The Things Boat Sellers Say......

When I was shopping for a boat, it is really funny how some people describe their boats and what condition they are really in,

such as the following,

Boat is in good shape means it floats.

Boat transom is solid means it has a steel plate bolted to a rotted transom.

Have titles in hand means some one elses hand and name.

Boat has new carpet means carpet installed in a weathered boat that has sat in the field for years.

Boat has minor wear and scratches means cracked or spiderwebbed and glass can be seen.

Boat needs work means needs to go to the landfill.

Motor needs tune up means it has no compression on at least one cylinder.

Garage kept means it was pulled into it the day before I showed up.

1981 Procraft that needs a little work valued at $6500 means high grade pharmacutical drugs have been ingested at one time or another.

Boat has been re-clear coated means spray clear has been shot over everything(not gel coat) and already is lifting.

I'm approaching the boat market in the next year or so. Dealing with stuff like that makes me think buying new is the way to go, but respect for my cash makes me want to try the used market.

I'm waiting for the seller that tells me "man my boat is pretty rough" cause he will be the first. One I like is "I just payed $1,000 to repair the lower unit so that means it's worth that much more",,,,Oh !!,,,,heck you say, so you mean it runs now huh?

Granted I have only purchased 2 boats in my life. The 1st one was a very old used boat. The guy was a fishing partner of mine at the time and I knew nothing about a boat. He was very honest with me. When we got ready to purchase the current boat, we decided to go new because of all the horror stories on used boats that we had heard. But after looking at several different brand names we decided that even with a new boat, the dealers would not always tell the truth! Being an ex new & used car salesman myself I personally feel that even new boat dealers are worse than used car dealers. Our dealer told us that our new boat had the largest starting battery available for that sized boat. Found out about a week ago that we had a group 24 in it. The boat now has a group 27 in it. If you find a good dealer then you better keep him. Its still buyer beware! Before any boat purchase take the time don't rush into anything do your research and don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Don't worry that the big sale is going off this weekend. If they want your business bad enough they will sell you the boat for the sale price next week. The main thing most of us as men have a problem with is admiting that we don't know it all!

Well I have owned about 5 boats so far. I have purchased all of them used. Just like DW said with new boat dealers, well it goes true for used as well. You have to do homework and research on the boat. Also I dont buy until I have a mechanic check it out. I dont mind spending a couple hundred bucks to save a few thousand on a bad deal.

My favorite line is: The boat motor has less than 100 hours on it. Then once I have the mechanic hook it up to diognostics it shows 700 hours, DOH! lol Always have them checked out.

I am not a mechanic at all so I have to rely on a good marine outboard mechanic to tell me if some thing is wrong with the motor or not, other than obvious signs of course.

Wish I did understand the mechanical aspect more, probably would save a lot of money on routine stuff by doing it myself.

LOL I used to know nothing about batteries. We have had alot of trouble with our boats starting battery keeping up. I was told that the goup 27 instead of the group 24 would take care of my problems. Maybe that explains why my boat dealer is no longer in business.

I would never hesitate to buy used. They lose there value way to quick and lets face it most people don't use them that much. Check them out very well.

First and most importantly, check your budget. Do what you can afford.
Secondly, just like someone else said, work with and buy from people with integrity.
A good dealer wont have to say anything less than honest.

I've owned alot of boats during my lifetime...anything from $50 narrow jon boats up to brand new boats off the lot. I currently own a '94 glass boat with a '94 Johnson motor and am very satisfied with it. I've bought 2 brand new boats before and lost alot of money on them when I decided I NEEDED something different so I doubt I'll EVER buy anything new again. I will tell ya...ads are misleading. You gotta "see" the boat and take a ride in it before making up your mind. Look everything over with a fine tooth comb because once you leave with it then it's yours to have to deal with. And keep in mind there's always room to haggle the price, especially if you find any imperfections during the inspection!Thumbs Up