SWEET DREAM OR NIGHTMARE

By Craig Stubbs

(Originally published in the November 2024 issue of Ski-Boat magazine)

THE best boat you’ll ever have, is a friend’s boat, they say, and for the most part that’s pretty true, but every man wants his own boat sitting proudly in his driveway to greet him each and every day when he gets home. And nothing gives one as much joy as getting a good fish off one’s own craft, or having a great day out on the water with one’s mates, family or kids on one’s own boat.
Nowadays the boat market is much more accessible than ever before. At the same time, it’s also much more daunting, and one mistake on the buying journey can potentially lead to a disaster, ruining what should be an exciting and fulfilling experience.
In this article we are going to focus on the secondhand/pre-loved boat market, and I hope to give you some pointers and perspectives on this journey you plan to undertake.
My first piece of advice is to know what you want. I have seen a number of posts where prospective buyers ask: “Is anyone selling a good cat in the 16- to 21ft range? This is akin to shopping around for a double cab bakkie, but also considering a four-seater sedan.
Before you begin looking at boats you need to know a few basics:
• Where will you be doing the majority of your launching? Harbour or protected launch, tractor or hand push?
• How many people will you mostly be fishing with?
• Will you be towing long distances?
• Based on your experiences, what aspects of fishing off other people’s boats, appealed to you the most?
Once you have properly considered and answered these questions, then you can narrow down the size and style vessel that will be most suitable for you.
Boats come in all shapes and sizes. When you’re shopping around, one of the first things you will need to consider is the great “cat vs mono” debate, although these days catamaran hulls are far more common than monohulls.
The saying of “bigger boats, bigger headaches” can ring true, but nothing beats the fishability of larger craft. Then again, the ease of launching and the “towability” of smaller vessels makes life a whole lot easier.
You need to accept that as much time is spent with your vessel off the water as on it, and aspects like manoeuvrability at home, maintenance and getting down to and on to the water are equally as important as your actual fishing time onboard.
Layout is another huge factor to consider, and by layout I refer to the design of consoles, transoms, hatches, roll bars and rod holders. I’ve fished on small boats that “fish” like bigger boats, as well as bigger boats that felt cramped due to their layout. Here again, use your experience aboard other people’s vessels to shape your thoughts.
To cut a long story short: Take your time to know what you want before you start the buying journey.
Now that you have narrowed down what style and size of vessel may be most applicable to your needs, you have two choices. One is working through a reputable boat dealer or trader, and the other is going it alone, and it is here that things can really go well – or end in disaster.

DEALING WITH A DEALER
Working with a dealer has some really positive upsides. They should be able to partner with you on that purchase journey and, using the feedback you give them, they could potentially recommend a suitable vessel from their stock. You also have the added security that – if you are partnering with a well respected dealer – they should be able to assist you both pre-sale and post-sale with any niggles or issues that you may notice when selecting a vessel or that may arise post-purchase.
Reputable dealers can also assist with finance applications through financial institutions, as many people simply do not have access to cash to purchase a vessel outright.
The downside of buying from a dealer is that they may not have a huge amount of stock, and may talk you into buying something that you didn’t initially think would be suitable. You may find yourself scratching your head a year or two later, wondering why you took that salesperson’s advice in the first place.
A dealer should be able to offer you some form of security and/or warranty on the purchase of a craft, but this is a discussion that you need to have upfront, preferably well documented, so that both you and the dealer are well protected going forward.
Of course buying through a dealer often comes at a price premium and you will generally pay more for a vessel purchased via a dealer than you would pay via a private sale. We need to understand, however, that dealers have businesses to run and overheads to pay, and often have to do a bit of work on boats that they trade-in before they go onto the sales floor, so this “premium” price tag is often well justified. Then again, there are also times when it is not.
Not too long ago, a mate asked me to go and have a look at a small secondhand vessel that an individual was selling privately. We had a good look at the boat, and it was in pretty good shape and was “priced to sell”. For one reason or another my mate decided not to buy the vessel, but my jaw dropped when, less than a week later, I saw the exact same vessel listed via a dealer at nearly double the price it was advertised for privately.
A lot of people would accuse the dealer of “daylight robbery” and overcharging, and the thought crossed my mind too, but I think dealers, much like private buyers, are often faced with the consequences of buying stock and being met with hidden surprises. As such, they have to protect themselves and their operating model, and it is here that I turn to the world of “private buying” and the real crux of this article.

