While you are checking out the boat press the button for the macerator pump button momentarily to make sure it is not seized. That is a ~$500 pump so if it is seized you can knock another grand off the price. If you are on land checking it out, make sure the seacock is closed before pressing the button so you don't leave any surprises under the boat. If you are on the water, empty the whole tank if you can so you are not taking home somebody else's waste. I forgot to do that and ended up emptying the tank in my driveway on a rainy day - good fertilizer for the yard :?
I looked at one 1992 Sailfish that did not have a macerator pump but it was a Great Lakes boat where dumping is not allowed so it was apparently ordered without the pump-out capability when new.
Take a good look at the transom - should be fine as Grady switched to their rot-resistant Greenwood core in 1998 (I believe) but it is still a 12 year-old boat. Some of the mid 90's Sailfish had transom issues, mine included. You can bring that up as another bargaining point when you are negotiating price. There are lots of these boats for sale so you are in the drivers seat. Many have been on the market for years as the owners are not willing to accept the fact that their boat isn't worth as much as they think it is or as much as they owe on it. I got mine for about 20% under the asking price and the surveyor told me I paid too much by a few grand. He had access to recent sales so he had more information than I did. However, I am happy because the boat came loaded with everything I wanted included Lee JR wishbone outriggers, ~2004 electronics including Simrad autopilot, Furuno 24" radar and chartplotter, Furuno fishfinder, two VHF radios, stereo, EPIRB, life raft, exposure suites, sea anchor, 2 anchor balls and extra line, and a bunch of other odds and ends. He didn't count any of that in his estimate.
Good luck,
-Scott
