Seeking advice on inspecting my new boat before taking possession of it

[gbin]

My 620FS Cup is proceeding through the manufacturing process! The word this morning is that "The boat has completed gel coat and lamination and is in pull stage. From here it goes to railing and then staging for assembly."

Yeah, I'm plenty excited! More than a little nervous, too...

See, my original plan was to make a whole day of picking my boat up: drive 4 hours to get there, go out with the boat center manager (my dealer) and maybe even his head mechanic (the mechanic's suggestion, if I pick a day when he has the time), get lots of instruction from them on towing, launching, operating and hauling out, and do a fairly thorough inspection with them before paying the remainder owed on the boat and driving it 4 hours back home. This plan meant a LOT to me, as I have NO prior experience owning a boat - let alone such a new, complex and expensive boat! - nor even towing anything.

But with our current health crisis, none of that is going to happen now. I suppose I'll just be taking a brief look at it, getting at most a bit of brief instruction on it, paying for it, hooking it up and heading home with it. There's no way I'm going to spend hours aboard with them, nor even standing 6 ft apart talking with them for an extended period there in the boat center, let alone crawling around elbow-to-elbow with them looking at things and peppering them with questions about same. Not going to happen. (So please don't waste your or my time telling me how in your opinion I'm being too careful about not bringing the health crisis into my home or increasing their risk of bringing it into theirs.)

This, then, is probably the most important advice I've yet asked you folks for with respect to my new boat. Heck, it would be incredibly valuable to me to hear from those of you with knowledge and experience on this subject even under ordinary circumstances:

In the severely limited time and interaction that's going to happen there at the boat center, and bearing in mind that it is so far from my home, what would you suggest that I make top priorities in terms of things to look over and ask about?

Forever in your debt, my friends!

Gerry

Go over it the same way you would a $80,000 BMW. Allow yourself plenty of time to crawl around and look it all over. Check the compartments, pop on the electronics, check for the obvious and remember you have factory warranties on everything.

[SLE]

Well, if your going to be unable to do things as you stated, you may simply want to ask the dealer to take it out and water test it. Ask them to make sure all systems function properly such as live-wells, drains, lights, electronics, motors, etc. You may even want them to run it enough to perform the initial engine break-in and I would be prepared to pay them to do this. They can do some of this in the shop however nothing replaces a full on the water run down. For instance, on my new boat last year, my wash down pump appeared to operate fine on the trailer, but when I would pressure it up with water it would pop the breaker for the pump. Either the pump was drawing to many amps or the breaker was too weak. It was something that isn't gonna show up until you put it on the water.

No offense, but with your lack of boating experience and boat ownership, chances are the dealer is the best person to shake it down unless you have a good friend that is boat savvy on what your buying. In all honestly, I've never seen anyone jump into boating with a $80k+ brand new top of the line rig having never owned boat or towed anything before. There's a ton to learn that usually takes years of time and some lessons learned that are better off done with something a little less expensive and more forgiving. I might sound a little sour at the moment but after having to drive down to the lake to go rescue my BIL this week due to his lack of boating experience and poor choices, I decided some people probably shouldn't own a boat. good luck

[bloodman]

If you dont want to take the time to interact then it's on you. Why not take the time, go for a ride, sit and talk, learn and ask questions. I dont see the issue at all.

[FlyNorth]

I realize its not a new Boeing (yep, they have issues) but there should be a check list the dealer goes thru which includes testing every system ON THE WATER. After all issues that may come up during their test then you go over the boat with a fine tooth comb. Tell the dealer you want to do this by yourself with NO distractions. Plan an hour of you by yourself doing this. Have your own check list of things to pay special attention to. After your inspection then you and the dealer go out for a water test, this time you and he go thru all systems just like the dealer went thru and you verify all is well, also this gives you and the dealer an opportunity to confirm previous issues were fixed properly.

This may be a bit unusual and your dealer may resist but insist, its your $$$.

This is how it should be, car, boat, airplane or what ever. This really cuts down on surprises. Oh ya, make sure you pay for the boat AFTER all these checks are completed or at least hold back a substantial amount of money, nothing motivates a business to fix problems in a timely manner than money waiting to be received.

FN

[REW]

Copy the comment from SLE.

Take a close friend with you on the trip that is a very experienced boat owner and have him work with you on the check out.

