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View Full Version : Anyone buy a boat without water testing it?



kingbrutis
03-30-2007, 06:27 PM
Just wonering if anyone has bought a boat without testing it on the water first? I would assume some people have had to, buying it across the country or such. Later Joe

phebus
03-30-2007, 06:33 PM
Bought my last boat used without water testing it. I had ridden in the same model with the same power several times, so I was familiar with the boat. Went and looked at this one, and it was less then a year old, very clean, and had an extended factory warranty. The deal was right, I figured I couldn't go wrong, and bought it. It was a great boat.

Big Block
03-30-2007, 06:37 PM
Got mine like that. I'm in Cali, and the seller was in Oklahoma. To make it sound even worse we met halfway(somewhere in New Mexico) at a gas station right off the highway around 11pm. Fired it up, swapped notes, and off we went. This deal was only for a $20K boat, and we spent plenty of time on the phone. I was pretty sure of what I was getting into before I even left my driveway. HTH...

Mandelon
03-30-2007, 06:48 PM
I bought mine that way, from someone here on the boards. Met half way, and towed it home.

kingbrutis
03-30-2007, 06:48 PM
That does sound crazy. Glad you got a good one. I did Fly out from MD to New Mexico to buy a Hummer and drive it home. It was a pretty scarry trip home. Nothing bad happend. I did stop in St. Louis after driving straight. Stopped to get gas and asked the lady behind the counter, What time zone are we in? She asked are you serious? Supprised she didnt call the cops. All was well. Later JoeGot mine like that. I'm in Cali, and the seller was in Oklahoma. To make it sound even worse we met halfway(somewhere in New Mexico) at a gas station right off the highway around 11pm. Fired it up, swapped notes, and off we went. This deal was only for a $20K boat, and we spent plenty of time on the phone. I was pretty sure of what I was getting into before I even left my driveway. HTH...

centerhill condor
03-30-2007, 06:50 PM
my dear old daddy test rode the condor....somebody had to! just don't do it.

Riverat84
03-30-2007, 06:53 PM
i did...nothing went wrong because i had a good buddy check it out...! olrigger from here on the boards...
Reid

Wild Horses
03-30-2007, 06:55 PM
Drove from Utah to Illinois to pick up my last Advantage, never even fired it up or heard it run!!! It's hard to bullshit a bullshitter and he had the receipts for the custom motor and knew about motors. Worked out great for me.:D
Clint

ovrkll77
03-30-2007, 06:57 PM
I purchased mine with out even starting it, brought it home took the motor apart to check it, then went out and had fun:D

Phat Daddy
03-30-2007, 07:01 PM
My first two boats I bought without testing. My first boat I met the owner through a mutual friend who knew about the boat (plus I was so excited to own my first boat at 22yrs. old ) and gave me all the details.
The second boat was similar to the first boat just a bit bigger and with more power. I pretty much knew what it was going to be like and just went for it.
Both turned out great and I still have the second boat... 7 years later.:D
Third and fourth boats were both tested first.

Chico&Zeus
03-30-2007, 07:11 PM
Bought ours without a test, fired it up on the hose, checked everything out and took her home. Never had a problem.

707dog
03-30-2007, 07:20 PM
My first boat I met the owner through a mutual friend who knew about the boat (plus I was so excited to own my first boat at 22yrs. old ) and gave me all the details.
ditto this!
except the jet boat i bought ran great on the railer payed for it took it straight to the lake and it was allergic to water.. i swear!! as soon as the thing hit water it wouldnt start:eek: , went threw 2 battries trying to start it..put it back on the trailer started right up..repeted step 1 twice..nada..dropped it back off in the guys driveway that night...

BajaMike
03-30-2007, 07:29 PM
except the jet boat i bought ran great on the trailer payed for it took it straight to the lake and it was allergic to water.. i swear!! as soon as the thing hit water it wouldnt start:eek: , went threw 2 battries trying to start it..put it back on the trailer started right up..repeted step 1 twice..nada..dropped it back off in the guys driveway that night...
A boat "allergic to water".....what a concept.....would that be a nightmare or what????
It's like a woman allergic to sex.....it's worse to have one then not to have one!:idea:
:D

Jyruiz
03-30-2007, 07:40 PM
Yes, but I purchased from a member on this board and the boat only had 27 hours. He also had proof of the 20 hour service and I spoke to others who boated with the original owner. If I did not know him from here I think I would have demanded a test run.

77charger
03-30-2007, 07:46 PM
Bought my eliminator that way.Actually went to go see it also and engine hatch couldn topen due to dead batt.But all around boat was in very good shape so i didnt doubt a thing(he would have opened hatch manually but i opted to skip).Didnt water test either didnt feel a need to gave check picked up boat 2 weeks later took out and all was working and fine as expected.Still happy with the boat 5 years later.
Pretty much got what i expected out of this deal.so i cant complain just enjoying the time on the water now.

