SC288

Doing deals during the winter time when a test drive cannot be done is very risky....I know as I did a deal with what I thought was a reputable dealer in Illinois....what a joke! For my comfort level we ran the engines on the hose and I did all of the checks I could do myself to where I felt comfortable. We also wrote up a contract with which the dealer guaranteed that the boat was going to run and perform to my expectations....what a joke! I personally would not put any money down on a boat or purchase a boat without a test drive from now on!

Powerquest230

Smoker,

Do you have the option of working out a price to purchase the boat "as is" and installing the engine yourself. Then you would know what and how everything is put back together, you could have a survey done to make sure no other surprises and skip the water test. Just a thought from the peanut gallery.
Good luck,
Rick

jbraun2828

I purchased my boat without a test ride. We ran motors on the hose then re-winterized for the drive home. Probably not the smartest move I ever made but well find out this spring. My reasoning was that the boat would not make it until spring at the price you could get it for. The boat was exactly what I wanted and I didn't want to take chance of losing out on it. I also sold my old boat without new owner driving it or even running the motors but I did sign a contract saying it would run and operate which I know it will so I wasn't concerned. I think its the chance you take buying during winter in cold weather states, but I think prices are better during this time.

ajrdonzi18

Some brave souls on this thread. Personally, I would never buy anything, in this case a high perf boat, without thoroughly checking it out, research, sea trial, etc. Thats like marrying some chick without even knowing her last name; once in a while you luck out, but usually, you get hosed!!!!

Mastercraft240

I purchased my boat without a test ride as well. Joey Impresscia and I checked it out, started it on the hose, checked with moisture meter, put it into gears and off we went. In the past couple years, there's an abundance of information on a specific boat. You can usually get the full history of the boat your looking at just from going through a members post history. Make a topic about the boat and you have five people giving you the low down.

smoker62

Search all threads started by poster....Hmmm . You are correct, you can find many things this way.

BY U BOY

Bought mine without a test ride or even running it on the hose took it straight to the river went for a ride then made the 4 hour ride back.

ElimiNordic

I just bought a boat and the seller offered to take it to a warmer climate to test if I wanted. As it turned out, we bundled up in layers and took the coldest boat ride in my life down the Columbia River until ice formed in my nose hairs. Of course, this would never work if the engine was out. But that is not buying a boat, rather buying a project. Why is the engine out? You can actually have a boat shipped to a warmer climate pretty cheap if you want to feel comfortable before you commit. I guess it depends how much the boat costs as to whether this is affordable. Good luck finding that deal. I shopped for quite a while and it seems like there are a number of motivated sellers out there now.

Shallow Minded

I bought mine in mid-December two years ago from a well-known dealer in Wisconsin. I had a survey completed and listened to it on the hose. Since there was two feet of snow on the ground, they stored it for me until the lake thawed and we could go for a water test. If something hadn't checked out, they were going to make it right for me. Granted, I was making payments on a boat for four months that was eight hours away, but it worked out in the end.

If the boat is truly what the seller says it is, then they should be fine making it contingent upon a sea trial. Good luck!

f_inscreenname

I do have a boat for sale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBzcr...layer_embedded) and I'm sorry to say but that's just how I feel. First come first serve. Specially being its not been much above freezing for the last 3 months around here. There is no way I'm going to de-winterize it and de-store it just for a ride then spend the time and money winterizing and storing it again before it freezes up in a couple hours. Not to mention the ice at the boat ramp.
I'm not pressed to sell it anyway.