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You've checked your finances and you and your family have made a decision. It's time to put an outboard powered boat in your future. But to get one adequate for your family it looks like a used boat is in your budget, now the question is how do you know a good used boat from a bad one. It's a tricky situation. As a boat dealer I buy (in the form of trade-ins) more used boats in a year than you will buy in a lifetime. And let me tell you from time to time I still get fooled. My best recommendation is to purchase a used boat from a qualified reputable dealer whenever possible. However the greatest number of used boats are sold "driveway to driveway". So here is a step by step guide to buying a used boat.

If you are headed out to examine a used boat several tools will be needed to properly carry out you evaluation.

O.K. you have called a prospective boat owner to inquire about the boat you saw in the ad, here is a checklist of opening questions.

1)	What year is the boat motor and trailer?. .You will check this later but don't assume if its a 94 boat that it has a 94 motor.
2)	How long have you owned this boat? Warning, people who sell boats after less than one season are usually trying to dump a problem
3)	Are you the first owner? What is valuable here is if you are dealing with the fist owner you can trace the entire mechanical history of the unit
4)	Does this boat have a hour meter? If the answer is no then forget all the assurances of low hours, without an hour meter you can't ever be sure of this
5)	Why are you selling the boat? This is a fair question, If the individual is buying a larger boat why isn't he trading it in? Very often its because the owner has an inflated opinion of the value of the boat and is unwilling to trade it for a fair value.
6)	Will we have access to a water source when I come to look at the boat? You need access to a hose at least to properly evaluate the motor
7)	Will I have an opportunity to lake test the boat? If you can't drive it don't buy it.
8)	Could you make sure the batteries are fully charged when I come to see the boat? Don't assume the batteries in the boat are hot
9)	Has the motor ever had major engine work, and when? You want to know the history of the engine. If the answer is yes find out when and by whom and ask to see the receipts.
10)	Has the boat ever been in a wreck or had major structure work? Just like cars a rebuilt wreck has lower resale than one with no structural history

I like to start with the engine because it can generate the most expensive repair costs if not in good condition.

Your eyes can be a valuable tool in assessing your potential future purchase. First you want to just assess the general condition of the engine. Look for indications that the lower unit or powerhead has been welded (believe it or not some people actually do weld up powerheads). Spin the prop and watch the prop shaft for wobble. Pull the cowl and look the motor over closely. Powerheads are painted after assembly, look at all the head gaskets. Powerheads are assemblies and if the gaskets aren't painted then its an indication the motor has been apart. This isn't a bad sign if the owner has been upfront about the service history.

You need to run a compression test on the engine. I like to do a compression test after the engine has been run on the hose for a few minutes. While the engine is running with the cowl off check for fuel/water on exhaust leaks. Your compression test should come in with each cylinder checking within +/- 10% of each other.

After you have run your lake test drain a little grease from the lower unit (a few thimbles full) into your catch tray. If water comes out with no grease you have a big problem. If grease comes out looking like coffee double cream, you may have some water in there and you might need seals. If it was pure water you can expect some gear damage and shortened gear life.

Again a visual inspection is where to start. Crawl under the boat and check it bow to stem for gauges where fiberglass webbing can be seen. If the glass has turned brown or is soggy you could have serious lamination damage. Check all of the lids and seats for tears, cracks, and hinge condition. One tip never buy a used boat in the rain. In the rain many finish problems are hidden when the boat is wet. Walk on the floors and decks. Soft spots mean big trouble and a very expensive repair. Now its time to check the transom. First look for stress cracks in the transom. If they are there its not necessarily more than a cosmetic problem. What you want to do is trim the motor up and put your weight on it. If those cracks widen or you get any flex in the transom just walk away. A bad transom is an expensive repair and you don't want any part of this rig. Lastly load test the batteries, at $70-$90 a piece new batteries can put a real crimp in you budget. Also if you're not taking the boat with you write down the type of battery in the boats or mark them. Some people will switch good batteries for weak ones when they trade. It's sad but true.

Never buy a boat without a lake test. First back the boat in on the trailer. Fill and test the live wells. Then pull the boat back out and pull the plug (your checking for leaks). Then relaunch the boat. Check every switch and button, make sure you drive it and then you can really tell if its the rig for you.

Remember that no one can predict the future durability of any used product. Hopefully this guide will be a good primer for evaluating a used boat. Remember without careful consideration your "Dream Boat" can turn into a nightmare quickly.