Boat Buying Help

[kyngfish]

Hi Raiders,

Been away from serious fishing for a while but I am looking to get back into it by buying a new/old boat.

I was just wondering if anyone could help with info about a boat I am looking at buying. It is a Savage Astra (probably around a 1980 to 1990 model. It is cheap but I will have to spend a few dollars on it as it has been sitting in the guy's driveway for a few years and not used. it was regularly serviced before they stopped using it as the owner felt it was a bit too heavy for him and his wife to launch etc (now that son not living with them).

Thanks, Greg

[yockman]

Nice looking boat, similar styling to the legendary haines v17l. Hull is the same as the Savage Pacific from memory so any info you can find about them will apply to the Astra.

[kyngfish]

Thanks for the reply Yockman. I am sure the hull is fine as Savage, Haine and Carribean all had good names. Just a little worried about the motor not being used for a few years. Prior to that it was regularly serviced.

[dunc333]

give the outboard a good once over before you start it ,spray a bit of lube 2stroke oil into the pistons and turn over buy hand as she will be be dry in there (service + waterpump) and if you can trust what the old owner said you will be in buisness.

[yockman]

Before handing over your hard-earned, if it's not too late, you'd do well to tap all over the transom and floor with a solid object eg screwdriver handle, small hammer and listen. If it's in good shape, you'll get a hollow knock. If there's rot, you'll get more of a dull thud. Knock good, thud bad.

Know how to use a multimeter? If so, take one with you. The boat will almost certainly have ski hooks on the transom. Set the multimeter to measure resistance at a low level, then put the one probe on a ski hook and the other on an engine bolt. "0" (full resistance) is good. Any other number is bad. It means there's water in the transom which either already is, or will become, a problem. Do this both sides of the engine.

Good luck. If the boat, motor and trailer check out, you'll get a lot of pleasure out of it.

Edited May 8, 2012 by yockman

[kyngfish]

Thanks again yockman.

I have tested the transom with a friend that knows a bit about ski boats and it is still solid.

I bought a Nautiglass with a stuffed transom about 15 years ago. I knew it was stuffed so I paid a good price

for it and the cost of fixing it was a lot less than the discount but it took a bit of time and energy to get it ship shape.

I have made the decision to buy it and will pick it up tomorrow.

I have been looking at all the extra safety gear that I will need to buy (wow) and I still want to get a reasonable sounder/GPS so I hope the engine doesn't need too many dollars thrown at it. I know the guy selling it to me so I can trust what he is saying about the previous servicing etc.

When the time comes I think I will put up a post about sounders as the last one is almost a year old now.

Thanks again.