Most Important Things To Look For When Buying An Old Big Boat
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- These are the main things I have found that you really want to be aware of when looking to purchase and old big boat. This comes from my experience buying and fixing up an old 34' houseboat, 26' pocket cruiser sailboat, and our current 1973 34' trawler "Neverland". To some the whole video up you want to look for rot, leaks, and engine health. You can check out some of the work I did on my old sailboat "Tula" here • A Chuck Paine designed... or here tulasendlesssum...
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Excellent overview on what to look out for. Black smoke could be a bad injector, something to look out for.
Some of the problems you found on your boat usually scare the heck out of new buyers, but if you get the boat at a good price those things will never sink you ! You can wait on fixing them or just let them be.
Do a video on what to keep for spare parts and tools when sailing. I can't believe the number of people that go offshore without anything in the way of spares and the tools and knowledge to change them !
Ron & Liv
Thanks for the advice Ron! I'm still thinking about what I ACTUALLY need on board for tools. I know I have pretty much everything but maybe too much. But I will start thinking about what is actually necessary especially in the way of spares. I think a lot of that depends on how handy one is.
Two problem areas that come up a lot with older trawlers are the teak decks, which should be renamed "leak" decks. To fix them you have to pull the wood out, lay in new fiberglass matt and lots of resin. The other problem is iron tanks,especially fuel tanks. If they ever start leaking you will have a huge job cutting them up and putting new tanks in.
Great advice! We love our Transworld Fantail 50 trawler. She is 27 years old, built like a battleship and in great shape. Older boats seem to be built better. I have been to the boat shows and the new production boat builders have figured out how LITTLE they can get away with in materials in construction. It's disconcerting when you can flex the hull of a brand new good sized boat just by pushing on it!
Thank you for this video !!
I am recently retired, and me and my wife are spirit carbon copies of you and Sierra, except we are about 20 years older, LOL.
We are ramping up to buy a older motor cruiser and hit the Bahama waters to have our second childhood.....appreiciate the info. SUBSCRIBED !!!!
This is a great walkthrough. When we bought our 1979 Albin trawler, we spent a few hours going through everything we could find. There were soft spots on the deck and the wood outside needed a lot of TLC and the electric is a bowl of spaghetti, but the engine, generator, and plumbing were solid and well-maintained.
Did you guys fix the soft spots on the deck and the electrical?
Hello, from Morro Bay California, We found your vids strictly by mistake, but are so happy we did. We will be retired as of June 2018 and have been researching living on a boat for a couple years now. We decided on a Trawler not a sailboat b/c we like the room. The one that is in the running so far is 1978 ( it's a Marine Trader Tri-Cabin 44' ) and in Immaculate condit. Thanks for all the tips and videos. All of it has helped. Keep up the good work and stay safe. See you soon Bob and Lisa Hope. PS Hi Jetts
Pay the money to get a thorough survey of any boat you plan to buy. Money well spent.
Not most surveys aren’t worth squat do it yourself
With diesel engines. You check if black smoke is coming out of the dip stick. That'll tell you if the engine rings are bad.
a good idea when viewing a boat for first time, if able too, show up real early and stay out of view and watch what the owner does when they first arrive...pay attention to those areas because chances are they are problem areas
Definitely some good advice!
and check the break pads. always check the break pads and emergency break
Tula's Endless Summer ok u got me. I'm subscribing. this is the 3rd vid I've watched. I'm 50 and going to retire soon. good vids. keep it up I'll keep learning. Good Luck
Great help! looking forward to purchasing my first boat and giving it a shot! This video was helpful
i am much much older and do lot live on the cost but hope some day when i retire that i get to spend at least a month a year on salt water as yall do and you both are a great inspiration
We hope you do to! We all need that vitamin sea!
Hallelujah praise GOD I’m saved and going home
I know this video is years old, but thanks for sharing the advice!
great channel, can't wait to get there (S. Fla) living here in the mountains of eastern WA. 4 ft. of snow, lows around -23 C --40 C windchill... sucks ass :(.
The good news is that my son graduates high school this year and then we're on our way to south florida to buy a sailboat &, who knows?? have a good time anyway!! I may yet look you up for a recommendation for a kite-boarding instructor as that looks like a ton of fun & I plan on spending at least a decade or 3 in the tropics from here on.
Love your videos, thanks for the inspiration!!
Very good information really important to check the engine to make sure it's cold only thing I add is let someone else run the boat go to the sturn and walk around feel for vibration . open up the engine hatch look at the shaft log pay close attention to the hose and look for any wobbling . A larger vessel like this when do a couple walkthroughs
What would you say are the "must have" tools on your boat for general maintenance and unexpected repairs?
