Well besides winterization, there is summerizing, which kinda speaks for its self. Now I don't know if you have a big lot or anything, but usually people store their boats at marinas. I highly recommend doing inside storage. It turned out alot nicer and less work in the end because there was no moisture buildup. Indoor storage can run you anywhere from 300 - 1000. Depending on the location. I don't know about the lakes you plan on visiting but I would stay away form the ones less that an average depth of 8 feet. Usually the LOWEST you want to go is 4 feet, going slow. That brings me to my next point. The outboard part, the name has escaped my mind, i what you should look at closely. Make sure there is no major dents or that the lower fin is bent. Also SS props are THE best money can buy. Ill show you a pic of our aluminum prop once we get it out of storage, it don't look too good. The main difference between aluminum and SS props is impact resistance. SS props will transmit that impact to the drive shaft, which isn't too good, it also is stiff meaning a better "bite" in the water. Aluminum absorbs it, but is flexible, which isn't that good for speed. Also when looking at boats check to see how freely moving the prop is. Does it freely move or is it hard? In most cases the prop should move freely. Nest look at the hull. This is the MOST important, because who would want to be on the water and have their boat crack in half on a wave? Look for stress indicators, usually a cluster of small hairline cracks, not good. Also look for major cracks, and look for oddities, it usually means it was patched up before, tend to stay away from that. How is the gelcoat? shiny and nice or dull and flaky? if it shiny and nice, good, but if it dull and flaky, very bad. Dull is when the clear coat starts to oxidize. If it is just dull I wouldn't worry about it, our boat is dull but I buffed most of it out last year. if it flaky, I would stay away from it, it means that there was so much oxidation, the gelcoat is coming off which really isn't good. Next check the glass, if it has it, make sure it isn't cracked or loose. Also, check the walkway door, which really is just a window on a hinge, making the windshield a wraparound, make sure it closes with out much force and has little clips to keep it secure. Check the carpet, if it has it, smell it, lol, does it smell like bad mildew or pretty fresh? It is normal for the floor to smell of mildew but not normal if it highly smells and has some discoloration. Check the electronics. Does the stereo work well? its not a big deal but I always check. Check all the lights, the pole light, which is a white light, and the red and green light. Your required by law to have these on at night so others can see you, if you see red, they have the right of way, if you see green you have the right of way. Next check the seat cushions, comfortable, able to take waves or very thin and hard? Also make sure the seat aren't holding water. Look in the engine compartment. Is it relatively clean or really dirty? Is there water on the bottom? Also check under the seat and in storage areas for water and alot of mildew. I was saying before about the oxidation, one way to prevent that is a mooring cover, which is a cover that goes over the sides to protect most of the boat you will want to invest in one if the boat doesn't already have one. Does it have bimini tops? If it does, Nice! they come in handy in the rain and if you get the camper style ones you can spend the night in the boat. There are many aftermarket options for bimini tops also. Next check the trailer. Is it custom fitted? If not step away from the boat. Non custom trailers often put stress on the hull in all the wrong places causing the hull to have premature instability. Also on the trailer make sure it isn't rusted. Are the axles in good shape or are they bent? Finally if you have think you found a good boat, get the engine inspected by a reputable marine mechanic. Also just like Carfax, there is boat history reports, called
http://www.boathistoryreport.com/ check th HIN on the boat to make sure your getting a good boat. Also NADA has a a used boat pricing, like KBB
http://www.boathistoryreport.com/ . Hope this helps. BTW, I recommend if you know nothing about boating to browse online tutorials on boat safety, just to be a safe boater. Cheers :beer:
Oh, almost forgot to mention! Hours! Boats have hours instead of miles. It is very much like miles, except usually boats are usually ran at high throttle all day, so the lower hours, the better. Our '01 only has 48 hours, but its because of our money situation its hard to find time to go boating.
