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Buying a Used Boat


HOskier313

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Buying a used boat can be a great way to get what you want & save a little money at the same time. But buying used can also have its pitfalls. This list of tips is intended to help the buyer that may be new to boats get through the process & hopefully avoid those pitfalls.

Decide on what you want & set a budget

  • Determine your budget.
  • Decide on the right boat for your needs that is within your budget. Things like how many people will being going with you on average & what disciplines you plan on using the boat for (breaking them down into rough percentages can help). Know what you're looking for before you start shopping.
  • If you need financing, get pre-qualified with a lending institution ahead of time. You don't want to put yourself at the mercy of a dealer or feel rushed to try & buy the boat that you think you want. Be prepared.
  • Check classified ads and internet listings for prices of comparable boats. Educate yourself on what market value is for the boat that you want, equipped the way that you want it.
  • Take your time & do your homework. Avoid any deal that can't wait for you to become comfortable.
  • When you are ready to make an offer, be prepared financially and emotionally to become a boat owner.

Questions to ask when you are looking

  • How did the previous owner(s) use the boat (recreationally on weekends, private ski lake, tournament skier/wakeboarder, etc.)?
  • How often did the previous owner(s) use the boat?
  • Ask to see any and all service records for the boat.
  • Was the boat ever used in salt or brackish water? Salt water can erode engines & other items on a boat very quickly if not properly cared for.
  • How many owners has the boat had?
  • Try to get a sense for how they really used it (I.E. - what is a typical 'outing' for you?). This may give some insight as to how the boat was used versus what they are going to tell you to make the sale. Look at other possessions of the seller for clues - how they keep their cars, house & other items may clue you in to how that boat was kept & cared for.

Other things to consider

  • Tandem vs. single axle trailer - Think about whether or not you will need to trailer the boat to your destination & if so, how far that will be on average.
  • Will you be doing your own maintenance or will you pay someone else? If there is only a Malibu dealer in your area, buying a Mastercraft may not be the best idea if someone else needs to work on it.
  • On a related note, if you do plan to have a dealer do your service, how good (or not so good) the different service departments are that are in your area should play a big factor in your decision.
  • Does the boat have wooden or fiberglass stringers? As you know, water & wood do not go well together & over time the wood can rot. When you are looking at boats, look for soft spots in the floor (you can use a semi sharp object to push on the floor in different areas). Replacing a floor & stringers in a boat is very expensive. With that said, wood in a boat is not an automatic veto. If it has been well maintained & hasn't sat for extended periods of time with water in it, then it may be fine.
  • Decide whether or not you want a carbureted or fuel injected engine. Fuel injection is usually found in boats as early as the mid 90's and newer. FI boats start easier & tend to need less tweaking than carbureted, but also tend to cost a little more. The flip side to this is that fuel injected models tend to hold a little better resale value & are possibly more desirable making them an easier sale on the other end.
  • Look at the overall condition of the boat. Buying used, you can count on doing repairs and maintenance to make the boat look and run to your expectations. Make sure to include the trailer in that evaluation. Many times this gets overlooked, yet is an important part of the purchase.
  • Before buying a boat, it may be a good idea to pay a mechanic to check the compression on the engine & the overall running condition of the engine. A leak-down test is also a good idea in addition to the compression check. Have a mechanic give you an okay before you buy. You can expect to spend between $200-300 for this service.
  • Do not buy without test driving the boat first. Things can show themselves on a wet test that would never show up by running the boat on a Fake A Lake in the driveway. If the seller is unwilling, then that should be a huge warning sign to run (not walk) from the deal.
  • During the test drive, take your ski and/or wakeboard with you. Wake height, shape, table, softness/hardness are different from boat to boat & cannot be accurately judged from the boat.

Great online websites to find inboards:

  • www.boattraderonline.com
  • www.iboats.com
  • www.ski-it-again.com
  • www.themalibucrew.com
  • www.wakesiderides.com
  • www.planetnautique.com
  • www.wakeworld.com
  • www.wakeboarder.com
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  • 4 years later...
  • 10 months later...

This is my first post as a new member, hope it's the right spot, but I would add to the list "Pay attention to the Trailer. You're not just buying a boat."