Having owned over a hundred boats I've certainly made too many bad decisions and mistakes to count. I think a couple of other major things are the stringers and the transom. Soft floors are easy, rotted stringers are a BIG BIG deal. I would also pull a compression test on the motor as well. Unless you have a lot of mechanical experience, I would have a survey done on the boat. I've never paid for one but if I had, I would likely not have bought a few of the boats I've owned. As you said Billy, the things you pointed out are basic but frequently overlooked. Oh one other thing.....Assume that everybody is lying to you and make your decision based on your own assessment, not what the owner tells you. I even had a boat company that worked on one of the boats I bought lie with the owner about the stringers. He came clean after I bought the boat and had to replace them.
Yes, stringers are a HUGE one! I should have went over that. Do you have any recommendations on inspecting stringers?
Tula's Endless Summer Look for bulging which indicates the wood is saturated. Sound them with a plastic hammer like you would a deck or cabintop. look for staining where fasteners enter the stringer. This may also indicate saturated wood without bulging, as the moisture has an escape route. This is especially important to check in way of engine mounts, as one sometimes ascribes this stain to a previous engine or reverse gear leak. Moisture meters can also be helpful and are not really that expensive. Don't, however trust them implicitly, as they don't find dry layups or delams that are due to poor work, not moisture, or that have dried after being wet.
Yep, just bought a Sea Ray with some stringer rot...and I would consider myself very knowledgeable about boats and engines. The tap test works well. Also, drilling core samples confirms it.
What is a stringer?
The stringer is the support system for the boat. They typically tie to the transom and floor and go most of the length of the boat. Most boats have at least two and sometimes 4. The floor is then attached to the stringers which are 2x6 hard wood encased in fiberglass. Most of the newer boats use a fiberglass stinger with a foam core. Once the stringer is penetrated with water there is a risk for rot and the whole integrity of the boat is at risk.
You guys are great ,, love the extensive footage of your trip through the Bahamas , we hit Bimini at least a couple of times during the summer and love diving south cat key and eventually would love to go farther out given more time👍👍⚓️⚓️
Awesome! Thanks for watching! Where'd you dive off S. Cat Key???
We usually drift dive the wall just south of tuna alley maybe 3-5 miles south of the cut between Gun cay and north cat cay,, Tuna alley is also a great reef dive although a little to deep for free diving but absolutely spectacular! 👍. Are you both planning any more trips back to the Bahamas ?
Thank you that was great help for us. We are shopping for a trawler To live aboard and cruise!
Go down into the bilge and check the ribs and all the woodwork most wooden boats rot from the inside out. Check the condition of the bilges it is an indication of the previous owners
Thanks for all the great information. A boat may be in my future. Again, Thank You,
Great advice. Thanks. I've just started the buying process of a 43 Cheoy Lee so very helpful.
Glad it helped! Let us know how the purchase goes and what the boat is like!
Pig trying to surf, I almost lost it😅
They love almonds!
Good points, nice video !!
had a 12m motor yacht for 20 years, some extra tests (as much as you can do them)
- guess you did not mention an extensive test drive, where you go trough all scenarios - anchor winch, autopilot, window wipers, extra power generator are often a problem
- try to cross some bigger waves while the test drive at high speed and listen to noises of the boat in the cabin - if the inner walls are tweaked a lot, the hull might not be stable enough anymore
- heavy sprinkle the window areas to see if they are leaking
- if the boat is on a dry dock - look for osmosis - press on any soft spot and see if acid is pressed out - bigger soft spots are a serious problem
- engine: check for corrosion / leaking in the sea water cooling system
Lots of good information
Hi, Love your spirit and information. You said you bought a fixer upper houseboat for your first boat. I am looking into that as well, a 55' 1973 KC, Can you share any other info about your trial and tributes, did you replace: flooring, wiring, walls, etc. this will be a total gut job and wondering how much for the primary working parts. I did not know about the fiberglass being thicker in the 70's, that comforting to know. I am 55 and ready to retire on the water.
Hi Guys, Love your series, I'm looking for my own liveaboard. Two questions - when you get some time, how do you go keeping your dog on board, I would love to, but wasn't sure how they would go, smells etc plus mine would be on board alone at times. Question two - do you have friends stay over and how does that go for privacy. OK three questions what's the minimum you'd start with being functional on board, the bargains are the half finished project conversions. Thanks for taking the time to make and post your vids they're mighty useful.
Hey Gary,
Thanks for watching and thanks for all the questions.
I would say for the dog, we just try to keep her super clean, dry her off and make sure she is sand free BEFORE she goes inside. She actually LOVES being dried off. She is really good about NEVER going to the bathroom on board which helps but we actually wished she would go on deck on our longer cruises. We make sure it is going to be cool enough for her for the day with windows open and fans on and that the boat is safe with solid holding, minimum electric on, and we try to leave her for as little time as possible at once.
