Options
I am looking at a 1991 Captiva bowrider. What do I need to ask?
tapper
Member Posts: 3 ✭
A friend of mine is selling his 1991 Captiva 206 with a 5.0 engine. What do I need to look for while I inspect it? How is it on fuel? Is it a good boat for pulling tubes/skis? Is the floor all fiberglass or is there any wood in it? My old boat has a wood floor and I have had to replace it twice. Asking $6,500 for it. Says it is in very good condition. I haven't seen it yet.
Answers
Get a survey best money you can spend the guy might even split the cost with you never hurts to ask
++ on the surveyor, a good one will check all the mechanicals, electrical and moisture checks of the hull. Regarding the 'good on fuel' comment: boats are not good on gasoline..you can expect 1-2mpg at cruise, if you are pulling skiers/tubers with all the start/stops it will be even worse.
PC BYC, Holland, MI
the deal I made, maybe you can get too- was to make offer held by broker until sea trial and survey- just to let the dude know I was serious and not pulling anything... and if I purchased boat, I paid the survey fees, if I didn't, and had in writing a discrepancy enough to warrant it, I walked away without a penny invested.
the hinge was over minor vs. major or unknown... minor were items like horn, gauges, stereo... major were engine issues, structural damages, ect...
I talked with the broker enough to build some rapport, and then drove up to inspect it myself.. I inspected the survey report, then I looked the boat over on blocks, and finally spun her around for about an hour or so... I was heading home with the boat in tow within four hours of seeing her in person.
the tach was bad, the stereo was bad, and the thermostat needed replacing...
the only thing I wish I had done, and I got off lucky- was to request an oil analysis... more can be told about an engines condition using a blackstone report than any single other thing- except maybe a compression and leak down test (which I got).
don't buy on emotion... buy on logic.. fall in love later. :-)
How do I find a surveyor in western Illinois? (Galesburg)
Buying from a friend is the toughest part imho. Boats come and go but you don't want the friendship to go because of a boat.
A surveyor will insulate you from the deal if he finds things that are bad news. Decks are an issue in any boat that age...as you've experienced. Even worse would be stringers. No boat is worth the nightmare of rebuilding it from the bones up. Engine and outdrive is a must to have a surveyor go through. Not saying your friend is hiding something, it just may turn up something he didn't know and certainly wouldn't want a buyer-friend to deal with.
Google inquiry or ask any reputable marinas who would probably have a list of a few surveyors nearby, hopefully. Good luck with that whole deal.