You need to do the right thing regardless of what the peanut gallery says. You know what they say..."If mamma ain't happy...."
You need to do the right thing regardless of what the peanut gallery says. You know what they say..."If mamma ain't happy...."
I've been boating on Lake Erie for a large part of my adult life. There is absolutely no way I would be caught dead out there in a pontoon or deck boat. I could easily see the boat in the OP getting swallowed up in one big wave. Great Lakes weather comes fast and hard because the lakes are so shallow. I've seen Lake Erie take down boats exactly like the one in the OP, and boats that would have been perfectly fine for light offshore use. Michigan may be better than Erie because it's a lot deeper, but I still wouldn't take any boat out there that I wouldn't consider safe on the ocean. There's a reason the divers have all those wrecks to keep them entertained.
I pretty much grew up in a boat. My dad had me out fishing every weekend as a kid. I learned how to drive a boat as well as how to back up a boat trailer at a public ramp at a very young age. If I tried to have my kids do all that nowadays I'd be hauled off to jail lol. Enough about me.
All great advice given especially about the ironic destructive capabilities that water can have on a fiberglass boat hull. Anything above a small tin fishing boat, I'd want to in water test and drive it before committing to purchase. If anything I want to really emphasize to the OP, while doing a pre-purchase inspection: when the boat is on the trailer, sit on the ground right at the prop (s) so you can see the complete sphere when the prop (s) turns. If it doesn't spin in a perfect circle, beware beware! In most cases the repair will likely call for a rather expensive lower unit rebuild as the prop shaft was bent, and if the motor hasn't stopped working the way it should, it soon will in that state. I had a buddy buy a "lightly used" mostly mint cosmetic condition late model bow rider I/O that unbeknownst to him at the time of purchase, had a bent prop shaft. Once he discovered it he contacted the seller who claimed ignorance. My buddy was screwed and spent a lot to have a new lower unit installed. The previous owner probably hit an obstruction and probably put a new prop on to hide whatever he hit. The skeg was in good shape.
mtn (Forum Supporter) said:I've never dealt with a head, but have heard enough horror stories from those who have - experienced boaters, btw - that we avoid it. But we're never that far from facilities - max would be about 30 minutes in really bad weather. I'd look at the lakes you're planning on using the boat on and figure out if a head is worth the hassle or not. For us, almost every boat launch has at least a porta-potty; most have actual facilities with running water. Worst case scenario is if we're on the river between the dams, a fishing-only spot - no pleasure boating, and if we were *really* in a bind we'd have to either go onshore (might have to get a foot wet) and hide in the trees, go to the golf course that is on the river and use one of their toilets, and possibly buy a beer, or go back to the launch and get in the car and drive 500 yards to a bar where we'd have to buy a beer.
This isn't to say you shouldn't consider it. You should. But I have never known it to be an issue. My wife has been using a detergent bottle with the bottom cut off since she was probably 4 years old.
For #2, plan a tiny bit and it shouldn't be an issue.
YMMV.
My holding tank is only 40 gallons and I have 65 gallons of water. I used to need to have the holding tank pumped every time I filled with fuel. Not any more.
In 41 years of use my head has never failed or leaked. That's probably the difference between an actual toilet designed to be used on a boat and the various camping toilets.
914Driver said:Seller said: "bravo III outdrive - 2 stainless steel counter rotating props, designed for better holeshot and corning performance."
I imagined two outdrives, but the pictures show different. So it's got two screws on one shaft going in opposite directions?
How is this boat different thn a Bowrider?
Yes, two props, in a "co-axial" arrangement. https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/engines/inboard-and-sterndrive/drives/bravo-three/
Boat looks a lot like what I would call a bowrider.
Is a 1998 hurricane style boat with an inboard 650 hour motor really going for over 10k thanks to Covid? Holy E36 M3 batman. Thats a $6k boat maybe during "normal" times.
Olemiss540 said:Is a 1998 hurricane style boat with an inboard 650 hour motor really going for over 10k thanks to Covid? Holy E36 M3 batman. Thats a $6k boat maybe during "normal" times.
In the post recession years I thought I could sell my Cruiser. Nobody wanted it. Clean nice looking and running boat with a very classic Teak interior and I couldn't get anybody to even give me $500 for it.
Boats that had been asking $10-15,000 were being abandoned. Even Banks weren't taking them back.
If you can go up some in price you can get a good deal on my fathers boat. He's selling his 2009 Yamaha SX210. The interior was redone in the last couple years, and it's low hours. He's selling because he only uses 1 or 2 times a year when My sister or I bring the grandkids to visit.
I'd have to check with him on price, but I think he's looking around $17-18k for it. The only thing is that it's located in Bradenton, FL
In reply to akylekoz
A neighbor was given a 36 foot cruiser in exchange for work done on his car. ( he runs an auto shop ) about 15 years ago It doesn't have a brand name that I can see but it's most definitely not home made. Looks more like something a commercial fisherman would use than a rich guys toy. I only know it has a pair of Cummins diesels. They are supposed to run nicely and I can't see anything wrong with it.
Anyhow he was plowing my driveway and we got to talking, he'd like to sell it but hates the hassle. All he wants is what he put out for the repairs. ( about $5000)
I'm kind of used to deals like that. It seems a fair number of boats get abandoned in local storage places. It. Seems once you get past 18-20 feet the price goes down.
My favorite site for looking for cheap boats is a place called Boneyard boats. A lot of classic old wood cruisers for little or nothing.
In reply to drainoil :
You really should take the prop off to check the shaft for runout. A quick check can be done with the prop on, but I'd pull it off to check if I saw anything odd with the prop on it.
The rubber bushings in the props can sometimes have a bit of runout when unloaded, but as soon as they get a load on them they are pressed into the thrust washer and run true.
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