2012 Sea Doo Challenger 180 - salt water

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bdstain

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I currently own a 04 Sportster and we are looking for a little bit bigger boat. I found a 2012 Challenger 180 with about 60 hours on it. I am in Michigan and the boat is in North Carolina. My local Sea Doo dealer says all salt water boats are "junk" and I shouldn't even consider it. The asking price is very fair and it looks like a really nice boat. I thought with all the Sea Doo experience on this forum I could get some good advice about what things to look for when considering a salt water boat. Thanks for any input you can provide!
 
A properly cared for salt water boat is perfectly fine IMO, although less desirable than a FW only one. Biggest concern would be the exhaust system, as that's the only part of the engine that utilizes said salt water. Also check the running gear as it's always in contact with water.Check for rust on the shaft, impeller, nuts and bolts on pump and reverse bucket, etc. Make sure there are decent sacrificial anodes on the rear. Have it inspected by a shop if you don't know what to look for yourself. Check the service history and read the ECM if you can as well. May as well sneak a peak at the electrical connections behind the helm. Check for corrosion.

As with any boat purchase, always check every electronic device (nav/anchor lights, multi functioning guages, kill switch, etc.).

Good luck with this boat. Feel free to post pics or a link to the boat in question.
 
Bottom line, this comes down to the previous owner. I own a 2009 RXT-X and 2010 GTX and live in Florida. I don't always ride in salt water, but I have MANY hours of salt water riding. I can tell you that my skis are near perfect.

I wash them very well after every ride including the engine compartment. Then coat all metal with WD-40 or CRC to prevent rust and or corrosion.
So,, to say all salt water boats are junk is simply not a good statement. That said, they do require addition time to keep them in good condition...
 
Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get much about the previous owner. I have asked for specific pictures of the areas you mentioned and if I can get them I will post them here.
 
You got good advice. If you take care of it then it's no problem riding in salt water. My boat came from a poorly maintained salt water environment. I paid for it too. I fixed a bunch of stuff and had to replace the motor. If the owner is serious about selling the boat, then he should be able to take picture and send them.
 
Agreed. It all comes down to maintenance. The key is flushing the engines and washing the boat EVERYTIME you take it out of the water. Looking for signs of rust, in the above mentioned areas, will tell a lot.
 
Not good pictures. Man I suspect that impeller got chewed I can can see marks on the blades and rust. You need a close up of the mounts and starter. I am not liking the corrosion on the pump frame for the neutral and reverse bucket.
 
I agree. On my '07, the paint is still shiny black on the reverse buckets and pumps. It looks like it was left in the water for extended periods of time, or was not rinsed regularly when removed from the water.
 
The surface corrosion on the bucket and frame don't concern me too much. I've seen that kinda corrosion on my buddies skis that have always been well maintained. The pump on our 2012 210 has some corrosion on it and it was fresh water only boat. The impeller definitely looks like it will need to be sent out for refurb or simply replaced ($100 - $250). The engine pics are kinda worthless as there's nothing to really see in the pics provided.

I'd ask for:

Better pics of the impeller (from the rear through the nozzle and from the intake side).
Pics of the driveshaft and underside of the boat.
Pics of the starter and motor mounts.
Pics of the engine bay (inside sides to get better idea of what's going on in the engine bay).
Pics of all of the upholstery and ask for pics of any rips, tears, knicks, etc.

I wouldn't rule the boat out just yet, but I'd get more pics before you make the trek to go see it in person. Another option would be to go through a boat inspector to have them give the boat the once over and let you know their professional opinion. It will cost you some money, but probably less than it would cost to drive down and see it yourself.

Good luck and keep us posted with what you find.
 
Would a boat inspection by a Sea Doo dealer catch any salt water issues ... in other words if a Sea Doo service dealer says its OK, then I can feel comfortable purchasing the boat?

I passed on the previous boat for now, but found another 2011 C180 but its salt water also (the owner says he flushed after use). The owner is willing to take it to the Sea Doo dealer and he will pay for an inspection to verify the condition.

I guess one more question - what is a good number for an engine compression check? Another boat I'm looking at here in Michigan obviously can't be water tested. The dealer said he did a compression check and all 3 cylinders were at 130 psi. is that good?

