Is a sea trail necessary

M

MCEFALO

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Jan 28, 2006
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20073
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Looking to buy a 2003 MAXUM with 125 hours on the motors. Boat has been winterized. Broker is asking us to pay to rewinterize and also launch the boat and take it out for us to do the sea trail. Is it crazy to just do survey and not do a sea trial? Asked if we could wait till March but they will not.

Thoughts on this would be appreciated
 
Make them wait till March or they do the winterization on their dime. Otherwise walk. Huge buyers market right now. Remember they don't want the boat, they want your money. Puts you in the drivers seat.

Buying a boat without a sea trial and survey is foolish IMHO.
 
For boats this is a buyers market. You demand what, how, when & where. Otherwise tell the salesman to go fly a kite. Sea trial is a must. Wait for next year to trial. Good luck.
 
What about the cost of launching the boat to do the sea trial? We figured we would ask them to pay for the winterizing.
The problem is that the boat is a great deal - mainly because the owner of the boat we are buying wants a larger boat so the price is better than any other 2003 MAXUMs with similiar features.
 
when buying a boat that's in water, the buyer pays to haul out and inspect the hull during survey. it makes sense that if you're buying a boat that's on the hard you pay the lauch and haul out... what size boat ?

no idea about re-winterizing... probably shoudl be a buyers cost, like the haulout/launch... try making your offer conditional to sea trial/survey and state that you will pay launch/haulout but re winterizing is at sellers expense. as others have said, it's a buyers market,

as to your question, yes i think it's crazy to buy a boat without survey and seatrial...
 
Walk away, theres a ton of boats out there for sale (especially this time of the year). Chances are you'll get a call in a couple of days after the owner/broker will come to their senses. I can't believe they won't let you put a deposit down now and make it contingent on a successful sea trial in the spring. Its done all the time.

Gary Washienko
Sound Marine Survey
 
Broker is pushing to sell now in order for seller to buy twice the size boat. Think that is why they want to see the deal now. It's hard to walk away since deal on boat is great compared to what else we see on the market at the moment.
 
If they arent willing to pay to have engines and generator winterized again then that might telling you something about the boat....Why would they not want to spend the minimal cost to do that for you and not have the boat anymore? Is it possible they are just looking to sell the boat because something is wrong with it? If you were willing to pay for the launching and haulout then I dont see why they couldnt spend the MAXIMUM of 200-300 to rewinterize the engines?
 
Never let your excitement of a good deal get in your way of making a smart decision.
 
Well, from their point of view, if you don't like the sea trial, they are out of pocket all this money. Imagine if they did this every couple of months. If you really want the boat and expect it to go through, maybe you could specify you'll pay for the lift in&out and re-winterization. However, they will deduct the re-winteization from the actual cost upon completed sale. Also, who pays for winter storage?

Personally, I had to pay for a short haul when inspecting the boat I bought.

If you really think it's a great deal, take the chance and pay the hundreds of dollars.

Good Luck
 
Last year, about this time, I bought a boat that was stored indoors heated. I made an offer to buy with about a $7,000 holdback; all subject to survey first. Who would accept such an offer? Someone who had confidence in their boat's performance at sea trial. Someone who recognized that there would be no other BUYERS until spring- IF THEN. Someone who recognized I was taking some risk even with the holdback and who would have to share in that experience as well. Please understand the title passed to me immediately after the good survey. I owned the boat in December.
It was important that there be a meeting of the minds. One concern I was sure the seller would have was that I would nickel dime him to death at sea trial. I made it clear that I was going to rely heavily on his statements and answers to my questions. (There was a through interview of the OWNER aboard the boat.) But that I would "eat" the first $250. of defisencies. I also made it clear that the seatrial would take a day, maybe two. Part of the deal was that all marina charges were his up to and through a May splash; storage, service department charges, etc.
His was the cleanest, lowest hour and best equiped boat we were interested in, So I made a fair offer in writing and sent it with a check for a couple thousand dollars. When dealing with brokers I do the same thing, 5 or 10% is not required. I am sincere enough when I put this kind of effort into the search and offer process and only deposit enough to get the seller's attention and NO MORE.
As an aside, I do not begrudge brokers their commission if it is hard earned. I usually use a broker when selling as I don't have the patience to deal with hull kickers. I well deal with brokers when buying but not to the exclusion of looking on my own. You've heard it said "They're all for sale."-and it is to a degree true. Therefore, why not ask when you see a boat you like? If nothing else you might meet some nice people and learn something. But I digress.
The deal was accepted and the seatrial cost the seller just under $1000. I think we both did well. Besides getting most of his money in December he had no bank payments or depreciation for January through April when he MIGHT have sold the boat. Lastly, I listed each of the positive points in my letter offer to be sure he recognized that my offer was a very good one.
Good luck!
 
Broker has agreed to pay for winter storage/shrinkwrapping. I am sure I could probably get broker to cover re-winterizing if we agree to purchase.
Thanks for all your comments - really appreciate the input.
 
Broker has agreed to pay for winter storage/shrinkwrapping. I am sure I could probably get broker to cover re-winterizing if we agree to purchase.
Thanks for all your comments - really appreciate the input.
 
Dont buy it without a sea trial, and don't buy it without a survey either. If your getting that much of a deal on it, go for the few extra dollars. Would you buy a car without taking it on the highway? And like I said before, theres tons of boats out there for sale. Don't fall in love with one.
 
Is it necessary? No. Is it a very good idea? Yes.

It's all about risk. How much money are you willing to risk by not conducting a sea trial? I guess there's some point where spending all that money to de-winterize and re-winterize doesn't make sense. What that point is, that's your call. My 1st watercraft, a PWC, I bought it brand new at a boat show, no sea trial (but full 1 year warranty). Second boat, bought from a private party, no sea trial, but ran the engines on the muffs for a good long time, and looked over everything I could. I was only spending $6,000, so I was willing to risk that much. Current boat, bought it new at a boat show, full 5 year warranty on everything. No sea trial. I figure I have a 5 year sea trial going.

Plus, in my area, a sea trial is an all day event, since the closest water is about an hour away. Sea trials around here are kinda hard.
 
I agree to the seatrial...but regarding the "re" costs...winterizing the engine is not that expensive, and here in Ohio...neither are the lift fees...if you can't/won't pay these costs...boating is not for you.
 
Although I see the cost to launch and other costs of sea trial (including the cost of a skipper if the owner is not available, or prefers this) as usually being paid by the buyer, it should be negotiable in this case.

I did buy a boat which was 3 months old (50 hours), where the owner had traded up, without a sea trial. Lake Michigan froze up as I arrived. We had a mechanic go over the engine, ran it, did compression etc. The Broker thru in an extended manufactuer's engine warantee. Worked fine--but your situation is a little different--yours is a 4 to 5 year old boat. There are lots of things which could be wrong with it.

Also I wonder if the "Winterization" includes your having to pay for re-shrink wrapping?--or is that not done yet?
 
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