what do I look for

I bought my 87 SN from a dealer. He recently upholstered the boat and installed new carpet. There was also fresh paint in the bilge. Looked great.

Under the new uholstery was rotten wood, soaked foam, and rusting non-stainless steel staples. Under the nice new carpet the floor was coming apart from the hull and the foam was soaked. Under that shiny new bilge paint was rotten stringers.

Found out from one of the employees, after I bought the boat, that it had been sitting on the lot, uncovered, for a year after the dealership took it on a trade. It never sold so the guy that owned the place successfully hid the problems.

I say start with the boat history. Who had it?   How did they use it, on a course; private lakes only; the ocean? Where was it stored? How was it cared for? Does it have a title? How many hours? If they cannot answer those questions and what you see doesn't match then dont buy that one.

Look under it for damage. Check the fins, strut, and rudder. Pull out the coushions and check the seat backs. Check for rotting stringers, soft spots on the floor.

Definately put it on the water for a test drive. See that all the guages work, work the gears and throttle while looking and listening for problems.

There are plenty of things to look out for. Once everybody else adds their comments, make a checklist. Prioritize the list and take it with you when you look at a boat.

Good luck.

Robert F, no time to answer, I'll get back to you tomorrow. Skibum and Waterdog raise some good points. However, with a 93, you should not have the rotting issues that Ski bum describes. 93 was the first year the CC used composite stringers. There is no wood in the stringer system. See the checklist that Waterdog refers to on Planetnautique. It is quite good. BKH

Robert,

Is this the light blue Sport Nautique in Sunnyvale, CA??? If so, the boat looks good in the photos. The weather here is not bad - I'd say take it for a drive before you buy. Delta is only an hour away. Resevoirs in Gilroy are about the same distance.

If the guy is telling you he did extra flushing after having it in the Delta, then he is probably pretty anal in taking care of the boat. Fact is, you have to go nearly to Pittsburg before you get into brackish water. Almost no one ever takes a ski boat that far down the delta toward the bay.

If this is the boat in Sunnyvale, and you are still unsure, I'm happy to meet you and take a look at the boat. I'll be out of town a few days, but back by next weekend. BKH

bkhallpa$$ and M3Fan
Thankyou for your replies. I will take it for a sea trial. I would also be intrested in your revised checklist.