5 Yr. Old Boat, 40 mi or 1000 mi. On Eng., Which One?

[sigbear]

I am looking at several 2005 used sailboats (Catalina) and was curious about low mileage on a 5 yr. old boat.

I see one for sale with 40 mi. on it which seems extremly low, havent seen the maintnance records yet, anyway, wouldn't low mileage be just as bad for an engine as high mileage?

How far do surveyors go as far as checking out the engine for problems?

Sigbear

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Where did you get the mileage from?

 

[Steve Dion]

Marine engines are normally rated in "running hours" and not miles.

Assuming you are looking at a hobbs (hour) meter 1,000 hrs would not be unreasonable for a 4-5 year old boat.

On the other hand I have no idea about Kentucky Lake, so 40 hrs may be in line too. If the boat really has 40 miles on it, it should look as new.

 

[petersea]

After determining if you mean miles or hours on the boat, (The only "mileage" indicator on a boat I have every seen is some knot meters will record total distance travel but most often expressed in nautical miles) you are correct that general speaking low hours are just as bad as high hours sometimes even worse. That said you need to make a case by case decision based on the actual condition of the boat and engine you are looking at.

 

[Hugh4753]

Sounds more like 40 minutes to me, which is not impossible if the prior owner only used the engine for getting in and out of the slip. The surveyor will probably only give the engine a cursory check, possibly check for overheating, etc. You probably want a mechanic to do a thorough check of the engine. But, based on what little I know if the engine (diesel) has been taken care of they'll run forever.

 

[shemandr]

Root for the 1000 hours. 40 hours in five years would mean to me the engine was just used to leave the slip and motor out to raise the sails. Or the boat just wasn't used.
I don't think either is good for the motor. Sails may be very good, 'though.

 

[petersea]

OK here is another take 5 year old boat divided by 40 is 8 hours a year divided by 1000 is 200 hours a year. 200 hours a year is a ALOT of engine use per year and rest of boat will show wear as well. 8 hours a year while low is more likely especially if the local area is a lake and not much motoring involved in normal use. This assumes you mean engine hours and not "miles"

 

[mark_swart]

If the boat is at Lighthouse Landing, 40 hours may very well be accurate. You only have to motor a couple hundred feet before you put up the sails! Now if it's at Green Turtle Bay, then they just never used the boat at all if it has 40 hours on it.
Kentucky lake is great sailing and I miss it!

 

[Warren Milberg]

I'll leave the hours/miles issues to other posters. I think that most pre-purchase boat surveyors will only do some basic engine checks, i.e., check for leaks, can it achieve its max rpms at WOT, alignment, and so forth. If you have reason to believe a boat you are interested in may have engine issues, get a separate qualified engine surveyor who will, at a minimum, do an oil analysis and compression test. He/she should discuss with you beforehand what he will do and won't do and resolve any expectations you may have before the survey. Pick an engine surveyor based on reputation, and experience with the exact type of engine in question. As with any kind of surveyor, ask to see copies of previous reports he/she has done before you commit.