Direct-experience disclosure: None. Asking as a prospective first-time buyer.
I'm looking seriously at a 2005 Westport 112 and want to build a proper pre-purchase inspection list before I bring in a surveyor. I've read the reviewed specs on the model page, but I'm specifically after what early owners and engineers actually find.
Particular areas I'm unsure about: hydraulic steering, genset raw-water routing, stabilizer condition, and any structural checkpoints specific to the early hulls. What would you not skip?
Direct experience: Commissioned & serviced 4 hulls of this model (privately verified).
On early hulls, don't skip the hydraulic steering unions. They're a known checkpoint and cheap to address pre-sale. Pull covers and look for weeping at the ram fittings.
Genset raw-water routing on the earliest boats runs a longer loop; check for chafe and impeller service history. Stabilizers: verify seal service intervals and look for play in the fin shaft.
Structurally the composite hull is robust. Focus survey budget on systems and machinery access rather than the laminate.
OEM Official response · Westport Yachts service
Owners of pre-2008 hulls can request the updated steering-union service bulletin from any authorized Westport service center. We recommend the current impeller and raw-water inspection schedule regardless of hull year.
Verified OEM representative · This is manufacturer guidance, distinct from community experience.
“Genset raw-water routing on the earliest boats runs a longer loop…”
Seconding the raw-water point. On the boat I ran we re-routed and added an inspection port during a haul-out. Worth budgeting for if the survey shows the original loop.