How to Inspect Used Sailboats

Owning a sailboat can serve as the highlight of your summer cottage holiday and give you an opportunity to explore lakes and participate in recreational water sports with your family and friends. Buying a used sailboat may save you money, as long as you perform a careful and thorough inspection before submitting an offer to purchase. An inspection tells you whether the sailboat's listing price is reasonable and reflects the vessel's overall condition and quality, or if it makes sense to submit a significantly lower offer. During an inspection, you must check the state of the interior and exterior, in order to uncover major defects.

Things You'll Need

  • Hydrometer
  • Screwdriver
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Instructions

    • 1

      Visually inspect the sailboat's keel and hull, checking for evidence of major repairs, accidents and damage, as well as for proper alignment. The keel should be fully in-line with the mast and you can verify this by standing in front of the sailboat, at a distance of five to six feet.

    • 2

      Closely inspect the hull's fiberglass for signs of blistering. Use a flashlight to inspect the hull's surface and use your digital camera to take photos of any blistering and water damage. Minor water damage results in small blisters no larger than the size of a pea.

    • 3

      Apply pressure to the floorboards of the boat's deck to check for rotting, caused by water damage. The wood or fiberglass floors should be stiff and firm when you apply pressure by stomping with your feet. Tapping against the floorboards with the head of a screwdriver will result in different sounds, if significant rotting is present.

    • 4

      Inspect the sailboat's electrical wiring and ask the owner whether the fuse has been replaced. It may be necessary to change the original fuse on a sailboat dating back to the 1980's, to ensure that the boat can handle the use of modern electrical equipment. Examining the boat for loose wires can help determine the extent of past electrical problems.

    • 5

      Check the voltage in all old-style lead-acid batteries aboard the sailboat using a hydrometer. Boats built in the 1980's may still have older batteries with malfunctioning cells that must be replaced with newer marine gel batteries.

    • 6

      Inspect the sailboat's plumbing by checking each seacock, to ensure that each is fully operational, as well as for any interior puddles or dampness that may signal leakage. Be sure to check that all faucets on board the boat work and that none of them leak water when in use.

    • 7

      Manually inspect the rudder, to check for ease of motion, as well as for problems with the hinges, such as looseness or significant wear and tear.

    • 8

      Visually inspect both the rigging and the sails for signs of corrosion, due to the boat's exposure to salt water. This inspection may be conducted from the deck, but for a closer look, hire a professional surveyor and ask him to check the mast by going aloft. This may, however, incur an additional fee.