New owner .... sea trial ?

[ACSBaja]

Hello ... great site you have here. Ive been a lurker for a while gathering info on what boat would best fit me. Turned 35 and decided it was time to buy something ive always wanted. Finally settled on a 2004 25 Outlaw ... for a variety of reasons.

Anyways ... the boat is in, the dealer is ready to close the deal, and im wondering what I should look for during my sea trial ?

Any tips or advice on what to look for ? Or just toss it in the water and make sure it doesnt sink ? I dont think I want to hammer a 0 hour motor too much ... or do I ?

This is a big step up for me and im nervous. Previous family boats were an old 16 foot outboard, and a 25 foot sailboat. Boat will be in Oneida Lake, NY ... a 40ish mile long lake.

Alex

[bajacraig]

That Kicks A$$
Have fun
as to what to check
EVERYTHING
Take your time at look it ALL over, when your done start over.

If your dealer is not too far it may not be a big deal for the small things that will come up, for me it was $80 in gas when I found a new one.

Have fun and welcome

:party

[REHOV]

"Anyways ... the boat is in, the dealer is ready to close the deal, and im wondering what I should look for during my sea trial ?"

I also purchased a 25 Outlaw SST- My Sea Trial went by too quick. Make sure the dealer gives you sufficient time to show you all the features. Write any questions down that you intend on asking because you will probably forget them when you get there. You may be too excited to think straight.
I took my boat out a few days later (solo) and went through it carefully to make sure all options that belonged on the boat were there. You could also visit the boating store to purchase items such as bumpers and lines etc....$$$$....

Best of luck! Dont forget to bring your camera and take some pictures. I brought mine but it never made it out of the camera bag.

[kent20outlaw]

Alex,

Congrats on your purchase!

I bought my first powerboat last year... the 20 Outlaw. I still have my 25 foot sailboat. I just take out whichever boat I'm in the mood for.

As for the sea trial don't be afraid to ask questions, even if you think you'll look silly. The salesman is used to it and better to look silly at that time than when you don't have a knowledgable person around to get you out of a pickle.

Rehov mentioned lines and fenders. See if you can't work those in as perks. When I picked up my boat the dealer tossed in 4 fenders and lines, anchor+line/rode, and 4 life vests.

Good luck!

[hp500]

Hello ACSbaja
Congrats on you new Outlaw. See if you can get someone to go with you thats had a boat and knows what to look for. I have gone on sea trials with friends before that are not sure what to look for. Their is a lot of TBM owners up north that might be willing to go for a ride in your new Outlaw.
Best of Luck

[Baja340SF]

Congrats ACSBaja,

Sea Trials are a very usefull. As long as you take advantage of them and go thru your new boat looking for things wrong. If your just out for a boat ride and lose sight that this ride is to find out if there is anything wrong or anything your not sure about BEFORE you buy the boat.

Take a look while your running at the attitude of the boat. There has be acouple of complaints lately of boats listing while underway. Check to see that it is propped correctly.......that it doenst blow out upon take of but im not so sure you want to do a top end run with a 0hr motor. Make sure all the gauges work as they are supposed to. Espically the trim tabs......sometimes the electric LED gauges dont work very well. Take the boat thur its paces........run it around thru wakes........make sure things are not rattling.

Most times with a new boat there will be something little to take care of before delivery............best to find out before and not have to deal with the headach of bringing your new boat back to the dealer.

Good luck......Have fun!!

[Baja Daze]

The sea trial is your oppourtunity to thoroughly look the boat up and down, and may give you additional negotiating power, if something isn't to your liking.

There's a long list...

-Ensure proper operation of all guages and look for normal readings. Temp and oil pressure should be responsive and stay in acceptible ranges. voltage should read about 14 volts. Check to make sure oild pressure doesn't drop and temp doesn't rise too much after a few minutes of WOT operation.
-Check oil and drive lube, make sure they're clean and not "milky"
-check for any signs of corrosion around manifolds, risers, intake, heads, valve covers.
-check drive for damage, leaks
-look for hull damage, blisters, gelcoat condition(should not be chaulky)
-look in the cabin for mildew, leaks, lift the cushions, check carpet, operation and sealing of hatches
-turn on stereo, check all speakers
-check lighting in cabin, cockpit, nav lights, install the stern light and make sure it works.
-actuate the captains call while running to make sure it works if installed
-look under the bolsters and rear bench area for damage, corrosion
-actuate the bolster bottoms, make sure they're not stiff or flaking rust
-open and close the cabin sliding door, mke sure it's not jamming
-run the bilge pump
-operate steering, full left to full right and back again, feel for any tough spots and listen for any change in engine rpm
-Make sure engine runs at or near its maximum WOT rpm range.
-Operate the tabs full down and back again, verify visually for operation.
-Look for any stitching that may be loose or worn in the vinyl, check for dryness or cracking.
-quiz the owner on what kind of oil is in the engine, what gear lube he is using, how frequently it should be changes, you should like his answers.
-Check the cockpit cover and snaps
-Pop-up all the cleats if they have pop-ups.
-check the anodes for condition
-Look for any chalky, white residue on the drive top cap(this would indicate excessive heat)
-When throttling up to get on plane, look back and check the exhaust stream, there should not be excessive steam. Both left and right exhaust should looks the same.
-Look at the transom, check for any rusty looking discharge at the swim platform through bolts and trim tab through bolts...this would indicate a leak and possible core damage.
-check the bilge for oil
-check the flooring around the bolsters, beware of any stress cracks near the seat mounts, this is a weak point


That's all I can think of for now. :tiphat

[haulinvols]

Hard to add to this list, congrats on your impending purchase. I am sure you will love every second of it. Just remember, you are the most important person at the time of purchase. Take the time you need to look over the boat, and do not let the salesman push you along. You will be excited, not a problem with this, just do not loose site of the objective. Good luck and have fun.

[ACSBaja]

Thanks for all the tips.

They are already including lines, anchor, 4 vests, and some other small stuff. Im going to try talking them into giving me the 2nd battery and switch setup for free, or at least giving me free labor on install. I dont have a lot of bargaining room since they are selling it to me for less than what ive seen used boats listed for.

The dealer is about an hour drive away for me, which isnt bad. About 40 minutes from the marina where I will keep the boat (on trailer). Its one of the reasons I liked the Baja.

I tried to buy as big as my budget would allow. I could have bought something bigger, but older, for the same money, but that would have left me in a bind if I had to replace a drive or similiar big dollar item. Im hoping by buying new I can get several years without any huge repair bills. Plus, I wasnt sure how much more operating costs would be on a boat with twins.

Its amazing how much 2nd guessing you do about decisions like this ...

A.

[BDannecker]

Welcome and great choice in boats.

Quote: "Its amazing how much 2nd guessing you do about decisions like this ..."

That's just the beginning. ;)

Enjoy it,
Bruce...

[Baja Daze]

It get worse, once you actually have it. ;)

[Pointerman1967]

Congratulations and welcome to the Baja family. Very helpful group of folks here on this board. Please come back and visit often.

[saleen367]

OMG ... just wait ... the 2nd guessing will really begin when you get it home.

cleaning
wax
oil
trailering
accessories
anchors
lines
fuel
etc.
etc.
etc.

The list goes on forever.

Hope you're not a woman or you may never get on the water. LOL
:thatsfunny :thatsfunny :thatsfunny :thatsfunny :thatsfunny

[firehill19]

Welcome Alex. With the price of gas, do they still give you the first fillup "free"? Keith