Newbie about to purchase his first boat/jetboat!

[dimlight85]

Hey all!

I've been checking out these forums for a little while now because a jet boat seems to be the way I want to go. I'm going this way for fun purposes and I don't own a vehicle(Honda Element) big enough to pull a larger, heavier boat...price has a lot to do with it too.

Well, I've found it:

"Have a 97 seadoo twin engine(Sportster) jet boat...just had the upholtsery done and also just had the carbs rebuilt.....runs great and looks good....comes with bimni top and a big Bertha tube to pull behind boat.....asking $3300 obo"

I've only seen one picture of it so far and it looks in decent shape as well as the trailer. Aside from the visual aspects and checking the compression which I really don't know how to do just yet(nor have the tool for), can I get some tips of what to look for when I go to check this thing out tomorrow? I'm planning on asking him to take me for a ride in it to make sure everything works properly. Based on the prices I've seen on these in other listings, this seems to be a pretty good deal.

 

[RobertV]

If it is a twin engine 1997 14.5' it is a Speedster. The 97 Sportster is a single engine 14.5'. The price sounds good - if it is as described.
Ask for service records for the work stated.
I would inspect the hull while it is on the trailer - look for damage or damage repair. Bring a flash light and inspect the impellers for nicks and wear. I would check the steering - should be free and easy to move from lock to lock. Check the throttle and shifters for smooth operation. When you put the DESS key on the post it should beep twice - ready to start. Check the gauges and lights for operation.
I would ask the seller to fully charge the battery tonight so you can do a compression test and then go for a ride.
You can get a compression tester at any auto parts store. You want to remove both spark plugs from the motor and put the plug wires on the post on the front of the motor - I'll see if I can find a pic of the posts. Check here for reading the plugs:http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?t=4151;
Screw the compression tester in one plug hole. I would ask the seller to crank the motor while you hold a rag over the open plug hole to catch any oil spray there might be and check the gauge. It should climb at a steady rate to about 140lbs in 5 secs or so. All should be around 140lbs. If you find some much lower or much higher walk away or be prepared to do some motor work.
Keep in mind these are two strokes and will smoke a bit, they do vibrate and the are a bit noisy.
Check the trailer tires for cracks/dry rot, that means they need to be replaced. I like to check the trailer bearings too - jack up one side and check the tires for any side to side movement - this could be bad bearings. Not that any of the trailer items are super expensive, but it will cost some $.
Oh yeah - I knew I forgot something - was this used in salt water or fresh? If it was in salt, did the owner flush the the boat after each use? If not, there will be some issues with the motors. Is this the original owner? Does he have any idea on the hours of use?
Post the pictures you have - we love pictures.

 

[dimlight85]

Which engines are in the 97' Speedster? I'm was told earlier by someone who works on these that he wouldn't pay more than $2000 for the boat with the economy being the way it is and all of that hoo-ha. However, it's priced right between the NADA values of low retail and average retail. I'm thinking I'll offer quite a bit less for it and see if he bites. I talked to him earlier and I don't know if he will be willing to take me out in it. I was also told to not by anything I couldn't take a ride in. He also didn't know how many hours this boat has on it since he was not the first owner of the boat.

 

[RobertV]

The 97 Speedster has the Rotax 717.
Yes, I would not buy anything that you can't go out in and do the compression test on. If you are serious about the boat after a full inspection, offer to pay him for the test ride. I would be pretty pissed off if I was selling my boat, spent all the time launching it, just to have the buyer low ball me and then walk away. If you can't go out in it, arrange for an authorized Seadoo shop to do a full survey/inspection on the boat or speak to the shop that does the work on the Seadoo for him and ask what the boat needs. The Seadoo shop can also get the hours on the unit. After I am ready to buy a boat, I always ask the seller what they will take for it right now and then work from there. This way they make the first offer. I also make sure that they are willing to lower the price to help cover any items the boat may need. If I am going to invest $ on an inspection, I want the reassurance that the seller is going to work with me.
Remember not to get emotionally involved with this boat - there are plenty SeaDoo boats out there and you need to be ready to walk away. If you do buy the boat, don't beat yourself up if a deal comes along for far less - it always happens - unless you steal the boat $ wise.
If he won't allow a compression check w/ a test ride nor the inspection by a Seadoo shop - I would walk away. You don't want to have your first boat look good, but be a piece of junk mechanically - it will cost your $ and just piss you off.
Since this will be your first boat - be ready to spend money on it. Not that these are expensive boats to own, but all boats cost more than you think they will to operate.

