Hey folks, seems like my pestering has started to wear on the wife and im getting close to being able to potentially get a boat. I've never purchased one before, and frankly outside of taking my dads janky pontoon out on Lake Ray Hubbard a bunch in my 20's, and renting bay boats in Rockport have no experience with boats so very new to this.
I've got my eye on a used boat that's listed at a dealership in the Houston area for $20k. Do boat dealerships usually negotiate on their prices like a used car dealership would, or is this more of a hard price kind of business with expectations that they sit for a little while? Just curious if I should expect to be able to negotiate price or if reputable dealers are typically hard lined on their prices for used boats.
Thanks!

break out another thousand. Good luck!

I've bought somewhere around 20 bass boats over the years, most new but a few that were used. Buying from a dealer probably means you won't be able to negotiate the price down very much if any. But you may be able to get some extras thrown in for the same price. Maybe a sonar upgrade, a set of life preservers, skis and a ski rope, or other stuff you think you might need. Make sure to get a diagnostic readout of the engine and go over the boat thoroughly to look for flaws.

And also go over the trailer. If the frame is tubular metal, run don't walk away.

Yes the will negotiate

Two things I’d do if used outbound, mandate new water pump and compression test results

I would find a friend or pay a mechanic that knows A LOT about boats to go with you to look at any boat - regardless if it's a dealership or from an individual. A boat motor is NOT a car motor - a boat hull is certainly nothing like a car as there can be extremely significant wear and tear or damage that someone unfamiliar with boats would never notice that will cost thousands / be a major safety hazard. Plus being close to Houston you have the question on if it has been ran in the salt and if it was maintained and cleaned properly. Salt can cause a lot of problems if people didn't take care of their stuff.

beat me to it. I did the boat thing twice it was fun while it lasted but boats aren't 4x4's so they didn't last long going back into places I saw and wanted to fish.

Buy an extra 2 feet from the get go. I started at 17 , now up to 22 ft. , If I were 10 years younger , I would want a 24,

I think I will hold at 22.

good luck

MO

what type of boat are you looking for? ski, fishing, wake boat, pontoon, tritoon, bay, center console, etc??? Outboard, inboard/outboard, direct drive, V drive, jet, etc.???

Used boats from a dealer should have some negotiating room, but might be a consignment with less wiggle room. I would also recommend doing a lake test to make sure everything operates as it should. This will also give you an idea of the condition and operability of the trailer, lights, etc.

things that will be needed life jackets, fire extinguisher, anchor, paddle to name a few.

I have owned a number of boats and they can be expensive to maintain & operate, buy quality which costs a bit more on the front end but less in the long run from a maintenance & return when you sell or upgrade. How frequent do you expect to be using it??? There is a lot of time that comes into play to keep it looking and operating as it should.

If you can burn a $100 without flinching, you're ready to buy a boat.

I miss having my bass boat one some days, but man are they expensive.

Forget about buying a boat. When you get a notion to go fishing, hire a guide. It's cheaper in the long run and you'll probably catch way more fish. Just my

Remember the 3 f's in buying.

I wouldn't expect much negotiating at this time. Dealers are very short on inventory and are having an easy time selling. Like mentioned, see if you can get some extra thrown in.

We went from a 20 to 24 foot I dislike the extra 4 feet very much! But it allows it to do things the old one wouldn’t.

A boat can be as expensive or as frugal as you make it.

Thanks for the turnout guys!
For reference this would be a boat used and left in Rockport where I have a house. If there was a place still renting them, I'd not be considering buying but the place there that rented has closed down it seems. Im really looking for something for running around, exploring the islands, a little fishing (although I enjoy wade fishing and that's a lot easier from a truck), pulling a tube with the kids. Pretty much a do a lot ok, but nothing great, general use salt water boat. Something to get away from the beach crowds and run over to St Joe and the other islands around the area for a day.
My thoughts are if I buy it for $20k, enjoy it for 3 years, and sell it for $13 - $15k, the good times with the kids will be worth the expense - as I tell my wife, she'll drop $4k-$5k on a 4 day vacation in a heartbeat. This will at least last a little longer.
For those recommending bringing a mechanic - what should I expect that to cost roughly?

