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Sea Trial Tomorrow, Now What?

4K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  artbyjody 
#1 ·
Hi, all. The survey is scheduled for 8:00 am tomorrow, with the sea trial to follow. What do you do on a sea trial? Are there specific steps? Do you let the owner operate everything for you? How long should it last? BTW, my surveyor is going along on the trial.

Stupid questions, but hey, I have to ask somebody.

Thanks again in advance.

montenido
 
#2 ·
Montenido: These are not stupid questions. I had my first sea trial this season. Let the owner take it from the dock and back to the dock. Other than that, it is on you to put her throught the test. You should hoist the sails, let the owner steer temporarilly. When the owner is at the helm, inspect the engine while under power. If the boat has cockpit access to the engine, take the cover off and watch the engine at idle, and at incremental RPMs up to full power. Don't forget reverse. Listen for vibrations. Make sure you aren't getting black or white smoke from the exhaust and that enough water is exiting with the exhaust. When you are at the helm, try to feel what you can. You really want to sail her hard if you have enough wind. Once you are back at the dock and you sign the dotted line, it is your boat. Don't be shy about raising issues that the survey highlights. The owner wants to sell you this boat and should/will make some concessions. Best of luck to you!

-Riz
 
#4 ·
Check all engine functions HARD by all means...but also check every single thing that you could not check on land...depth sounder, speedo, hot water heater, water pumps, heads, etc.
Hoist the sails, work the winches, work the furlers.
Steer under both sail and power to get the feel. Bury the rail and check for any leaks if you can. Good luck!
 
#5 ·
I agree with all of the above plus the surveyor should be looking at everything also. He will know better than you what to look for and don't hesitate to ask him questions about everything, you'll learn a lot from him. I would also share what you find with the owner, it will make negotiations easier. The surveyor should also be checking that everything in the listing is there and functional.
 
#8 ·
Sea Trial - What to do and look for

Sea trial are VERY important. Basically the boat is in the water in the environment that it was designed to operate in.

What you and your surveyor should do:

  1. Open and Close EVERY Through hull fitting. Check for leaks and easy of opening.
  2. Check ALL Hoses from through hulls for leaks or cracks
  3. Operate the Head (if it has one)
  4. Turn on ALL Electronics and make sure that they work
  5. Look at engine oil and tranny fluid. Right level, Clean?
  6. Thoroughly check engine for oil/coolant leaks - especially after you have run it for several minutes - Wait till it cools a little though
  7. Sea Water Strainer - Clean? Put a flashlight behind it, can you see the light on the other side? Good if you can
  8. Engine Belts - Loose (Bad)?
  9. Start Motor - Easy start? Good Water flow out of exhaust?
  10. Run Motor from idle to max RPM in Nuetral and Under load - These should be same or very very close to the same number.
  11. Check Oil Pressure and Engine Temp after the Engine warms Up.
  12. Does the motor excessively vibrate? Alighnment? Bad Cutlass Bearing?
  13. Stuffing Box - Excessive Leaking/Too Dry? A drip or so every few seconds while the propeller shaft is turn is desired.
  14. Helm (Wheel) - Does wheel have a lot of play? Bind? Does it have stops that don't allow the ruddert to do a 360?
  15. Tranny - Go forward and reverse - positive "click" in between gears? (FWD/NEUTRAL/REV)
  16. Raise Sails - Condition of sails/halyards?
  17. Headsail fulrer - Smooth operation or binding?
  18. Standing Rig - Loose/Tight - Broken wire filamanets excess corrosion
  19. Sails go up and down easy?
  20. Mast straight
  21. Running rigging - frayed, worn, dirty?

That's my initial list, I am sure others will chime in.

Also, make sure that the surveyor you, and the owner or present when every major system is turned on. That way everyone sees the same thing if there is an issue.

Ask the surveyor to review each section and make notes after each section, and not a brain dump at the end. Ask questions if you are unsure about the operation or condition of anything or if you want to look at some thing not checked out.