PRIVATE POSSIBILITIES
Never before have potential buyers and sellers been able to connect as easily as they can in these current times. The world of social media and online advertising platforms means that secondhand selling of most items – including boats – has become as easy as a few clicks of a button.
This is hugely exciting, as there are loads of potential bargains out there, but it’s equally daunting and extremely risky for the uninformed.
In the world of boats where so many potential pitfalls are hidden well out of sight, the excitement of purchasing can quickly turn into a nightmare. You really need to do your homework and be thorough if you are considering buying direct from a private seller.
Firstly, and in general, remember that you have virtually no recourse and this is something you need to be comfortable with, as it means that every expense that happens “post sale” is going to be for your account, so make sure you know as near as possible what those expenses may be.
Never listen to a boat seller who says, “Yeah, that’s just a small issue and is quick and not too expensive to fix.” FACT: Fixing boats is not cheap and is often way more complicated than initially expected or envisaged. A small “soft spot” on the deck normally means the whole deck needs to be cut out, lifted and replaced. And when you open up said deck, you may often find that work is required underneath that, which can mean flotation, stringers, bulkheads, transoms etc, so never underestimate the costs involved in doing work on a boat.
Also, don’t think back to ten years ago when replacing a deck cost “X”. Raw materials and other costs have sky rocketed in the boat building world, and in some instances costs have doubled within a few short years, so you may well far underestimate what you are truly in for.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
My rule of thumb when inspecting a boat is to always prepare for the worst case scenario. I inspect a vessel as follows:
• Deck and hatches
You need to check for soft spots on the deck and inside the hatches. To do this, using small, medium pressure footsteps, walk over every centimetre of the deck, especially around under-deck and above-deck hatches. Then check the insides of any above-deck hatches and the walls and floors of the below-deck hatches. If you find any areas where the floor feels inconsistent or softer underfoot, it’s virtually guaranteed that the deck is compromised and work is needed. In this case I would budget on needing a new deck and would talk to a boat builder to see what that might cost.
• Transom
For those who don’t know, the transom of a vessel is generally a separate structure – usually multiple layers sandwiched together to form a solid structure – which is then laminated to the back of the vessel and fibreglassed in place.
Thoroughly inspect the transom from outside the vessel, paying special attention to areas around the drain plugs and where stainless steel work and transducers etc are secured to the transom. Also check inside the boat where the transom meets the deck.
You are looking for any soft spots or paint bubbling on the transom itself and any water seepage or loose screws under the waterline where anything is externally affixed to the transom.
Remember that a vast area of the transom lies hidden away underneath the deck, inside the vessel, so any soft spots or irregularities discovered externally are normally a sure indication that something is not right internally.
Also check the transom from the side for any “bowing” or shape irregularities. It’s a big job to repair a rotten transom and involves removing the motors, cutting the old transom off the boat, building a new transom and glassing it in place before re-hanging the motors. There are no quick fixes to this, so if a potential boat seems to have a transom issue then budget on needing a full replacement.

• Wiring and cables
My general rule of thumb – unless a boat is very new or exceptionally well maintained – is to always budget on totally stripping a boat of most of its wiring and replacing it with new, high-grade wiring and cables. It is a job well worth budgeting for, as it can be really frustrating to “fault find” out on the water and faulty cables generally expose themselves at the worst possible times.
Doing this job yourself is actually a very worthy exercise. It’s a bit slow and finnicky at times, but you’ll be thankful one day that you know each wire, its path and its purpose.

• Steering
These days most boats are equipped with hydraulic steering, and, thankfully, many of the units are serviceable, but it’s important to fully check out the boat’s steering, and if you notice a lack of full functionality, budget accordingly.
Also check if the brand of steering is still available locally and who the agents may be so you know what costs are applicable. Further to this, if you note loads of corrosion along with compromised functionality, you may wish to budget on a new setup, which is expensive.
Cable steering is nowhere near as expensive as hydraulic steering, and if that’s what the boat has, then I would recommend budgeting on a full new cable installation as a matter of course so you have peace of mind.
In the next issue we will look at the potential pitfalls of buying secondhand engines and trailers.
In the meantime, don’t discount either avenue if you’re looking to buy a boat. Whether buying from a dealer or buying privately, each option has its own unique up sides, and possible down sides, so do your homework and take these into account.