i didnt smell gas-my eyes just locked on those bolts. I sent an email to the broker with some questions and images, those bolts are at the top of the list. if i get reasonable justifications/explanations, ill certainly schedule a survey.
Are you under contract with the boat? If not, you might consider putting an offer down on the boat, making sure that it's refundable if you do walk away, and then schedule a surveyor/inspector to come out and look at the boat. I've purchased 3 boats before, every time I have a surveyor was typically 2-3 weeks out. You don't want to potentially lose out on the boat, or miss the chance at buying it, if it is in fact a good boat without any issues, because you don't have a deal going, or don't have a surveyor lined up, etc. Conversely, you also need to know when to walk away from a potential purchase, even if you do have money down on it with a surveyor. I was looking for my 2004 Grady White 228 Seafarer for just over a year before I found it, of which one potential boat that I looked at, I paid a surveyor to go out and inspect it. He found that there was damage to the boat, as well as the seller bumped into the dock pretty hard while doing their sea trial run and did some damage to the boat that way. On top of that, he mentioned some potential engine issues that the seller hadn't disclosed beforehand.
Long story short, I had I think it was $650 or so into paying the surveyor, and I didn't want to lose out on that money, but the boat wasn't in the condition it was advertised to be in, nor did the seller seem like they were being very honest. So, I ended up passing on that boat and then found my current boat from a Grady White dealership, of which it was in considerably better condition, without any issues and it was $10k less. Do you due diligence, I'd personally hire a surveyor now if possible, see if you can work with the broker, don't be afraid to walk away if it's not the boat for you and be patient if it isn't. You'll find what you're looking for, just need to remain patient in doing so. Lastly, if you are looking for a boat, you can always ask people on here to keep their eyes and ears open with what you're looking for, a maximum range for travel that you're interested in going, single outboards vs twins, price, trailer or not, etc. I've helped probably a handful or more of people on here find boats that they were looking for, as I usually search the market every couple of days or so to see what's being listed and for how much. Good luck and don't get frustrated or overwhelmed, we've all been in the boat buying seat before and know it can be frustrating to say the least.
