What to look for when purchasing a used boat?

My wife and I are going to a boat show this weekend. What should we look for when buying a used boat? Any good questions we should always ask?What to look for when purchasing a used boat?
First things first: find out the towing capacity of your vehicle, and make sure you stay within it (unless you're planning to buy a new truck, too).



General rule, outboard will be more durable and much easier to work on than inboard or I/O.



With outboards, anything less than 75% of the max rated horsepower is underpowered.



Don't buy without at least doing a compression test -- if the worst cylinder isn't within 5% of the best, walk away (or subtract the cost of an overhaul from your offering price).



Outboard or I/O: Ask the owner to start the engine; if he does so without supplying water to the lower unit, walk away -- he doesn't know how to take care of a motor. It only takes half a minute of dry running to ruin a water pump impeller.



Outboard: boat on trailer, motor tilted full up, get a good grip on the lower unit and give it a good shake. Don't try to tear it off the boat or anything, but be firm with it. If the transom flexes at all, walk away -- a rotten transom has to be replaced and that is a *major* project.



I strongly suggest you don't buy a used boat without a lake test (or sea test). The motor should start quickly and idle smoothly for a long time, accelerate smoothly and plane the boat out fairly quickly, and run at full throttle for a long time. Give it a good workout. I realize that's nnot always possible -- so keep in mind that even a motor that'll run all day on the trailer might still crap out when you get to the lake and put a load on it. So the compression test is crucial.



Accessories (bilge pump, nav lights, horn, etc.) are pretty basic 12V DC, so anything not working can pretty much be fixed in an afternoon or two if you're so inclined, so I wouldn't consider any of that to be a deal breaker. The boating environment is really tough on electrical stuff.



Make sure the trailer is road worthy.
I run a business buying and selling used boats and when I go to buy a boat I make sure that the engine is solid, doesnt have to run great but it has to have a solid block; and that the hull is solid and wont leak. Everything else is easy to re do but those 2 things should be met before buying a boat.What to look for when purchasing a used boat?
1. When was the boat built and how long have you sailed it for?

2. Has it had a previous owner?

3. Was the boat raced or just cruised?

4. What are the annual maitenance costs?

5. How many sails does it have and how old are they?



I dont know what kind of boat you are getting (i.e. dinghy, sailboat, motor boat) but if you are more specific i can give you a better answer. Also have you insurance company look over the boat before you buy it.



Cheers and good sailing.
1st thing tell yourself what size you want

how much you want to spend

what will it be used for[fishing, skiing,]

go with an out board engine, there safer

all the boats made today are pretty good

will it be towed can your truck handle it

you know stuff like that and dont let them talk you into buying something you dont want cause once they get your money there goneWhat to look for when purchasing a used boat?
does it float?
does it float?