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Permalink Reply by Phil Taylor on November 13, 2009 at 3:11pm

Buying a boat should be a step by step process designed so you can aquire all the information you need to make a decision before you commit to the purchase.With over 18 years of selling boats i have a few suggestions; First determine the type of boating you would like to do such as offshore fishing, River fishing , water skiing or cruising ect. Then narrow it down online or by visiting dealerships to two or three boats that fit those needs. Do a thorough inspection of each of these boats and look for damage, rough use and lack of up keep. Check service records for the boat if they are available.Check on www.nada.com and see what the value is with the same motor and options that the boats you are looking at have.Negotiate a price that you feel comfortable with and the seller will except.Research loan options and annual insurance costs to be sure the boat fits your budget. Ask the dealer or individual to set up a water test so you can see how the boat performs, runs and operates. If the dealer or individual requires a deposit to do this make sure it is in writting 100% refundable.If you approve of the way the boat runs and operates, Ask a reputable, quailified mechanic to do a compression check on the motor and inspect the drive or lower unit. On a larger boat you should hire a certified marine surveyor for a survey.. This generally will cost around $100-$500 depending on the size of vessel and is paid by the buyer but is great insurance that you are getting a boat with no problems. Now you should have the information you will need to make an informed decision about the purchase. If a dealer or individual will not let you go through these steps, kindly thank them for their time.Also if the salesman truley cares about his or her customer they should be happy to assist you in getting all the information before you have to make a buying decision.

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Permalink Reply by kerry on November 14, 2009 at 12:27pm

Where did you get this info Phil?

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Permalink Reply by Phil Taylor on November 15, 2009 at 10:30pm

Copied it from a post on FaceBook because it did not get on this site. After looking back it looks like it was yours. I can delete it if you would like so you can post it. Sorry about that.

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Permalink Reply by kerry on November 16, 2009 at 9:40am

At least you could put the last sentance back in there that say's who posted it. www.beachlinemarine.com

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Permalink Reply by Paul Laya on February 17, 2010 at 1:56pm

Good advice! I would follow what they say and do a survey at first, then hire a qualified boat mechanic to check everything on the boat. I know of a great one so if you are interested, let me know. Sea trial with mechanic on board is a must.

I also would check for gas smells in cabin or in cockpit as this is the sign of a leaky gas tank (had this happened to us on our prior boat) and it costs us thousands to remove old tank and replace.

Check the gimballs also (housing around where inboard/outboard connects to boat) as many times they can be cracked and leaking causing a dangerous situation.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Laya on February 17, 2010 at 3:40pm

Walk away from pushy salepeople.

Also recommend not putting big down payment unless you want to buy the boat all cash. In my case, I put a minimum down and got a 10 year loan. Never intend to keep the boat that long but when I do sell it, I will pay off the loan and be done with it. I will still lose money due to maintenace, insurance.....etc.........but at least I am not forking over all my cash on something that depreciates very fast and values are depressed in this market...good news for you though.....just my personal opinion.

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Permalink Reply by kerry on February 17, 2010 at 3:49pm

Most of my lenders are only loaning low book without options on used boats and requiring 10-20% down on a new boat.

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