Looking at a boat - pointers
Discussion
Tomorrow I am looking at a 19ft Gulf Craft ski boat with a 200hp Suzuki outboard (in Bahrain). I have never owned a boat before, and so would appreciate advice as what areas / problems to look out for - it's 15 years old!
I'm fairly mechanically knowledgeable, but have only really dealt with cars before!
Any advice appreciated
I'm fairly mechanically knowledgeable, but have only really dealt with cars before!
Any advice appreciated
If it is out of the water, press the bottom of it in random places. Obviously, it should feel hard as glassfibre does. However, if there are any "squidgy" spots, it may be the onset of Osmosis. This is a very bad thing, as it is where the gelcoat (outer layer) or the fibre glass itself has started to take on water & can cost a fortune to sort out.
Also check out the prop blades & annode. The annode is a sacrifical piece of metal bolted to the bottom of the hull that is designed to erode instead of other metal bits when the boat discharges electricity into the water. If the prop blades are very pitted, it could mean that the annode either isn't fitted, doing its job properly, or there is a lot of electrical disturbance in the water.
Obviously check that everything works properly & has been said previously, if the engine has been left standing for ages, it might not pull properly under load. Obviously, the engines are water cooled, so make sure there is a constant stream of water coming out of it!
The rest is just like buying a car, really. Make sure it all looks straight & hasn;t had any major gelcoat repairs. If you can get access to the stringers (chunky bits of fibreglass that run horizontally down the length of the boat to give it lateral rigidity), have a gander at them to make sure they are OK (running aground hard can break them).
ETA. If it is a transom hung outboard, check both the area where the outboard is attached & the join between the transom & the side-decks for any cracking or sign of weakness.
Also check out the prop blades & annode. The annode is a sacrifical piece of metal bolted to the bottom of the hull that is designed to erode instead of other metal bits when the boat discharges electricity into the water. If the prop blades are very pitted, it could mean that the annode either isn't fitted, doing its job properly, or there is a lot of electrical disturbance in the water.
Obviously check that everything works properly & has been said previously, if the engine has been left standing for ages, it might not pull properly under load. Obviously, the engines are water cooled, so make sure there is a constant stream of water coming out of it!
The rest is just like buying a car, really. Make sure it all looks straight & hasn;t had any major gelcoat repairs. If you can get access to the stringers (chunky bits of fibreglass that run horizontally down the length of the boat to give it lateral rigidity), have a gander at them to make sure they are OK (running aground hard can break them).
ETA. If it is a transom hung outboard, check both the area where the outboard is attached & the join between the transom & the side-decks for any cracking or sign of weakness.
Edited by schmalex on Saturday 5th September 22:37
mybrainhurts said:
B16JUS said:
biggest thing is water test it, my first boat i got stung with this is sat a idled fine on the muffs reved fine but as soon as under load was a problem
Can you translate that...?better ?
) but seeing more today so fingers crossed. Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff