Northwest Dive Club

So I'm re-enlisting soon and looking at a pretty nice bonus, and I'd really like to buy a boat, but I've never owned one before and I am kind of apprehensive about some of the deals I've seen on craigslist looking too good to be true, like a 19ft Bluewater + trailer for $2950. The pictures look nice, and it sounds like a great deal, but what sort of things should I keep in mind when looking to buy a boat, what questions should I ask the owner, and what kinds of things should I steer clear of?
-Kevin

It would help to know a little more about your intended use and budget.

Generally speaking I would stay away from older Bayliners and Force outboard motors. For taking it in the sound you'll want an appropriate Outboard or a fresh water cooled inboard. RIBs are compact, light and can carry a ton of weight in relation to their size which makes them great for diving but I'm pretty sure a decent one will be more expensive than 3K. Also if you want to take the family out in it they may want something a little more protected. Older sportfisher hulls (Wellcraft, Glasply, Reinell) seem to make good dive boats since they usually come with a small cabin for stowing gear and room in the back for walking around (and gearing up).

This is an example of the layout I'm talking about although it has a 50hp force outboard. But it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about. http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/boa/1500701545.html


Other more knowledgable people than myself will chime in shortly I'm sure.

I second staying away from Force, lizard0924 had a bad experience with one.

There is a lot of truth to the saying, the happiest day of owning a boat is the day you buy it and the day you sell it. I have had these joyful experiences myself.

Yes....I had a 50 hp Force back in the day...I am not a fan. I had the double (dis)pleasure of having that particular outboard paired with a Bayliner runabout. It always caused me intermittent problems, and one day the Force just bit the dust while we were literally in the middle of the lake...a big lake....with big waves...(where else would we be when engine failure occurred, right?). When I took it in for repairs, the shop guys couldn't stop railing on Force engines and how bad they were in general. The engine was toast, too. More $$ to repair than just buy a new one. Boating was over for that season.

So.....I cannot recommend Force anything. Especially used (do they even make new Force stuff?).

The arimas are excellent all around boats. Well though out. well made and very good layouts for fishing, diving and family cruising.

I have had good luck with the older Bellboys, and Sea swirl boats.

For around here I would advise 19' and up. Anything smaller is just to light for open water use. Also look for full cruising canvas or fiberglass tops as it's wet in the northwest and you need shelter.

One thing to check for is soundness of the floor. If it feels spungy or soft stay away. It's a sure sign of wet rot and costly to repair. Look for boats that have been stored inside or under cover.

Ribs are great for diving but gererally expensive and not so good for family use. The welded Aluminum boats are great but heavy and costly.

just make sure u don't do this



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMvaANpw ... re=related[/youtube]

Unless you know what you are doing, do not buy without a marine survey. I have had boats from 16' to 28' and learned the costly way. Fixing floors/engine beds or transoms is spendy. 19' is the min I woud take my family out in the sound in. Now granted my Scuba Kat is 16' but is is a soft bottom zodiac and even with 12" of water in it it still floats. (Thats another story). Good Luck.

PS: If you are going to get deployed soon wait until you get back to get one.

Kevin,

Boats are selling pretty cheap these day. The best advice I can give is have the boat and engine surveyed by a marine surveyor. It's worth the $300 or $400 to have it done. Good luck

Greg

psundquist wrote:
There is a lot of truth to the saying, the happiest day of owning a boat is the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

I had a friend that defined his boat as "A round hole in the water that he poored money into!"

I would avoid the Arimas, not enough deadrise ("V") and a non-self draining floor make them suboptimal for diving. Look at some of the low-midrange sprtfishers like Trophy and Seaswirl. Basically anything with a generous aft deck. Check the overall weight capacity against your goals, budget 300lbs per diver 1200lbs+ for 4 divers.

Realistically you can get a runabout for 3K but its not going to be setup for diving or all that diving friendly. But it will work for short jaunts in protected areas. And get it surveyed by a professional marine surveyor, which should cost you about $200-250 for a 20ft outboard boat. Although most surveys won't throughly address the engine which is unfortunate. But they are likely to find structural defects you would overlook.

Aquanautchuck wrote:PS: If you are going to get deployed soon wait until you get back to get one.

Good point

My .02 psi.

For smaller boats (anything except the big diesels) in salt water, I would ALWAYS go for an outboard motor. This removes your options for just about all the the runabouts. The salt is just too damn hard to get clear of an inboard engine and plays hell on the risers.

For a dive boat, deck space is EVERYTHING. I have a 25 footer and my deck space gets eaten up way too fast even with 3 people diving.

