Good deal?

Vinny · 30 June 2020, 17:31

I'm was looking to buy a RIB that I found online. It's a 1997 Oceanus 19 VST. The engine and tubes have only 130 hours of use. I already went for a ride in it and it was pretty smooth. My only concerns are that the left center chamber has a slow leak and there are cracks in the transom. Can these be fixed? The whole boat is going for $23,000 but I'm thinking of having making a deal for less so I can have money left over for repairs. I'm going to have some pictures attached.

Thanks for any help and advice you can give.

https://imgur.com/a/idxEGg4

ShinyShoe · 30 June 2020, 22:09

Transom cracks - WHY.

Yes repairable. But if you are asking, you probably don't have the skills and experience to do that repair yourself. It wont be cheap and needs to be done well.

Tube - could be anything:
Pin prick
Valve
Seam

A seam will probably be hardest to fix and will be a sign of potential risks of other seams going.

Personally - I'd expect $20,000 to buy a water ready RIB, especially if its 25 year old

Peter_C · 01 July 2020, 05:35

The crack on the starboard side is bad, and as asked above, why? How is the other side of the transom? Where did the water in the well enter thru? (Post wet test? Or filled just from sitting?) After grinding heavy, fiberglassing, gel coating to fix the transom I would put additional braces in. It is cracking because of movement. Think beer can effect. The transom may be rotted too.

Easy enough to take a garden sprayer or a small hand held pump sprayer with dish washing liquid and water to find the leak at full tube pressure. I would want to know where the leak was before purchasing it.

I would expect a very healthy discount for buying a broken boat that old. The price is way out of reason. Good looking boat otherwise.
https://www.smartmarineguide.com/L51824563

treerat · 01 July 2020, 13:18

Personally i'd pass - the engine may have only been running for 130 hours but unless its been re tubed the tubes are 20 years old.

That's fine on an older boat with an older price list, but this price seems high for something of that age and that crack says the engine has been hit or is too heavy.

Either way its a big risk for the cash being asked in my book.

Maximus · 01 July 2020, 13:50

If you have ANY doubts!! Get someone QUALIFIED/EXPERIENCED to give you advice if you're not 100% sure yourself and that would go for ANY future boat you look at too! "
Act in Haste repent at you're leisure"

There's always another Boat!..you'll gain valuable knollege on the way