# 1 basic - Don't

I just got rid of mine. Happiest day of my life.

I thought that too when I sold my bass boat but now I kick myself for selling it and have the itch to get another one. Especially since the new Bois d’Arc Lake will be finished this year and I could be on the water in less than 30 minutes from the house.

It’s much better to have a friend with a boat than have a boat....Jes sayin

You should be able to find someone for $200-300 or if a well informed friend a case of beer.

On an older boat I would want a compression test AND a leak down test to get the full picture.

Yep, rent.

I bought new a couple months back and couldn't get them off the price at any Houston area dealers. Seems a lot of folks have been buying boats (took me a week and a half to get my boat after signing)

Found the boat I wanted in Corpus in the exact color, but they wouldn't match my local dealer that was $2K cheaper. Good luck

This.

It can be a fun experience. I've had over a dozen boats ranging from bass boats, ski boats, cruisers and a yacht. A few things to check off the top of my head:

Motor:
- check oil in lower unit or outdrive, if milky you have water intrusion (can mean $$$ in repairs). Also look for metal shavings and rub oil between fingers.
- If an outboard, have a compression test run on each cylinder (specs can be found on line). You want them all to be uniform. I don't generally do this on I/Os.
- do all the usual oil and fluid checks
- run the trim fully up and down multiple times
- have them put a hose on it (ear muff type) and start the engine, rev it in neutral (any odd sounds), shift back and forth forward/reverse to see how easily it goes into gear, while watching from the ground have them shift into forward/reverse and watch the prop to make sure no wobble (bent prop shaft), inspect prop for damage (I prefer stainless steel props vs. aluminum), inspect the lower skeg for damage or bends
- warm the engine up and check all the gauges on the dash (oil pressure, temp, water pressure, volts, fuel gage, tilt up/down trim meter, tach and hour meter, etc), if an I/O trim up and down while running and listen for vibrations of u-joints (note, shouldn't trim all the way up while running an I/O)
- see if you can determine when the impeller was changed last
- if it has a trolling motor, check its function, the batteries and on-board battery charger (if applicable)

Hull:
- walk around and crawl under and check for any damage, large cracks or repairs. Small cracks in gelcoat are normal as will be some small dings/gouges.
- stomp around in the boat to see if there are any "soft spots" in the floor (wooden subdecking can rot)
- open every compartment and inspect for damage/repairs, verify locks work (if applicable), verify hinges and gas struts work
- check every electrical switch to verify operation (bilge blower if I/O, bilge pump, live well pumps, lights, radio etc.)
- verify depth sounders/fish finders power up (can check proper function when lake test is done)
- crawl under the dash and inspect wires looking for anything out of the ordinary or a bunch of repairs (new or different color wires)

Trailer:
- basic walk around looking for any damage or weld repairs
- verify lights work before lake test
- if it has surge brakes, check reservoir and lines for leaks
- inspect bearing hubs for any significant grease leaks (some is typical), after towing for lake test put your hand on each hub checking for significant heat (they all should be uniform)

Lake test:
- see how it planes off at wide open throttle (don't want stalling or sputtering)
- once planed off, check trim and how it affects ride
- I like to do at least one wide open throttle run listening for any odd sounds, if propped correctly you should be near red line on the tach
- at a lower planed speed, make sweeping full turns, if an I/O listen for any vibrations or binding in full turns (sign of possible u-joint problems)
- low speed (no wake) make full turns again checking u-joints if an I/O
- go through forward/reverse multiple times to see how it shifts
- if an I/O, open the engine compartment and throttle up in neutral listening to anything out of the ordinary, check for leaks of hoses
- verify depth sounder/fish finder works
- when lake test is complete, look in bilge (some water is normal but should not be enough to activate the auto-bilge)

These are the main things I look for and hope it helps. Good luck and enjoy.

Exactly. When you buy the boat put $1,000.00 in savings to pay for future repairs. They say the two happiest days as a boat owner are the day you buy it and the day guy sell it. The one thing I was glad I did was pay cash. It would be painful to make payments on something and not use it.