3 Things to Ask When Looking at a Boat

Buying a used boat is not easy. There are so many things to consider and internet advertisements are not always so forthcoming.  So here are some questions you should ask along the way.

Okay, so while scouring the internet you found this gorgeous boat and it looks perfect for you. What now? There are a few things you should be sure to ask about. Among others, these are three questions I always ask when I contact a seller.

 1.Does the boat have a recent survey?

Having a recent survey is gold! It is a report about the boat written by a professional. As long as the survey isn’t too outdated, you should be able to get a good idea of the value of the boat and what kind of shape it is in and what you should keep your eye out for.

   2. Are the advertised pictures recent and do you have more?

Some sellers will post pictures from their boats glory days in the advertisement. There will probably be a picture of a beautiful sailing excursion, with the boat heeled over, shining in the sun. However, the sad fact is a lot of these pictures may be several years old and not too accurate.

I like to think that people do not post these pictures in order to deceive. Maybe that picture, that looks like it came from a magazine, is how they still see their old beater boats. Either way, before you spend time and gas going to see the boat, make sure to ask when the pictures were taken.

The other question I always like to ask is: do you have more recent pictures. You want to see every nook and cranny of the boat to make sure it’s worth your time and energy. So be sure to see as much as you can before planning a showing.

   3. Is the engine running well?

The engine can be a source of a lot of headaches and drain your wallet fast. Unless you are ready to possibly put thousands of dollars into fixing up or replacing an engine, be sure find out if it is running well.

Follow up questions to this could be: How many hours does the engine have on it? Has it had any recent maintenance? Is it the original engine or has it been replaced as some point?

*There are no hard and fast rules for what to ask, but these are what I generally use. Let me know what you would ask!