Help with buying used boat

[jdjd]

Hi all. I am new here. I am currently looking to buy a 2017 or newer ar195. I have a couple I am considering now. Both have less than 50 hrs. The prices are about $8,000 apart. The more expensive one claims to have upgraded upholstery and sound system. From the Yamaha website I don't see where there are any upgrades. Also, what should I be looking at when considering one. The less expensive one is listed on craigslist for $21,200. Seems really low. Should I be wary of this? Are there upgraded trim packages that would be of considerable value? Any help would be appreciated. I currently own a 16' flat bottom and this would be our first family boat. I have been in many runabouts but this seems to be a better option to me.

 

[marcham]

Upgrades such as stereo or upholstery don't add much to a sale price. Upholstery would definitely not shift the selling price by a dime. AFAIK there are not factory options for upholstery. Did something get damaged or flooded requiring a change?

Stereo adds value only if the buyer wants it but a dealer would just use base wholesale price. When looking up Nada, some sellers add a trailer, but the trailer is part of the base price for Yamahas.

Condition of the hull, is it clean and waxed? Spider cracks? Would be much more important to me. Be aware that the hours on the display may not be the true engine hours. If possible,have a mechanic check the engine compression and read the hours directly from the ecu.

Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[KyleP]

21 seems EXTREMELY low. I would pay extra to have that boat gone through before purchase. They are probably referring to the upgraded audio and upholstery that comes standard on the 195 model over the 190. Great boat! I have that exact one!

 

[jdjd]

I quess why I'm asking... The one for 21K is about a 2-1/2 hr drive from me. The person claims to be anal with upkeep and claims all scheduled maintenance has been done and has all the paperwork for engine warranty. The other one is in my location. Asking price is $28,900. This seems like a fair price. Does that seem more like it. I should also ask if any accessories came with the boat. Anchor, bumpers, watersport gear... Both come with the trailer.

I am also curious about fuel. Some people claim these things really suck gas. I assume I could go a weekend on a tank or am I completely out of my mind. I should say that currently my family likes hanging out on sandbars so definitely won't be doing watersports continuosly all day. The kids are fairly young and that could all change. I can see them fighting over the rope already.

 

[Crob83]

I quess why I'm asking... The one for 21K is about a 2-1/2 hr drive from me. The person claims to be anal with upkeep and claims all scheduled maintenance has been done and has all the paperwork for engine warranty. The other one is in my location. Asking price is $28,900. This seems like a fair price. Does that seem more like it. I should also ask if any accessories came with the boat. Anchor, bumpers, watersport gear... Both come with the trailer.

I am also curious about fuel. Some people claim these things really suck gas. I assume I could go a weekend on a tank or am I completely out of my mind. I should say that currently my family likes hanging out on sandbars so definitely won't be doing watersports continuosly all day. The kids are fairly young and that could all change. I can see them fighting over the rope already.

I just bought an '18 195 with 30 hrs on it. Now it was at a dealership now a private sale. I paid 32K out the door it but they paid off my pontoon which was only a year old which I was very happy with! The 195 is also emmaculate and came with Yamaha premium mooring cover which is a must have IMO. I have only had the boat out twice, the first day did a lot of driving around and getting used to the handling,etc. I used 3/4 of a tank of gas in about 5-6 hours. Took her out again yesterday, did a few laps around the lake and anchored up for rest of day. Fuel gauge didn't even lose a tick of the Full mark. So truly just depends on what you are doing, how hard you are driving it, etc. But I love the boat. 21K seems extremely low, unless they are just broke and desperate to sell I guess

 

[Dean P]

The one for 21 might just be an awesome deal. I assume you've seen pictures? Do you know the condition of the trailer? What year is it? 8K is nothing to sneeze at and could do a lot with should there be items that need replacing. Don't let the 2.5 hours stop you. It's just time but could lead into something great. Once you have it, you have it.

 

[jdjd]

There are only 3 pictures. Boat on trailer with cover on, cover off and a picture of the console. No interior pictures. Maybe it is worth a look.

 

[Crob83]

There are only 3 pictures. Boat on trailer with cover on, cover off and a picture of the console. No interior pictures. Maybe it is worth a look.

Kind of strange that someone would try to sell a boat, car, etc. With very few pics, but hey some people do it...lol

 

[HangOutdoors]

I guess I would be very wary of the one for 21k from the self described "Anal" guy. It may be a great deal and it worth looking into, but..... Leaving 8k on the table give or take is a lot on that boat. Yamaha's in that price range seem to go fairly easily and quickly even for top dollar. I personally would explore that one for a couple hour or so drive, but definitely have it checked out.

