Used Power Boats

So, you know what type of powerboat you're looking for and you're about to tramp the waterfront looking for your prize. From the point of view of the craft's seaworthiness, it doesn't matter whether you buy privately or through a broker because a professional survey should reveal any problems. However, it is vital that you're sure the boat's title is unencumbered.

Australian states and territories have fair trading departments that can do a title search for you to make sure there's no finance owing on the boat you want.

You can tell a great deal about a used boat just from looking at it in its pen, or swinging at a mooring. The condition of the hull, marlin board, gunwale protection strips and the railings can tell you if the boat has been carefully or badly handled around marina pens and fuel wharves. The hull should be fair, without obvious damage repair, and the deck and fittings should be unscarred. The clears should be undamaged and the flybridge covers should be in good condition.

Most boat sellers give their vessels a detail to spruce them up for the market, but no amount of spit and polish can disguise years of neglect, if you spend time doing a close inspection.

Many buyers are anxious to get out on the water for a test spin, but it's better if you can spend an hour or two by yourself on the boat first, checking over everything.

You don't need any mechanical or boat surveying skills to do many external checks, such as giving the rail stanchions a security shake, examining the deck fittings and looking at the condition of the ground tackle.

Below decks you can quickly tell if the boat is musty or excessively 'fumy'. Some boats with holding tanks have a nasty, sour smell, which is a sure sign of toilet trouble.

Open all the hatches and make sure they operate smoothly and are well seated. Look for telltale signs of water leaks around all the deck openings, the coach house windows and the through-deck fasteners. Check that the mooring cleats are bolted through the deck with adequate fasteners and are mounted on heavier lay-up or fitted with reinforcing plates below decks.

Lift the saloon and bunk cushions and check the storage areas for signs of dampness or rot in the glassed-in plywood panels. Bulkheads near shower recesses are vulnerable to rot.

Cupboards and bulkhead doors should work easily and remain shut when closed.

Most powerboats have gas stoves and the condition of the plumbing can mean the difference between life and death. This system needs a very careful examination.

The bilge should be dry, without signs of water staining. Some exceptions to this rule are unsheathed, carvel-planked wooden craft that always seem to leak a little and boats that have iceboxes draining into their bilges.

All the through-hull water fittings should be in a good condition with cocks that work smoothly.

 With the battery isolation switch turned on, the batteries should show a healthy charge and power the radios, lights, instruments, navigation lights and the entertainment system without dropping charge rapidly. You can do a radio check to confirm the operation of the VHF and 27MHz sets.

Engine rooms or outboards are the hearts of powerboats, so this area of the boat needs particularly careful examination. Access is critical if you have to make emergency repairs at sea, so make sure all vital components are accessible.

Do a visual check of the engine bay, looking for worn engine mounts, hoses and belts, and for signs of fuel and water leaks. An engine should start easily and idle without excessive vibration. Head up on deck while it's running to check for water flow from the exhaust system.

If the engine runs a fridge compressor, switch it on. Run the electric bilge pumps and fit handles into the manual pumps. The power and manual bilge pumps should work faultlessly.

A genset is vital for running many boats' power supply systems and needs the same inspection procedure as the propulsion engine.

Pay particular attention to the condition of power legs and make sure that any subsequent survey is exhaustive in this area.

Check the water tank(s) for condition and the integrity of the mounting pads and straps. The boat's pressure water system should work effectively, without leaks or excessive 'hunting' of the feed pump. Pump some water into a clear container and inspect it for debris. If it's clear, taste the water for an indication of the tank's condition.

Try flushing the head and give the shower a burst to make sure these systems are working well.

Check the fuel tank for condition and mounting integrity, and the accessibility of the drain plug and the fuel filter.

There should be spare parts and service items for the engine on board, including filters, impellers, belts and hoses.

The steering system needs a careful inspection for loose rudderpost bearings or worn steering cables.

Safety and emergency equipment should be in as-new condition, with current inspection tags on the fire extinguishers, flares and PFDs. There should also be a well-stocked first aid kit.

There should be evidence of regular maintenance on board, including receipts for engine servicing and refit materials.

Documents showing a regular, consistent level of mechanical maintenance is much more important than overall engine hours. For instance, with inboard engines you need to know how long it was since the heat exchangers were replaced. In the case of power legs, you need to know how old the bellows are.

THE TEST RUN
Many single-engine boats don't like reversing in a straight line, so as you leave the berth or mooring it's a good opportunity to check out any reversing vices your prospective purchase may have. Dual-engine boats should power-steer easily – even more easily with a correctly operating bowthruster.

The steering wheel should turn without any friction points in the range of movement.

Run the engine(s) at full power for a few minutes, checking in the engine bay for signs of stress and the exhaust for water flow and 'steaming'. While below, check that the propshaft runs true, without vibration, and that the stern gland doesn't leak.

Give the genset a workout while you're motoring and check the fridge for operation after a few minutes.

Check for engine smoke: black means overfuelling and could indicate turbo trouble, worn injectors, or an incorrect propeller size, while blue smoke from a warm engine is to do with oil consumption. Make sure the cockpit isn't excessively smoky or smelly while under way.

If the boat has passed the test phase, then it's time for a professional survey, which we'll cover next time.

PETROL OR DIESEL?
If you're looking at boats around 12m in length, it's likely that they'll be diesel-powered.

Petrol engines undoubtedly use more fuel than diesels, but there's a noise and weight penalty with diesels that's more significant in smaller craft. For sportsboats that are going to spend a relatively short time under power and more time at anchor or beached for play, fuel usage is irrelevant. But once the cruising hours go up, diesel power comes into its own.

Petrol fuel carries an increased fire risk, but if correct fuel system maintenance is carried out, the risk is minimal.

A twin-engine installation can be viewed as a power system with inbuilt backup, or as a system with which there's twice as much to go wrong. Twin engines make tight manoeuvring very simple and, with marina pens becoming tighter, that's a useful advantage. However, engine maintenance costs are obviously higher.

So whether it's best to have one or two engines is a question for the ages.