Certainly, if the boat is several hours from you I would not start the pull home until I had at least 30 minutes of time on the water. So, just make sure that you can do that and have the time scheduled.


Bring along several N-95 masks for your self and any one that is going to be close to you when you check out the boats. Your money, your check out, your rules.

I have a good friend who lives several thousand miles from me. He has hired me to check out a couple of different boats, before he made the deal and came out and closed the final deal.

It worked for both of us. I was able to spend some time with my friend again, when he picked up his rig, and I did a stem to stern check of everything on his rig.

All of the rigs worked out very well for him.

--
Ditto the comment about learning all about boating and towing on an expensive first time boat.
Normally, this experience is accumulated over years of boating and towing experience.

I towed my first boat when I was 16 back on the farm and have been doing it ever since. So, yes, you need to learn. Certainly before picking up your rig, download the owners manual for the motor and also for the trailer and also for the boat. Read all of the documentation cover to cover a couple of times before getting your boat. It is very likely that the vast majority of any of your questions will be covered in these manuals. Learn, before you look at the rig and pick it up so you can speak, and question with a reasonable base of knowledge.

Best wishes.

[gbin]

Originally Posted by TMG ul

Go over it the same way you would a $80,000 BMW. Allow yourself plenty of time to crawl around and look it all over. Check the compartments, pop on the electronics, check for the obvious and remember you have factory warranties on everything.

Never owned one of them, either! Hmmm...

Originally Posted by SLE

Well, if your going to be unable to do things as you stated, you may simply want to ask the dealer to take it out and water test it. Ask them to make sure all systems function properly such as live-wells, drains, lights, electronics, motors, etc. You may even want them to run it enough to perform the initial engine break-in and I would be prepared to pay them to do this. They can do some of this in the shop however nothing replaces a full on the water run down. For instance, on my new boat last year, my wash down pump appeared to operate fine on the trailer, but when I would pressure it up with water it would pop the breaker for the pump. Either the pump was drawing to many amps or the breaker was too weak. It was something that isn't gonna show up until you put it on the water.

No offense, but with your lack of boating experience and boat ownership, chances are the dealer is the best person to shake it down unless you have a good friend that is boat savvy on what your buying...

Not offended in the least, SLE. In fact that sounds like solid advice and I will talk to the dealer about doing just that. Thanks!

I suspect there are still some things I should look at and ask about when I go to pick it up, though, even if I go with the dealer doing that shakedown. Got any suggestions in that vein?...

Not at all offended by your honesty with respect to having reservations about a 1st-time boat owner jumping right into an $80K+ boat, either. Seems to me that no one should be offended by the truth - even (or especially) about themselves! I have reservations of my own, and am rightly intimidated by what I have chosen to take on.

If you're curious about how it came to be...

Until just the past few years I didn't think there was all that much of a chance of my ever owning a complicated and expensive boat, and the family budget, our work and our propensity for moving about the country (and out of the country) for said work - not too infrequently in locations where a boat wouldn't have been very useful - kept me from buying a simple, inexpensive boat before now, too. Heck, although I dearly loved fishing as a child and young man and sorely missed it all the years I wasn't indulging in the pastime, I pretty much set fishing itself aside for the last few decades, too.

But now I do unexpectedly have both the financial means and the time in my day-to-day life to get back to fishing with a vengeance, and this boat is meant to help me do that. Unfortunately, I am also aware of the facts that 1) I come from a short-lived line in general (let's just say that closely approaching 60 as I now am, I've already exceeded the life expectancy for men in my family and am near enough to the top for women), and 2) although I'm still relatively able-bodied, I have health issues serious enough to think that my remaining time might well preclude going through a succession of boats even if I didn't come from a short-lived line. And whatever happens, I'm sure of the facts that 1) my wife will be more than comfortable should she survive me (as I hope and believe she will), 2) we have no heirs, and 3) we can't take it with us!

So after a good bit of thought, I made up my mind to go ahead and do this. Never been very risk-averse. (How many people do you know who would pack most of their belongings into storage somewhere, put the rest in and on their vehicle and then drive down to Guatemala to live in a tent in the rainforest for the next 3 years? ) I do a decent job of making up for it, though, by being a quick and thorough study and a careful planner. You can bet that I'll read the heck out of whatever manuals pertain to the boat, and I see a lot of YouTube videos and other online tutorials in my near future, too. (Indeed, I would welcome advice on such, as well!) And I'll proceed slowly and cautiously, at least compared to most people out there; I mean, I DO want to use the boat for its intended purpose. At some point in life I also learned to go ahead and ask for help when it seemed there might be help to be given.

