what to look for when buying first boat?

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

Ok, so i'm getting close to buying my first boat. its nothing big or special. ive found a 1990 Chris craft bowrider 177 that i can afford. while its not a specific wakeboard boat, it will do the job.

what i need to know is what are they key questions ans things to look for when buying a boat?

I'm only 18 and this would be my first boat.

thanks for the input.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

What is your price range?

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

well the boat at the marina near my lakehouse has given me a deal of about $3,000 out the door which includes trailer, tax, and registration.

my uncle has a ski boat which i get to use when he is at our house but i just want something that i can use whenever im just up there to wakeboard and wakeskate off of as well as hang out on with friends and family.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Sounds like you found something that will fit your budget and meet your needs. Not sure you could find anything in an inboard for that cheap.

As far as questions to ask, you need to focus on looking the boat over to make sure it runs well, doesn't have any leaks and everything works properly.

You should find out how the boat has been maintained and what has been replaced.

It might be worth having a mechanic run through it...that will probably cost you a few hundred dollars but could save you thousands.

Make sure you can take it on a test run and pay attention to how it runs. It should run smooth, accelerate strong and smooth, shift in and out of gear easily, steer fairly easy, etc.

Is it in a slip? If so, have them pull it out of the water on a trailer and look it over underneath very well.

Look, feel and walk all around the boat looking for rot, soft spots, etc. Look all around in the engine compartment area for leaks, signs of rot, etc. See if you can wrench down on the motor mounts and make sure they are tight. I'm sure the engine is mounted to some sort of stringer structure and it is probably wood under there.

Look in every nook and cranny of that boat and inspect just about everything you can and look to see things are in decent shape and you aren't going to have any major problems.

Do you have a tow vehicle or are you going to keep it in a slip?

You might try getting a bunch of pictures and post them on here.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

first off, im going to try to get to the dealer this weekend to have a good look at it and put a deposit on it to hold it for about a week until my uncle who has a good knowledge on buying boats can see it and look it over as well.

the dealer told me that the boat goes through their maintainance department and they look for any problems and fix them then.

i will get to take it for a test drive with them and they will go over everything with me and i will get feel how it drives then.

it is currently on the trailer in the yard so i can get a good look at the underneath.

i have 2 vehicles that could pull it, a dodge dakota v8 and a ford explorer v6.

here are the pictures that are on the dealers website. they seat that is missing is not really missing, they just havent put it back in there.
i was thinking about building a bench style seat that wraps around like the typical wakeboard boat.

http://www.lighthouseharbor.com/cgi-bin/SearchEngine/jsp/photo_gallery.asp?boatid=1478974&vehicleType=AN&picpos=0

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

The pictures look pretty good. Seems like it is in decent shape. I had the Mercruiser 3.0L engine in my Bayliner. It struggles to pull a rider up very quickly, especially if you have much weight, so keep that in mind. If it runs good and you feel like it will do what you want, it seems like a nice boat for the price. I would have loved to have a boat of my own at your age. I'd say once you check it out and feel good, then have your uncle do a follow up, if it seems like it is going to be a good boat, go for it.

pet575 · Posted: Apr 30, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject:

Any idea whether it was stored inside/outside, trailered/moored, covered/uncovered by the previous owner? All things I would want to know-most importantly how much exposure to the elements this boat had.

The biggest problem you can encounter is rotten stringers, floor, and/or transom wood. A bad engine can be changed out much more easily, but rotten wood is an entirely different PITA. I would get some type of survey done on it to address this issue. Like Okie said, a few hundred $'s could be worth the thousands not spent down the road if you have problems with rotting wood.

Good luck!

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

ill keep those questions in mind, pet575

i feel very lucky to have the opportunity to buy a boat at 18 and i have worked hard so this is my little treat to myself.

just have to make sure the parents are 100%...right now i think they are like 85%...if my uncle thinks its good they will definitly be 100% "on board"

kartman · Posted: Apr 30, 2009 4:11 pm Post subject:

wow, i think that they covered just about everything, make sure that you inspect the trailer really well, make sure the bearings have been packed recently.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

good idea...i hadnt thought about the bearings.

anything else? ill start making a list of all these things and bring it with me to the marina.

