Buying a used, single owner, 2014 Stratos with a 115 Envinrude E-Tec. Motor still has 4 years of warranty on it and I believe the hull also has a warranty, all are transferable. My friend says that since the boat is so new and under warranty having a dealership inspect the boat before buying it isn't that big of a deal if the boat looks like it was taken care of. This boat appears to have been taken great care of and the motor looks brand new. It appears to be a case of bought the boat and had to work all the time to pay it off and thus didn't use it much. It was always stored in a garage. Apparently the motor has never been touched, not even the lower unit oil changed in 3 years because with E-Tecs the first 3 years you do no maintenance. I couldn't believe that but did some research and found out that it was true. This year is the first year that it should be serviced. 

I still want to do a compression and leak test on the motor and was figuring that this year I would pay a dealership to winterize it (something I normally do myself) and also give the boat a thorough inspection and do a leak and compression test while they are working on the motor. This also covers me since a dealership is the 1st person to service that motor if anything goes wrong and if the compression or leak test find anything wrong, it's under warranty. 

We are going for a test ride before I pick up the boat so my friend who knows more about boats and I should get a good look at anything else. I'm hesitant to not do the full inspection before I buy it but the boat seems in great shape and it still has warranties attached. 

One other thing, when I asked if he was willing to have an inspection done on the boat he was like, "No problem, we can meet at Frankies (a well known dealership)." This makes me think that he knows that nothing is wrong with the boat, otherwise he would have been hesitant to bring the boat to the dealership for an inspection. 

 

I'm thinking that going without an inspection is ok in this case.

 

1.)   Would you have a dealership do an inspection before you buy this boat?

 

2.)  Do you always have a dealership/marina do a boat inspection for every used boat you buy?

 

3.)  What does a Boat Inspection entail?

Why would you not have the boat inspected and the motor tested?

 

1. No, I have my mechanic inspect it.

2. Yep, and a test drive.

I would do a THOROUGH inspection of the boat and trailer, test the operation of ALL systems, and demand an on the water test even if buying a brand new rig off the show room floor.Would also recommend getting all service items addressed ASAP if you do purchase the rig. Negotiate the cost of the service(s) due in your offer.

16 hours ago, jbh3 said:

I would do a THOROUGH inspection of the boat and trailer, test the operation of ALL systems, and demand an on the water test even if buying a brand new rig off the show room floor.Would also recommend getting all service items addressed ASAP if you do purchase the rig. Negotiate the cost of the service(s) due in your offer.

ditto. remember it's your money,don't sign anything or give any money until you are 100% satisfied.

Its cheap peace of mind. Always have a mechanic go through it top to bottom

It is a good idea to have it looked at. Frankies is a reputable dealer so they'd be fine to check it out. I highly doubt there's anything wrong with one that new, but you're better safe than sorry. 

I believe the etech are capable of winterizing themselves with the push of a button

Absolutely have it inspected. For the price it shouldnt be a question to have a professional give you the peace of mind. A good boat mechanic can help you find a great deal or help root out a bad one rather quickly. 

Don't settle for anything less than a full check-up.  No matter how good the boat, something will eventually go wrong with it down the line.  Better safe than sorry.  Not that he would purposely sell you something that didn't work, but even sitting for a while, boats can have issues occur.  Electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, you name it, it can and will happen on a boat eventually.  I've had and have lots of boats for different purposes over the years, I'm always "sinking" money into them.  Hydraulics are acting up on my hunting/fishing boat trim right now and it sits under cover when not in use in a secluded dock....it's just old and things happen.  But I've seen new boats have any and all issues too.