 

[dimlight85]

I've also been looking at a 96' Seadoo Challenger that's listed at $3800. This has a single 110hp engine correct? It seems to be the same size and features all around with the exception of having less power than the 97' twin-engine Speedster. I'm definitely wanting for bang for my buck and I'm also trying to create a price comparison point here. I'm still liking the Speedster however.

 

[Birdog]

I'm also a newbie in the market for a Sportster. I think I'm leaning more toward the 2003-04 region though. I hear these are better on gas, easier to maintain and quieter. Moreover, if I find one that has been used in salt water more-so than fresh, what should I look for before moving on to the next step of a test drive? The ones I have been looking at don't say they have Bimini tops. Is this because they don't come with one or that they all come with one and it is therefore not worth mentioning?

 

[timmyboy76]

I've also been looking at a 96' Seadoo Challenger that's listed at $3800. This has a single 110hp engine correct? It seems to be the same size and features all around with the exception of having less power than the 97' twin-engine Speedster. I'm definitely wanting for bang for my buck and I'm also trying to create a price comparison point here. I'm still liking the Speedster however.

with dual motors, its crank'n 170hp, where the challengers' pushing 110, but then again, with dual motors, that twice the problem (if any).
That price is awesome (speedster), giv'n its as clean you say, and worx perfectly, even if he dont crack at price,, ($3000), i'd still buy it for $3300.
For the challenger, that sounds high, think'n you can get it, for same amount as speedster price.

If using boat, for rec use...tow'n, ski'n,..etc, then I say, if clean and runs great,(compression good also), Speedster way to go,..if rip'n around w/ ur chick/kid-s, maybe throw line or two to fish, then challenger, but not at that price, has plenty of power and you have the EXTRA seat......my .02 cents
:cheers:

 

[dimlight85]

I'm using it for rec use mainly and maybe a little bit of fishing if I get the feeling to do so. We don't have any kids and won't have any of boat ready age for quite some time.

So, I test drove the boat today and it seemed like it was in pretty good shape. The throttles were even and nice and easy. Here's the deal, I've never driven a boat...let alone a jet boat. It took me a little bit to get it away from the dock since I was trying not to look like a total idiot in front of the guy since he just let me take it out by myself. It was a little noisier than I expected but not in a bad rattling/vibrating sort of way. All but one of the gauges worked (speedometer) and the guy said he would take a look at it since he does some work on boats. Now, the interior was only partially re-upholstered. He re-upholstered the gray parts entirely but only spray colored the yellow parts but they did look like they were new. There is a little sun-bleaching on it but not too bad. Really all of these things are cosmetic and not that big of a deal since I have the know-how to clean some of that up. Some other cosmetic issues (at least I was told are only cosmetic) were some chips in the gel-coat. One of the chips is on the port side just aft of the cooler compartment and about the size of a quarter. The other chips are just under the waterline, along one of the ridges and skip along the length of the boat. He said that he does these repairs and could do the work but would charge for it and that they are completely non-structural. Cosmetically, they are hard to notice and there was absolutely no penetration through the fiberglass. Are repairs to the gel-coat very expensive?

Some more parts that were added that weren't listed in the craigslist ad were a new blower motor, new battery as of today, and a repair done to one of the quarter-sized pieces on the exhaust. Everything else looked pretty good but I did notice a little bit of water in the engine compartment. Is that normal or should I look for a problem there? All of the lights worked and he said that the bilge pump was in good working order as well.


