My concern with this opportunity is that it looks almost too good! At that price my question would be, “what’s wrong with it?” I have a ’97 GS with a Yamaha 250 and know what I paid for mine, and it was significantly more than what this is advertised for. There may be reasons for this and maybe that’s the whole repo issue, but just know you’ve got to go into this with your eyes wide open.
In addition to what the others have stated, the hull and engine have to be… absolutely have to be, in very good to excellent condition. If they’re not, fixing those conditions will quickly drain your bank account. I’d get a certified Yamaha mechanic to inspect the engine. You also need to read all the threads about Gulfstream’s and single engines vs. twins and decide if 250 is enough HP for you.
Even before a survey, I’d get a flash light and stick my head in every nook and cranny I could. Pop open all the deck plates, stern seat and lockers and look for signs of water, mildew, (the cabin windows have a history of leaking) sniff for gas or oil leaks, check every hose you can. Are the connections tight, do they show any signs of deterioration? Replacing those is either expensive and / or difficult.
Electronics, all pumps, wiring connections and trim tabs would be next on my hit list for review. Make sure you know where they all are and that they work. While these are not deal breakers, if you need to fix or replace them it will cost you.
Thru hulls, are they plastic or stainless steel? (I think in ’98, they changed out to SS, so that’s good.) If they’re plastic, are they cracked? They’ll need to be replaced.
The GS has a main and aux gas tank. How old is the gas in there? You may need to have it pumped out and then the tanks cleaned. (you don’t want that bad gas running through your engine) Another PITA. Does the boat have any associated records? Do you know how many previous owners?
Trailer. When was it last inspected? You’ll have to have it inspected in your home state, and the guy that inspected mine, didn’t cut me any slack and in retrospect nor should he have. How will you get it there? New tires? Brakes? Maybe new lights? Grease bearings.
What’s the condition of the curtains, eisenglass, cockpit bolsters, cushions and interior bedding? Figure on new batteries and several hundred dollars at the boat store of your choice for cleaning / detailing products and you’re in business. That’s enough to get you started.
When Grady rolled that boat into the show room it was in near perfect condition. What’s happened to it since, will determine if you still want it. Good luck.
PS- lastly it may depend what your definition of off-shore is, but I’d be very hesitant to take a single engine out off-shore.
