Water left standing in boat

Rookie to boats with floors. I went to look at a 1992 Four Winns Horizon 200 with the intention of buying it. When I pulled the covers off the boat I saw standing water in the hull and engine compartment. The water was not up to the oil pan. I checked the drain plug and it was still in the drain. I showed this to the owner and he said he didn't expect it to rain and left the plug in after he had used the boat the weekend before. The water had been standing in the hull for a few days apparently. My question is after standing in the hull for a few days will that water cause internal damage to the infrastructure? Should I consider buying the boat or walking away?

I appreciate all the help in these forums.

Thanks,
Harley059

Walk around in boat and see if you feel any soft spots,and if you do make him come way down on price and if you dont feel any soft spots then thats up to you.What kind of shape is the rest of the boat in?Make shur yu hear it run,and make shure you have water running to the engine before you start it!!Check it out and get back with me.

Thanks for the response.. I did walk in the boat and there's a center section of flooring/plywood that's soft and rotted. It's about 30" x 24" and extends to the engine compartment. I could see the rotted edges when looking at the engine. The rest of the floor seems to be very solid. The owner told me the rest of the floor under the carpet was fiberglass. I am concerned that the rain water that had been standing in the hull for the better part of a week could do some serious damage to the infrastructure (that I can't see). The rest of the boat.. hull, interior, and engine looked very clean. The water extended up to the ski storage compartment in the center of the floor. We pulled the drain plug and turned on the bilge pump to empty the water. He did come down 20% on the price but will a week of standing water in the bottom of the boat cause the frame to rot away. The boat is not likely to dry out soon since it still raining but at least the drain plug is out. We're scheduled to take it to the lake tomorrow.

Need some good advice.
Thanks,
Harley059

As I read through all these posts I see that OMC has been out of business for 10 years. Should I be looking to buy a boat with a 5.0 omc cobra I/O? Are replacement parts difficult to find?

As always I appreciate your opinions.

if it say omc stay away simple as that

Thanks so much for the suggestions.. This is probably the best road to follow.

I wouldn't buy the boat. Not because of the water in the bilge or the OMC drive, but due to the rotten deck. This is indicative of the build quality of the boat. I am going to guess that the underside of the plywood deck is not encapsulated in resin and/or glass. This allows the wood to be attacked from below by moisture (fungus) which rots the wood. Anywhere the manufacturer left the wood exposed you will find rot. This may be limited to the deck, but I will guess that it is more extensive, especially since the current owner doesn't seem to care if it sits full of water for who knows how long.

When you go looking at boats, obviously you want to be sure the hull is in good shape. Be sure the hull stringers are completely encased in glass, the transom is not delaminated, the decks are solid, etc.

Thanks for the advice.. if you don't mind me asking, how do you tell if a transom is delaminated? I did press around the OD unit and it was solid but I'm not sure this is a good test.
I read a lot of these posts before I started looking at boats so I would be somewhat knowledgeable (thank you for that) but I've been around near 70 years so I know reading is not experience.
The current owner said the boat doesn't leak a drop when on the water. When I look in the engine compartment I can see no wood only fiberglass but the center section of the floor (over the gas tank)
is plywood covered with carpet. This is a nice big boat (21' Four Winns Horizon 200 BR) and would be nice for fishing Lake Erie. I want it to be a good boat but I'm afraid to rely on my limited boat expertise.
The owner has agreed to let me have it for $4000 if it passes my "Water test". Does that price sound cheap enough to risk a purchase?
Thanks to everyone on here for their help.

You will make that guy very happy buying his boat for 4 large. You probably won't be very happy fishing out of one of those boats tho, unless your idea of fishing is dropping a baited hook over the side, pulling your hat down and curling up for a nap. If you are going to be trolling or doing any kind of deep water fishing you need transom, and clear room to work. The 4 Winns has neither. Most fishing boats these days trend towards the center cockpit layout which gives you tons of deck space and keeps the controls away from the gunnels so you can work. I would also steer you, as a relative newbie, towards outboard power. Outboards are going to give you more deck space, and generally be less trouble and cheaper to operate. Single is good, twin for better low speed handling and, of course, redundancy. A 22-24 center console or cuddy with two 90-150 hp outboards is what you should be shopping for. It's easy to say this but price should not be your #1 consideration when you are shopping. Find the boat that fits your needs, and is not a pile of crap needing a ton of work. As someone over 70, I will guess that doing a lot of restoration work is not high on you wish list. If it has cooking facilities and a potty (however loosely that is defined), you are allowed to deduct the loan interest on your taxes as a second home.

Thanks for the advice.. if you don't mind me asking, how do you tell if a transom is delaminated? I did press around the OD unit and it was solid but I'm not sure this is a good test.

Click to expand...

You need a surveyor with a moisture meter to probe the hull for water intrusion. If a transom reads high, it is shot and needs extensive and expensive professional repair. You cannot tell by looking/poking. I can tell you right now that you DO NOT want a boat with a soft deck. It's only value is as a parts boat and one of those has very little of value that can be salvaged off it. Engine and drive, maybe some electrical and deck hardware. Rest goes to landfill.

You should buy this: http://easternshore.craigslist.org/boa/2594855079.html
Not mine but this is a pretty tempting deal, and I'm sure it can be had for ten even.

Wow! Now that's a fishing boat. I could see me on the boat ramp with that. It would get a lot of attention.

BTW.. I responded to all the suggestions and help I've received but, I don't see the posts on the board.. I wonder what I did wrong? My apologies to each and everyone that took time to respond.

You didnt do anything wrong!!I am a crane operator and work weird hours,so I just havnt been at home much and no time to get on my laptop.We are here to help each other!!Contact me anytime.