EDIT: Oh yeah, he said that he would charge about $400 for the gelcoat repair and that it would be much cheaper than having it done somewhere locally. He told me he already had the paint matched and had some to do the work if I wanted him to.

 

[RobertV]

Speedo is a very common failure - I don't think it is important to have one.
You can fix the gel coat yourself - get MARINE TEX EPOXY PUTTY about $15 and some of your time.
The exhaust freeze out plug is very common, some replace the whole pipe (big bucks) some have them TIG welded and others just use JB Weld to fix the leak. Not sure what he did to fix it - they all work.
I know mine has water in the bilge, but not enough to get excited about. Just make sure the bilge pump works - it is automatic and manual. With the DESS key on and the motors off you can turn the switch above the choke knobs and hear it run. When you buy this beast we can walk though testing it completely - even if it is bad, they don't cost much.
Did you test it on fresh or salt water?
What did you decide to do?

EDIT: I just saw the $ for the gelcoat fix - no way, the marine tex comes in white and we can help you do it. It may not be perfect, but it will look fine. Why did he have the paint matched already????? Is there more damage than he is telling you?

 

[dimlight85]

Is the speedo something that is expensive to fix? It may not be important but I'm a stickler for everything working when I own it. I also have gotten into the habit of fixing the small things as they come, that way I don't have a huge bill all at once.

I was just reading about the gel coat and I'm sure I can handle the work and not really care how it looks especially since most of it is below the waterline. Also, the freeze out plug he said he ground down to the metal and used JB Weld to fix and it looks pretty good. I've used JB Weld and I know how it holds.

I tested it out on saltwater since it's almost all we have around these parts...yes! I've decided to take this deal and run with it!

He repainted some parts here and there but nothing that was damaged other than cosmetic. The water in the bilge was also not enough to get excited about.

Thanks for all of the input...it has been helpful in this process. I'll be the owner of this beast tomorrow and I know I'll be on here quite a bit finding out as much as I can!

 

[RobertV]

Congrats, be sure to post some pics of your new baby.:cheers:

 

[kustomkarl]

The spedo can't usually be repaired if the guage is bad. Sometimes the sensor at the rear is at fault. After you purchase it let us know if you need help with anything and we'll get you in the right direction. We even have a seadoo service manual availiable here too for cheap.

Karl

 

[dimlight85]

Alright...so I'm a little peeved. I was supposed to pick up my awesome jet boat today and I received a call at 8:30 this morning that he sold it to someone else and they had already picked it up...CRAP! I guess this one wasn't meant to be.

Here is my next option:

"This 14' 6" "pocket Rocket" will go about 60 mph with it's twin 85 hp enines. We bought it in 1998 from a Seadoo dealer in Southern California , it had 20 hours on it and since then we have used it 12 times or less. The hours are low but I do not know how many. It has NEVER been in saltwater, only freshwate use with most of it on the Colorado River in Arizona as shown in the picture. It has always used Seadoo brand 2 cycle MINERAL oil and NOT ordinary 2 cycle motor oil. There should be many hours of use on the running gear of this boat. It holds 5 people and comes with a bimini top and Seadoo cover. Runs very well and I have just installed a new battery and fire extinguisher. It has a pole to pull a water skier.You can view these boats in action on youtube.com, they are very agile and can turn on a dime. I have been careful to avoid gravel and weeds to protect the jets."

He's asking $4350. I went and looked at it today and it seems in pretty good shape. There is some mildew on the seats that I'll have to clean and there is a sizeable scratch through the gelcoat along the side and couple small gouges on the underside of the hull. Thes are just cosmetic and I think it's something I can handle. The issue here is that the trailer and the boat aren't registered and he is worried about taking it out for a test drive that way (he's a much older gentlemen). He did dry start it for me(only for about 30 seconds each) and both engines started up just fine. The thing I couldn't tell that worked or not was the bilge pump. He hasn't had it in the water in years but says that there can't be more than 80 hours on the engines and from the looks of them it seems accurate(they look new actually). I had $3K in my hand and offered to take it for that since that's what I was getting this last one for but I'd be willing to offer a little more even if I can't test drive it since it looked in better shape overall and the trailer wasn't just the galvanized aluminmum but coated white. I'm wondering if I should go as high as $3600 for it without taking it out on the water. Seems like this was a fairly honest old man just trying to sell a boat because he can no longer see well enough to even drive. What do you guys think?

