Used Boat Advice

[Avalonjohn44]

I found a used boat for sale, of course it lists that it is in good condition yada yada yada.  1994 Rick Clunn Nitro, 115 HP Merc, 36lb motor, etc... The fellow is emailing me pics tomorrow, and if I like what I see, I'm gonna go look at it.  Problem is, I have no idea what problems I should be looking for.  Obviously I would check for rust on the trailor.  What should I look for on the hull and transom?  Other than making sure the motor runs and does not billow a ton of smoke, what should I be concerned about there? What is a high amount of hours run?  What other concerns should I address?  I was going to buy a new boat, but figured my 'learner' boat should be used in case I screw it up real bad... Thanks in advance!

[cart7t]

I believe that's a BPS Nitro.  If it's a tubular frame trailer I'd be very suspicious of the crossmembers being rusted.  Those BPS tubular frame trailers were infamous for rusting out.  After that it would be nice if you could take the boat out.  Running an outboard on the muffs is alright but you really don't know what condition the motors in till you put a load on the engine.  A boat that old is also prone to have wood rot.  Walk around on the floor and feel for soft spots.  That could indicate either a rotted floor or worse, a rotted stringer as well.  Then you need to really look at the transom.  Get someone to put their weight onto the lower unit of the OB and jump up and down while you observe the transom. There should be no flex at all. If there is you've got a bad transom.  Other indications would be the engine mounting bolts sunk in to the transom and you can also knock on different areas of the transom. It should sound solid, not hollow.  Transom are repairable but they're not for the lighthearted and they're time consuming. Remember, it's a 12 year old boat, and just like a 12 year old car, it's not unusual for their to be some problems.  

[senile1]

Excellent advice from Cart7.  If this trailer is rusty I'd be checking the wheel bearings too.  I bought a "bargain" bass boat a few years back and the bearings were grinding when I would spin the wheels.  When I pulled the hubs to replace the bearings, it was as if the races had been welded in.  I don't think the previous owner ever greased the bearings.  I had to take the hubs to a machine shop to remove two of the races and they had to break them to get them out.  

[Cajun1977]

also ask  for a list if any about all maintenance done on the boat   last time impellar was changed   plugs   etc       check hull for damage   check lights on trailer   check bilge  and livewell pumps to see if they turn on    check for clean wiring   all these things can be fixed  but it will give you a baseline about how the previous owner treated and handled the boat

[Madhouse27]

I'm with Cart. Haul that thing to the lake and thoroughly check it out on the water. See how it handles, how the outboard runs at different rpms, walk around the thing, open and close the hatches... be a pain the butt. Take a good look at the trailer while the boat is off it. Anything that doesn't seem quite right is certainly cause for a conversation. You may also want to look for subtle quirks that you can live with that might be good negotiation tools when it comes to knocking that asking price down a hair. Get a price quote from one of the NADA type sites. I like Nitros but as a rule they don't hold their value quite as well as some of the heavyweights in the industry. Good luck with the process.

[Avalonjohn44]

Thanks everyone.  I have a boat dealership (triton) near me, and they agreed to give this thing the once over.  If the fellow wants a sale, he'll agree to let them have the boat for the weekend....