Technical pre-sale verification of the boat.
Once you have arrived at the sale harbour, all of the technical issues for the boats you will visit will be estimated and verified. Once a private boat has been chosen and the price has been discussed and fixed it undergoes an in-dept examination. There is always a visit in a dry dock to measure the hull thickness. Additional new trials will be undertaken.
At your side, Guy Jacob verifies the entire boat to be sold in terms of:
- Its structure: the hull (propeller, play on the propeller shaft, rudder play, anodes, paintwork/state of antifouling scratches, dents, repaired structural elements, traces of corrosion, etc.... The bridge (state of bridge in teak if this is the case, seals for openings, state of protective covers, state of balconies, state of steel, etc.). The interior is then examined in detail (floor plates, stringers, floors, stantions, stuffing boxes, seal of rudder trunk, etc.) Any possible items that have to be repaired are noted.
- The interior layout is also checked and gives you an indication of the boat’s condition and its previous use. The condition of the seats, the amount of usage of the flooring, the state of the linings, the amount of use of the wooden fittings (varnish) should correspond to the boat’s age and the indicated use. Finally, the seals on the window openings and closures, the proper function of all of the electronic and electrical equipment (cooling group, heating, air conditioning, toilet, shower train, recovery pumps, bilge pumps, cooking equipment, flexible gas if applicable, interior and exterior lighting as well as the navigation lights, etc.) and the general condition of all of the technical items is evaluated.
- The engine room and the engine are also checked: the engine belts (condition, tension), the rubber mountings (condition, tension), fluid levels, and if requested an analysis of the hull is performed, battery condition. The presence of any leaks (engine or inverter oil, cooling
liquid, etc.) is checked.The correct function of all of the water circuits (fresh water, salt water and drying) is assessed.
- The static evaluation of the boat in the dry dock is completed with a test run in the water. This test starts with a cold engine. Starting the engine while cold shows faults which could disappear when warm (noise, exhaust fumes, vibrations, etc.). During starting, the indicator lamps are checked and monitored: oil pressure and battery charge indicator lamps.
When cold, the engine should start quickly (less than 5 seconds). If the engine speed is too weak under the starter, with a fall in the intensity of the lights on the dashboard indicate that the engine’s battery needs to be changed. Once the engine has started, listen carefully to the noise it makes. It should idle in a stable manner. The following points are analysed during the sailing test.
With regard to the engine, we note the noise, the vibrations, the exhaust fumes and odors emitted, the indicators on the dashboard (oil pressure, water temperature), any unusual turbo whistling if there is one. The engine hood is open to look for any leaks, fumes, smells or traces of overheating..
During the trial, the boat will be sailed at all engine speeds. A full series of tests is performed for all of the onboard equipment: adjustment of the propeller to the speed, turning test, balanced steering, hardness of transmission cables if applicable, etc.