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

I would run away. That OMC will be very expeinsive to repair not if, but when you have issues. It is very difficult to find OMC parts.

The 3.0 Sucks and its missing a seat. Its very dirty, and I don't think that stuff is goign to clean off of the seats.

I would highly suggest you save your money a little longer and get a better boat. If it was me, I would not even consider it.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

idk if u read my post but the marina has the seat, they just didnt put it back in. to be honest, i dont think the seats are that dirty, but i will get a better look this weekend and try to take some of my own pictures.

does anyone else feel the way kyle f feels?

JeffreyCH · Posted: May 01, 2009 5:53 am Post subject:

From the pics it looks to be a pretty decent boat for 3k, I would however be very leery of that small of a motor. It really depends on how many friends you plan on having with you, and the weight of the riders. Also, ask what pitch the prop is, these can be a pretty spendy item. If it has a 21p it will be a total dog out of the hole, to pull up a rider will require a 17p or lower. As far as saving up more $$ to get a better boat, that depends on how long it will take to get to the next level, around 5-6k would be about the next step up. If you are going to sit on the dock for half the summer saving money, I'd say get this boat(or one like it) boats do hold their value very well, so if this boat checks out, get it, learn on it, have fun all summer, then save some $$ over next winter, and sell this one next spring and get a better boat next year.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

jeffreyCH- i agree with you on using this boat for a while and then upgrading to something a little better down the road. my mom will say that im never satisfied but she is most of the time true. this will be my boat for now and then if my family decides to get a better one, i can always sell it and get my money.

right now i just want something that i can first call my own and next to wakeboard/wakeskate off of when i am not behind my uncles ski boat. i will never be able to progress if i keep boarding off of our pontoon boat.

also, i will probably have my family on the boat most of the time(mom, dad, and an older brother). our pontoon boat has a 50hp motor and it gets me out of the water pretty well just no waves. i am a girl so im not tremendously heavy, my brother is a bigger guy, about 215, so if about 130hp can get him out of the water, i think he will be happy being that he hasnt been able to wakeboard off the pontoon boat.

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

Where do you all live. There are much better boats in my area for $3000.

My #1 concern witht his boat is the OMC Drive. If you buy this boat, you still stand a real good risk of spending a good protion of the summer on the dock waiting to find a part for it.

Find something with a Volvo Penta or Mericruiser on it.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

He does have a point about OMC. They are more difficult to find service and parts. I would see if the marina is able to service and easily get parts, which may make it better for you. I would suggest getting a smaller pitch prop and not running much weight in that boat and you'll do fine. We had a Bayliner that was 18'-8" with the Mercruiser 3.0L engine and it worked for us. We did 2 seasons wakebaording behind that boat. It didn't yank you up quick like boats with a bigger engine or towboats, but it did the job. I would suggest giving yourself the opportunity to see what else is out there like kyle f said, if you haven't already. Look on Boat Trader, craigslist, Boats.com, etc. If this boat gets you on the lake and is fairly reliable, you will have fun with it and can look to upgrade later, like JeffreyCH said.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

i live in new jersey but my lake house is on lake wallenpaupack in PA.

ill keep the engine in mind and ill ask if they service it and can get parts for it. i will make sure they do a good thorough evaluation of it so nothing goes the first day i take it out.

any other thoughts?

pet575 · Posted: May 01, 2009 10:31 am Post subject:

LFwakeboardDiva, I agree with kyle f on the OMC thing. But who knows? You may have the boat for 2-3 years and never need parts or service on it. Only you can make the decision as to whether you want to take that risk or not.

I think you're going about this the right way, though. You're obviously thinking things through and that is good. I'd have KILLED to have ANY kind of boat to call my own when I was 18, and it would've been crawling with girls right away. Here's how I look at it: you're 18 and this is your FIRST boat-not your dream boat. You could have a hell of a lot of fun for not very much entry cost.

I say go for it. At the very least, it is a boat to make your own mistakes with and learn with before you move on to bigger and better things. On top of that, it gets you off the dock and gives you something for you, your buddies, and the honeys to get out on the water.