We do have friends stay over once in a while and we are still young and don't care if we sleep on each others couches and thing so privacy is not a huge deal but the way our boat is set up at the moment we don't really get maximum privacy. The way it was originally set up (head in each cabin etc.) and the way most trawlers are set up seems like plenty of privacy.
Yes, the bargains are definitely the ones that need work. I would say you could probably find a complete livable one with almost no work to be done (at the time of sale) for 20k. Bargains that are still liveable maybe 15k-18k but "live-able" is a relative term...
Definitely let me know if you have any other questions!
Check all valves under the water line in the boat are made from brass and working well(Opening and closing well.
Good video and love the new intro!
Thank you! We are glad you like it!
Great video... thanks for sharing.
That ford engine was also available with propane in forklifts.
+Jimmy Grant it ran off propane?!?
Tula's Endless Summer basically the same engine just a different fuel type might be slightly different but for the most part the same except built for propane as a lot of forklifts are.
Jimmy Grant Wow! Would that run cleaner, less noisy, less expensive, more mileage and obviously less weight on fuel, right?
Yes to all those! you can even run your car on propane. it also doesnt burn and cause a smell
thanks for the info, i rly want to buy my own boat but im afraid that i cant handle it by myself. And im into sailing boats.
Just start small, take it slow, and always have someone on board "just in case" until you feel super confident. (everyone loves a free boat ride)
steering, auto pilot if applicable, wiring harness, remove, regrease and replace all thru hulls, engine compression tests....
Boats are complex creatures.. Unless you're a shipright, have a proper survey done!
Thank you sir. I was born in Florida and the one episode where you had love bugs on the boat before you said what it was I started laughing because I was there before those bastards came and after they came and we could hardly see the paint on the front of a car! I knew you were gonna say luvbugs‼️Oh how I hated them and the cooking blanket of them sizzling on the radiator Ish they stink‼️ I actually lived on a 75 ft yacht previously owned by a mafia member who had been murdered on the boat! There were some strange happenings at times on her that's for sure‼️‼️
Useful advice, thanks
Glad it helps, thanks for watching!
Great video thanks mate
Check the right alternator is in the boat. Also check your getting 14.5 volts at the alternator. I usually find too small an alternator on these boats. Meaning when you accelerate the engine bogs down or the engine turns off especially at night when you have wipers and lights and every thing on! Usually the minimum size alternator i would put on the boat is 90 watt. Diesel engines don't require as large an alternator as a petrol unless you have electronic fool injection(Stupid to have on a boat).
White smoke means the valves are not sealing well. Take out the spark plugs and see if the spark plugs a steam cleaned on a petrol engine. Check if the oil is white. That indicates a burnt head gasket! Very hard to tell a cracked head on a boat letting water into the combustion chamber.
Very nice. Would love some systems review, like h2o, nav equip/apps, anchor types?
All good stuff.
Thanks for the info...
Nice video!
Thanks Tom!
One thing that freaks me out a bit are the diesel engines for these boats - most of us gearheads primarily work with gasoline engines, so if something went wrong I'm not sure I'd know where to start. Are these tough to work on compared to motorcycle/car engines? Do you have some kind of "Haynes Manual for Ford Lehman Marine Diesel Engines" that helps you out? Really thinking about the trawler lifestyle in the not so distant future, but I'm worried my mechanical skills won't transfer well.
Joel Deutscher oddly enough Diesel engines (old ones) are a lot simpler than gas engines, basic maintenance is stuff you can absolutely do on your own.
Yes, soooo much simpler I think, especially the older ones. And the fumes aren't as bad either...
very interesting
always see the boat out of the water and in.
B.O.A.T *BRING *ON *ANOTHER *THOUSAND 🥴
ty good job
Hey Brutha. I'm just curious what do you know exactly about the actual condition of the Oceans say east coast and Gulf coast ? And what do you actually know about the Oceans north of Maine..?
Can a boat (like a cabin cruiser) from a lake be used in the ocean?
Hi mate, It depends if the engine is fresh water cooled, if it is the salt water from the ocean will corrode the intake of the engine,
I think that I can see what Mike meant in his reply but I also think that the question was not quite clear. IMO there is a lot more to this answer but it would detract from the general video to elaborate too much. I believe however that the answer is “Yes”. Cheers.
