I bought a used boat! | TheShipsCarpenterNJ

A Boat Buyers Guide: What to look for and prioritizing fixes

Welcome to boating!, or welcome back? So you bought a used boat, congratulations -or- I'm so sorry. Your experience will be directly dependent on the condition of the boat and the previous owner's efforts.

Preventative maintenance is not fun, sexy, or glamorous but it will lead to more fun while underway. Take the time to put yourself into as good a position as possible in terms of safety and reliability. Unlike a car you cannot pull over and walk home. In addition, things go wrong quickly on-board and it will likely be during bad weather conditions. Nothing is quite as terrifying as loosing one or both engines in a narrow channel while waiting for a bascule bridge to open. Add a 15 knot wind and a 5 knot current and a submerged cable to further complicate things. It happened to me but through a combination of luck, skill, and good deck help I managed to get my 35 foot boat through a 40 something foot opening without hitting the bridge or abutments. I intentionally shut down my Starboard engine when my low oil alarm sounded. The alarm activated because the oil was emulsified to the point that it would have spun the bearing during continued operation. Weeks prior I had replaced the old alarm which was rusted to the point of failure. Lesson: Had I not been proactive in replacing the alarm the engine would have suddenly seized . There is no good time for a sudden loss of power but failure during docking, navigation in channels (especially with bridges) and in foul weather is the most stressful and dangerous time . At-least I had the luxury of turning the motor off instead of loosing it for reasons unknown. The seized motor may have also created a danger of fire or explosion causing damage to the hull and adding an additional threat of sinking. So, for 40 dollars you can potentially avoid having to replace a motor or even an entire boat! Be proactive and don't assume the previous owner did everything right, or even did what they said they did. For example, the best way to know if the water pump impeller was changed is either talking to the mechanic that did it or take the pump apart and look at the impeller.

I just bought a boat, what should I check first?

Foremost, get a survey of the boat. A few hundred dollars could save you literally thousands. I have heard many stories of first time buyers purchasing someone else's nightmare. The survey may not catch everything but it is a good place to start.

What then is the second most important thing? There are a number of MOST important things to do. In no order but as soon as possible;

Working Low oil pressure and/or high temperature engine alarms are a must. If you have a bilge then you should definitely have a high water alarm. Inboard and I/O's should have a working fire detection and suppression system. Sleepers and Cabin cruisers should have a CO detector as well.

Check the accuracy of the gauges. The most important gauges are oil pressure, engine temperature, and voltage. These three can give you an instantaneous engine health update just by glancing at them.
Oil level and consistency: If the oil has not been changed then look at the level and the clarity. If the oil is dark but clear its time to change. If the oil is the color of coffee with cream then you have a cooling leak into the engine. Don't run the engine until you pinpoint the source of the water entry. If you have a closed cooling system then look at the level of antifreeze. If that is low it suggests a head gasket or cooling passage leak. If it is not low then it could be raw water. If you're engine is open loop cooling then it could be internal or exhaust related. An additional possibility could be a compromised heat exchanger. Copyright 2018 TheShipsCarpenterNJ.com
Hoses: Check the condition of hoses, seacocks, and through hulls. It doesn't matter how well a boat runs if it fills up with water. Look for cracking or crazing of rubber hoses. Look for loose or rusted hose clamps. Anything suspect should be inspected by a professional or replaced. A loose hose could lead to loss of cooling water to the engine or addition of cooling water to the bilge, both of which are big problems. Copyright 2018 TheShipsCarpenterNJ.com