And definitely check the trailer bearings. Check the trailer wiring as well to be sure all the lights are functional. If you're going to be doing much trailer boating, make sure you also have some security measures in place like hitch pin locks, coupler locks, and a coupler pin lock. I've seen kits made by Master Lock that have all 3 in them for like $30 at Wal-Mart. Are they foolproof? Absolutely not, but they probably make a theft difficult enough that the prospective thief will move on to something that is less work to steal.

Also, I respectfully disagree on the interior. Mr. Kleen Magic Eraser is VERY good stuff. After using it, make sure you follow up with a good UV protectant because ME pretty much removes everything from the interior materials.

Finally, find out when the impeller was last changed. If it has been more than one season, get it changed before you get after it this year.

Keep us posted. Clean her up and post some pics when it is yours.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

i agree...those magic erasers are amazing!
if i got this boat i have some pretty big plans for it, like a wrap around style seating, tower in the future, possibly new carpet.

as far as the OMC engine, ill have my uncle take a good look at it and hear his opinion. also, ill see if the mechanics at the marina will look it over good and give me their opinion.

ill definitly clean it up real good and get some pics when its mine...(cross fingers) im going to try and get to the marina tom. and put a refundable deposit on it to hold it for a little so i can have my uncle see it. and i can also get a better look at it in person to see if there are any obvious problems that would keep me from getting it.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

I agree you are going about this the right way. Just make sure you are comfortable with your decision then enjoy the boat. Post up some pictures and info when you look at it and feel free to run stuff by us. You might do some research on the items needed on the boat for safety, etc. so you can make up a shopping list of things to get after getting the boat. I'm sure all of us have been through it more than once and can help ensure you are getting all the things you will need.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

yea ive been looking at overtons.com and in their catalog for the standard orange life vests that need to be in the boat, ropes to tie up to the dock, anchors if it doesnt come with one....what else needs to be on my list?, i feel like im missing things

thanks for all the info, with all the helpful things to look for ill have a better idea and feel better about the boat when i see it and compare the items on my list to the boat.

pet575 · Posted: May 01, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

Complete Tool Kit
First Aid Kit
Anchor w/ 3 feet of chain and 75+ feet of rope
Fire extinguisher
Throwable cushion
Towels for wiping down, waxing, etc.
Skier flag (if your state requires it)
Bumpers/fenders (whatever you like to call them)
Extra propeller and floating prop wrench
Paddle

I'll add more if I think of it. The nice thing is that you can transfer most/all of this stuff to any boat in the future so it is, for the most part, only bought once. Unless you're an idiot like me and throw the anchor overboard and let go of the rope by accident.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

pet575 · Posted: May 01, 2009 11:59 am Post subject:

A few more things:

Make sure you've got a good cooler and plenty of those can/bottle coozies to keep your stuff cool on hot days.

Make sure that the jack/lug wrench on your tow vehicle(s) work for the trailer. I always keep a 4-way lug wrench in my tow vehicle for that reason. Sometimes, the jack doesn't work that well though because of height differences. Learn in advance whether you need to carry a 4X4 or some 2X4 boards to help with this. You never know what kind of soft shoulder or gravel road you might have to change a flat tire on.

Along these same lines, make sure you have a spare trailer tire that is in good condition.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

all the trailer ideas seem good too...also, ill only have to pull the boat from my driveway, down the road, and into the lake, not even a mile away. but if i ever need to bring the boat back to my house in NJ, these are some good ideas.

i never would have thought of all these things by myself.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

To add to the list...

Sounds producing device(s)
Visual distress signal / beacon
Topgraphical map of the lake
Second anchor
Flashlight or spotlight
Small bucket to use as bailer if bilge pump fails

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Also, having a phone number or two for the lake patrol or emregency services that service the lake helps in case you get stranded and nobody is around to offer you a pull back to the boat ramp.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

sounds good...thanks for all the help, very informative

JeffreyCH · Posted: May 02, 2009 9:16 am Post subject:

To add to the list, I always carry a spare gallon of gas, and a jump box for the battery. It takes about one time to run out of gas 30ft from the loading ramp, or running the battery down with lights and tunes to really see the need for those two things lol.

Keep in mind that owning a boat comes with expense's that are unavoidable. Winterizing it is a must, I also have mine tuned up, new plugs, oil change, every season. I had to have my carb rebuilt this year, which was 200 more then what I THOUGHT I was going to spend. New battery and alternator last year, believe me it's always something.

Another thing is training your friends/family that go out with you, get them used to bringing gas money and their own refreshments Wink

You might want to look into some boater safety courses so you know what the rules are where you live.

Other then that have a great summer, get out there and have some fun Cool

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

You know, I have been thinking about this post since the last post I put up.

The OMC thing is a real issue, but we have covered that.

Since you know you won't be keeping that boat for very long, keep this in mind. There are people out there that will see OMC and, like me, will run. Its an old boat with a market getting saturated with used boats. Re-selling this will be difficult. There are plenty of nicer $3K boats in my area.

Plus the 3.0 is another hard selling point. If it had a 4.3, you would be in much better shape. Another thing to consider is once this money is out of your pocket, you won't have it if you find another boat and you will be out whatever you lose on this one.

You may trust you uncle to do a visual inspection of the boat and motor. Which is a good thing to do. However, visual inspections, even of all the fluids won't always tell you when something will or will not break.

Tell you what, just for fun... try to find a Hydraulic cylinder (or rebuild kit) for one, a correct starter or alternator (needs to be marine grade), or a prop. These are all common replacement items on an out drive. If you can find them radily avialable in your are, it may not be a big deal. Though if you can't you may want to consider just how much a common break down could hurt you.

My best advice is still to look for a Boat with a Mericruiser 4.3 if you plan on reselling later. You are going to be pretty deep into this boat once you get all of the things you need to be out on the water. You may find it very difficult to rid yourself of it should something better come up.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

as far as boating safety, i took a boat course when i was 14 and got my boat/jetski license...so thats good to go.

i got to look at it today, and it looks in very good condition for its age. the only real flaw i saw was the vinyl seat had some rips. but i was thinking down the road i would make some kind of bench seats on each side and make my own cushions. so for right now...i think i can deal.

there was some question about the front seats being dirty and not being able to clean them...well it turns out that two of the seats in the bow are actually grey vinyl, not dirt. and they looked in really good shape.

the carpet had a lot of leaves due to there being a small rip in the actual cover. they told me that the shrink wrap was taken off of it about 2-3 weeks ago and since then some leaves and water have gotten in it. in the "ski locker" there was some water from rain i guess that had gotten in.

the gauges looked to be brand new. so that was a big plus. and all the control and throttle arm looked to be nice and fairly new as well.

there are a couple like odds and ends screws that could be tighten like the glove box latch wont stay closed because loose screw.there could be a handle on the engine hood to lift it up easier...looked they they had one but it fell off or something. the glove box it has a radio/cassette player so at least ill have some tunes in the boat.

the engine as far as i can see looked to be in good condition. we didnt get to start it up this weekend because the boat was so far back in the yard they need a few days notice to get it out and ready for the water.

i will be taking it for a test drive next weekend sometime and have my uncle give it a good look at too.

the trailer looked in good condition as well. a little rust here and there. they said they would replace the tires if there was any dry rot but we would have to check that once we get it out of the yard. at that time ill ask about the bearings being pack recently and check to see if all the lights are working.

it doesnt appear to come with an anchor but maybe i can see if they will throw one in since that is kinda a good thing to have. i comes with a fire extinguisher and it has its own little space for it which is cool. all the glass looked real good with no cracks or stratches.

i think that is about all right now. feel free to ask me any questions that i might not have covered. ill attach a link to the pictures i took today.

http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l189/Suprbean/1990%20Chris%20Craft%20Boat/

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

also, the marina told me that, "In November of 07 we installed a new inboard starter, replaced the bellows on the outdrive, repaired the impeller and did a general tune up including plugs, distributor cap and v-belt."

so the starter should be good and one less thing to worry about.

kartman · Posted: May 02, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

just for me, i would really inspect the floor and ski locker area if their was standing water in their. theirs a good chance that its soft, or rotted. step on the floor with your shoes off and press all over the floor to check for soft spots.

LFwakeboardDiva · Outlaw Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 106

ok will do...i was trying to feel around and i didnt notice anything that really caught my attention...but i will feel around really good.

anyother thoughts?