Open Water Test Drive - What should I look for?

townsde · 03-31-2010, 11:40 AM

This weekend we will take out the boat for an open water test ride. If all goes well we will finalize our purchase of it. It is a 2004 Four Winns 24 foot bowrider with a Volvo Penta 5.7 L GSX engine and duo prop. There is 159 hours on the boat per the gauges.

What should I try on the test ride and what things should I be looking for as a final inspection before completing the purchase ?? Our dealer (Melvin Village Marina) will be with us on this open water test.

Thanks, in advance, for all your comments

jrc · 03-31-2010, 12:22 PM

Bring a few people, like your normal baot ride. A lot of boats handle great during a test drive with two customers and a salesperson but are underpowered when loaded with a normal weekend crowd.

Make sure the boat gets up on plane quickly. Again this is related to power. If you can't get a full crowd, try geting up on plane with trim tabs full up and engine trim full down. If you need full trim tabs to get on plane quickly with a light load you will have issues with a full load. You can't fix an underpowered boat.

You want to see how the boat handles in chop. Some slice through and some pound hard. If the lake is smooth. Then run in circles making your own wake, then cross it. This is a tiny test compared to normall weekend traffic, so if you feel any pounding then beware. This is another thing you can't fix.

On final inspection make sure all the maintainence is up to date. A six year old boat should have had at least an impellar and battery changes. Should have few oil changes too.

Finally ask about the battery set-up, you really want two batteries and a battery switch. Its just too easy to get standed otherwise. You can always add this later.

Speaking of stranded, ask about towing. I know Melvin will come get you if you break down, if they are open. But what if they are closed for the night? Consider a towing service. I get the lowest cost BoatUS plan. I know it won't cover all the cost if I break down but I have someone to call 24/7.

That my five minute ramble...

VtSteve · 03-31-2010, 12:49 PM

The first thing I'd do is check the oil. Pull the dipstick and see if it's nice and clear. If it's good after the winter, chances are they cared enough to change the oil. If you're not familiar with other things, here's a simple list.

1. Check the bellows in the stern dirve. Look for signs of wear, cracking or even tears. If it looks weathered and a bit old, replacing it could save your boat from sinking. Not a free job, they should do this as part of the deal if needed.

2. Does the steering seems smooth and without too much play?

3. Does the trim work smoothly, without too much noise, and is the boat responding well to it.

4. Do all of the instruments work?

5. How does the prop look? Any dings or corrosion? Those duo props are very expensive.

6. Are the storage areas under the seats clean and free of water (or water lines and crud).

7. Look under the gunwale storage areas and with a flashlight, follow the wiring around.

8. Is the bilge area clean?

9. Is the engine fairly clean, and free of oily substances that could indicate leaking?

10. Ask about the impeller, and if they don't know, have them include replacement in the deal.

Lastly, miscellaneous. Do the boat covers look and fit properly? Any tears or missing snaps and the like?

Things like the battery can provide some other clues as to prior ownership. Any signs of corrosion? Is it new? Do the cables look pretty solid?

Lastly. Check the seals and strips alongside the gunwhale. Is the rub molding secure? Any signs of damage to the hull's bottom?

Frankly, I'd have a professional surveyor check out any used boat that I looked at. $300 or $400 could very well save you from a bad deal. In addition, a professional survey is a very valuable thing to have if you can get a stated value insurance policy.

BroadHopper · 03-31-2010, 01:29 PM

Definitely bring the wife or Miss. If there is something she don't like, it will be good to know now!

Dave R · 03-31-2010, 01:29 PM

Lotsa good advice so far.

Additional thoughts I have:

What is butterscotch anyway?

Check the drive trim gauge for smooth operation and accuracy. They are a weak point on VP drives and it it's at all flakey, might as well have it sorted by the seller before you buy.

Verify the engine will get to 4800 to 5000 RPM at WOT.

Check for vibration or noise when turning hard at speed.

Woodsy · 03-31-2010, 02:05 PM

Townsde...

HAVE THE BOAT PROFFESIONALLY SURVEYED!!!!

I cannot stress this enough! For a boat that size it will be reasonable and you will have the knowledge of what if anything is wrong or requires attention....

It will save you time and money later....

Woodsy

LIforrelaxin · 04-01-2010, 08:49 AM

So everyone has given excellent advice so far here some additional cents....

Don't just look at the boat in the water. If you have not done a through examination of the hull out of the water, have them put the boat on a stand where you can look at it.

1) Look around the waterline, look for any signs of bubbling or puckering in the gel coat. Gel Coat is very porous, and you can get blisters in the gel coat once they start they only get worse. --- This is a solvable issue however it is very costly. If you don't believe you have the knowledge to see the signs then higher surveyor to do the job.

2) from there go lower on the boat look for any scratch or chips in the gel coat below the water line. Once again these are openings where water can get past the gel coat and start to cause havoc. If you find any the dealer should fix them, or the deal is off.

3) get even further under the boat now and look for the transponder unit, for the depth guage, make sure it sit tight against the hull, and the caulking is in good shape. once again continue to look for those nic and scrapes in the hull.

4) spend some time lookin at all the corners and radius in the hull of the boat. Look for Spidering (small cracks emanating form a single point) in the gel coat. This is mostly cosmetic in nature, however once again if below the water line weakens the gel coats integrity and can lead to other more serious issue such as blistering.

Now why am I so intensely concentrated on inspecting the HULL? Because I own a Four Winns, I had a Blistering problem, and the comment from Melvin Village was, don't worry it is only cosmetic.... Upon further research and watching the problem get worse, I found that I needed to do something about it. At 160$ per foot putting an epoxy finish below the water line is not cheap... Now, I do want to add I didn't by my boat from MVM, however they where supposed to be the "knowledgeable Four Winns Dealer" in the area...
However there advice was contrary to what Four Winns Corporate told me when I discussed the issue with them.

Yankee · 04-01-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Townsde...

HAVE THE BOAT PROFFESIONALLY SURVEYED!!!!

I cannot stress this enough! For a boat that size it will be reasonable and you will have the knowledge of what if anything is wrong or requires attention....

It will save you time and money later....

Woodsy

Excellent advice Woodsy. A Surveyor will check for things that you cannot, like moisture in the hull, transom, deck, etc...

Also have a certified Volvo mechanic take a good look at the engine and out drive.

Long Pine · 04-01-2010, 10:39 PM

One question I would have is whether it is a boat that was originally sold and serviced by Melvin Village. If so, ask to see the maintenance records on the boat. I bought my Four Winns used from another dealer but since it had been sold and serviced by Melvin Village, they copied and sent me all the maintenance records on the boat. This will give you an idea of what sort of regular maintenance has been done on this boat and whether there have been any problems.

I also am probably trusting to a fault, but if Rob (service mgr) were with me when I looked over the boat and test drove it, I would have complete trust that he would point out everything that he observed to be a potential area of concern. I really don't think they would try to hide anything - they want to earn your service business as well and it would be an obvious embarrassment to them if they sold you a boat that turned out to have something wrong with it that should have been noticeable at the sale.

I'm not trying to contradict or diminish LIForrelaxin's point, but my point is just that in my experience, they have been fair and honest in every interaction I have had with them.

Blue Thunder · 04-02-2010, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long Pine

One question I would have is whether it is a boat that was originally sold and serviced by Melvin Village. If so, ask to see the maintenance records on the boat. I bought my Four Winns used from another dealer but since it had been sold and serviced by Melvin Village, they copied and sent me all the maintenance records on the boat. This will give you an idea of what sort of regular maintenance has been done on this boat and whether there have been any problems.

I also am probably trusting to a fault, but if Rob (service mgr) were with me when I looked over the boat and test drove it, I would have complete trust that he would point out everything that he observed to be a potential area of concern. I really don't think they would try to hide anything - they want to earn your service business as well and it would be an obvious embarrassment to them if they sold you a boat that turned out to have something wrong with it that should have been noticeable at the sale.

I'm not trying to contradict or diminish LIForrelaxin's point, but my point is just that in my experience, they have been fair and honest in every interaction I have had with them.

Couldn't agree more. If it was sold and serviced by MVM, you are in good hands.

BT

townsde · 04-03-2010, 07:39 PM

Thanks for all the great advice and information from every one on this forum. I used every bit of it. We went over to the Marina this morning. I carefully looked over the boat as suggested. Then Matt Young (the owner) went with us for a test ride. We were out for over 2 hours. We went by our dock to be sure the boat would fit. We drove around in circles making a wake so we could see how the boat handled it. We went through the Graveyard into the broads. We went slow and we went fast. We looked at everything.

We are extremely happy with the boat and with the service and attention we received from Melvin Village Marina. They are definitely a first class act.

Dave R · 04-03-2010, 07:50 PM

Congrats! (I think, you did buy it right?)

VtSteve · 04-04-2010, 06:43 AM

Always sign of a good dealer to spend that much time with a customer. Great time of year to do it too.

Congrats on your new craft.

03-31-2010, 11:40 AM	#1
townsde Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hollis NH and Moultonborough Posts: 68 Thanks: 6 Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts	Open Water Test Drive - What should I look for? This weekend we will take out the boat for an open water test ride. If all goes well we will finalize our purchase of it. It is a 2004 Four Winns 24 foot bowrider with a Volvo Penta 5.7 L GSX engine and duo prop. There is 159 hours on the boat per the gauges. What should I try on the test ride and what things should I be looking for as a final inspection before completing the purchase ?? Our dealer (Melvin Village Marina) will be with us on this open water test. Thanks, in advance, for all your comments

03-31-2010, 01:29 PM	#4
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,512 Thanks: 3,116 Thanked 1,090 Times in 784 Posts	the other half Definitely bring the wife or Miss. If there is something she don't like, it will be good to know now! __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

03-31-2010, 02:05 PM	#6
Woodsy Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Weirs Beach Posts: 1,949 Thanks: 80 Thanked 969 Times in 432 Posts	Townsde... HAVE THE BOAT PROFFESIONALLY SURVEYED!!!! I cannot stress this enough! For a boat that size it will be reasonable and you will have the knowledge of what if anything is wrong or requires attention.... It will save you time and money later.... Woodsy __________________ The only way to eliminate ignorant behavior is through education. You can't fix stupid.

04-01-2010, 08:49 AM	#7
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island, not that one, the one on Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,821 Thanks: 1,014 Thanked 880 Times in 514 Posts	So everyone has given excellent advice so far here some additional cents.... Don't just look at the boat in the water. If you have not done a through examination of the hull out of the water, have them put the boat on a stand where you can look at it. 1) Look around the waterline, look for any signs of bubbling or puckering in the gel coat. Gel Coat is very porous, and you can get blisters in the gel coat once they start they only get worse. --- This is a solvable issue however it is very costly. If you don't believe you have the knowledge to see the signs then higher surveyor to do the job. 2) from there go lower on the boat look for any scratch or chips in the gel coat below the water line. Once again these are openings where water can get past the gel coat and start to cause havoc. If you find any the dealer should fix them, or the deal is off. 3) get even further under the boat now and look for the transponder unit, for the depth guage, make sure it sit tight against the hull, and the caulking is in good shape. once again continue to look for those nic and scrapes in the hull. 4) spend some time lookin at all the corners and radius in the hull of the boat. Look for Spidering (small cracks emanating form a single point) in the gel coat. This is mostly cosmetic in nature, however once again if below the water line weakens the gel coats integrity and can lead to other more serious issue such as blistering. Now why am I so intensely concentrated on inspecting the HULL? Because I own a Four Winns, I had a Blistering problem, and the comment from Melvin Village was, don't worry it is only cosmetic.... Upon further research and watching the problem get worse, I found that I needed to do something about it. At 160$ per foot putting an epoxy finish below the water line is not cheap... Now, I do want to add I didn't by my boat from MVM, however they where supposed to be the "knowledgeable Four Winns Dealer" in the area... However there advice was contrary to what Four Winns Corporate told me when I discussed the issue with them. __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

04-03-2010, 07:39 PM	#11
townsde Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hollis NH and Moultonborough Posts: 68 Thanks: 6 Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts	Its at my Dock Thanks for all the great advice and information from every one on this forum. I used every bit of it. We went over to the Marina this morning. I carefully looked over the boat as suggested. Then Matt Young (the owner) went with us for a test ride. We were out for over 2 hours. We went by our dock to be sure the boat would fit. We drove around in circles making a wake so we could see how the boat handled it. We went through the Graveyard into the broads. We went slow and we went fast. We looked at everything. We are extremely happy with the boat and with the service and attention we received from Melvin Village Marina. They are definitely a first class act.

03-31-2010, 12:22 PM	#2
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Bring a few people, like your normal baot ride. A lot of boats handle great during a test drive with two customers and a salesperson but are underpowered when loaded with a normal weekend crowd. Make sure the boat gets up on plane quickly. Again this is related to power. If you can't get a full crowd, try geting up on plane with trim tabs full up and engine trim full down. If you need full trim tabs to get on plane quickly with a light load you will have issues with a full load. You can't fix an underpowered boat. You want to see how the boat handles in chop. Some slice through and some pound hard. If the lake is smooth. Then run in circles making your own wake, then cross it. This is a tiny test compared to normall weekend traffic, so if you feel any pounding then beware. This is another thing you can't fix. On final inspection make sure all the maintainence is up to date. A six year old boat should have had at least an impellar and battery changes. Should have few oil changes too. Finally ask about the battery set-up, you really want two batteries and a battery switch. Its just too easy to get standed otherwise. You can always add this later. Speaking of stranded, ask about towing. I know Melvin will come get you if you break down, if they are open. But what if they are closed for the night? Consider a towing service. I get the lowest cost BoatUS plan. I know it won't cover all the cost if I break down but I have someone to call 24/7. That my five minute ramble...

03-31-2010, 12:49 PM	#3
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	The first thing I'd do is check the oil. Pull the dipstick and see if it's nice and clear. If it's good after the winter, chances are they cared enough to change the oil. If you're not familiar with other things, here's a simple list. 1. Check the bellows in the stern dirve. Look for signs of wear, cracking or even tears. If it looks weathered and a bit old, replacing it could save your boat from sinking. Not a free job, they should do this as part of the deal if needed. 2. Does the steering seems smooth and without too much play? 3. Does the trim work smoothly, without too much noise, and is the boat responding well to it. 4. Do all of the instruments work? 5. How does the prop look? Any dings or corrosion? Those duo props are very expensive. 6. Are the storage areas under the seats clean and free of water (or water lines and crud). 7. Look under the gunwale storage areas and with a flashlight, follow the wiring around. 8. Is the bilge area clean? 9. Is the engine fairly clean, and free of oily substances that could indicate leaking? 10. Ask about the impeller, and if they don't know, have them include replacement in the deal. Lastly, miscellaneous. Do the boat covers look and fit properly? Any tears or missing snaps and the like? Things like the battery can provide some other clues as to prior ownership. Any signs of corrosion? Is it new? Do the cables look pretty solid? Lastly. Check the seals and strips alongside the gunwhale. Is the rub molding secure? Any signs of damage to the hull's bottom? Frankly, I'd have a professional surveyor check out any used boat that I looked at. $300 or $400 could very well save you from a bad deal. In addition, a professional survey is a very valuable thing to have if you can get a stated value insurance policy.

03-31-2010, 01:29 PM	#5
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,974 Thanks: 246 Thanked 736 Times in 438 Posts	Lotsa good advice so far. Additional thoughts I have: What is butterscotch anyway? Check the drive trim gauge for smooth operation and accuracy. They are a weak point on VP drives and it it's at all flakey, might as well have it sorted by the seller before you buy. Verify the engine will get to 4800 to 5000 RPM at WOT. Check for vibration or noise when turning hard at speed.

04-01-2010, 10:39 PM	#9
Long Pine Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 93 Thanks: 12 Thanked 33 Times in 12 Posts	One question I would have is whether it is a boat that was originally sold and serviced by Melvin Village. If so, ask to see the maintenance records on the boat. I bought my Four Winns used from another dealer but since it had been sold and serviced by Melvin Village, they copied and sent me all the maintenance records on the boat. This will give you an idea of what sort of regular maintenance has been done on this boat and whether there have been any problems. I also am probably trusting to a fault, but if Rob (service mgr) were with me when I looked over the boat and test drove it, I would have complete trust that he would point out everything that he observed to be a potential area of concern. I really don't think they would try to hide anything - they want to earn your service business as well and it would be an obvious embarrassment to them if they sold you a boat that turned out to have something wrong with it that should have been noticeable at the sale. I'm not trying to contradict or diminish LIForrelaxin's point, but my point is just that in my experience, they have been fair and honest in every interaction I have had with them.

04-03-2010, 07:50 PM	#12
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,974 Thanks: 246 Thanked 736 Times in 438 Posts	Congrats! (I think, you did buy it right?)

04-04-2010, 06:43 AM	#13
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	Always sign of a good dealer to spend that much time with a customer. Great time of year to do it too. Congrats on your new craft.