Advice for used boat purchase

[Ricochet]

Hello – New to the board and looking for some advice on the purchase of a used 2014 Parker 21 SE that I’ll be looking at next week. Anything in particular I should be paying attention to? Owner has all outboard maintenance records including last year’s winterization.
I’m assuming I should get the boat professionally surveyed before purchasing. Unfortunately a sea trial will not be possible. What can I expect from the surveyor regarding the outboard – do I also need a mechanic and if so what can they do besides the basics with the boat out of the water?
Can anyone recommend a surveyor and or a mechanic in the central Long Island area?
A couple other questions unrelated to the above:
Does anyone know when Parker changed their hull design for this model? Is 2014 the same as the current model?
Any thoughts on using NADA boat values for pricing – would their average retail be realistic for a boat in very good condition?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Hope to be a new (to me) Parker owner soon.

 

[nicknotsebastian]

any boat i look at i personally include opening all hatches and caps etc and take a good whiff... smell says a lot...

i have a 23 cc, can’t think of anything hull wise in particular to pay extra attention too. look closely for any filled holes, repaired spots (in and out) etc...

I’d get a survey. Give Suffolk Marine a call and see if they have a good recommendation - esp depending on tje motor (yamaha?). They are good people and know good people.

Why is a sea trial not possible? Cuz its February? I bought a boat in February... deposit, contract, pending survey, engine inspection and sea trial.. on of before April 15. i’d never buy a boat w/o a sea trial... that’s where you really see if everything works - mechanicals, electronics, steering etc - HEAR the engine start and go slow, fast... ots not (for me) about the ride of the boat. Any boat i ever bought i was buying cuz i knew what i wanted ride wise...

a mechanic can run the motors with muffs and do a pressure test and a bleed down test and visible inspections etc.. but a sea trial is where is all “comes together”... very important to me if you can work it out. some stupid great price and everything looks good otherwise maybe skip it (???) but its important.

not sure what if anything has changed on the 21 since 2014.. but - that’s a really easy question i’m sure the people at Parker can answer... i’d just give them
a call.

In my experience, NADA does not mean anything in real world used boat pricing. It seems to be way off actual going. I look for any comps online and include new in my comparisons to get a sense of where yours falls/should fall in the current mix.

 

[Andy]

any boat i look at i personally include opening all hatches and caps etc and take a good whiff... smell says a lot...

i have a 23 cc, can’t think of anything hull wise in particular to pay extra attention too. look closely for any filled holes, repaired spots (in and out) etc...

I’d get a survey. Give Suffolk Marine a call and see if they have a good recommendation - esp depending on tje motor (yamaha?). They are good people and know good people.

Why is a sea trial not possible? Cuz its February? I bought a boat in February... deposit, contract, pending survey, engine inspection and sea trial.. on of before April 15. i’d never buy a boat w/o a sea trial... that’s where you really see if everything works - mechanicals, electronics, steering etc - HEAR the engine start and go slow, fast... ots not (for me) about the ride of the boat. Any boat i ever bought i was buying cuz i knew what i wanted ride wise...

a mechanic can run the motors with muffs and do a pressure test and a bleed down test and visible inspections etc.. but a sea trial is where is all “comes together”... very important to me if you can work it out. some stupid great price and everything looks good otherwise maybe skip it (???) but its important.

not sure what if anything has changed on the 21 since 2014.. but - that’s a really easy question i’m sure the people at Parker can answer... i’d just give them
a call.

In my experience, NADA does not mean anything in real world used boat pricing. It seems to be way off actual going. I look for any comps online and include new in my comparisons to get a sense of where yours falls/should fall in the current mix.

I agree on the sea trial; it is very important... I bought an Albin Trawler in Cos Cob CT in 1984. They ran another boat through the Mianus to break the ice; the high that day was 17 degree F.

 

[Ricochet]

Thanks for the response and advice - you're right, no reason I can't get a sea trial with a mechanic for purpose of checking out the Yamaha etc. - I'll require it as a condition of the sale.
Nick - I'll give Suffolk Marine a call to see if they can help out.

Thanks again!

 

[Ricochet]

And by the way - I did follow-up with an email to Parker yesterday regarding hull design - specifically how long the current hull has been in production. No response so I gave them a call this morning. They told me all technical questions are responded via email - when I told them i sent one yesterday, i was told it takes 5 days to respond.

I thought it was a simple question - are they typically that unresponsive? Doesn't speak well for their support.

 

[camron]

With the weather we have been having on Long Island I have been thinking about launching mine for the season lol. I would figure for a serious buyer the marina would launch the boat for a sea trial without question.

 

[BradH]

I would absolutely sea trial the boat, ideally with a mechanic present who can hook up a laptop. If no mechanic, then make sure the engine turns rated rpm and speed matches the original performance data, taking T-top and bottom condition into consideration.