One more very important thing - BILGE Check each compartment - Excessive water, especially if it was just splashed is a indication that something is amiss. Also, check that the bilge pump is directly wire to the battery and not through a on/off switch.
 
#9 ·
Been a lot of good posts already, hope you have a printer running.
Add
Open every locker - make the owner tell you specifically what stays with the boat and what leaves with him. List items you want to be sure stay. Understand that you will be cleaning his garbage off, once you buy it it is yours.

Ask the owner to show you how to operate every single system on the boat.
Do it twice. It's not just about sailing, it is also about understanding your boat and how every single piece of it merges into a entity underway. Other than finding another Catalina 30 owner you won't find someone to show you anything.

Catalina 30's are good boats, the Chevy Impala of the US sailing world. Check the ports for leaks, and see if the owner bothered to add a fuel filter (my buddies 1986 never had one).
Bother the hell out of the surveyor with questions, you are paying him so his time is your time.

Note the condition of things like the batteries, oil, etc.. if these vital parts are neglected imagine what the rest of it looks like.
 
#10 ·
I've been on five seatrials, both as buyer and seller - and none went exactly like the others. The first sea trial with surveyor present, I was the buyer and the surveyor worked for me. He was the boss-man in my mind, having decades more experience with these things than I, the reason why he gets the big bucks. Therefore, I followed his lead. Always use the seller's broker's advise with some level of suspicion.

I suggest you spend some time with your surveyor, well in advance of leaving the slip. Ask him what you should do to optimize the time away from dock - and he should give you some wise advice.

Even though we consider the sailing rig important, in my experience, the mechanics are most important and repairs to such could represent some huge dollar amounts.

As much as you'd want to stay at the helm - go down to the engine with the surveyor and watch him check engine temps with his digital thermometer, shaft alignment under load, potential leaks and any suspect and excessive vibrations. These could be signs of serious issues.

Then take the helm under power and sail, experience how well she tacks and gybes, potential issues with the furler and winches, and imagine yourself going through these motions without a crew to assist you.

After allowing the owner, or his broker, to dock the boat - step aside with your surveyor and talk about any potential issue he has with the boat . . . important to do this before he writes his report. He may suggest things that may otherwise go unmentioned.

Best of luck in your seatrial, hopeful positive negotiations and the closing process that follows.
 
#12 ·
When I went on my seatrial, the owner wasnt on board. I have never met the PO of my boat, just spoke to him on the phone once.

Our seatrial consisted of myself, my mother, the salesman, and the surveyor. On my seatrial I elected to take the boat to a boatyard and have it hauled out to check for the bottom for blisters and check the prop and such.

The wind wasnt very strong at all but we raised the sails and checked for tears and such.

Afterwards, my mother and I took the surveyor out to lunch and we discussed the seatrial and other things.

I agree with not commiting to the boat right after but wait for the survey. You can use the negative things that the surveyor finds to bring down the price of the boat a bit.
 
#13 ·
Take notes and digital photos. If you have any questions, make sure you ask them. Make sure you get a list of the major systems and how to operate them all.
 
#14 ·
Having just done my second sea trail last week, I can share a few things I did wrong and things I did right. First I got a good surveyor and let him do his thing. He showed me the each discepancy he saw without my having to look over his shoulder. This allowed me to look at things that were important to me and think through how I would address some of those concerns while the surveyor did his thing.

What I did wrong was let the broker rush the sea trial a little bit. I was still looking over the genoa on the foredeck when the broker started rolling the thing in. I should have stopped him so I could participate using the furler, but I let it go. I did check with my surveyor to make sure he'd seen everything he'd wanted before heading back in. I only took a short stint at the helm, but did take time to do a couple of quick stops under power and then backed the boat a couple of times to get a feel for how the boat would behave near the dock.

The thing to remember is, its your sea trial so take the time you need to see what you need to see. If it takes a while it takes a while. Don't let the broker or owner rush you and do check with your surveyor to make sure he's content before you agree to head back in.

Have fun and Good Luck!
 
#15 ·
I would insist that the engine be absolutely cold when I arrive. It has been my experience that worn diesels always start better when they have been warmed through. It is that first start in the morning that tells all.

