Performance Boat Shop

What do you think about a 2nd hand boat? Does it worth to buy a 2nd hand power boat? ?

I love going off shore and boating but can not afford a nice descent boat so have to look for a 2nd hand power boat, please tell me your experience of having 2nd hand one.,

Public Comments

1. just like a second hand car you should test drive it and check it out for signs of problems
2. have somebody who knows about boats check it out with you. unlike cars they depreciate at a slower rate depending on type etc.
3. we bought 2nd hand boat in 1976 enjoyed every minute we had it but be careful of older fiberglass ours was a triple hull(plywood between 2 layers of fiberglass) fiberglass cracked and allowed water to swell the plywood which lead to unsafe condition so be careful of this but otherwise if boat and motor looks well maintained and in good condition take a chance and enjoy all you want
4. As the saying goes, let the buyer beware! If you get a second hand boat through a dealer you will have some warranty. If you buy privately you are on your own 100% Pay a dealer or surveyor to go over a boat you are really keen on. Don't rely on mates or family unless they do actually have commercial or professional experience - also it can be the end of a friendship and cause family strife for years..... Like cars you look at the overall condition first, then the big dollar stuff like engine/trans, transom, hull, trailer, electronics, safety gear, title etc. Watch it started from cold. Watch it getting launched. Watch it getting put through it's paces. This will give you a good idea of the way it has been treated by the previous owner
5. absolutely worth it. But as others have said, you have to be on your toes. Any weakness in the transom, or bad compression in the motor are immediate deal-breakers at any price (unless you're looking for a "project boat"). Lack of clear title, also a deal-breaker. Soft wood in decks and floors means a pretty messy project, too, but can be tackled by your average do-it-yourselfer (given enough determination. And beer.) My dad bought a used boat about 8 years ago, gave to me about 5 years ago -- it's a 30-year-old fiberglass outboard, I been using it 2x a month year round; at least every other trip something will come back needing a repair. Even though I have no formal boat or engine repair training, I've never had to put it in the shop. Got a factory service manual for the motor, and all the how-to's you'll ever need on the internet.
6. nothing wrong with second hand boats. we bought a "project" 70 foot boat for £3K ( scrap essentially ) , spend about £25K on it and sold it for £107.5K we spend a year doing it up, 3 years cruising, and still made over £70K from it ! there are plenty of decent second hand boats about
7. That's the only way I could afford to have a boat. As others have mentioned you need to be careful and check out the boat and have a marine surveyor take a look at it. Just from a money point of view it only makes sense to get a used one. If its new, as soon as you buy it it drops considerably in value. That's how you get a great deal!
8. As you have heard there is absolutely no problem in buying 2nd hand. We sold our last boat for prime dollars and the owner is still extremely happy with her 5 years later. We bought our current vessel as a 2nd hand vessel and we have had no problems with her at all. The best deal we could have gotten on her too (33' w/ full cabin, aft cabin, all the bells and whistles, etc). As stated pay close attention to everything though. I would only recommend buying one that has a complete maintenance log kept by the owner. Also, have the boat surveyed by a professional marine surveyor and make any offer to buy contingent upon their inspection and findings. Trust me when I say that a good surveyor will go over the boat completely and let you know if anything wrong is found. Lastly, do not buy any boat without test driving her. Once out on the water look into the engine compartment for signs of water leaking into the boat. Doesn't mean that it's a bad or expensive correction but it's definitely something you want to know at the beginning and not the first time you take her out for a day of fun on the water. Good luck and enjoy your time on the water as we all do!!!
9. There are lots of good deals right now on boats during this recession. There are many boats for sale and few buyers, you should be able to find some good buys. One thing to watch out for is fuel consumption since boats gulp fuel much faster than cars. If you have trouble affording a boat, you will also have trouble affording fuel to go into it. You may want to consider a sailboat for that reason.
10. What is the question?What I think is not important,What do you want?
11. All good answers but listen to werepoodle , the gas can really be a killer . I recently had to downgrade ( from 19" n 280hp to 14.5" n 115hp ) due to rising gas prices .