Boat Inspection Trip Tips

[sailingdog]

Bill—

Good tip on the oil filler cap.

[davidpm]

Originally Posted by captbillc

i have mentioned this in other threads. as a retired diesel mechanic, one of the first things i do is take off the oil filler cap. if it has water dripping from it the engine has water in the crankcase. this is because water evaporates and then condenses in the valve covers. it will show up here even if there is not enough to look milky on the dipstick. other things to look for have been posted on other threads at sailnet. i don't remember which ones , but perhaps cam can help out on this.

What does water in the crankcase mean in dollars? Cracked head, bad gasket or either.
One is more expensive than the other. Can you tell?

[tpohara]

Excellent thread SD and others... I'm just starting to look and am saving this thread's pointers to give me a better chance to make the experiece better. Sounds like the stuff folks tried to teach me years ago when I sailed as a teenager...

[sailingdog]

Glad to help... if you haven't read it yet, I'd highly recommend you read the POST in my signature to help you get the most out of your time here. It has tips on searching sailnet, writing a good post, etc..

Welcome to the asylum.

Originally Posted by tpohara

Excellent thread SD and others... I'm just starting to look and am saving this thread's pointers to give me a better chance to make the experiece better. Sounds like the stuff folks tried to teach me years ago when I sailed as a teenager...

[tpohara]

SD:

yup, figured out pretty quick that you were one of the hands here and already followed that link. I do appreciate the time you take to answer folks, even the long land bound like me. Slainte!

[heron2387]

what boat doesnt have keel issues, deck issues, mechanical issues, rigging issues? Buy the damn thing if it will float. Or buy new, never been in the water and discover them for yourself. If it's a well founded boat go sailing and have fun.

[sailingdog]

While no boat is perfect, there's no point in looking at a boat that has serious issues. This thread is all about how to figure out if the boat you're looking at is a POS or worth investigating further. It applies to some degree to even new boats IMHO, since even new boats can have some serious issues...

Originally Posted by heron2387

what boat doesnt have keel issues, deck issues, mechanical issues, rigging issues? Buy the damn thing if it will float. Or buy new, never been in the water and discover them for yourself. If it's a well founded boat go sailing and have fun.

[jorgenl]

I would like to add one tip to the list:

Bring a video camera.

It has been invaluable to use during our search, we have a small Sony with 40GB har drive and you can shoot a lot of video, which really contains more info than still pictures and give you a better sense of 3D. We have watched and re-watched the videos we took during the search many times during our deliberations. It also allows you (of course) to add verbal comments as you go along an reduces the need to take written notes.

[outthere09]

Your inspection 'thread' is brilliant and I've printed it out as I go off today to see my first boat.

Question..what if you are buying a boat lying in another country? I assume you have plenty of exchanges with US owner prior to making a commitment...but can one rely on a boat surveyor in say, Panama? So if satisfied with owner's answers, do you go ahead and make a deal, subject to inspection and survey, like a house? Or is it best to get a broker involved (there isn't one now).

Any input appreciated.

[dandas]

What a fantastic post.

That is a really helpful list.

Thanks