Hi I am looking to but a boat that has been idle for four years. It is a 1998 sea ray that was winterized in fall 2004. The owner covered the boat and let it sit until now. What kind of damage should I look for from sitting this long. I don't want to buy something that I will regret later

Thanks

First I never buy a boat unless I can run it or put it in the water. I even bring my ears and a hose just in case the seller says I don't have ears to run it. Sea Ray does make a nice boat.

Get under the dash and look for any bad chewed wires. On IO pull the dip stick and smell it for a burnt smell which is bad.

Check the power trim/tilt.

Check for steering wheel to turn with basic ease to check cable(s) Engine should be started for power steering to work.

Look for fiberglass stress cracks to see if the boat was pounded in the water hard. These will show up about 1 foot or so from the stern on the topside edges. Above the gunnel area.

See if the skeg is pitted from mooring at a salt water dock. Boat cover snaps for the tarp can tell a story there too.

Look for prop slop in the bearing of the lower unit. There will be a very little wiggle but not much. This checks the thrust bearing in the lower unit prop shaft.

As it sit all the oil should be out of the lower unit and motor, unless he got it up and running.

Is this an out board engine or inboard? Should be an inboard but just checking here. I don't think Sea Ray made an outboard.

Since it sat for 4 years the water pump needs replaced. That's in the lower unit. It's a rubber impeller you get to after dropping the lower unit. Should be 4 bolts where the skeg plate is. Look for damage in water intake screens on the lower unit.

If you have it running on the trailer run the trim up and down at ideal and listen for the Knuckle Bearing to see if it gets real noisy.

Look for the motor mounts and see if they are solid and not rotted/soft fiberglass.

Need to know to go one here, is this tour first boat? What the length here?

Never buy a boat without running it on land at least. Always test run it in water. Pay a couple of bucks to have the owner get it in the water and run it if at all possible.

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