When You're Buying A Boat...
 

I fully support the idea of learning all you can about an item that is for sale regarding engines, running gear, drives, condition of fuel tank, etc..

But just curious why someone would care about how many hours are on a hull vs. the powertrain that is in it??

If well cared for, a boat hull could outlast 3 humans or more.

just more info maybe, bargaining chip or something. I agree though hull hours really doesnt mean much. Well built hull will out last many many engines and operators. . .

how long it's been in the water. high hour boats are generally by water! that in its self does strange things! a boat stored around lake havasu vs. great lakes (even upper and lower) vs miami will all be different. let alone 3 feet above the water source in a lift.
condition of fuel tanks.
rigging.
wiring.
stringer condition.
just had the opportunity to see first hand repairing a race boats, pleasure offshore boats, and doing refits on yachts that all looked great where one could see.

But you're talking mostly storage. Running hours on a hull is a useless number.

For instance, transom rot has nothing to do with how it was used or ran. It has mostly to do with low quality workmanship either with thru-hull fittings or build.

stress cracks tend to appear with hull time.

knowing about all the rigging would matter to me too. you could have zero hours on the engine but 10,000 on the hull including the trim tab pumps, trim pumps, cables, etc. That certainly makes a difference.

Also stringer issues, etc. tend to come from use. If a boat hull has low hours and stored indoors the likelihood of major structural issues is less than a boat with a ton of hours stored outside.

Seems to me hull hours would be measured in years (time since the boat was built). If you balance that against how many hours on the engine, you would be able to make a decent assumption (assuming all is normal and the boat was not used for jumping over cuddly animals on rafts or anything) as to the condition of the rest of the hull. A boat made in 1986 with 200 hours obviously sees a lot less abuse than a 2000 model with 400 hours. Of course nothing is quite a reliable as a complete run through on the boat itself, in person.

Do you care about mileage on a car when you`re buying one?
Hell yeah. On a boat the more hours it sat in the sun, water etc is going to tell you how "used" it is and whats going to be needed to be replaced.

I would almost HATE to know how many hours are on my hull!

Its had 5 different motor combinations on it, 3 complete redos and was an ex raceboat.. And not a thing wrong with the hull..

No, I am saying that boats with high hours on them; are for the most part stored very close to the water. If not in a hoist over it...If not in the water. Now where is that water located?

AND i have seen rot in the best of manufactures. boats that cost millions and millions and have people paid hundreds of thousands to take care of them. Hours on a boat=history...the most history the greater of chance something has happened in its history that you would not want.

I think hull hours are REAL important, the more I have ran my boat in last 10 years thre more stuff has fallen apart on it and had to be put back together, obviously the more times screws are put in holes, fibreglass is fixed, stuff re-reigged eventually stuff becomes stressed/wore out. Its definately different than a car BUT if I was selling you a pick up truck that had 600,000 miles on it BUT the transmission and engine were new 2 years/80,000 miles ago wouldn't you be alarmed or looking for one with less time and hours on it??? do you think the body panels and frame on a truck thats hit 600,000 bumps in the road would be more fatigued than one thats hit 60,000 bumps, Smitty