High Hours

[Tom K]

In the search for our first boat my wife and I have looked at a lot of boats. We really like the Catalina 30. We have found a nice 1983, that is loaded with a lot of good stuff. The only thing that concerns us is the high engine hours. It has a Universal 21hp with 2200 hours. I know there is no way to tell how long a engine will run without major trouble. But do the hours on this engine indicate that it may be in need of major work soon and should we keep lookingThanksTom K

 

[Trevor - SailboatOwners.c]

Mine had perhaps more

Hi Tom -When I bought my 1986 Catalina 36, the Unversal M25 engine had 1900+ hours indicated, but I quickly found out the hour meter was inoperable! The engine nonetheless checked out ok and ran like a top for years - my first trip was up the Coast from Portland Oregon into Puget Sound; no problems! This is not to say you shouldn't be cautious, but high hours aren't a problem if the motor has been maintained. Indicators such as condition of the other systems on the boat can help shed light on how the engine has likely been treated.Best,Trevor

 

[Tom K]

Thanks Trevor

Trevor,Thanks for the insight. The boat is nice and looks like what my wife and I want. I was told that you could have the engine survayed also.Thank AgainTom