 

[Blue Hawaiian]

8K it quite a money but compare to life on water of no where to reach is nothing, 195 is single engine involving more reliable mechanical maintenance ( basically all boats ), fuel consumption is really depend how you drive with wind, wave, weight ....but so far Yamaha is very reliable if the owner taking care of it.

 

[marcham]

I am also curious about fuel. Some people claim these things really suck gas. I assume I could go a weekend on a tank or am I completely out of my mind.

All boats use a huge amount of gas compared to a car! We typically use about 1/4 tank when we go out on the water for 1.5 to 2 hrs. We fill up every 2 or 3 outings. We are towing about 6000-6200 rpm (wakesurf at 10.5mph). We rarely if ever give it full throttle. That's about 11 Gal/hr at 6200 rpm. Full throttle is around 20-22 Gal/hr.

The supercharged engine requires premium fuel (91), I have yet to see a fuel dock in BC that offers this so we bring the boat to Costco (ethanol free premium) on the trailer or take 5Gal containers with us.

 

[Beachbummer]

While some upgrades do not add value to the sales price, they are certainly desirable at purchase time. While re upholstery alone will not add value, redoing a boat will cost a good chunk of change, so you need to factor that in the price you are paying if you are looking at something with upholstery that is shot, for example.

Best of Luck!

 

[ZippyBoater]

Be careful with Craig's List. I have found more boat scams than real boats on there.

 

[Beachbummer]

Agreed, Craigslist is full of Scams, but there are a few legit boats too. An easy test is the age of the post. The scam ads rarely last 3 days. they generally get reported quickly. Any post over a week old that passes the smell test can be pursued with great care. Anything under a day or two that looks too good to be true is very likely a scam. The good thing is the scams are easy to spot. If you can't see the boat in person, or the seller is abroad, or he needs the money via Western Union or Google gift cards, or anything suspicious that does not entail you seeing and touching the boat and seeing title or paperwork in person....it's very much a certain scam.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I have purchased a lot of things on Craigslist including vehicles. You just need to be wary and do your due diligence. Gives me an idea for a solid low fee web application for boat sales owner to owner.

 

[ZippyBoater]

There are only 3 pictures. Boat on trailer with cover on, cover off and a picture of the console. No interior pictures. Maybe it is worth a look.

Where are you located? Maybe an experienced Yamaha owner from the forum could help you go check it out.

 

[jdjd]

I'm in Eau Claire, WI. The boat is (according to the map) around Plymouth, MN. West of Minneapolis.

What are the key things I should be looking at? Someone earlier mentioned inspecting the hull. Obviously upholstery, carpet, cleanliness, and dings and scratches are easy to spot and are cosmetic unless in the hull. It would also give an idea how well taken care of it was. How would I get a good idea of engine quality above and beyond a test drive? Someone mentioned having a boat mechanic look it over. Any idea how that could be arranged long distance and what an inspection would cost? Have the owner bring it to a dealership? Would they be able to find anything other than minor issues?

 

[ZippyBoater]

I'm in Eau Claire, WI. The boat is (according to the map) around Plymouth, MN. West of Minneapolis.

What are the key things I should be looking at? Someone earlier mentioned inspecting the hull. Obviously upholstery, carpet, cleanliness, and dings and scratches are easy to spot and are cosmetic unless in the hull. It would also give an idea how well taken care of it was. How would I get a good idea of engine quality above and beyond a test drive? Someone mentioned having a boat mechanic look it over. Any idea how that could be arranged long distance and what an inspection would cost? Have the owner bring it to a dealership? Would they be able to find anything other than minor issues?

Go to the FAQ and there should be a checklist there. Also, ask around the forum. Maybe there is someone from Plymouth, MN near that could check it out and let you know if it is worth the drive.

Big question is have you spoken to the boat owner yet?

 

[Cstrimer]

Most likely, the AR195 for $21,000 is craigslist fraud. I found a listing with the location near Plymouth, MN that looks to be the one you're talking about. Those same pictures were used in a listing near me in Reading, PA. When I sent the first email about coming to take a look in person, I got a response back saying they needed my email address for further correspondence. That's always the red flag that it's fraud. I would venture to say this one falls into the "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"

 

[AuburnVFR]

Craigslist abnormally low price, 3 photos, usually no registration numbers, weird ////punctuation/// = scam