc.
 
Last edited:
Read some more of the invoices: engine mount bolts frozen because of rust, replaced 2 coils because of corrosion, pin hole fuel line leak from chaffing/corrosion, vacuumed rust out of generator sound shield, corrosion on alternator/starter exceptionally bad and difficult to remove, replace bad main engine 50 amp circuit breaker (rust could/would not trip), replace corroded engine mount that was not supporting engine, sand blast rusty metal part - prime and paint, found multiple, replace all spark plug wires (3 were damaged from chaffing), found live energized wire from harness in bilge, multiple switches/sensors corroded, uncovered many engine harness repairs and by-pass wiring repairs mostly ground wire probably from corrosion, etc.
Criminy! That sounds like a Michigan Acid Dip happening. Like @ttmott mentioned, it sounds like it might have taken a big drink of saltwater at some point. Corroded engine mount not supporting the engine? RUN FORREST, RUN!
 
Read some more of the invoices: engine mount bolts frozen because of rust, replaced 2 coils because of corrosion, pin hole fuel line leak from chaffing/corrosion, vacuumed rust out of generator sound shield, corrosion on alternator/starter exceptionally bad and difficult to remove, replace bad main engine 50 amp circuit breaker (rust could/would not trip), replace corroded engine mount that was not supporting engine, sand blast rusty metal part - prime and paint, found multiple, replace all spark plug wires (3 were damaged from chaffing), found live energized wire from harness in bilge, multiple switches/sensors corroded, uncovered many engine harness repairs and by-pass wiring repairs mostly ground wire probably from corrosion, etc.

And the hunt goes on...
 
That's a lot of rust and corrosion. It's one thing if the engine mounts are a little rusty and need a little TLC but this boat is a mess! Problem with rust and especially corrosion is it's always in the back of your mind and wonder what could go wrong next. Sounds like the rust and corrosion is everywhere too, not just isolated to a generator sound shield or an AC pan.
 
Greg - Late to the party, however, just my 2 cents here. The first boat in this thread with the one low cylinder, I would not shy away. I would try to renegotiate since it's been a few weeks.

Put this in perspective here. Do you feel you're getting a large enough discount to offset repair costs? Repair costs were sub $3k...What about worst case offsetting a new engine? That's the biggest issue that can happen, right? What are you out on a long block? My neighbor just replaced his... about $5500-$6k for a long block. Parts and Labor to remove and reinstall... you're in it for $10k-$15k worst case should the sky fall in tomorrow. Another data point - you're going to spend more than 3k on surveys and time off work before you find the 'perfect' boat.

Again, put this in perspective. You said the rest of the boat checks out, correct? If you found a solid hull, with a nice interior, that has been cared for, I think you found an excellent candidate to work with. Perfect!! 1 low cylinder? Here's my recommendation... Do the leak down (I don't recall that was completed?). Confirm it's likely the head and not the cylinder. Then you know what I would do? Pocket the money you saved and continue to save throughout the next year. I would sea foam or run some Shaeffer's 131 through the intake and let it sit for 15 mins or so before running again. Do that 2-3x next season. Good chance your low cylinder comes up when you test at the end of the season. If it doesn't and the number hasn't changed... continue to run it and go another season. It's not going to hurt anything.

Buying a 20 year old boat is going to have issues. If it's not the engine with a 3k repair, it'll be the canvas at about 10k replacement, or the exterior seating needs replacing at 7k, or the bottom needs painting at 3k. You're going to have issues. Pick your poison! Find a boat with a good 'core' to go with, then proceed from there and go through the entire boat to make it yours. Final recommendation - go back to the first guy, confirm the issue, execute the deal.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,946
Messages
1,422,781
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top