I would also sail the boat hard and look for weaknesses in the rig. There is nothing quite like a rail under to put the seller of a weak boat on edge.
 
#16 ·
I never had the benefit of a sea trial when we bought our 1967 Tartan 27' but the PO did spend a day with me discussing engine maintenance and other systems which I tape recorded. We did have a land based survey done and the PO had taken very good care of his old boat PLUS there was no broker involved. Our sea trial consisted of taking the boat about 100 miles west up LI Sound.
I would have liked to do a sea trial as a shake down sail though.
Next time perhaps.
 
#17 ·
Surveyor

Hello,

IMHO, you should do whatever the surveyor asks to be done. If he's good, that will include a thorough check of the:

engine
transmission
steering
winches
furler (if there is one)
stuffing box
motor mounts
etc.

The other things people mention should be done, but don't have to be part of the sea trial.

If there is a broker you should not expect the owner to be present. It's the broker's job to do the work of selling the boat. If the broker is good, he won't let you dock the boat, or otherwise risk damaging it.

Good luck,
Barry
 
#18 ·
Great Information, Thanks

Hi, all. Wow, what a great bunch of info to use tomorrow. If I get the jist of this, trust the surveyor while asking lots of questions, and discount the opinions of the selling broker. Take as much time as needed, then use the findings of the survey and sea trial to negotiate the final price. I am making a compilation of all the great posts here and will post the final sea trial list for further use later.

Thank you all. I will let you know how it goes.

montenido
 
#21 ·
If I get the jist of this, trust the surveyor while asking lots of questions, and discount the opinions of the selling broker. Take as much time as needed, then use the findings of the survey and sea trial to negotiate the final price.
That is basically it. However, don't expect to have any major changes because of the price. On my first boat the survey didn't show anything major and the closing was a week later at the agreed on price. For my second boat the survey showed minor things (a few navigation lights didn't work, some rigging wasn't run right, etc.). I had the seller correct those problems before closing on the boat.

Barry
 
#19 ·
At our sea trial (my first) the surveyor also went along, and I was glad he did. We sailed upwind on both tacks, then downwind. Check steering on all points of sail, check for any looseness or "clunks". If you are fortunate to have good winds push her to the limits, that's where any weakness will show up. Under power take it up to full throttle for a full 5 minutes to check for overheating, excessive smoke or a loss of oil pressure when you go back to idle. Check all instruments for proper operation. We did the sea trial first so we could check the engine for leaks after being run hard.

good luck, John
 
#20 ·
Try to get there a little earlier and spend some time looking to the boat, and imagine you and beloved ones boarding and sitting around. Sea trial results has no meaning if you don't fall in love with her. Ok, don't be fooled by this, so check the fridge and make sure there is enough space for beers .... good luck !
 
#23 ·
Go over it like you would buying a used car (or new for that matter). Get into every nook and cranny (you'll pick up things that the surveyor may not). Look for broken items, dark colored wood that indicates wood rot, check and make sure all the buttons, switches, etc work and if not labeled what they are used for etc, check all the bildge accesses, locate all the tanks and seahulls...

Take time to also chat with the owner if on board and ask questions - but more importantly ask them what they found to be weaknesses or annoyances with the boat - and what you should be aware of in terms of the boats quirks...

You'll be surprised how forth coming people are when asked directly.

Most of all - after clamoring around and soaking where things are - take a few moments to relax and consider if this is the boat you see yourself doing whatever style of sailing you intend...
 
#25 ·
boat buying



This is all very good advice - but this is something you should have done long before the sea trial. IMHO, the sea trial is really just the icing on the cake. Way BEFORE you make an offer on the boat you should be crawling all over it looking to see what is wrong. Then, if it passes your test, you make the offer. Then you negotiate with the broker / owner. Then you arrange for the survey. Only after the survey has been done (at least most of it) should the sea trial occur (really, it's the last part of the survey).

If the surveyor finds serious problems with the boat, why would you waste your (and everyone else's) time on a sea trial?

Barry
 
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