Used Boat Inspection Guide

Buying a pre-owned boat is a great way to save money on your purchase. However, not all used boats are in the best condition, whether due to an accident or simply negligent maintenance on the part of previous owners. Luckily, a thorough inspection will usually be enough to catch potential problems before they crop up. This guide from the experts at The Harbor can provide a basic outline of how to inspect your used boat.

Examine the Used Boat's Exterior

Start your inspection by taking a look at the exterior. Any cracks you find that are two inches or longer may represent a future threat to the used boat’s hull integrity. If there are a lot of scratches, even if none of them is longer than two inches, that might indicate that previous owners were careless about how they treated the boat. In addition to scratches, be on the lookout for signs of corrosion as well.

Check the Oil and Fuel

Next, check the used boat’s oil. If the oil is milky, that means that water managed to find its way into the engine at some point. If the oil instead feels gritty when you touch it, then it is full of metal shavings, meaning that the engine’s parts have started to rub or grind against each other. Check the fuel as well. If the fuel smells rotten, that is a bad sign. 

Look for Mildew, Rot, and Rust

Rust and mildew usually aren’t that serious on their own. However, given how easy rust and mildew usually are to deal with, their presence in a used vessel often indicates a lack of proper maintenance. Some irresponsible boat owners only address visible issues while letting less obvious problems get worse, so be sure to check hard-to-reach nooks and crannies as a part of your inspection.

Test the Electronic Equipment

A boat’s electronics are important to keeping the watercraft functional and tend to be expensive to replace. That’s why you should always test the electronics when you inspect a used vessel. 

Shop used boats at The Harbor in Branson, Missouri. We’re proud to serve communities like Springfield and Kansas City, Missouri. We also offer boat parts, servicing, and financing.