1st) no disrespect- your girl is beautiful. Your a lucky dude. 2nd)I know you guys work seasonal, how many days out of the year do you think you work? 3rd) did you guys cross any oceans in the trowler? I know you crossed the golf in the catamaran
FYI: The older boats (mainly Twain Turkeys) were not overbuilt with to much fiberglass but to much resin! On the plus, you never hear about them having gelcoat blisters but on the negative it made the hulls very brittle! (I know, everybody thinks they're an expert,sorry)
how do you find a spot with out paying to drop anchor. is it legal or do you need to hide out from the cops or who?
It depends on the county you are in. A lot of places are free to anchor anywhere outside a marked channel. Active Captain is a great resource website to find good anchorages.
If you have more info on plumbing and electric, especially how much your frig uses, hours running, were trying to figure out conversion so as what to use for the frig and stove. are they electric or propane, Basic stuff. We dont use much. we already have lived smaller and smaller. Any info and/or website to visit would be of great help. Bob and Lisa
Oil in your heat exchanger. Viscosity meter to check the oil.. milky oil. Charging system. Obvious belts hoses. Do you gave an epirn
Epirb
You got it backwards. Blue smoke is oil getting past worn out rings, and white smoke is water getting past a damaged head gasket. Either one of those is a big repair job and expensive if you have to pay somebody to do it. Parts for the headgasket repair are not expensive, so if you want to spend a day or two replacing the headgasket on your own, and you have tools and the skills to do it, then it will not cost that much. You will want to take the heads to a shop to have them cut before you install them again.
are you open share what you paid for boat when you got it, not the cost of repairs thanks
Wow--I'd hate to have to pull that engine out to overhaul the thing. Are you able to remove any other floor panels?
Was that mel fischers ole boat?? First one shown?
my gas tank was bad when I bought my boat
I have only owned two boats in my life and both were out boards. I have had survey dones on both of my previous purchases. I have iliminated possible candidates due to high engine hours. Am making a mistake but putting too much focus on engine hours?
Tulio! How ya been brother?!? I think if you have a choice and can pick the ones with less engine hours you are definitely better off, especially on gas outboards.
Had to rewind twice to make sure that was in fact a pig in the water behind the lady
The cabin with the two berths. The side with a single berth. Any way to convert that to bunks with two singles? Is there enough room? Trying to imagine if there is enough room for two kids with one lofted with parents on the opposite side in the same cabin. For young kids not trustable to be at opposite ends of the boat from me. :-)
I'd say there is probably enough room for small kids but the top bunk would be right next to the window. Prob not a big deal, and you could prob put it on hinges so you cold fold it up when not in use.
I am one of those guys that built those from boats in the 1960 ( FRP was started in the late 1930's). There was very little fiberglass products to buy back then. Heavy 24oz. ,18oz. roving and mat was about all we had. Polyester was very crued in those days.
You forgot to tell people to use a small knife and hammer to inspect FRP and woods. Or maybe just shut up till you know what your talking about.
Is your trawler a CHB?
see if it has a title
All wiring on the boat is covered with tin, That makes wiring very expensive to buy and repair.
Tinned electrical wiring is critical on a boat to avoid corrosion etc but I don’t consider it very expensive.
Yeah only about $500 for that boat for the whole of the wiring. Its the labor to pay someone if you can't do it yourself that will run $10-$15k (actual estimates from electricians for my 34ft Marine Trader). Love the marine grade wiring and connectors. Honestly going to switch to using it on my classic car too.
what do you give for her? shes a beaut!
we all know what boat stands for boost up another thousand yo yo
Do you have a vid explaining the specs of your boat - year, model, length, engine size , fuel burn rate, etc? Looking for a used looper boat and trying to find a trawler that won't kill me in fuel.
Engine displacement is a big factor in fuel consumption. The other factor is speed. Faster you go, the more she burns.
should be about 3mpg for that boat at 7knts.
Live little whaler you have. I own a 13 ft whaler and it's the only boat I need. No need for a big boat
Tula’s. Good video man. But when you were saying what the different colors of smoke indicates you are not 100% correct. Do some research.
What would you say is not correct?
6
Hey tula’s
Dark black = burning rich. Burning too much fuel.
White = #1 raw fuel. Not burning it.
#2 water in combustion chambers.
It’s not really normal to have a large puff of smoke upon cold start from an engine that’s in really good condition.
I have many diesels and this is my experience over approx 30 yrs.
Thanks
Mark.
Normally an injector problem
I have same boat (1985 model) but I have been told that those motors are bullet proof. I hope so. 😃
All boats should have a TULA , an other considerations pale in comparison !
Tula is the name of his old sailboat before he bought the trawler that is named "Neverland"
Is it racist I knew they were white before I saw there faces?
Their*
Awesome Vid! ⚓ I really appreciate the tips & heads ups!!!! 🚤🛥️🚢🛶⛴️⛵🛳️
What are those 135 Lehman Fords
Hallelujah praise GOD I’m saved and going home