Kilrtoy
03-30-2007, 07:49 PM
Bought my last two that way,
my Shockwave and my DCB

RiverDave
03-30-2007, 08:06 PM
Stacy bought her Spectra sight unseen... Just a couple pictures on the internet. I did a kind of write up on the whole trip in the How to section under Spectra 20..
RD

76ANTHONY
03-30-2007, 08:08 PM
i was gonna test my first three boats, but i hate paddling them sob's around, everyone laughs at me:D :D :D

76ANTHONY
03-30-2007, 08:09 PM
My first two boats I bought without testing. My first boat I met the owner through a mutual friend who knew about the boat (plus I was so excited to own my first boat at 22yrs. old ) and gave me all the details.
The second boat was similar to the first boat just a bit bigger and with more power. I pretty much knew what it was going to be like and just went for it.
Both turned out great and I still have the second boat... 7 years later.:D
Third and fourth boats were both tested first.
FRICKEN BALLER:mad: :mad: :D

Biglue
03-30-2007, 08:10 PM
i was gonna test my first three boats, but i hate paddling them sob's around, everyone laughs at me:D :D :D
Who needs a running boat when it just sits in the garage? :D

YeLLowBoaT
03-30-2007, 09:00 PM
Just my last boat... but it was a project... if your not willing to get it wet... I'll find another boat.

Dan Lorenze
03-30-2007, 09:53 PM
I bought my first boat without testing it out on the water. It turned out that the engine was totally wasted with very little compression left... Yes, I should have done a test on the engine but I didn't.. I was lied to about the boat. The thing was in prestine condition. Other than the tired engine it was so nice that I was worried that I couldn't keep the thing as clean as the previous owner kept it. The weasel's name was Chris Brown from Rialto... He lied to me..
My current boat had a documented 85 hours on it, my agreement was to test it before the check got cashed. It turned out fine...

TeamGreene
03-30-2007, 10:13 PM
I did bought it out of the trader and never looked back!

beyondhelpin
03-30-2007, 10:20 PM
My last boat was bought without hitting the water. But I had a shop check out the engine and out rive. Six years later and it still runs good

boatsnblondes
03-30-2007, 11:01 PM
I bought the vector after looking at it a couple of times...loved it, the guy took great care of it..wrote him a check, came back in a week and drove it away...never had a problem with it..though sometimes I wished i had someone to teach me how to run the thing....theres a science to them..I'm still learning....:(

atxwrangler
03-30-2007, 11:20 PM
Not If It Has An Olds In It!;)

DansBlown73Nordic
03-31-2007, 02:53 AM
I completly restored a Cruisers INC wooden boat once. It was a pile of firewood when I bought it. When it was done it was Perfect in every way. Boat was a 1960 and the motor was a 1959 Mercury direct reverse.
After completing the restoration we took the boat to the Lake. The boat handled HORRIBLE. It would run fine and all the sudden at speed it would just tip right or left. :sqeyes: :sqeyes:
I got use to it, but was never really happy with it. Not that I could have tried it out first but it would have been nice.

blown dough
03-31-2007, 06:59 AM
We bought our first DCB at the boat show, never even been in one beofre that. We also bought our second one from the boat show the next year. Worked out well.

GRUNION
03-31-2007, 07:09 AM
I lake tested my boat and it was great. But after the second time to the lake my motor blew.:mad: Oh well Shit happens. Good thing For good friends one of my buddies from here on the boards Charlie Brown. Tore it out and had Uncle Larry machine it Charlie put it back to gether fixed a bunch of other things and I was back on the water in weeks. He also built so it would handle more boost so Its faster than ever.:D

RitcheyRch
03-31-2007, 07:43 AM
Bought mine that way. He just picked it up from having it serviced by Al Stoker. Figured was a safe bet that nothing was wrong with it plus spoke with Al about it.

76ANTHONY
03-31-2007, 07:44 AM
Who needs a running boat when it just sits in the garage? :D
hey, it sits in the garage pretty though:D :D :D

marty722
03-31-2007, 08:00 AM
I bought a boat from a person on the boards here without water testing and I got screwed... Although I got a great price and I had to put some money into it I still love the boat.... Runs bitchen now... did I ever give up the name???? No as he states that it ran fine the last time he took it out.... Didn't know it was running in his pool :D :D :D

I DIG IT !
03-31-2007, 08:08 AM
I bought my baja over the net. Im in spokane WA and it was in green bay WI. Bought it from a dealer. IT was a dealer boat and a dealer trade in. They just wanted a bigger boat. All I had done was a inspection and compreshion test done,and I sent a check,and they put it on a trailer and in three to four days was at my front door. I knew alot about the boat before I bought it. I had it for two years and 100 hours, and the boats been great!!!
Sorry my spelling sucks, never was very good at that

Sleek-Jet
03-31-2007, 08:09 AM
Yes...
Won't ever do that again...

Nord
03-31-2007, 11:04 PM
That does sound crazy. Glad you got a good one. I did Fly out from MD to New Mexico to buy a Hummer and drive it home. It was a pretty scarry trip home. Nothing bad happend. I did stop in St. Louis after driving straight. Stopped to get gas and asked the lady behind the counter, What time zone are we in? She asked are you serious? Supprised she didnt call the cops. All was well. Later Joe
What?? This was edited??? lol ;) There are english teachers crying themselves to sleep over posts like this.

FORCEINU
03-31-2007, 11:09 PM
when out got a good deal for a 29 force with no motor and drive and had a louis engine performance install and a b-max drive ht install and i can even tell you how excited I am the boat currentlly almost runs 120+ and it handles the roughfest water havasu can throw at it.:devil:

hairysituation
04-01-2007, 07:57 AM
I sold a boat to a guy and was glad that he never wanted to take it out and test it.

DAVEO
04-01-2007, 08:04 AM
as a buyer I would test it. as a seller would rather it was driven by the new owner first. Not to test it but to show the owner all the dos ans donts. Plus to teach them how to drive the boat Unless the buyer has had a boat of its kind before.

BobbyB
04-01-2007, 08:09 AM
Stacy bought her Spectra sight unseen... Just a couple pictures on the internet. I did a kind of write up on the whole trip in the How to section under Spectra 20..
RD
I remember sending you a PM about that one on I think craigslist, and you replied that she was already on it!
My first boat didn't even have a motor, so I didn't test it at all. The second boat was purchased from a guy over here in the LBC (Jack Rose, Rose Radiator?). No ride there, but he was luckily a straight forward guy. When he handed me a brand new starter in a box with the purchase, I should've figured it out. I was just wantin' to get that sumbeach home and out to the lake! The third boat was purchased from FRZJIM here on the boards. He took me out for a spin when he came down from Alaska; although it was a month after I'd given his neighbor Al a deposit, and told him I'd buy it! :D

Baja Big Dog
04-01-2007, 08:17 AM
That does sound crazy. Glad you got a good one. I did Fly out from MD to New Mexico to buy a Hummer and drive it home. It was a pretty scarry trip home. Nothing bad happend. I did stop in St. Louis after driving straight. Stopped to get gas and asked the lady behind the counter, What time zone are we in? She asked are you serious? Supprised she didnt call the cops. All was well. Later Joe
HUH?

phebus
04-20-2007, 02:12 PM
Was looking at a pontoon boat to buy, so took it out yesterday with the owner for a test ride. Broke down in the middle of the lake. Overheated, and then when it cooled, batteries died tryin to restart it. Had to get saved by Sea Tow.
Classic :D

DCBob
04-20-2007, 02:20 PM
Bought my last four w/o water test 21 Talon, Mach 22 DCB, 26 Eliminator Daytona, RC 28 E-Ticket all turned out good, as advertised :D

dumbandyoung
04-20-2007, 02:32 PM
We bought our first DCB at the boat show, never even been in one beofre that. We also bought our second one from the boat show the next year. Worked out well.
well hell you cant go wrong with the dcb. lol
Dcb's dont get driven anyways, they just hang out in the channel.

AirtimeLavey
04-20-2007, 03:35 PM
I wouldn't buy w/o water testing. 1st boat I bought from friend and I had dirven it before. Current boat bought from board member, and tested it before I bought. While on the test ride, boat wouldn't restart in middle of lake. I laughed, seller a little embarassed, but I was pretty sure it was a batt. thing since he had just turned on the stereo. We got towed in. I did have a mech. check it out before I bought as well. Needed drive seals and other minor, but it was pretty clean, so I bought. Happy w/it.
I took the buyer of my first boat on a test ride before he bought, and that sealed the deal. Then first day he had it, he took it to work to show his friends, and it wouldn't start. He called me, it turned out to be starter. I offered to replace it, but he declined. Called me again later and I thought what now, but he just called to say thanks, they loved the boat.
I'd def. want to see for myself the way the boat handles, accels., turns, decels., etc. Even the first boat I bought from my friend, I ended up with some costly surprises. Good Luck.

Coded-Dude
04-20-2007, 03:37 PM
both of my boats were not water tested....but the price was such that it really didn't matter.
$900 - 78 Tahiti Tiger
$600 - 82 Galaxie I/O
Both were in decent shape, but neither would start.
Tahitit started the day I took it home, and I have yet to pick up the Galaxie.
(but it should only need new head gaskets and an oil change - if not, I got a new trailer/hull for cheap)

Riverkid
04-20-2007, 03:52 PM
I bought mine that way. I rigged it and when it sold, I told the new owner I'd like to buy it back some day. He found me a LONG time after. I asked him how it looked, and he said just like when I picked it up.
SOLD.:D

boats&bars
04-20-2007, 10:02 PM
when we bought ours the guy described the boat and we got in the truck at 2;30 sat afternoon and drove to parker got there fired it up wrote the check and was back by 10;00pm

Throttle
04-20-2007, 10:38 PM
last two boats, no water test rides needed...