Things To Perform During A Sea Trial

A sea trial is essential before you purchase a boat. If the boat is not in good condition and you don't have the funds or access to a marine inspector, you'll need to do a sea trial on your own to confirm or deny buying the boat. These are the most important points to remember.

Assessment of a Boat's Structural Condition

This is not an issue if you are buying a boat from a well-respected brand. If you're buying a new boat, you can skip to the section on sea trials. However, if you are purchasing a boat with significant value, hiring a boat surveyor can be a smart move. A surveyor is a good resource for helping to assess a boat's structural condition. What should a marine surveyor be looking for? It begins long before the boat enters the water. These are some of the most important checks:

Moving around the boat and thumping it with your bottom fist. The hull should have a firm whump, and feel solid under your fist. This is especially important for the transom, as this is where water intrusion most often occurs. A moisture meter is recommended to collect additional information if water intrusion is suspected.
Examine the condition of the equipment. Is the skeg still well-painted? Is the leading edge straight and clean? Or is it jagged and distorted from hitting rocks and sandbars. Are all the anodes still in place? Are the props bent or dinged?
Test everything by touching it. To check if grab rails are loose, they are wiggled. To make sure that the seat pedestals are still securely attached to the cockpit sole, they are checked. To ensure that all hinges are intact, storage compartments are opened/closed.
To ensure that all electrical devices, switches, and electronics work properly, activate them. Visual inspection of all wiring is also done.
Visual inspection of major components such as stringers and hull–to-deck joints. A closer inspection is recommended if there are any problems.

The Mechanical Condition of Power Systems

You can also test the power systems by doing a sea trial. This allows you to listen for unusual sounds and detect any vibrations. You should use all your senses. You may need to have the boat checked by a mechanic if it is an older boat. There are some basic checks that anyone can do to check the boat's mechanical health.

Take the dipstick out and check the oil for any signs of contamination. Milky water is a sign that there has been water added to the oil, which can be a red flag. Visually inspect the oil for signs of age or corrosion. It is always a good idea to perform a compression test. As a general rule, the results should be within 10 per cent of each other. Inboards and Stern drives can also smell under the engine hatch. Most likely, you will detect gasoline in the air to a certain extent. However, any strong odor indicates that there is a fuel leak.

Performance on-the-water

The sea trial is the most crucial part of intel-gathering, regardless of whether the boat is brand new or used. If the boat is old, I prefer it to be cold the first time I start it up. If the rotating assembly of the engine makes any strange noises, it will do so when it is cold. Open the hatch if it's an inboard/stern drive to hear more clearly. Is the starter working smoothly? Is the starter able to engage smoothly and quietly? The engine should only vibrate and emit a hissing sound from the flame arrestor.

Notice how the shifter operates as you move backwards. Is it able to engage forward or reverse depending on whether the shifter is moved towards the detents? Are there any bindings or sticking in the cables? While not all signs of trouble are going to be major problems, it will help you create your punch list in case you do decide to purchase it. Slow-speed handling can cause problems on certain boats.

You can adjust the throttle to see how easy or difficult it is for the boat's to take off. This will help you decide if you are able live with it every day. Once you are comfortable cruising, increase the speed to maximum. You should be able to maintain that speed without any problems. Once you are satisfied with the results, reduce it to cruising speed. Inboards and stern drives should run between 3,200 and 3,500 rpm, while outboards will be more comfortable running between 4,500 and 5,500 rpm. Note the speed. Do you prefer to cruise at this speed or do you want a faster boat. You should note how much fuel you use at cruise if your boat has a fuel flow monitor.

Take the boat to hard right and left turns at cruising speed. Perform slalom maneuvers, then complete-circle turns. The boat must hold its line without hooking or washing out the prop. Do not trim the bottom of a boat with a stepped bottom. While you do this, be aware of any warning squeaks or rattles. If you have a twin-engine boat, it is advisable to turn off one of the engines and determine your "get home" speed in case one fails.

Assessment of Seakeeping Abilities

Look for waves to see how the boat handles the water. If the sea is calm, you can look out for other boats creating wakes. If there are none, make your own. To get an idea of how the boat handles head, following, and other seas, you can hit waves from every angle. Next, position the boat so that the waves hit it on the beam. Then shift to neutral. You can feel how the boat rolls and rocks, and you should make sure it is stable.

Spend as much time on the water as you, the dealer or seller, are comfortable. You'll learn more the more diverse the waters you encounter. Even just drifting for a bit can be very instructive.

Once you feel that the boat is performing on the water, you can cruise the boat back to the dock as you would normally. After you have returned to an idle zone, check the engine again. An engine that has been heated to operating temperature can behave differently from an engine that is still cold.

These procedures will help you avoid buying a boat that you don't like or worse, a lemon. This is a possibility regardless of how careful you are. There's always a chance that the boat will need work if it isn't in use. I can assure you that you will learn a lot about any boat by testing it using the above techniques. These techniques will reveal your foibles and idiosyncrasies but will also highlight whether or not you are happy enough to purchase a boat.

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