Buying a used sailboat? The systems to check before "looks fine" costs you thousands

From the YachtBazar team. A sailboat is a collection of expensive systems wrapped in a pretty hull, and the cheap-looking problems are usually the ones that drain your wallet. Here's a walk-through to do before you fall in love.

• Standing rigging: ask the age of the wire and swages. Many insurers and riggers treat 10-15 years as the replacement window regardless of looks. Hairline cracks at fittings are invisible until they aren't. "Original" on a 25-year-old boat is a real cost to budget.

• Chainplates and their backing: look for rust streaks, sealant lifting, or a soft deck around them. Hidden corrosion here is a deck-off repair.

• Keel-to-hull joint: check for a "keel smile" (a crack along the seam) or grinding/fairing that hides one.

• Rudder: grab it and check for play; tap for hollow or wet spots. Steering quadrant and cables should move freely.

• Engine: cold-start it yourself, watch the exhaust (a little is fine, blue or white smoke isn't), check the raceway for oil, and look at the heat exchanger and motor mounts.

• Below the waterline: blisters, prior bottom jobs, and the condition of through-hulls and seacocks (every one should turn).

• Sails and electrical: unfold sails in daylight; trace wiring for corrosion and amateur splices.

None of this replaces a surveyor, but it tells you whether to bother paying for one.

What's the first thing you check when you step aboard a used sailboat?