Without knowing any options nor condition, I would expect a sale price between $25-30k. Maybe higher if really nice and well outfitted.

Electronics, trailer, hours, super clean or a wreck with a bunch of holes?

Can you post the listing?

 

[Ricochet]

Thanks for the responses - very helpful.

Seller has agreed to sea trial. Any recommendations for a Yamaha mechanic for the inspection / sea trial in the central Long Island area? (Suffolk Marine doesn’t do those)

Can anyone provide input on the hull – is it pretty much the same as the current model, if not when was it changed? Any other significant improvements (other than T top)? Still waiting on a response from Parker.

Thanks!

 

[dave-j]

I'm going to take a contrary opinion. I do NOT think a sea trial in February is all that realistic or important. It's a Parker, five years old. Have it surveyed, including engine testing in a tub. There is little a sea trial will tell you above that. I am sure others will disagree, but demanding a sea trial could very well lose you this boat.

Full disclosure, I live in Mass and bought my 23 DVCC sight unseen from Wilmington NC using a surveyor. I've owned many sailboats and would never buy one without a sea trial, but a 23' Parker CC is a MUCH simpler system. The engine is the only serious item to be concerned with at all in a boat of this age.

 

[Ricochet]

That's interesting. I've had sailboats for the last 20+ years. This is my first endeavor with a real power boat. My last boat was a 15,000 lb 34' sloop. That one, and every other sailboat I've purchased, was surveyed on only land - no sea trial. When it came to the diesels, surveyors just stuck a hose in the raw water intake and fired it up for a bit. Never had any problems - maybe just lucky.

So I am familiar with fiberglass hulls, wood cores, electronics etc - it's just the outboard (and hydraulic steering) that's new to me. Seller had this one professionally maintained and has all records. So if the records plus a engine test in a tub, read out from computer, etc could give me a 80%-90% confidence maybe that might be the way to go - probably get me a better price and also save some marina $'s and logistical complexities.

And for what it's worth, guy seems really honest and I really doubt he wouldn't share any issues he knows about the boat - it would just be the one's that he didn't know that would concern me.

 

[BradH]

If the engine hours from the last service match the hours on the boat (indicating no use since last service), then you are probably in good shape. It's even better if they recorded cylinder compression numbers at this time.

Did the last service include a sea trial? Did the mechanic record speed and rpm or other notes about performance?

Did/can you speak with the mechanic who services it?

How many hours on the motor?

Even if the engine checked out when put away (or last serviced), there's no telling what may or could have happened since then- unintentional or otherwise.

You were lucky with your sailboat engine surveys- we run engines underway at WOT looking for stable (and not-overheating engine temps), leaks, type of exhaust smoke, and to ensure proper RPM which is an indicator of engine health and proper propeller loading.

I would expect-
$400 mechanic
$400 surveyor
$100 "costs" to pay the seller (you are responsible for survey costs- fuel and captain, if he doesn't want your money it still shows good faith)

If the engine was fogged or otherwise winterized you are responsible for paying to return it to that condition after the survey.

If you're comfortable with the risk than don't run it- in all reality you are likely fine. If financing the lender may require a survey.

If it were me, I'd run the boat.

 

[siulam]

very interesting topic.
Can someone please explain what does mechanic and surveyor do? what's their duty here?

 

[Ricochet]

If the engine hours from the last service match the hours on the boat (indicating no use since last service), then you are probably in good shape. It's even better if they recorded cylinder compression numbers at this time.

Did the last service include a sea trial? Did the mechanic record speed and rpm or other notes about performance?

Did/can you speak with the mechanic who services it?

How many hours on the motor?

Even if the engine checked out when put away (or last serviced), there's no telling what may or could have happened since then- unintentional or otherwise.

You were lucky with your sailboat engine surveys- we run engines underway at WOT looking for stable (and not-overheating engine temps), leaks, type of exhaust smoke, and to ensure proper RPM which is an indicator of engine health and proper propeller loading.

I would expect-
$400 mechanic
$400 surveyor
$100 "costs" to pay the seller (you are responsible for survey costs- fuel and captain, if he doesn't want your money it still shows good faith)

If the engine was fogged or otherwise winterized you are responsible for paying to return it to that condition after the survey.

If you're comfortable with the risk than don't run it- in all reality you are likely fine. If financing the lender may require a survey.

If it were me, I'd run the boat.

thanks for feedback - helpful. One other cost - no trailer so another $400 for haul in and out. I guess it will depend on complexity for sea trial and final negotiated price - but will definitely speak with his mechanic and maybe do something on land if possible - thanks!

 

[BradH]

very interesting topic.
Can someone please explain what does mechanic and surveyor do? what's their duty here?

The mechanic (engine) and surveyor (hull and systems) are considered expert advisers with special knowledge and skill. They are hired by the buyer to identify items prior to the sale, similar to a home inspector.

Not all have special knowledge or skill, and some buyers know enough that their services aren't needed.