What’s it worth ?

[alansmith]

You got a little bit of a dilemma there. Fence man is right in how to check out the motor. But with the inflatable out of service...at least for the time being...how to test the motor? 50 hp motor has got to be a couple of hundred pounds or there abouts. Heck my 9.9 hp Suzuki 4 stroke weighs in at 115 lbs. I can barely lift it off of the ground.

So, back to the dilemma....how do you propose to test the motor? The deal should be about the motor, right? If the inflatable can be repaired is one thing. But the motor...easy things are the spark plugs, fuel filters, impeller, and such. But if the engine has major problems like blown gaskets, trashed carb, bent internal parts like valve stems, pistons, ....you get the idea.....so, the main question and my only point...is how to get a shot at getting this motor started and tested? Everything should be based on that fact....IMO

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by alansmith

You got a little bit of a dilemma there. Fence man is right in how to check out the motor. But with the inflatable out of service...at least for the time being...how to test the motor? 50 hp motor has got to be a couple of hundred pounds or there abouts. Heck my 9.9 hp Suzuki 4 stroke weighs in at 115 lbs. I can barely lift it off of the ground.

So, back to the dilemma....how do you propose to test the motor? The deal should be about the motor, right? If the inflatable can be repaired is one thing. But the motor...easy things are the spark plugs, fuel filters, impeller, and such. But if the engine has major problems like blown gaskets, trashed carb, bent internal parts like valve stems, pistons, ....you get the idea.....so, the main question and my only point...is how to get a shot at getting this motor started and tested? Everything should be based on that fact....IMO

Right. Personally I would get the motor running before I bought it. Agree on a price for everything first with the stipulation that you would start the motor first. Might require a small investment to get running but worth it.

[Maka]

Make the seller start the motor for you.
Make it part of the deal.
You will buy it for X if the motor runs.

[Dave22q]

Dinghy is questionable condition! You had best assume motor issues until proven otherwise. You should be able to find a mechanic with a tow truck who can place and run the motor in a drum to see how she runs. Generally the money is in engine repairs not the dinghy. I would not even consider this unless priced so that repairing the inflatable and discarding the motor is reasonable. The best guess as to why this was sitting on land is that the motor was too expensive to fix.

[Fence Man]

Can of fresh gas, a good battery, a garden hose, and a set of muffs will go a long way here. Maybe my boats are all bigger piles of junk than average, but I keep all of the above on hand. If that motor runs, you'll know it pretty quick.

[TriniSailor]

Originally Posted by Mike Banks

Hard floor inflatables are OK if they are made from military grade Hypalon or its equivalent. Anything else in the inflatables class will not last long. Good ones are expensive--as are all quality boats.

Other than that--an aluminium or fibreglass job with all-around inflatable fender would be my choice. It will be heavy and will need sopecialised winches and hoists to get it aboard--but if your vessel is of the size that requires a 50HP tender--that should not pose too much of a problem.

Personally I do not use tenders in rough water--so I find 10hp is any amount of power for a small tender, and while I can tow one in calm seas on a short tow I always like voyaging with them secured on deck, even for coastal hops. A tender on short tow with a 50 hp outboard sounds to me like a bad idea. On a long tow--even worse.

I just noticed your boat sounds like a 32 footer? or was that 32 metres? The vessel you describe for a tender is too large for the former. No more than about 3.5 metres--and while this boat you are contemplating will serve as a great supply craft and an alternative to sailing--in my opinion, for what little that may be worth, while it could be a great purchase and a lot of fun in its own right, it is not suitable as a traditional yacht tender for a smaller vessel.

Thanks and yes it's overkill the boat we own is a 34ft Lello full keel and it's has its own 3 meter tender and 3.3hp outboard. It's really just as you said a faster alternative for sailing around our island.

[TriniSailor]

Originally Posted by alansmith

You got a little bit of a dilemma there. Fence man is right in how to check out the motor. But with the inflatable out of service...at least for the time being...how to test the motor? 50 hp motor has got to be a couple of hundred pounds or there abouts. Heck my 9.9 hp Suzuki 4 stroke weighs in at 115 lbs. I can barely lift it off of the ground.

So, back to the dilemma....how do you propose to test the motor? The deal should be about the motor, right? If the inflatable can be repaired is one thing. But the motor...easy things are the spark plugs, fuel filters, impeller, and such. But if the engine has major problems like blown gaskets, trashed carb, bent internal parts like valve stems, pistons, ....you get the idea.....so, the main question and my only point...is how to get a shot at getting this motor started and tested? Everything should be based on that fact....IMO

Hey you have a great point and I've been thinking about this... it'll definitely need an oil change engine and leg, fuel tank clean, and various new bits. Depending on its state but if it's badly damaged which I'm hoping it's not I think I'll let it pass. I plan to run it with muffs and it may have a garden hose attachment point.

Thanks

[TriniSailor]

Originally Posted by Fence Man

Can of fresh gas, a good battery, a garden hose, and a set of muffs will go a long way here. Maybe my boats are all bigger piles of junk than average, but I keep all of the above on hand. If that motor runs, you'll know it pretty quick.

My point exactly ! Personally I don't care if it looks terrible I'll fix her up that's sort of my stress reliever nothing better than wrenching on an engine by yourself trying to get it running. Then the great feeling of success when a boat that originally looked pretty rough is in the water cruising looking pretty good and engine running smooth.

[billgewater]

50 hp? Hernia material. Most international small cruisers head for the smallest lightest tender/outboard combination available. Typical are tenders about 3 m with 2.5 to 7 hp. If you can't lift it or drag it up a beach, then it's not what you need for cruising.
Comments about the comfort and impact of inflatables is true and an inflatable is a better bet for snorkeling as you can usually roll in and out of them. But ... irrespective of whatever any one tells you, they still suffer from punctures (possibly catastrophic), fabric deterioration and glue failure. Much more so in the tropics.
The shown inflatable is on a trailer simply because it is impossible to launch/retrieve or service without a trailer. Do you have equivalent facilities on your yacht? i.e. a crane and a deck cradle for the tender? If you have the money for such a monstrous yacht, then you should not be quibbling over a few grand.
As an independent runabout it could be a good buy. As a tender, no.

[Nani Kai]

Originally Posted by Fence Man

Can of fresh gas, a good battery, a garden hose, and a set of muffs will go a long way here. Maybe my boats are all bigger piles of junk than average, but I keep all of the above on hand. If that motor runs, you'll know it pretty quick.

These are good ideas but I would take it a step further. Get with the owner and have the tubes inflated. Buy a set of new plugs and get the owner to install them (get him to buy them if you can.) Change the fuel filter. Change the lower unit lube. Get fresh fuel. Bring a fully charged battery and hook it up. Put on the ear muffs and the garden hose and get the boat started on land. Once you know she runs, back the trailer into the water and run the motor through its paces: shift forward and reverse. Shut it off; restart; forward and reverse again. if she works smoothly and the tubes are still inflated, take her for a brief spin in the harbor. If not enough air in tubes to test then take her out of the water and buy based on the value of the engine with the boat and trailer thrown in. You don't necessarily have to represent it that way to the seller but know in your mind the value of the motor and price your offer accordingly. Outboards are pretty hard to ruin unless you are a complete doofus so chances are it should run fine. Good luck.

[TriniSailor]

Originally Posted by billgewater

50 hp? Hernia material. Most international small cruisers head for the smallest lightest tender/outboard combination available. Typical are tenders about 3 m with 2.5 to 7 hp. If you can't lift it or drag it up a beach, then it's not what you need for cruising.

Comments about the comfort and impact of inflatables is true and an inflatable is a better bet for snorkeling as you can usually roll in and out of them. But ... irrespective of whatever any one tells you, they still suffer from punctures (possibly catastrophic), fabric deterioration and glue failure. Much more so in the tropics.

The shown inflatable is on a trailer simply because it is impossible to launch/retrieve or service without a trailer. Do you have equivalent facilities on your yacht? i.e. a crane and a deck cradle for the tender? If you have the money for such a monstrous yacht, then you should not be quibbling over a few grand.

As an independent runabout it could be a good buy. As a tender, no.

Hey

It's not really for our boat it's just an alternative for sailing on the weekend. You know just to run about the island and go to beaches that sort of stuff.

[TriniSailor]

Originally Posted by Nani Kai

These are good ideas but I would take it a step further. Get with the owner and have the tubes inflated. Buy a set of new plugs and get the owner to install them (get him to buy them if you can.) Change the fuel filter. Change the lower unit lube. Get fresh fuel. Bring a fully charged battery and hook it up. Put on the ear muffs and the garden hose and get the boat started on land. Once you know she runs, back the trailer into the water and run the motor through its paces: shift forward and reverse. Shut it off; restart; forward and reverse again. if she works smoothly and the tubes are still inflated, take her for a brief spin in the harbor. If not enough air in tubes to test then take her out of the water and buy based on the value of the engine with the boat and trailer thrown in. You don't necessarily have to represent it that way to the seller but know in your mind the value of the motor and price your offer accordingly. Outboards are pretty hard to ruin unless you are a complete doofus so chances are it should run fine. Good luck.

Hey thanks ! I hope everything can go as smoothly as that and that the price will be right. I'm just hoping for the best right now I also heard the owner is a difficult one to contact [emoji51]so fingers crossed.

[Madehn]

i am with A64- it is worth what the motor is worth - nothing more--IF you can get the motor running then i am thinking 2500 cash because you still dont have a boat- you might be able to retube the boat and get something nice with some sweat equity but something to keep in mind-- there is a reason it is sitting where it is and is for sale- count on rebuilding the carb and putting plugs and a water pump in. check lower unit for milky oil- if present then walk away. if it doesnt fire but looks good it could be a computer module which is expensive and non returnable-- i guess i would get a charged battery, some muffs, fresh plugs and see if she fires then go from there- if it does not fire then it is worth a $100.

[Fence Man]

Originally Posted by Madehn

i am with A64- it is worth what the motor is worth - nothing more--IF you can get the motor running then i am thinking 2500 cash because you still dont have a boat- you might be able to retube the boat and get something nice with some sweat equity but something to keep in mind-- there is a reason it is sitting where it is and is for sale- count on rebuilding the carb and putting plugs and a water pump in. check lower unit for milky oil- if present then walk away. if it doesnt fire but looks good it could be a computer module which is expensive and non returnable-- i guess i would get a charged battery, some muffs, fresh plugs and see if she fires then go from there- if it does not fire then it is worth a $100.

Carbs be hard to find on that one, but otherwise, that's pretty safe advice. The tight ass in me really likes this approach. I'd love to find one like this that was close to home. It'd be a perfect rig to tow behind our slug.

[valhalla360]

The motor and boat sound like at best unknowns. Unless the owner can get the motor running and show that the tubes hold air for a couple days, I would want a major reduction in price. Retubing can be done but unless it's cheap in the islands due to labor costs, probably better to get a functional boat.