But I expect to make some mistakes, hopefully not but quite possibly even some expensive ones. I accept that even as I'm doing whatever I reasonably can to avoid it. My priorities are my and others' safety 1st, the boat's safety 2nd, fun fishing in the boat 3rd, so hopefully at the very least I won't accidentally/ignorantly do something downright dangerous.

You know you've gotten me curious now. I hate to contribute to pulling my own thread off-topic, but... What did your brother-in-law do that required you to come to his aid?

Originally Posted by FlyNorth

I realize its not a new Boeing (yep, they have issues) but there should be a check list the dealer goes thru which includes testing every system ON THE WATER. After all issues that may come up during their test then you go over the boat with a fine tooth comb. Tell the dealer you want to do this by yourself with NO distractions. Plan an hour of you by yourself doing this. Have your own check list of things to pay special attention to....

The 1st part of your advice there sounds great, FN - thanks! The 2nd is what I started this thread to ask folks advice on, building a checklist of my own. Got any suggestions in that vein?...

Originally Posted by REW

Bring along several N-95 masks for your self and any one that is going to be close to you when you check out the boats. Your money, your check out, your rules.

That's also solid advice, REW. Unfortunately we have so far been unable to obtain any such masks. Indeed, right now what I'm wearing for necessary public appearances is the best thing I could come up with: the balaclava that I wear to snow blow in the winter. At least it enables me to have a bit of fun with things; I refer to myself as the Ninja Shopper.

Gerry

[CI_Guy]

Ask to see every battery on the boat and ask for any tips for the easiest method to access, remove and install them. Power up all the electronics along with the livewell and bilge pumps. Have them show you how to install the running and anchor lights and make sure they work. Look for any options you may have ordered and make sure they are there. Since you have no experience towing a trailer I would recommend a couple trips to a school parking lot and practice backing the trailer a couple hundred feet into a specific spot.
Congrats and good luck on the water.

[kswalleyer]

They should take you through a check list. There will be a learning curve(especially on electronics, even TM), may be some frustration, there will likely be some follow ups. You will likely have them change a few things once you get on the water and observe theory vs. reality.

When I added my last boat, the 621, it took quite a while to learn everything and get fishing on this bigger platform...i was used to my bass boat. its just part of it. I learned , forgot, relearned it and finally retained. The boat is an extension of me now....

I spent a bunch of time on the water with the Lowrance manuals, TM Manual, my phone and tech support on the Lowrance gear, i have birds on my other boat...so new stuff to learn. now I'm solid with each brand...

you'll be fine. if you know someone who has a boat like yours, have em go with you .

Part of the learning curve is what makes you so much better and able to deal with things on the fly down the road...especially on the road, 1000 miles from home in the middle of nowhere...I'm still working on getting my point 1 to calibrate....probably need to move it, but the first one was defective...still testing...other than that I'm fishing very hardcore now...using every inch of that boat...every technique known to man..but it took time to get there...


break your own motors in...takes like 4 hours on the big one, 2 hours on the kicker if I recall. When you pick it up, I'd be focused on fit, finish, make sure the options are correct. you gotta bunch a warranty if you find something is wrong ....If you have had kids...remember the first time you left the hospital with that little bundle of joy and your wife ....driving 20 mph under the speed limit ,extra careful, hands on wheel at 10 and 2, trying to process what the **** has just happened....you may feel a bit of that!

they are going to go through everything and you might feel like you are drinking from a firehose...its OK, its part of it on a totally new boat, new technology new everything.

enjoy the process. be patient. Before long that boat will feel like an extension of your body, moving in efficient perfection in side winds, 3 footers, running contours...issuing a smackdown

[Bearcat]

First of all, congrats on your new rig! I’m sure you will enjoy your time on the water once you take delivery and able to take it to your favorite lake. Sounds like a great rig.

All very good suggestions from everyone.

I would also suggest taking a buddy that has some boating experience! Let him hold your hand and walk you through the processes of unloading, operation, and loading. Not a chance that I would want to take that nice of a boat to the lake with no experience whatsoever.

Since you have no prior experience being the captain of a vessel, PLEASE take the online Coast Guard boating course. Mostly for your sake but also the rest of the boating community. The knowledge from this course can be a life saver!


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