Our editor George Sass called himself demented in his January editorial. I know that side of George, especially when it pertains to boats. He is certifiable indeed! Being with George at a boat show or open house is like taking a Jack Russell Terrier to a zoo. The foxhunter by breed, turned loose in a zoo will have to take a sniff of every pile of dung from hippopotamus to parakeet!

Let���s assume cooler heads prevail and basic priorities such as the style and size of a boat are determined. Power options are then prioritized. The debate of new versus used is settled and a target budget is established. The next priority for a powerboat buyer should be the engineroom or engine compartment. In my opinion this is the most significant part of the boat, yet it often receives the least amount of attention by both a buyer and designer.

Boat show season is upon us and there will be numerous readers shopping for their first or next boat for the upcoming boating season. Whether it���s a weekender, center console, houseboat or long range yacht, tell the sales person you want to see the engine room/compartment before he has a chance to tell you how many bait wells, microwaves, flat-screen TV���s and blenders are on board.

Once in the engineroom, ask him to show you all the throughhull fittings and have him open and close each one and note if he struggles during this process. Picture yourself having to do this in a hot engineroom. Locate the batteries and note if they are easily accessible. If they need to be replaced, will any disassembly of the boat be required? I was on an 85-foot motoryacht recently trying to fix an overheating problem and noticed two 8-D batteries that were tucked underneath a generator. I wondered why the builder picked this spot? After all, the engineroom was spacious enough for an optional regulation ping-pong table!

Find the bilge pumps and float switches throughout the boat, but most importantly check for them in the engineroom. Look to see if wiring is spliced or if terminal blocks are used. A terminal block is not necessary, but it sure makes an exchange easier and will also let you know what spare wire terminals you will need to inventory.

This past year I was sub-contracted for a make ready and delivery project for an out of state dealer with the blessings of the manufacturer. The boat was a 37-foot express cruiser with twin Cummins built by a well-known and respected builder. After delivery to the new owner, the bilge pump in the engine compartment failed. Removal of an engine exhaust hose was required to access the pump, but worse than that, it took two technicians to change the pump. The pump was located between the engines in the center bilge, which is normal. However, the engines were so close together and the depth of the bilge was so deep, you could only reach the pump with one arm at a time. So with a tech working from the back of the engines and one working from the front, we were able to change out the pump. The rub came when we turned in our warranty claim and the manufacturer was adamant the pump could be installed in a half-hour. Of course it can on the factory floor with no engines in the mix. We got paid.

Filters should be easily accessible for service. An oil transfer pump is a great piece of equipment and should be installed for ease of use. Thought should also be given to managing the used oil. Is routine oil service easily accomplished? Is the location of dipsticks handy? How easy is adding oil to the engines and generator between oil changes if necessary? Fuel filters may need changing during the course of a cruise. Are they located where changing them in a heated engineroom is safe?

During the build process, with the exception of outboard boats, engines are installed before the cap and cabin deck. Naturally, this makes installation much easier, but what about the replacement of an engine or executing major repairs?

For example, several years ago, I sold and delivered a one-year-old 46-foot sedan style vessel.The engines were still under warranty and one of the engines failed the mechanical survey during the course of the sale. Reluctantly, we agreed to overhaul the engine. This entailed disassembly of the engine into major parts in the boat and removing the engine block by rolling it through the saloon onto the cockpit and then lifting it out with a boom from a truck.

Once the engine reached the shop, the manufacturer���s technicians determined it would be better to supply a brand new motor. Of course this made the purchaser and myself extremely happy and in a weeks time we had a new motor ready to install. With a brand new engine, disassembly is not recommended. Therefore, the engine needed to be installed complete. This was fine except the hatch in the saloon sole was one inch too narrow! With a little good ole boy ingenuity and some guts we managed to get it through the hatch. But, why wasn���t the hatch sized to accommodate a complete engine? Oversight? Perhaps, although we never got a clear explanation from the builder.

Finally, ask a lot of questions. There is no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid answers. The color of the carpeting and the cedar-lined lockers are a lot less important than the heart and the soul of every powerboat. Maintaining a cool head during the purchase process will help insure the destination of ownership is as much fun as the journey getting there! Happy boating.