Thanks for all your help!!
Brian
 
It really all depends on the dealer. Some are good, others are beyond bad. If it's not a local dealer, you may want to call them first and feel them out.

So now it sounds like you're looking at 2 more boats, am I right? On local and the other, not so local? I'd check the local one first as that's fairly easy to do. I'm not a fan of not water testing a boat. I've seen boats that run great on the hose, but then run like a pig when you have a load on the motor & drivetrain. You also won't be able to feel for any vibrations or cavitation without a water test. I understand it's winter in Michigan, but there's gotta be someplace where you can water test no?

Post some pics of the boats you're now interested in so we can see.

The compression you mentioned sounds good. Biggest thing is the difference between the cylinders. No more than 10% difference.Keep in mind a colder engine will have slightly lower compression that a warmed up motor.
 
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I went through the same situation as you are when I purchased my 2011 C180 a few months back. The boat was in a different state in which I had the boat inspected by an experienced Sea Doo dealer/mechanic. Long story short, I ended up spending a little bit of money to have the boat brought up to tip top shape to avoid any potential issues - The money went into preventive maintenance like having the supercharger serviced even though it only had 45hrs.

The advise I would give you is certainly have the boat inspected by a reputable dealer so that you can factor any repair costs into the price. At the end of the day, you may be paying for it one way or another, so it's probably best to have it taken care off now. I know I wouldn't want to be stuck out on the waters with my family on board.
 
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions. Definitely would prefer to water test but it seems that most fresh water boats are in storage right now. Have leading 2 choices, both C180 SE:
- 2010 red with 255 hp and wake tower 55 hours > owner do sent have any pictures or records but is getting them from the "marina"
- 2012 blue with 215 hp no tower 58 hours - on consignment at marina which has verified mechanical and performance. Lots of pictures and boat looks outstanding (blue is my favorite color)

I don't have a good feel for the realistic difference in the 215 v 255. Don't care much about top speed but we do have wake boarders and water skiers. I really like the late model OEM tower, but think the 2010 was prior to that (the owner literally didn't know and is getting pictures Wednesday).

I'll update next week - Going to get one of them this weekend!
 
Thanks for all your help. This weekend I traveled to NJ and brought back a 2012 challenger 180 SE. Thanks again.
 
Here are a few pictures of the Challenger 180 I just picked up this weekend. Still needs to be cleaned - it was caked with road grime and salt after the ride back to Michigan and with the cold weather here the wash just turned everything to ice.

Future plans include HydroTurf and a wake tower (leaning toward the Monster MTK). Also it's missing a couple of "O"s from the starboard side emblem so I need to find those.
 

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Those letters falling off are pretty common. There are some on Ebay now that I think might be correct. It's full Seadoo plus a few extra letters iirc. I saw then last week.

I'm really surprised that it's from Jersey. 99% off all trailers sold in our area are galvanized.
 
Thanks - I'll check out ebay. Yes I was also - this boat "allegedly" is a fresh water boat from Lake Hopatcong with 58 hours. Bridge Marina sold the boat (consigned from owner) and claimed they tested it and ran very well in the fall, then they winterized it. My biggest concern is no water test due to the season but other than a few small scratches and the logo letters it is in great condition cosmetically. All lights, gages, electrical works so we will see what happens in the spring.
 
So since this is already started....first congrats on your purchase. Some of my letters have fallen off the side....seaweed was the culprit for me. I'm planning on taking them off completely. After seeing the pictures of the other boat I noticed some of the same things on my boat.

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Someone said the black on their gate was shiny still. I think some of the spots you may see are knicks (no idea what from) but now I am worried about corrosion (the white spots?). The sacrificial anodes still look good to me. After I went out I always flushed the exhaust and rinsed the area off. What else can I do? I got it serviced when I winterized it and the dealer said everything was good (except the jet pump bolts were to tight and may need to be broken in the future)....
 
I took mine apart and polished them. I don't have any good pictures handy. I coat of wax on those parts does help. Once you get them cleaned up, they hold up a bit better.
 
Thanks for the pictures! Mind me asking how much you got for your Sportster? I'm in the process of selling my 2011 speedster with 34 hours..
 
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