50/50 depends on where/whom your buying from, etc. I've bought boats used/new with sea trial and without. Only boat I was burned on was a jet boat that came from salt. I ended up having to replace cooling system and rewire the entire electrical system. I then sold after a yr to move up in size. I told the guy buying it was turnkey and if had any issues that i didn't know about but should have, I'd make it right. Never heard back from him

From the opposite perspective. I had my Checkmate for sale. Guy from Florida called and asked about it. Told him everything about it, good and bad. He said thanks and he would call me back soon. Didn't hear from him for a month and had written him off and then out of the blue he called and said he would buy it. I asked if he wanted to come to Texas for a sea trial. He said "No, by talking to you I feel I can trust you". I was stunned. I would never buy one without testing it first, but that's just me. Anyway, I kept asking him, even begging him to come see it and take a test ride. Still he declined. I even told him that I didn't feel comfortable selling the boat to him that way and almost refused to sell it. I told him that I would rather him come see it and ride in it first. Still he refused, but still wanted to buy the boat. I finally told him that if we did the deal, I didn't want any repercussions if he got it to Fl and it wasn't what I said it was. No calling and griping about this or that when he got it. He was buying it as is, period. He said no problem. Did the deal, easy and quick. Helped him arrange transportation and said goodbye to the Checkmate. Boat arrived in Fl and new owner was extremely happy. It's been over a year and he and his wife still love the boat. We have become friends and talk on a regular basis.

That was a great and painless deal for me, but I always want a sea trial. I flew to Arizona to sea trial my new boat. After the trial, treated the owners to mexican food and margaritas. Got a little tanked up and bought it right in the restaurant. To me, a sea trial just lends confidence to my decision to buy or not.

went with my buddy to look at boat for him in dec last year.we had a game plan, offer him an amount depending on sea trail.after looking at boat for 30 mins he tells the guy he will take it.pays more then he should with no trailer.i was pissed that he wanted me to come ,4 months later takes shrink rap off.boat is faded to ****, motor doesnt run ,half the gauges work, windless doesnt work.$3000 worth of motor work uses it for 1 season spends $28000 on new250 etec, now hes having it painted. fkn dope. 20k boat is now a 55k boat but worth 25k.

LMAO! That's hilarious.

Just a side note guy that tried to rip me off came from oso and he sounded trustworthy. As soon as it turned to money his toned changed 180 degrees. This happen 10 plus years ago and forever changed how i buy toys.

I recently went to look at a boat for myself (a second boat for my place in Havasu) I did my own leak down, compression, hull checks, rigging and wiring inspections, gauges etc. Talking to the owner throughout the process, and feeling out his ability to come up with answers to questions that I already knew the answers! he was nice enough guy but was intentionally telling me small lies to a few of my questions. I asked him if he flushed the engine after every use and of course he said YES. we hooked up the hose and what came out the dumps was horrible!! NOTE TO SELF another non-truth, engines ran good drives seemed fine, I had a stethoscope on each drive. next came the sea trial, well he came up with a number of reasons why we couldn't do that, maybe you guys have heard a few, low on fuel( ( said I will put in the fuel) weather conditions are fading ( not really and you can watch me from shore). So being it was a boat I can wait on to get I told him no deal until sea test. I said call me when we can dunk it and get the hull wet and engines warm. no call back, could I have bought it without a water test? sure but why?

Hard to say the last two Boats i bought had neither drives nor power .
Rick G.

Bought via internet, no survey but flew out and did sea trial, everything worked

Did a ride and drive out Redhead Yadht Club cove in 99' when it was Yacht club Maina. We made the deal at the boat show and drove straight to the lake. They dunk it and off we go. It was 6 degrees and frankly, I had zero idea what I was looking for. We stayed hunkered behind the windshield and dash and our driver was breaking ice on the way out. Got to th channel and said, "that's enough. Kill it. If it gets us back, I'll buy it".

I would have saved a lot of coin if I had sea trialed. First ride out , looked like a murder scene in the bilge... oil everywhere. That was just the beginning.
Never again