If you haven't already read it, might I suggest you go to the March archives and read "Boatless in Victoria" a chronicle of my own experience over the past 8 months in "buying" 4 boats and ending up with none after surveys. Also read the comments from others who consistently advise patience. Negotiation is an art, not a science. Shakespeare said somewhere that, "The price of a thing is what it will bring." On the 5 boats I have "bought" including the latest, I negotiated the asking prices down anywhere from 20% to only 3%. It all depends on how the boat was priced originally. If the vendor has done his homework, and gone through all the internet boating sites, he knows what the market is for his boat in his region. A broker in Texas told me that boats in the Pacific north-west are about 5% more expensive than in California, which is about 5% more expensive than the south-east, which is a little more expensive than the north-east. If you've done your homework, too, you also know roughly what that particular boat is worth. If the asking price is in line with the market, yet you are able to negotiate a huge discount, you might be very good or very lucky, but I'd suggest you should suspect the condition of the boat. For your two boats, ask the broker how long each has been on the market, how long the present owner has had it, how many times it's already been sold, whether there have been any offers on it so far, were any accepted, was the boat surveyed, why did the deal fail etc., etc. If the answers are reassuring, the boat is what you want, it appears to be in good shape, is relatively new to the market, and is priced in line with others of its type in your region, you'll know what you have to do. The broker can be helpful, but it's your decision. The broker will want you to use his offer-to-purchase form, but you don't have to. Since so much money is involved, you might want to ask your lawyer for advice on the contract, and the escrow handling of the deposit, usually 10% of the offer. If the sale proceeds, you will also probably want to use a document service that will ensure that clear title is transferred to you, assuming the boat is a registered vessel. If it isn't, you definitely want your lawyer to do a title search to ensure there are no liens against the boat. As to your question on engine hours, you will also find a long list of helpful responses to my similar question in last month's archives. I'd say the only answer we can give on hours is, "It depends on make and model, turbo or natural, 4 stroke or 2, and most important, the maintenance they've been given." Check www.boatdiesel.com for comments and questions about the engines you are considering. Joe Engel's advice is thorough and quite good. However, my experience suggests he's a bit out of date on costs. Do NOT use the broker's recommended surveyor. Ask around, eg the local Power Squadron, for the best marine surveyor in the area. He will charge by the foot, probably US$10-12. If his quote is a lot less, you might want to look for someone else. You probably won't have any choice in terms of the mechanical survey since there is usually only one dealer in any given locale, and that's the guy you want. He won't be cheap, because his people command shop labour rates. Figure close to US$300 per turbo-charged engine including oil analyses. (Don't forget to instruct him to also do the transmission oils.) The mechanic will finish in less than half a day so he'll be gone long before the marine surveyor. They're not "cheap", but both surveyors will be be very good value when you think about what you are asking of them, i.e. reassurance that you are not buying a project boat. Crunch time comes when the deficiency lists are presented to you orally immediately after each survey. It's easy to be overwhelmed, but this is the time to remind yourself that every boat will produce such a list. What is important is to separate out the "musts" from the "shoulds". When each surveyor finishes, take a walk with him alone, sit down somewhere, eg the coffee shop, and take careful notes. (Unless you were able to arrange for the mechanic to do the oils analyses in advance, those results will take another few days.) Each one should tell you exactly what he's found, and how much he estimates each item will cost to repair properly. The marine surveyor will also give you his estimate of the value of the boat both in its present condition and in a repaired condition. Ask both surveyors to help you separate the serious and expensive deficiencies from the nuisance and (relatively) inexpensive, eg clogged heat exchangers and pin-holed risers versus double-clamping hoses or unsecured batteries. Ask each of them outright if the boat represents a good buy at the price on offer. If either suggests you walk away from the purchase, think carefully before rejecting that advice. After all, you paid for it, and they are working on your behalf. If you want to proceed, instruct the broker to approach the vendor for a price adjustment based on the survey findings and the pricing estimates. Most vendors will balk and argue that the boat was priced "as-is". Some might offer to have the most serious repairs done, but what confidence could you have in that promise? Better to get a small price discount than a shoddy, half-hearted repair. In any event, don't expect much, and you won't be disappointed. Your reaction to whatever comes back from the vendor through the broker should follow directly from the advice you received from the surveyors, i.e. you should have established your own price points before starting this second round of negotiations. However, remember that you don't need to make any decision on the spot. Most offers-to-purchase contain a clause stipulating a requirement to close within a certain number of days "after receiving the survey results" which means the formal, written report which you will get a week or more later. Things can look very different when you are away from boat, vendor and broker, and have recovered from the emotion and fatigue of the survey process. What seemed a good - or bad - deal on the dock, might appear otherwise on objective reflection. You will not find a "perfect" boat. What you can hope to find is a boat that has been well-maintained and is fairly priced for its condition. As to surveys distant from home, I've recently gone through two, one in Vancouver and one in Seattle. The added costs of travel meant that I collapsed the process Joe recommended, i.e the marine and mechanical surveys were simultaneous. I'm having "my" fifth boat surveyed on May 12 and although this boat is in my city of residence, both surveys will again be simultaneous for two reasons: it's a lot more convenient if you're busy, and if you can guess which one might render the other unnecessary, you're probably buying the wrong boat anyway. All my fingers are crossed hoping my own transaction goes through, so I haven't got any left to offer you. Nevertheless, good luck, and keep us advised. Cheers, Garrett