What to look for when buying a used boat.
The do's and don'ts when buying a new or used boat.
Welcome to Boating
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We are here to help you with your boat throughout your boating experience.
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When purchasing your new boat make sure you have been through all of our pages and make sure you have paid attention to all things mentioned in them this way you will be able to make a more informed decision on the type of boat and engine combo you actually want and can afford before parting with your precious monies
So your buying a new boat whether it be new or second hand you should always get someone to look over the boat for you. It will give you peace of mind that the possibility of major repairs can be avoided.
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Recent inspections carried out have found :
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-Exhaust manifolds and risers needing replacement totalling $2600
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- Incorrect application of anti-foul applied causing major structural damage in excess of $15000
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- Blown gimbal bearings and gimbal plate in excess of $11000
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- Plenty of unserviced engines, this can cost in excess of $1000 to get an engines components back to a serviceable standard
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- Engines with low hours that haven't been serviced in 10 years
Book a Pre-Purchase Inspection Online
THE RED FLAGS
THERE ARE MANY RED FLAGS WHEN BUYING A BOAT THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF. REMEMBER THE OWNER IS SELLING THE BOAT FOR A REASON!
Things that always stand out for us which should make you very weary of buying a used boat privately :
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-( Owner) "I serviced it myself I'm a mechanic"
Plugs, fuel conditioner and a wash is not a service! owners tend to make their boat look the part to fool unsuspecting buyers into thinking everything is ok.
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-( Owner ) "yeah mate she's regularly serviced"
You need to see all the receipts ! Anything under $500 most probably is not a service.
- ( Owner ) "yeah had it serviced and haven't used it much since."
So we are all on the same page most outboard and inboard engines need to be serviced yearly or every 100 hours, even 50 hours in some cases. The maintenance plays a major role in the protection of the engine to ensure it runs for the optimum service life of the marine engine and it's components.
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These are just a few of the common red flags we see week in week out that usually amount to quite a hefty repair bill. It always pays to get someone out who looks at these day in day out and knows the potential issues you may come across
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A good starting point is to keep it under 10 years old with an owner being able to provide your service receipts for the life of the engine. Alway get your new investment checked - a little now saves a lot later
Inboard engines can be quite an expensive engine to maintain especially an engine that is ten years old as we mentioned, you can run into trouble with various expensive maintenance items. this is generally a very common occurrence we come across in our inspections. Approx. 70% of the inspections we conduct fail to show an engine that requires non high ticket maintenance that is required . failure of many of these items can result in serious engine damage. for instance a flooded engine due to manifold failure can cost upwards of $15,000 to repair.
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Dont Get Caught Out
Mobile boat mechanic Perth, Mobile marine mechanic Perth, Mobile outboard Mechanic Perth.
Disclaimer.
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All opinons given are personal opinions of any given vessel.
We cannot see the unforseen and give no warranty on the boat or accesories in your purchase.
We do not authorise any report to be shared with anyone other than the customer whom orders it.
All reports are written in confidance.
No responsibility is taken for unforseen circumstances.
We give you our personal opinion to the best of our knowledge at the time of inspection.
Mobile Marine servicing perth, Mobile inboard Repairs , 24hr mobile mechanic.
Above is a $4200 repair bill caused by improper maintenance, misuse and abuse $16000 boat value
If you intend on getting your boat insured you may be required to provide them with a report - you will require an additional report to be drawn up. We write the report and send it all away for you for an extra $100 on top of your pre-purchase exam. Be sure to book this aswell if you require it.
Above is a $17000 repair bill caused by improper maintenance, misuse and abuse $40000 boat value
Above boat has a $$8800 repair bill caused by improper maintenance, misuse and abuse $28000 boat value
Above gearbox has a $2000 repair for rebuild caused by improper maintenance, misuse and abuse $6000 engine value