Thanks so much for the tips everyone -- it is much appreciated!
So I went to check her out today and overall she was in great condition but -- this this is a big but -- they wouldn't start the engine for me, claiming that over the last few days they had issues getting her to full RPM. In fact it was well below max RPM, maxing out around 2300. They pulled the boat and did a prop alignment as well as a few other adjustments to the engine but still aren't "satisfied" with the engine. Of course, neither am I. The broker said their mechanic is going to continue working on it until she's back to normal, but suffice to say I'm a little worried. The engine is obviously why this otherwise pristine boat has remained on the market for the past few months.
Elsehwere, the rigging was in "ok" condition. The spreaders were very visibly corroded even from deck level. The mast looked pretty worn down. But I'm definitely a sailing neophyte so hard for me to judge unless I get a good surveyor out here, which I plan to do if they get the engine in good working condition.
That said, this is obviously a red flag for me, but if the mechanic is able to get the engine cold starting regularly, and demonstrates it running at max RPM (3600) for ~5mins with no obvious smoke, heat, or noise, would I be taking an inordinate risk with this boat?
Thanks all for your continued guidance!
Hi, Matt. Since no one chimed in yet I'll give you my take on it, for what it's worth.
The 1GM is, in general, a very simple and reliable little engine. As for what is causing the issue with this particular one, there are quite a few causes for a failure to hit the target rpm so there's no point in speculating. Some fixes might be simple enough, others not so much. I confess, though, that the description of what they have done so far doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
What in the world does the broker mean by a "prop alignment"? First of all, is it not hitting 3600 rpm (or more) in neutral, or is the problem only in gear? If it can't make top rpm in neutral, then the problem is not in the drive train at all. But if there is misalignment between the transmission output flange and the prop shaft coupling, that is handled with the boat in the water and does not require hauling the boat. In fact, you really want to do it with the boat in the water and not on the hard because a boat on the jack stands may be somewhat tweaked. So, for example, when I replace my engine this June, we'll do an alignment with the boat on the hard (to get it in the ballpark), let it settle in the water for a few days, and then re-align it with the boat in the water. In any case, the engine/transmission to prop shaft coupling alignment has zero to do with the prop, and so referring to it as a "prop alignment"--if that's what he had in mind--makes no sense.
If there were something actually involving the prop that would keep the engine from hitting above only 2300 rpm, there would be so much vibration that there would be no doubt the problem was somewhere in the drive train, e.g., a bent prop shaft, damage to the prop, etc. The symptoms would not be subtle.
Here's the bottom line, as I see it, Matt. To have complete peace of mind on this, you really need three surveys done by three different people: (1) An engine survey; (2) A rigging survey; (3) A vessel survey.
The surveyor who does the vessel survey is not going to climb the rig to look at the spreaders, rigging connections, or anything else. He may sight the rig at deck level, but obviously that precludes a careful inspection of everything. To really inspect it you'll need a rigger to go aloft and look it over. Likewise, the vessel surveyor is not going to go over the engine carefully. You need a good mechanic to do this.
It is important not to use the surveyor(s) that the broker may wish to provide. You want a good surveyor(s) that *you* hire so there are no conflict of interests. A surveyor is looking out for your interests and has no vested interested whether the sale goes through. In fact, you are paying him to
talk you out of it if the vessel's conditions warrants it. I'd suggest you check with others on this list for recommendations for good surveyors in each of the 3 categories I mentioned, who operate in your area.
The boat does look nice from the photos, but the asking price is high, in my opinion. If the engine problem is truly a recent development, the high price could account for why the boat hasn't yet sold. Good engine or not, I'd certainly be offering less than $16,500 for this boat.
Here are my general conclusions, FWIW--assuming you are interested in proceeding with the boat if everything can be addressed to your satisfaction:
(1) Tell the broker that once the engine issues are addressed and a definitive fix is made, then he can give you a call and you can pick up with your negotiations on the boat. This is something that the owner has to fix one way or the other anyway, so once he does, the broker can let you know.
(2) I would probably not stress too much over the rigging for this reason: Unless I had good reason to know that the boat was re-rigged fairly recently (e.g., in the last 5 or 6 yrs. or so), I have made it a practice to replace the standing rigging when I buy a new (to me) boat so I know exactly what I've got holding up the mast. While it's true that a rigger can go aloft and visually inspect the swage fittings et al., it is sometimes hard to discern latent flaws. I just like to start from a known good place and then do maintenance from that point on. I should hasten to add that many will disagree with me on this because it may seem like an unnecessary expense if the rigging still has some life left in it. So I'm certainly not dogmatic on this and mine is no doubt a minority opinion. But if you can negotiate a good price on the boat then you might want to put the savings toward a re-rig. If you went that route you would probably not need to go with a rigging survey--though you could see if a rigger would survey it with the understanding that if you did use him for a re-rig that he would apply what you paid for the survey toward the cost of the re-rig. (Not sure if any of them would agree to that but you could always ask.)
(3) After the engine is ostensibly repaired, have an engine survey done. Of course, all surveys are done once the seller has agreed to your offer and the sale is moving foward, "pending survey."
Let us know what happens! And I'm sure others can offer some good thoughts for you.