Bigger is better. However, the length of the boat is inversely proporitional to the ease of putting it in the water and hence it is also inversely proportional to the number of times you will use it.

You also need the vehicle to move it around. Anything over about 24 feet and you "should" be using at least a half ton truck to move it. I tow mine with a 1500 and it is over the capabililties of the truck.

The most important thing though is patience. I picked up my boat on Ebay for $6800.00 after searching and bidding for over 4 months. If you have patience and keep looking, the good deal will eventually find you.

I have several boats for sale. 19 foot and 21 foot. Turn Key boats and ones with motor replacement needs. Glasply boats are tough and work well in PNW. A good boat with good resale value. PM me if you want more information.

How many boats are you up to now, Scott? More importantly when are we going out on one again.......

Scott, I thought your boss, I mean your wife told you to get rid of 2 of the boats several years ago? You are as bad with boats as Doug is with tanks.

Ron,

Trying to downsize. Can I bring them to your lot? My storage fee is almost equal to my house payment. I'm looking forward to some boat dives again. Here is my new toy. I have only had dive gear on her one time. I will keep one of my Glasply boats for diving most days. My new Regal has a nice swim step and hot water shower on the back deck. Just need to get the nice seat cushions protected from dive gear mishaps.

Very nice, Scott. Regardless of the boat situation, we need to go diving. It's been a long time!

Chuck,

I need a personal seller to handle the details of moving some inventory. My wife insisted on buying a larger boat that she can enjoy. Sometimes you just have to give in and buy a dream boat to keep them happy. I have a difficult time letting go of toys. Always been more enjoyable buying them. I have learned that you can only use one boat at a time and having several spare boats is not necessary.

Ron,

I would like to go get some tasty crabs in area 10 before the winter season is over. Just waiting for the weather to warm up above 32 to get the boat out. It has been way to long and I'm ready. We had friends out on the boat last week for the Christmas lights and Hot Butter Rums. Cold ass night made the hot drinks even better. Just a little cold this week to get the boat out.

pensacolaracer wrote:You also need the vehicle to move it around. Anything over about 24 feet and you "should" be using at least a half ton truck to move it. I tow mine with a 1500 and it is over the capabililties of the truck.

I have a '92 V6 ford ranger and its maxed out with my 16ft aluminum RIB and tanks in the back. I'd love to get a bigger truck but its only got 88K miles on it and I am driving it until its dead dead for $$$ reasons. Don't buy more boat than you can afford to tow.

ketralis wrote: but what sort of things should I keep in mind when looking to buy a boat

How much it's gonna cost you, Before you buy it, while you own it and after you sell it.

ketralis wrote:what questions should I ask the owner,

Is it Free?

ketralis wrote:and what kinds of things should I steer clear of?

Anything that isn't Free

CaptnJack wrote:

pensacolaracer wrote:You also need the vehicle to move it around. Anything over about 24 feet and you "should" be using at least a half ton truck to move it. I tow mine with a 1500 and it is over the capabililties of the truck.

I have a '92 V6 ford ranger and its maxed out with my 16ft aluminum RIB and tanks in the back. I'd love to get a bigger truck but its only got 88K miles on it and I am driving it until its dead dead for $$$ reasons. Don't buy more boat than you can afford to tow.

I'm in the same boat... hahaha I'm the funniest pun maker I know.

I have 190,000 on my truck, would love a 2500 diesel, but am currently debt free and a truck payment of $500 plus/month for 60 months just doesn't sound too enticing.

Well....as one who has owned several boats and who currently owns two I can say there is lots of good advise on the prior posts. To me there are a couple of mandatory considerations:
>Know Precisely what you are going to do with the boat. Boats are not generic. A boat might look good but some seemingly small thing can make it totally unsuitable for your intended purpose.
>The saying: "A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw time and money" isn't a joke.
>The boat is only part of the package. There is a tow vehicle, storage, insurance, etc All $$$ and an effect on your lifestyle. My last vehicle purchase was driven to a major degree by needing to tow my boat and launch it over a gravel and dirt bank.
>Know the mechanics of your prospective boat before buying. The guy who told you it was good isn't going to be there in the stormy afternoon when it breaks. Plus, your mechanic isn't going to be there either.
>If you think I'm over dramatizing just spend some time walking around a marina looking at all the boats for sale and talking to wannabe ex-owners.

But, if you have the money, get the right boat and you know the right things a boat can be a very valuable tool.

BOAT = “Break Out Another Thousand”

selkie wrote:BOAT = “Break Out Another Thousand”

Dont buy more boat then you can afford to feed gas and repairs :hello2: