what about this boat?

rasbury

PS- I noticed from the pictures it has a radar dome on it...did not ask the seller as I did not want to raise any ibrows but that is primarily weather? I have a 941 Garmin on my runabout that I guess I can move to the new boat, it's a chart plotter and really works nice.  I know the boat comes with a depth sounder but I don't see any trace of any navigation aids....the radar does not have any "garmin" type overlay or anything? No idea what brand or model..just a general question....

Dream_Inn

Ras, an hour is definitely a short time to look at everything you will need to look at.  Make sure to look in every nook & cranny.  As far as the radar, it is mainly used to see other boats/objects while driving in non-perect conditions (ie, fog, rain, night).  You get used to them in good contions, knowing what things look like, then when you need it, you know how to use it.  I've gotten mine to where I can easily see the buoys now.  You can see weather a bit as well on it, but I tend to use other resources for that (ie, blackberry, phone).

Black_Diamond

Dream makes good points about the radar. It is a line of sight devise, so the higher up it is, the farther it can 'see', and vice versa. Just because the range says 24 miles means little, more like 5 miles at most to pick up other boats or nav aids. The USPower Squadron has great classes to teach this stuff and more for very little cost (~$40) and just your time. Hope it goes well!

212rowboat

only an hour is tricky, no?

from my perspective, and take it only for what it's worth, you should rely on the surveyor to provide details, but you're going to hafta skim the surface, and hope to spot indicators alone..

- pull out a positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV).. it hides out in the valve covers and ducts to the air hat (intake)... shake it.. it should rattle.. a rattling PCV is a happy one.. if it doesn't rattle, it could indicate excessive blow by causing it to stick, which could indicate worn rings and tired engine... if it is new, it could indicate a well maintained engine and somebody taking care of business, OR, it could indicate somebody trying to hide something.. it is usually forgotten during tune ups, even by mechanics, so it is generally a good little indicator of how that engine has been treated... if it's new, though, stick your finger into the valve covers and scratch around.. if it comes out free of crud, you're likely okay.. if it comes out with wads of black gunk, look closer at that engine, and have your surveyor compression test it...

- look at hose clamps both on engine and all thru-hulls... look to see if they are new, old, mismatched... mismatching can indicate that there was a problem and work was performed <- I'll complete that thought shortly.. uniform in appearance (old) can indicate NO service was performed, or (new) that a professional performed maintenance.. remember that 'maintenance' can be good or bad depending on the age of an engine..

- look for wiring looms not neatly routed throughout the boat.. jack-legs usually run wires sans housing, and usually go straight to the battery or battery switch.. too much jack-legging could indicate a maze of issues you'll discover during your first season on the thing.. pay attention to wiring around the engines.. all of them should be neatly arranged in harnesses and w/ nice connections.. see if you can pull back the instrument panel and peek in there for the same..

- (returning to mismatched clamps, but expounding) indicators of engine being worked on are chips in the powder coat finish on the block and manifolds.. even the bolts are painted, so look at the intake manifold bolts and see if there are any that shine, or any that are rusted around where the socket grips them... if the intake manifold has been removed, you're gonna want to know why- a forthright owner will be happy to tell you about any work, almost as a brag... people are proud of taking care of things.. if they clam up, or get curiously silent, dial in your BS detector.. look for bolts on exhaust manifolds in the same manner... an intake and an exhaust manifold has to come off to perform serious internal work, and this is one of the best indicators that point to that work having taken place.

- keep the owner talking about something unrelated to the boat, if you can.. forthright folks seem to be able to move fluidly between thought processes like that.. somebody who is attempting to hide something or maneuvering through contingent responses take that all important moment before responding that betrays their intents..

- walk the boat aft to bow starboard and port barefoot, paying attention to soft spots.. look for indicators on the surfaces of water standing such as ring stains... if it's not in an obvious place where water WOULD stand, poke around with your heel and full weight in the center of that 'ring'..

- look for places in the stringers where something was bolted/screwed to it such as a battery tray or some such- or where something was removed... see if any wood came out with the screws and what the consistency of that would is.. look for caulking spots on old penetrations of the fiberglass and into the attachment points (into the wood).. ask questions about all of them..



I gotta run.... I hope others can add to this little quick run down for you... best of luck!!

rasbury

thanks for the input...yes, I am relying on the survey heavy to make sure it is sound...I think it was Tiki who said it might not be the right boat for the best price (something like that) but I'm pretty could on the mechanical stuff, have re built/pulled motors etc. but bad on electrical and would not have a clue as to how to inspect the integrity of the hull.  The seller is the second owner and while I make my living summing up people, the survey is key.  I do have a pretty good feel for the seller that he is not using it much any more, the area he did use it is drying up and he is moving to a smaller lake/boat in the future so everything seems on the up and up.  Flying out tomorrow, thanks again for the input and will report back next week!

Michael T

The hull survey is a specialty knowledge base. I guy a dozen or so slips down from me put his retirement savings into a 40 foot cruiser (one of the multi level motor yacht types). His slip mates were telling him it was sitting too low in the water.  As time went on, (a few months), he found it would not hold plane (even with diesels). It was suggested he have it pulled and weighed. It was WAY off. Then a surveyor was brought in. He started with moisture meters, then sound transducers then finally infared. Long story short -massive water infiltration into the hull material. They brought in the best glass guy in the area. Nothing he could do - short of rebuilding almost the entire hull. He said "maybe" he could drill enough holes into the hull and try using dryers to dry it enough over the winter and then plug the holes to use the boat as a floating cottage at the dock - for a few years - tops. Apart from that it was finished as a boat. The poor man had tears in his eyes. Hull survey, hull survey, hull survey! - Signed Hull Survey Report!!!!!  MT

Dream_Inn

Geez MT, you almost had tears in my eyes as well. (   Wonder if he put the thing on a lift if that would help?

TikiHut2

Plenty of good advice from all directions for Ras to follow. What a great forum. Sure hope it works out for him. MT wins for the wildest story to affirm the need for a surveyor to use a moisture meter. Wow.

Ours isn't gaining any moisture while i have land bound anxiety. It has been sitting for a month while we prep our house for sale, numerous showings and work through some job issues. Bummer, the temp is at 84* again......just had to add that

Mike

Michael T

House for sale?  Mike - what are you going to do for a workshop or are you keeping it and just selling the house!!!!! :-) MT

Michael T

DI - it sounds like the guy with the waterlogged hull is a decent guy. One of my fellow slip mates said someone told the guy to just put his boat up for sale "buyer beware".  Apparently he said that wasn't his style. With all the nonsense happening these days I guess we shouldn't forget that here are decent people out there. MT....PS - DI.... the glass guy said you wouldn't believe how much water infiltration damage he sees in hulls. Apparently he said there three main culprits, through hull fittings, items screwed into the hulls, failure to wax and/or failure to bottom coat. Someone told hin he should add a fourth - old age. He said he sees30 year old hulls that are as good or better than factory new because they had been looked after. Makes sense?

rasbury

Howdy all! Made it back from Austin, what a world wind tour for sure...spent 4 days getting there and back for about an hr. looking over the boat!  Everything looked very good, hull is in nice shape, not all dinged up.  I talked with a surveyor, he does a lot of insurance work/expert testimony and also teaches classes in surveying and really sounded like he knows what he is talking about.  He was not a huge fan of Rinkers however...described them as low in as far as cruizers go and said don't even think about taking one off shore(which I don't anyway) as he says they are a lake and river boat.  Works for me.  Anyway, he is trying to contact the seller today to set up a water trial and to do his inspection stuff.  Assuming the survey goes well, I'll send that off to the finance company and maybe by Christmas have this beast sitting out front. Also found a suitable truck(I work at a dealership) and got that all handled last week so all I'm missing is the boat! I will follow up on the survey results and go from there.

 

regards,

Black_Diamond

Sounds good so far. I bet several people on here would disagree with the 'off-shore' comment; both from our ocean buddies and those on the great lakes. Good luck!

Michael T

Well rasbury I sure hope your "surveyor" knows more about boats than he does Rinkers, or you're in trouble. I bet he likes the cruisers that have the little chrome logos on their seats, leather dashes and claim you can run your hands in places in their hulls that are hard to access (stop laughing guys I'm trying to be serious here!) and not get a fibreglass splinter. I have owned a lot of boats including 7 Rinkers a 4Winns Liberator and a Wellcraft Emmerson Fittapaldi with twin 500s and I'd put the Rinkers up against any of them offshore. When the waves get big the Rinker hulls are built to take it and fancy chrome logos won't save you. P.S. My little "entry level" 1994 Rinker 190 that we put a beast of a 383/bravo 1 (390HP) in is still going strong. See this forum's photo gallery for The Boys Are All Back In Town. That little 190 has taken the huge torgue and acceleration from that 383 without twisting its stringers or transom - ALL these years. Speaking of that transom we burned-out two sets of brushes on a 1 3/4 HP shop drill cutting holes in it for the through hulls - the transom was that thick! That little 190 beat the cr*p our of boats 10 times more expensive, racing in chop at 70 mph (on the gps). Tell that "surveyor" if he disses Rinkers in my presence I'll shove his infared camera up where he can do his own colonoscopy. MT

raybo3

Well said Michael and I will be right there with you.....LOL

rasbury

c'mon, tell us what you really think! Hey, was just passing along a comment...everyone has opinions.  Maybe he came across one with a problem that gave him a bad opinion.  I'm still all in and trying to get the seller together with him as I hope to be floating on Christmas!  I have my truck purchased and ready to roll...sure wish I could sell my Tahoe but it's a good time to buy, not such a good time to sell....I can hack it for a few months until we get through the holidays and I'm sure it will sell. It's a real nice boat and would love to keep it but I think once we get familiar and comfortable with the Rinker, we would not use it that much anyway.  We may change a little where we boat and how often as it will be more expensive to operate but really looking forward to the challenge!

Michael T

Hey rasbury, welcome to the Rinker club. We have a lot of fun on this site and 99.9% of it isn't personal. None of my comments were directed (in any way) at you. But, I sure hate guys disrespecting Rinkers because they have put a lot of families on the water for generations with excellent boats that are a fantastic value for the money. They may not be as slick as some but I don't want slick on my boat. I want a rough and tough hull and lots of features. To me that's Rinker. We're a rough and tough bunch here just like our Rinkers. Again, welcome to Rinker boating - I am positive that you will love your Rinker! :-) MT

rasbury

Hey Mike- I absolutely did not take anything personal but just passed along a comment- I did a lot of research before selecting Rinker and settled on this brand as a good, well built dependable boat! I also looked at Bayliner and Regal as here in Fl. they are everywhere but I did not like the lay out and the way they were built- I can't wait to get one, hope the one I'm working on works out but if not I will find one somewhere for sure.  My only disappointment is these darn holidays which seem to be delaying getting the survey done so I can finalize the financing and get it down to Fl- then I'm going to really wear you guys out because I know nothing of operating a boat of this size/equipment!  I'll be boating mainly in fresh but have the inter costal (or is it intra?) on both coasts to explore and especially fond of SW Fl but have never slept overnight on a boat and have all sorts of questions on anchoring, tides etc. I will hit you up once I have a "ship" under my feet!

TikiHut2

Good luck Ras. And you're right to think that there'll be another deal if that one doesn't fly.

The 270 is a large but reasonably manageable trailer boat and great overall boat design, and it'll be an adventure worth the effort. Check out my T-day weekend pics in Rays "Thanksgiving" thread for another really nice SW Fl anchorage. It's not always out on the hook. Here's one looking down the fairway at the Ritz behind Sarasota Hyatt. Even a lowly 27'er can enjoy the upper end Hyatt amenities for the price of a dock space. Having two Rinkers in the same place down here is pretty rare. Bring it on. We'll be happy to show you the ropes(lines).

Keep us posted, Mike

rasbury

nice...where is that thread? guess I'm not real good navigating this site!

TikiHut2

At the top left part of every page near your avatar/picture just click on the HOME link and the Thanksgiving thread will currently be near the top. Otherwise on the top right side put a key word in the search box and click enter. Here's a (CLICK THIS LINK) that'll get you there this time.
Mike

rasbury

yep, found it...sweet! Slow day at work so I have been watching youtubes for boating over in the Bahamas (people jet ski over to there!) and also watching some rough weather boating or getting out of inlets in south Fl. on the east coast.  Scary stuff!  Think I'll stick with SW Fl! Some of those inlets I've read can be a bit tricky as well.....my wife likes the water like a bath tub.....not much into waves!

raybo3

Mike awesome pic. My boat has been put away for the winter for 4 weeks and I am ready to put it back in the water. It is going to be a very long winter...........

TikiHut2

Thanks, Ray. Hope the pics are an encouragement and are only meant to remind you why we all can't wait for the next season wherever we are. I don't mean to bum anybody out by posting pics during our season down here, while the snow is flying up north. I know I'm encouraged by all the pics my northern friends post when they're in high cotton during their summer season while it's broiling down here and I'm hiding out in the a/c.

Your turn is coming my friend and there'll always be a day on the water down here on our Rinker if the north wind flies you this way during the winter. Stay warm and keep those trains on time, Mike

Michael T

Hey Mike, seeing great boating pics is not a bummer, it's a motivator. I feel sad for anyone who can't enjoy another guy's victories. Thanks for the pics! That said -  I think you need to work on your co-captains though - allowing both of them to sleep at the same time? ....or is that your "miller time"? :-) MT

TikiHut2

Hey, what's a castaway supposed to do in their "TikiHut" besides eat, drink, sleep, frolic with the natives and keep a sharp eye out to avoid rescue.... . I'll post pics as we get out on the water but the holidaze tend to put a crimp in our boating.

I have a feeling if Raz gets the boat he's looking for that very little will get in the way of his boat time and we can hope for a new thread with winter boating pics to encourage the troops. Hope it works out soon. Mike

raybo3

Mike the pictures awesome. Reminds me why I keep paying for my boat when its put away for the winter.LOL.  Keep them coming bro.......

rasbury

well....

rasbury

was having issues posting on this thread but guess it's fixed...anyway, boat in TX crashed and burned and lesson learned.  The surveyor did not seem to have a good feeling about Rinker in general from comments above and when he saw this one it went south.  The seller said he had the boat wet sanded to clean it up, surveyor suspected hull repair although he did test with a meter and moisture was not as issue.  The seller should have done a better job for prep- boat had not been in the water for several months and when they tried to run it, one of the trim tabs was not working and the surveyor said he was done! He would not go back to visit it.  He also seemed to have a low opinion of the class of people in Austin Tx so I don't know if I'm missing a decent boat or blessed that I did but don't see a way to move forward so will look closer to home.  I will supposedly get some of my money back from the survey.  I will keep looking!

TikiHut2

Hang in there. Sounds like it was a challenging issue on many fronts. Hope the right one comes your way soon. Mike

Dream_Inn

there are so many other boats out there, not a huge deal.  The right one will come along.  I know just in my area there are a ton of Rinkers for sale.  If you happen to see one here you like, let me know.  I'm always willing to take a peek.