Bilge pumps: Does the pump work. Don't just listen, make sure it actually moves water. I have seen pumps with broken impellers that run but don't pump, pumps that work but don't drain due to outlets blocked with mud and insect nests. Are the pumps sized for the boat? Are there many pumps or one? One non-working pump out of 4 is not as big a deal as 1 out of 1. The number and size of pumps is boat specific. You need them to remove water as fast or faster than it can potentially come in. If the boat is a self draining cockpit with no bilge area then you may not even need a pump. If you have a cabin cruiser with a number of through hulls and deck water that winds up in the bilge then you're gonna need a number of pumps.
A radio that works. Turning on doesn't mean anything if it doesn't transmit well enough to get you help when you need it. There are automated radio checks available in many locations now, which is great, but make sure to use the station far enough away to mimic your boating habits. For example if you fish 60 miles off shore then a radio check 2 miles away may give you a false sense of security. Make sure you have an antenna matched to your boat and boating habits. Copyright 2018 TheShipsCarpenterNJ.com
Inboard engines have Exhaust parts: Unlike a car, the exhaust system is cooled to prevent heating the engine compartment to dangerous temperatures. This is done by running cooling water through a jacket around the exhaust parts. These parts are made of cast iron. The parts do not last forever! The length of service life is dependent on the cooling water (Fresh or salt) and to some extent the engine. Manifolds, risers, and elbows must be check at-least once per season. When an exhaust component fails, it could allow cooling water into the engine through the exhaust valves which could break pistons, bend rods, or blow out bearings. All will require a re-power, so the 2 thousand dollar exhaust project is not as expensive as it seems. Before purchasing new components check the condition of what you have. Engines with closed loop cooling may only require riser and elbow replacements. Manifolds may last for 15 years or more depending on the in-situ conditions. Copyright 2018 TheShipsCarpenterNJ.com
The Bonding system: This is essentially a wire that connects everything metal in the boat. When a metal piece is not connected to a neighboring piece it can develop a slight electrical charge through chemical processes or a voltage leak from equipment. This slight difference in 2 pieces will cause irreversible damage to any metal part involved. The quick detailed explanation is that the atomic structure of the metals is altered by the potential and current flow which will destroy the metal in short order. There are many great articles on Galvanic and Electrolytic corrosion on the web.
The cooling system: make sure that through hulls are clean with no paint or marine growth build-up and that the seacocks are operable. Keep in mind that the system may perform satisfactorily at idle or low speed but may overheat under load. The most common reasons for overheating are restricted flow. That could be partially block discharge, intake, heat exchanger, or exhaust component. Thermostat operation is also of great importance.
Structural integrity: If the transom fails it wont really matter if the engine runs well. Look for sagging in structural members and soft spots in wood or fiberglass over wood. For transoms with an outboard motor it is especially important to look for areas where water can get in. Fiberglass over wood is only effective if it keeps ALL water out. Keep in mind that keeping water out also means keeping water in once it gets in. Rotting water logged fibers rapidly loose strength and if a force such as an outboard motor under load provides a twisting force it could be enough to cause a catastrophic failure. If you suspect you have a problem then consult a professional. Copyright 2018 TheShipsCarpenterNJ.com
Fuel tank, hoses, and filters: For larger boats, if you buy a 20 year old boat then there is likely some sediment, water ,or contaminant in those tanks. If a boat has two 90 gallon tanks and the tanks are never run to empty (which should NEVER happen) then the gas that is in there may be years old. Not all of it but some small amount of old fuel mixes with the new fuel like a fine Chianti wine. Old gas causes problems. Even if it has been stabilized and did not contain ethanol it is still loosing octane as it sits. Add the condensation and/or phase separation and you have a volatile mixture that will make your engine perform miserably if it runs at all.
Check your steering: Carefully examine lines, wires, cables, tiller arms, etc. . Look for loose or missing cotter pins, nuts, and bolts. Look for kinks or hard bends in protected cables. All problems should be addressed prior to getting underway. A boat the runs great but has no control is nothing more than a floating torpedo.

This list is not a comprehensive list, but it is an excellent start. To get the most out of your boat you should have confidence that you can get yourself, guests, and the boat back in the slip without incident. Failure to proactively address problems will lead to stressful days on the water and all too often the sale of a boat you used to love.