I just bought a used '08 vride last week, and although I paid tons of attention to every aspect of the boat, I overlooked the trailer. I mean it did successfully tow back and forth to the lake for the test drive, a 45 min drive each way, and at first glance looked in great condition, plus the dealer said it had bearing buddy's.

Well, now that I have the boat and trailer at my house and am paying closer attention, I realize this is a DHM trailer, which went out of business. And at first glance it looks ok, but closer inspection reveals the paint is bubbling/flaking in several out of the way places and the exposed metal is very rusted already. Plus no bearing buddy's. Had I realized all this during the sale, I could of used this as negotiating leverage.

Luckily, I still feel I got a good end of season price including 2 year full warranty, and the dealer service manager seems to be a very good guy and I doubt I'll have any warranty claim issues with the trailer should they arise.

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This is my first post as a new member, hope it's the right spot, but I would add to the list "Pay attention to the Trailer. You're not just buying a boat."

I just bought a used '08 vride last week, and although I paid tons of attention to every aspect of the boat, I overlooked the trailer. I mean it did successfully tow back and forth to the lake for the test drive, a 45 min drive each way, and at first glance looked in great condition, plus the dealer said it had bearing buddy's.

Well, now that I have the boat and trailer at my house and am paying closer attention, I realize this is a DHM trailer, which went out of business. And at first glance it looks ok, but closer inspection reveals the paint is bubbling/flaking in several out of the way places and the exposed metal is very rusted already. Plus no bearing buddy's. Had I realized all this during the sale, I could of used this as negotiating leverage.

Luckily, I still feel I got a good end of season price including 2 year full warranty, and the dealer service manager seems to be a very good guy and I doubt I'll have any warranty claim issues with the trailer should they arise.

I would bet you have oil bath hubs or "bearing buddies" that are actually EZ lube hubs that have the grease zerk behind a rubber cap. I've never seen a trailer with a Malibu on top with plain steel caps on bearings.

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This is my first post as a new member, hope it's the right spot, but I would add to the list "Pay attention to the Trailer. You're not just buying a boat."

I just bought a used '08 vride last week, and although I paid tons of attention to every aspect of the boat, I overlooked the trailer. I mean it did successfully tow back and forth to the lake for the test drive, a 45 min drive each way, and at first glance looked in great condition, plus the dealer said it had bearing buddy's.

Well, now that I have the boat and trailer at my house and am paying closer attention, I realize this is a DHM trailer, which went out of business. And at first glance it looks ok, but closer inspection reveals the paint is bubbling/flaking in several out of the way places and the exposed metal is very rusted already. Plus no bearing buddy's. Had I realized all this during the sale, I could of used this as negotiating leverage.

Luckily, I still feel I got a good end of season price including 2 year full warranty, and the dealer service manager seems to be a very good guy and I doubt I'll have any warranty claim issues with the trailer should they arise.

Good comment, note has been added.

As far as the hubs, 99 may be right on the oil bath hubs. Not sure though, I don't think that I've ever seen those on a DHM, though I've seen so few DHMs in recent years that it's hard to say. Can you take a picture for us?

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Good comment, note has been added.

As far as the hubs, 99 may be right on the oil bath hubs. Not sure though, I don't think that I've ever seen those on a DHM, though I've seen so few DHMs in recent years that it's hard to say. Can you take a picture for us?

Looks like you all were right. sweet! and thanks! After popping the cap and looking online, these are "buddy axle's". Not sure if that's the same as bearing buddy's, but from what I can tell I just add grease until blue shows and that means hub is full. btw, rims are very dirty since house is 5 miles down very dusty gravel road.

DSC_0285.jpg

Edited by augie09
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  • 1 year later...

Just to add on what has been said above, make sure you inspect the trailer thoroughly, and always ask to see the service history of the trailer.

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  • 1 year later...

With all the talk lately I think we should add in some information about warranties. Like how buying from a local dealer will keep you front of the line and buying out of state will put you at the back of the line if in it at all regarding warranty work. Also add in that the is a cost to transfer a warranty and a time frame to do it so ask and make sure.

Maybe a ink into the "importing a boat to canada" thread etc.

With all these threads coming up, you have to feel for the consumer and most of the time they didn't do anything wrong other than being uninformed on these issues.

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