EDIT: It's a 1997 Speedster....same boat little higher price

 

[RobertV]

I swear I have seen this add before - like last year, but I could be wrong.
On mine the mildew would not come out of the seats and I recovered the yellow sections myself. Don't worry about the bilge pump. These are four passenger boats. I prefer boats that have been used vs. ones that sit for a long time. Mine sat for two years and it is fine. The other trailer was not galvanized aluminum it was galvanized steel and this one is just a painted steel trailer. Galvanized is better for salt water. I understand that he doesn't want to take it out, but any boat can run fine on the trailer, put a load on it in the water and issues show up. I would want to do a compression test at least. Keep in mind everyone here will tell you not to buy any doo without the compression test and sea trial. What was his response on the offer for $3K?

 

[kustomkarl]

A engine with very low compression will start fine on a trailer with no load on the impellers. If you can't sea trial it in the water...Pass. There are a lot of seadoos out there to look at. Would you buy a car without driving it.nnnoooo tell him," no sea trial, no sale"! Keep looking around. People need money, and the boat will be the first thing to go...than the house, and the car...DEALS EVERYWHERE IN THIS ECONOMY!

kARL

 

[RobertV]

A engine with very low compression will start fine on a trailer with no load on the impellers. If you can't sea trial it in the water...Pass. There are a lot of seadoos out there to look at. Would you buy a car without driving it.nnnoooo tell him," no sea trial, no sale"! Keep looking around. People need money, and the boat will be the first thing to go...than the house, and the car...DEALS EVERYWHERE IN THIS ECONOMY!

kARL

Ha Ha - great minds think alike or is it simple minds simple pleasures?

 

[dimlight85]

I offered and he said that he just couldn't go that low on it even though I showed him the cash. He said that he would rather put it on eBay than let it go for that much. More power to him if he does because I go that route too and could possibly get it for waaaaaay less...possibly. I wouldn't consider it normally but this boat at least looked a lot better than the one I almost bought today and it started up pretty easily. If I do decide to get it with the higher offer I'm going to insist he let me take it on the water before I commit. He was worried that we would get stopped because of the registration. He lives close enough to a boat ramp that I doubt we would even see a ticketing authority in thetime it would take to take it for a ride.

On the flip side, the low hours on the engines is a plus but the long time that it has been sitting could mean some dry rot or whatever on gaskets and seals. I'll keep you guys posted.

I want one of these boats bad enough that I am considering driving to pick up a 1995 Speedster in Atlanta (6 hour drive) tomorrow for $2800 with a lot of extras...Boat Cover, Several Life Jackets, 2 buoys, Anchor and Line, Night light Safety kit, Dock Lines and the Boat Manual. I called this guy and he offered to take me out in it as soon as I get there. He said he just had it all "tuned" up and it looked like it was in great shape cosmetically from the pictures. The '95 has one less seat and has the smaller 657's that I have been reading on here might be harder to find parts for. It's less money and does what I want it for but seats one less person. Is this still a decent boat worth driving for? He said that it has fewer than 120 hours on it and it was well taken care of.

 

[lindsandryan]

We just bought a 98 speedster with the twin rotax 110 hp engines.ONe enginve is stuck in forward(we know it needs a new fnr cable but the other engine is stuck in neautral. Is this just something to do witht the forward reverse cable being broke just under the lever? my husband took out the driveshaft and looked at the flywheel and he thinks this may be the cause of the one engine stuck in neatrual.Any help would be great we have always owned an outboard engine not a jet boat.