Boat Inspection Trip Tips

[sailingdog]

LSG's point about tow vehicles is a good one. Most boating forums, unless it is the Trailer Sailor's BB, don't have much information about tow vehicles or trailers for that matter.

Mouldy--

Steel hulls and decks have special needs, since they can suffer very badly from corrosion, and repairs to them have to be done properly and the steel has to be etched and protected from water and air. Corrosion never sleeps and a lot of the steel boats in the US are home-built ones and many of the home-built ones used less than appropriate grades of steel and are far more susceptible to corrosion problems than professionally built boats.

Another key issue for metal boats is to make sure the galvanic bonding of the through-hulls was properly done. Galvanic corrosion can be a huge issue, more so on aluminum boats than steel, but still a problem on steel boats as well. Bronze, which is commonly used for through-hulls is more noble than steel or aluminum and if the boat's zincs have been neglected will cause galvanic corrosion if they haven't been isolated from the hull. Marelon through-hulls would make much more sense on a steel or aluminum boat, as it avoids the issue of galvanic corrosion entirely.

Also, if you do decide to go ahead with a survey, make sure your surveyor is EXPERIENCED IN STEEL BOAT CONSTRUCTION. If they aren't, there are too many things they can miss.

BTW, I am not a big fan of steel boats. In boats under 40' LOA, it is a horribly heavy material and will generally be more tender than a fiberglass design of the same size, since the boat's center of gravity will be higher up and there will generally be less ballast. Unless you plan on going places where floating ice and such are going to be an issue, getting a steel boat doesn't make much sense IMHO. Of course, there are a few insane people, a certain fuzzy rat comes to mind, that do own steel boats.

[oceanscapt]

#31 - I measure the bunks and beds to make sure they'll fit my 6' height with a bit to spare.
#32 - I measure the cockpit seating and coaming heights. I tend to spend a lot of time in the cockpit and if I can't stretch out and get marginal back support, then I'm less interested.
#33 - Check the cockpit drains for size, hose and clamp integrity and blockage.
#34 - Run the wheel/rudder from lock to lock checking for binding. With visual access to the rudder post repeat the movement, checking for any wobble, looseness, or frayed cables.
#35 - I power up every system I can, checking that the breakers/fuses are properly labeled and function.
#36 - I open the breaker panel and look inside. A rats nest does not inspire confidence.
#37 - I check for loose items that should be secured (filters, batteries, strainers).
#38 - I pull up every floorboard, looking in the bilge for any water or problems. Deck accesses that don't come up are grounds for concern.
#39 - I sit on the toilet and and make sure there's room for me.
#40 - I look inside every locker and drawer. I'm not a perv, I just want to see what the space looks like, get an idea of the construction (or deconstruction), and make sure the locker and drawers can be properly secured.
#41 - I'll ask to see any manuals and maintenance logs. I generally get little of the former and less of the latter. Manuals are especially important if the gear is no longer in production and, to me, shows the owner kept the boat up.
#42 - I've got the listing with me and I'll annotate the sheets with model numbers, functionality, notes, and comments.
#43 - I stand behind the wheel and look forward. Does the dodger block my vision? Does the bimini rub the top of my head? Can I sit behind the wheel or move around the cockpit easily?
#44 - I sit and rest for a bit, listening, smelling, and getting the feel of the boat.
#45 - As the OP suggested, I'll download the pictures from the camera and then let what I saw, smelled, heard, and felt percolate through the gray matter. If I'm still interested then I take it to the next logical step.

I do this before I bring in the surveyors. If the boat doesn't meet my criteria or I find something that sets off warning bells, I move on. If I think this might be "the one" then I'll negotiate a price for the vessel, provide a refundable deposit and make sure the contract is to my specifications, not the sellers, not the broker(s), not some broker boilerplate; my time frame and requirements.

If the seller agrees, then I'll bring in surveyors: a general one first to make sure I've missed nothing structural; then a mechanic to check out the engine and transmission; and finally a rigger.

So far, 90% of the boats I've looked at have been in the water, so doing hull inspections comes after the surveys are done. The haul is generally done about the same time as the sea trial although I've had a separate sea trial in a couple cases.

[sailingdog]

All excellent point OceansCapt.

I'd point out that you need to clarify in writing what gear and such comes with the boat. One friend of mine bought a boat and assumed all the gear that was on the boat at the time they had done the walkthrough were part of the sale....and was rudely surprised when almost none of the required USCG gear was aboard when they went to pick up the boat.

[HDChopper]

Exellent thread ! Thanks SD and all others for the great input

I am glad to see that most is common sence !

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by HDChopper

Exellent thread ! Thanks SD and all others for the great input

I am glad to see that most is common sence !

Unfortunately, that's the part so many people are missing...

[therapy23]

Originally Posted by HDChopper

Exellent thread ! Thanks SD and all others for the great input

I am glad to see that most is common sence !

A lot of common sense disappears when one is starry-eyed and in love.

A lot.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by therapy23

A lot of common sense disappears when one is starry-eyed and in love.

A lot.

True..but then again, some people didn't have much to start with...

[rattleshirt]

Very helpful, thank you, any tips specifically for dinks? I'm going to look at a Rhodes Bantam and any help would be great.

[Cap't Wally]

Really nice, concise, post...Thanks!

[Arendek12]

whoa... a simple post and so many responses and links. My apologies for not doing the search first, that was stupid of me. Thanks for all the pointers, though!
i know this isnt possible though the settings
but is there a back door to this?