Buying used

[FarmerTed]

Can anyone offer any advice when shopping for a used Ski Nautique?

What are the things to look for, questions to ask when looking at a used Nautique?


Thanks,

FT

[FarmerTed]

Thanks for the info, I'm not a complete idiot. I was looking for info more along the line of what if any problem areas are there regarding stringers, flooring, bent propeller shaft, delamination in the fiberglass on the older Ski Nautique 2001s

On older boats what are the floors constructed out of? Wood or fiberglass.

I understand that around 93 Correct Craft went to aluminum stringers, is this a correct assumption?

After looking at some of the boats on Boattrader.com for a month or two I've seen a few boats with new engines but the boats are 93-98 model year. If someone neglected the boat so bad the engine was knackered, I'd assume the rest of the boat wasn't taken care of.

Thanks for the help!

FT

[M3Fan]

OK, here's what to look for. CC went to no wood in 93 as I recall. This doesn't mean you can't get an older SN- mine is wood floor and stringers, and the stringers are rock solid still. The 2001 boats were good boats, but the hull was much improved in 1990, so you might want to think about that. Here are some tips for shopping:

- Open the engine cover, and you'll notice hex-head bolts, probably about 4 on each side, running parallell to the engine on the edge of the floor, on the edge of the engine compartment. These are lag bolts screwed right into the stringers. Bring a socket wrench with you and try to tighten each one. They should still bite into the wood well- if they spin freely, walk away. These bolts also continue to the back of the boat under a removable floor piece that covers the prop shaft. Spin those also. Engine mount bolts are also a good indicator.

-Walk around on the floor and feel for soft spots. This isn't as big a deal as the stringers, but is still a big job to fix.

- Most times you see a newer boat with a replaced engine, it's due to improper winterization. When I was shopping around, almost every early 90's SN I came upon in the north had a new engine or short block. Luckily mine was from the south.

- Drive the boat! the engine should idle smoothly and run hard up to 4400 rpm on the water.

- Make sure the oil pan isn't too rusty- replacing this involves removing the engine from the boat.

- Look in the bilge for fresh oil spots, could be a sign of leakage

- Trans should shift smoothly, and trans oil should be clean. That's a big ticket item to replace.

-TALK to the person. Have them describe parts of the boat and feel out their personality. You can learn volumes from this.

- The prop should spin smoothly with minor resistance when turned by hand. This will show you if the shaft is bent- you'd know pretty quick.

- Electronic ignition is a bonus- you may want to find one that is already converted.


Hope that helps.

[FarmerTed]

Thanks, that's exactly the first hand knowledge I'm after.

Regarding the wood stringers, if you open the engine cowling and the panel that allows access to the drive shaft will I be able to get a good enough look at the stringers?

I've been watching Boattrader since late July, and the prices of the boats are coming down and the model year is going up. Is this normal for the end of the season or related to the economy? When do you think prices will bottom out and start to rise again?

I'm also in the south and will hopefully be able to find a boat from down here. Would you stay away from a boat that's been in saltwater?

Thanks for the advice,

FT

[M3Fan]

I would stay away from boats in salt water. There's too much in the engine and in the boat/trailer that can go bad with salt. The engine cover and floor panel should be sufficient access to the stringers. By looking at them you won't get much input. They are wrapped in fiberglass so they'll look the same no matter what. Crank the bolts!