mischief440
Member
I want to share my recent experience with AMI Kids organization while trying to lease one of their boats, a Bayliner 5288. On the surface she looked very good. I read their listing carefully and requested more pictures from the agent working for United Yacht Sales. The pictures showed what appeared to be a nice boat. The boat through pictures and written description was presented as having an inverter, a just completed "1000 hour MAN service" by an authorized MAN dealer, it was also stated that the next service due was at 2000 hours. Well after going through survey several discrepancies began to appear.
1) Due to my broker having prior knowledge of this boat he informed me that he thought a rudder had to be replaced on this boat.
2) After several questions and several dodges they finally admitted that the boat had been grounded not once but twice during delivery and damaged the rudder and props. This damage required the props to have to be reconditioned twice (after each grounding) and the rudder welded the first time and replaced the second time. Would this have been revealed if I hadn't asked?
3) The inverter clearly shown in the electrical panel pictures was missing.
4) The engines failed to reach required RPM during seatrial with a clean bottom at WOT. Something that should have been verified as part of the 1000 hour certified MAN service. One engine overheated. Another red flag. If the entire cooling system was just rebuilt why should we be overheating? Upon further investigation by me, to the authorized dealer who did this, it was read to me from the shop notes that the impellers in the raw water pumps were not replaced.( high dollar item, $2800-$4500) The dealer recommended replacement but the customer declined. So really this was not a full 1000 hour service. Fraud, misrepresentation, omission?
5) Upon confronting the seller he said he didn't know how old the impellers were but would change the ones in the overheating engine. That's great but what about the other engine?
6) The hours noted during the 1000 hour service on the shop invoice in Virginia was approx 752 port and 854 starboard. When the props got reworked in Florida engine hours were noted as 764 port and 956 starboard. (These hours are approximate I may be off a little) So it appears that the boat ran from Va. to Fl. on one engine. Upon questioning they said that was not the case, must be a malfunctioning tach, yet on seatrial they all worked. When I asked for the delivery captains log they said he didn't keep one.
7) AMI kids and its representatives continue to tell me that MAN rpm of 2200-2250 is not required and won't test these parameters per MAN recommendations with a full load of fuel and water. The boat can not make 2200 rpm with less than full fuel and water yet they insist this is "acceptable" rpm values.
8) They refuse to adjust the price for the missing inverter.
9) We have been trying to lease this boat and work out the details for over a month.
I'm aprox. $3500 into what I was lead to believe was a good boat and now they're trying to rush me into a decision by not granting an extension and give me only 3 days to get back to Fl. for me to verify any of their repairs. Approach this 5288 with caution.
This may be a great organization but my experience has been otherwise. Maybe not out and out lies but certainly not the whole truth, especially if you don't ask the right questions. I'd be very careful buying, leasing and or donating a boat to an organization run this way.
1) Due to my broker having prior knowledge of this boat he informed me that he thought a rudder had to be replaced on this boat.
2) After several questions and several dodges they finally admitted that the boat had been grounded not once but twice during delivery and damaged the rudder and props. This damage required the props to have to be reconditioned twice (after each grounding) and the rudder welded the first time and replaced the second time. Would this have been revealed if I hadn't asked?
3) The inverter clearly shown in the electrical panel pictures was missing.
4) The engines failed to reach required RPM during seatrial with a clean bottom at WOT. Something that should have been verified as part of the 1000 hour certified MAN service. One engine overheated. Another red flag. If the entire cooling system was just rebuilt why should we be overheating? Upon further investigation by me, to the authorized dealer who did this, it was read to me from the shop notes that the impellers in the raw water pumps were not replaced.( high dollar item, $2800-$4500) The dealer recommended replacement but the customer declined. So really this was not a full 1000 hour service. Fraud, misrepresentation, omission?
5) Upon confronting the seller he said he didn't know how old the impellers were but would change the ones in the overheating engine. That's great but what about the other engine?
6) The hours noted during the 1000 hour service on the shop invoice in Virginia was approx 752 port and 854 starboard. When the props got reworked in Florida engine hours were noted as 764 port and 956 starboard. (These hours are approximate I may be off a little) So it appears that the boat ran from Va. to Fl. on one engine. Upon questioning they said that was not the case, must be a malfunctioning tach, yet on seatrial they all worked. When I asked for the delivery captains log they said he didn't keep one.
7) AMI kids and its representatives continue to tell me that MAN rpm of 2200-2250 is not required and won't test these parameters per MAN recommendations with a full load of fuel and water. The boat can not make 2200 rpm with less than full fuel and water yet they insist this is "acceptable" rpm values.
8) They refuse to adjust the price for the missing inverter.
9) We have been trying to lease this boat and work out the details for over a month.
I'm aprox. $3500 into what I was lead to believe was a good boat and now they're trying to rush me into a decision by not granting an extension and give me only 3 days to get back to Fl. for me to verify any of their repairs. Approach this 5288 with caution.
This may be a great organization but my experience has been otherwise. Maybe not out and out lies but certainly not the whole truth, especially if you don't ask the right questions. I'd be very careful buying, leasing and or donating a boat to an organization run this way.
Last edited: