Need advice on first Fountain purchase!
 

Hey everyone! I'm a new member here and looking at purchasing a 1996 38 Sport Cruiser. Here is the link: http://www.captainscovemarine.com/Pa...ser-38-SC.aspx

I've looked it over top and bottom and it is pretty clean. Definitely has some minor cosmetic issues but I'm not very familiar with Fountains (or large power boats in general) and would love some advice on things to look for with this combination. It has Mercruiser 502's with Bravo 1 drives. It doesn't have the silent choice exhaust as advertised. It has 374 hours on it.

Lastly, this combination is listed in the NADA guide for ~60. The guy was very forthcoming about entertaining all offers so advice of a fair offer would be helpful as well. It includes a 2009 Seahawk Tri-Axle trailer with brakes. Apparently this dealer got it in a bank repo.

I'm in Cincinnati, OH and would be keeping it on the river. They unfortunately don't have the entire boat history but have been over it and don't believe it's ever been in salt water.

Thanks a million in advance!

Appears to be a sound boat but whatever deal you workout make sure you get compensated for some vinyl that's a little less of an eye soar

Courious to see how this thing tow's there's a lot of weight rear of the back axle, good luck :ernaehrung004:

Buddy's old boat, he never had problems towing it.... Wasn't a repo, he just sold it @ an auction & it sold for WAY less than that asking price, somewhere around half!! Runs low 60's, went thru a drive or 2. Whatever you do, don't take that wrap off unless your ready to put on another or paint it. Because the paint job under it is UGLY!!!

Thank you for that information! I was hoping there might be a link to the previous owner here. The wrap is OK but I would probably repaint it completely. It needs a little TLC though I actually like the green, yellow, orange combo, but just that's me. Any chance you can shoot me a name and e-mail address or phone number for your friend or do you have any other information on it? Was he the only owner? I don't mean to bombard you but I would appreciate it. I wouldn't mind if you could find out exactly what it sold for also. I'm assuming it was bought at the auction by Captain's Cove.

I have a '97 Fountain 47' Sport Cruiser which is essentially this same setup with a bigger cabin and triples. I love the boat and it is the closest to a hybrid of a performance boat and a cruiser you will find. Condition is the most important factor in boats of this vintage. If it has been maintained well and has no mechanical or cosmetic problems, it may be worth it, but if not, it will quickly become a money pit.

Yeah, that is the one thing I'm most concerned with... It seems mechanically sound but there are some definite cosmetic issues I can see leading me down that path. When I see some of the other smaller fountains up for sale that look to be in absolute gorgeous shape selling for a lot less than this one, I really start to reconsider dealing on it. It's just this is siting literally 2 miles from my house and I'd dock it at the marina right across the street. Eh, I'll be keeping an eye out for all possible deals. My goal is to have one ready to roll for next season. So anyone selling, let me know!

Thanks.

I wouldn't loose too much sleep over the cosmetics. If that's all that's wrong, that's fairly easy to fix. But something to consider... If the owner(s) didn't keep up with the cosmetics... did they put that same effort into the preventive maintenance of the engines and drives?

If you get serious about the purchase of any boat, don't even consider making an offer until you get the boat totally surveyed. An in-the-water test is not enough! It may cost you $500 to $1000 or so for a complete survey, but it's money well spent! It's much better to spend a bit on inspection fees, and if necessary walk away from the deal, than to buy the boat and find out after the sale it is going to cost you more to fix the boat than it's worth. Plus a survey will assist you in negotiating the price (or have the owner fix certain items).

You may find that some surveyors will provide a good general inspection, but may not be able to (or willing to) provide an in depth inspection on the engine & drives.

Prior to the purchase of my 38EC I hired a surveyor to check all the general systems and condition of the boat's hull. Next I hired a 2nd surveyor/mechanic that specialized engines and out drives to check these items. Items such as cylinder compression and leak-down tests, checking the out drive fluid for metal chips, checking for leaks in hydraulic system, and several other checks should be done, Finally, ensure you receive a detailed inspection report all on items.

Considering the age of this boat, ensure your inspector does a hull density check. This will provide you with information on whether the wooden stringers are solid or rotten. Of course the stringers are covered in fiberglass, so you won't be able to see rot just by looking into the engine compartment. The surveyor uses a specialized instrument for this check.

A good boat surveyor will check every system the boat (and trailer) and you'll know where you stand before making an offer.

NADA is a good starting point for price negotiation.

If I can answer any other questions, PM me via OSO.

Good luck.

That's some great advice. Much appreciated!

Ndustri I sent you a pm