How To Sea Trial a Boat - Part 2 - Hull and Fiberglass

The second important part of a sea trial is the inspection of the hull and fiberglass.  This will mostly entail the outside of the boat.  When the mechanical inspection is done later, we will also check the inside of the boat for any stress cracks or "spider cracks".

• Hull

o   Color

§  Just using a blind eye, is the color fading and beginning to oxidize. 

o   Graphics

§  Fading

§  Painted on – Is the clear coat on the edges still smooth

§  Stick on (more common) – Are the stickers still completely attached.  If the stickers begin to peel, a ghosting effect will be visible. 

o   Look for chips in the gel coat – These can be caused by hitting things too hard.

o   Stress fractures

o   Keel – If the boat has been beached, then the keel may be scratched or chipped

§  See “Part 3 – Lake Test” to inspect the engine in a running environment

§  See “Part 4 – Mechanic’s Inspection” to inspect the internals where sediment may have been introduced to into the engine and its internal parts.  

o   Running surface – Take a knee, and have a look under the boat.  Problems such as scratches, gauges and the like to the running surface can be due to hitting submerged objects. Refer to “Part 4 – Mechanic’s Inspection” to verify the integrity of the lower unit. 

o   Transom – Visually inspect the transom of the boat from the outside.  Oops, lets clarify for first time boat owners.  The transom is the back of the boat near the waterline that supports the engine in an outboard environment, supports the outdrive in an inboard outboard environment, or just the general back of the boat below the rub rail on a straight inboard or v-drive. 

o   Lower unit – Visually inspect the lower unit of the engine.  Breaks, loss of paint, pieces missing out of the skeg can indicate rough beaching or underwater strikes.  Oops again, I should clarify that a skeg the name given to the bottom most fin of the lower unit.  

o   Transom assembly – This is only present on a inboard outboard.  From the outside, this is the part that attaches the outdrive to the engine.  From outside the boat, you can do a visual inspection of the bellows and the bracket that is mounted flush to the hull.  

o   The last inspection that should be done is a visual look over of the gel coat on the outside of the transom.  When transducers are mounted this is generally where they will be.  If the previous owner has removed any transducers, there may be some open holes or holes that were patched that should also be inspected. 

·         Another inspection can be done by your mechanic.  During an inspection done by a mechanic for a prospective boat owner, a hull inspection is usually a small part.