Taking Delivery of a New Boat: Dealer PDI, Paperwork, Sea Trial and First Service

The PDI is the dealer's job: rigging, fluids, steering, electrical checks and a test run so the boat is ready to use. Ask to see the completed checklist and keep a copy. It should be signed and dated by the technician. If the boat was rigged at the dealer (engine hung, controls and gauges installed), ask who did it and whether it was test-run on the water.

Do this in daylight, ideally with the boat on the trailer:

• Gelcoat: scuffs, scratches, cracks or chips from shipping or the lot (look closely at the bow and chines)
• Hull bottom: damage from trailer bunks or rollers
• Rub rail, cleats, rails and windshield: secure, no cracks
• Canvas and upholstery: tears, stains, missing snaps
• Trailer (if included): tires, lights, winch, strap, safety chains and brakes

Photograph anything wrong with a close-up and a wider shot. Add it to your punch list (step 11).

Federal rules (33 CFR 181.29) require two identical hull identification numbers: the main one on the outside of the transom on the starboard side, near the top, and a duplicate in a hidden spot inside. The numbers must be permanently attached so tampering would show.

• Read the 12-character HIN on the transom and compare it with the bill of sale, the manufacturer's certificate of origin and the registration application. One wrong character causes title problems later.
• Find the manufacturer's certification label, which states the boat complies with US Coast Guard safety standards (33 CFR 181.15).
• On most monohull powerboats under 20 feet, find the capacity plate near the helm with the maximum persons, weight and horsepower. Discover Boating notes these limits are legal requirements.

You should go home with:

• Bill of sale showing the HIN, engine serial numbers and price
• Manufacturer's certificate (statement) of origin, or confirmation that the dealer is sending it to your state's titling office or your lender
• State registration paperwork, or temporary registration and instructions for numbers and decals (see our registration guide)
• Warranty documents for the boat, engine(s), trailer and electronics
• Owner's manuals for everything, including the engine operation and maintenance manual
• Keys and spares, including any lanyard or wireless kill-switch fob
• The completed PDI sheet and any service contracts

Mercury states that the dealer should complete warranty registration at the time of sale and submit it right away, and that coverage isn't effective until the product is registered. Registration with the engine maker is separate from state registration and titling. Yamaha's owner blog says its dealers register the engine online and Yamaha then mails a factory warranty card.

Before you leave:

• Ask for a printout or confirmation of the registration for each engine and for the boat itself.
• Make sure your name, address and pleasure use (not commercial) are correct. Mercury says wrong registration information can void coverage.
• Register electronics and other major gear yourself if the maker asks you to.
• Write down every engine serial number (see our engine serial number guide). Yamaha notes the engine's ID number is on the side of the motor, so you can still get warranty service on the road without the card.

Keeping your contact details current with the boat and engine makers also matters for safety recall notices. You can search for recalls through the US Coast Guard's boating safety site.

Find out exactly what safety equipment comes with the boat; many dealers include only some of it. Before the first trip you need, as required for your boat's size and type: wearable life jackets for everyone, a throwable device where required, fire extinguisher(s), visual distress signals for coastal waters, a sound-producing device, working navigation lights and ventilation. Check our USCG safety equipment guide, and consider a free Vessel Safety Check.

Ask the technician to show you each system and let you operate it yourself:

• Battery switch(es), breaker or fuse panel, charger and shore power (if fitted)
• Fuel fill, vent, tank shutoff and how to read the gauge
• Bilge pump: manual and automatic, and where the float switch and pump are
• Engine checks before start: oil level, trim fluid, cooling-water telltale or gauges
• Trim, tabs, steering, kill switch, horn, lights, electronics and VHF
• Drain plug(s), seacocks (if any), head and freshwater system
• Where the fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and fuel shutoffs are

Film short clips on your phone. They're a great reference later.

Run the boat the way you'll use it, with the dealer aboard:

• It starts easily, idles smoothly, shifts cleanly and the steering is free in both directions.
• It reaches its rated RPM range at wide open throttle, briefly and only if the engine maker's break-in rules allow it on day one. Mercury's warranty excludes damage from a propeller that keeps the engine from reaching its recommended RPM, so the dealer should confirm the prop is right. The same warranty also excludes damage from an engine mounted too high on the transom or run trimmed out too far, so ask the technician to confirm the engine height and show you a sensible trim range.
• Gauges read sensibly; no alarms; no unusual vibration or noises.
• Trim, tabs and electronics work underway.
• After the run, open the engine hatch and bilge: no water, fuel or oil leaks, no fuel smell.

See our sea trial guide for a full list of what to watch and listen for.

Break-in protects the engine and, for some makers, the warranty. Mercury's outboard break-in for most models is: the first 2 hours at varied throttle settings up to 4,500 rpm, then the next 8 hours in normal use but never more than 5 minutes at a time at wide open throttle. Mercury warns that an engine failure caused by improper break-in may not be covered. Other brands and engine types differ, so follow the operation and maintenance manual for your engine. Our engine break-in guide covers the general approach.

Most new engines have an early first service (often an oil and filter change and a general check) after a short number of hours or months; your manual gives the exact interval. Mercury's warranty says owners must follow the maintenance schedule, keep records, and that coverage can depend on proof of maintenance. It also lists corrosion protection (keeping anodes in place and replaced on schedule) as a condition.

• Ask the dealer when the first service is due and book it now.
• Ask whether you can do routine maintenance yourself without hurting the warranty, and which records you must keep. Discover Boating notes that many warranties don't cover non-factory repair work.
• Know the basic federal rule. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(c)), a warrantor generally can't make your warranty depend on using a particular brand of part or service unless it provides that part or service free. That doesn't make every repair safe for the warranty: Mercury, for example, still excludes damage caused by improper service and can ask for proof of proper maintenance. If you do your own oil changes, use the oil and filters your manual specifies and keep dated receipts and log entries.
• Start a maintenance log on day one (see our maintenance log guide).

Write down every item you found: cosmetic damage, missing parts, anything that didn't work. Go through the list with the salesperson or service manager and get a signed note of what the dealer will fix and by when. Don't sign a delivery acceptance that says "no defects" if you've found some. Keep your photos with the list.

The dealer will often offer extended service plans at delivery. Don't decide under pressure. Some factory plans can be added later, within limits set by the maker (for example an hours limit or time window). Read our extended service plans guide, compare the cost with the factory warranty you already have, and decide at home.