Survey and Sea Trial

The day of reckoning.

I have bought boats in the past and have possibly taken too many things at face value.  Not this time.  I assembled a survey team of my own choosing.  They were working for me!

I called the Caterpillar Dealer in West Palm Beach (Pantropic) and they recommended Tim Caruso.

Caterpillar engine surveyor - Tim Caruso  timcat10@att.blackberry.net

After several conversations with Tim, he recommended I contact Ed Rowe.  Ed has plenty of experience surveying cored boats.  Ocean Yachts manufacture a solid fibreglass bottom, but use a divinycell foam core on the sides and decks to reduce weight.

Marine Surveyor - Ed Rowe  eroweassoc@comcast.net

Thanks to both Tim and Ed!  I feel that I am making a very educated purchase.

The results.

Ocean Club is a recommended buy.

The engines.
The Caterpillar 3196s (660hp) ran right to spec.  They have a few small maintenance issues, gaskets and filters.  I will get those cleared up before we leave Florida.

The boat.
The hull is rock solid.  Only one high moisture reading on the whole boat.  The hardtop, the furthest place from the water?!?!?  The bottom was clean, the props were clean.  Let me loose with my buffer and she will look like she just came off the show room floor.
The windows need to be removed and rebedded.  We knew that going in.  This will be our high dollar fix.

The sea trial.
The weather was exactly what I was hoping for.  Any boat will perform well in calm conditions.  Not today, we had solid 3 footers coming in from the south-east.  The captain got splashed on the flybridge while going out the inlet.  He was not amused!!!!  But, I was.  I got to see this boat perform on a marginal day.  At wide open throttle we achieved our 2300rpm, and 30knots!  Ye haw!!!  All temperatures and pressures within Caterpillar specifications.

Now it is time to itemize the survey recommendations, get a quote, make a counter-offer and close this deal!