School me in used outboard motors.

It was a long time ago, 2000 but we ended up having about $1000 into it. $300 for the boat and trailer, Maintainance on the motor, new lights, a steering cable, fiberglass repairs and some bits to make the trailer roadworthy. It had no seats so we pulled some good but dated ones from a marina dumpster, a big used igloo cooler with a seat cushion. My dad being a big fishermen bought the priciest part on the boat, a Reatheon color fish finder. It was a fun project and between us and some other men in his church it saw nearly daily use off the south shore of Long Island. He gave it to a friend's son a few years ago and from what I understand it is still chugging along.

skiffs are nice, you do not need a high HP engine to move them along at a decent clip. A couple of weeks ago I was watching the real fishermen (the ones who make their living fishing) heading out in their skiffs.. I don't think a single one had more than a 40hp and all of them rode nicely at a steady plane.

I picked up an old 17' Ouachita side console with an '83 Johnson 90HP crossflow V4 (carbed 2-stroke) for couch cushion money a couple years ago. I had to put a new floor in it and sort the engine, but it all works really well now. Based on what I've read, the old Johnson 2-strokes are pretty much indestructible, and fairly simple. New outboards are breathtakingly expensive, so I'll run this old pig as long as it cranks.

Don't ignore the Cc's, I spend zero time fishing and love the extra floor space, I can set up a small table for lunch etc. I really like it with the dogs.

looking at the boats around here... new engines are mostly yamahas.. old engines are usually Johnsons. There are always a few Hondas thrown in for good measure, but Yamaha seems to be the preferred engine of choice. Sadly like mentioned above, you rarely see old engines, heck, you rarely see old boats around here anymore. It's new or nothing

an outboard motor can take you farther in two minutes than you can paddle back in two hours...

-J0N

ultraclyde wrote:

Just to re-iterate--the hull doesn't change much. You can look at it and tell if its in good condition. Don't be afraid of an older boat with a newer engine. 95% of the maintenance comes from the engine in my experience.

Right. Maybe I find an old hull I like with a good trailer and no motor for cheap, and then finance a new motor. I assume someone will happily let me go into debt on a motor that's not attached to a new boat.

While hull designs haven't changed much, and fiberglass itself doesn't really rot or delaminate, oh how the wood itself does.

Transoms are almost always plywood with fiberglass over them. They always rot. Some faster some slower, but the stress of the engine is on the transom, the fiberglass cracks, water enters, and the plywood rots. It's a mater of how rotted and when, not if.

Deck stringers and such also rot. If the boat has a deck, you have to rip the deck out to fix it.

A lot depends on the size of the boat, as well the quality of the build. A 12' open hull dory with a little 20 hp outboard on the back isn't going to be nearly as hard to inspect or repair as an 18' decked skiff with an 80 hp outboard. Nor is it likely to be as beaten upon.

There is also the matter of who built it. A Bayliner is cheap. For a reason. A Privateer is not. Again, for a reason. You can get a pretty good idea of the build quality by just pushing on the sides of the hull. If the boat flexes when you do that, it's not a strong boat and probably not well built.

Wiring and lights also goes fast, though a lot does depend on the water type. Salt and brackish can destroy an automotive grade wiring system in just one season. The significance of this depends on the boat. An open hull with flashlights, no big deal. But have a radio and bilge pump, things get more demanding and expensive.

This just popped up in my browsing about 10 miles from my house:

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-CAROLINA-SKIFF-JVX-16-SC-102776414

More than I was looking to spend. Wasn't looking to buy till later this year. Probably shouldn't go look at it....

Carolina Skiff is generically a good name. Open the hatches to examine the wood below the deck. Examine how everything is screwed to the deck, and wiggle them to see what has pulled loose or rotted.

That hull design is nice and stable on calmer water. It will pound a bit running through chop. It is not well suited for rougher water.

Very nice washboard for walking around on. Bimini is probably not big enough to really protect you from the sun except in a smallish area. Bimini may not be tall enough to walk upright under.

If you're really interested, get the seller to take you out on the water in the boat to show you how everything works. Steering mechanism, gauges, etc. If he is not willing to go out on the water in the boat, be suspicious.

In reply to ultraclyde:

Not in GA, but when I searched my local CL for a similar boat I found this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/5652708805.html

Just posting for comparison shopping for you.

We had three 13 ft. Whalers at the Sailing Club as rescue boats. You could stand on the gunwale and right another boat or pull a fat guy out of the water and not capsize! 30hp moved it along smartly, but on a choppy day the trihull design and the 2 X 10 seat would paddle your ass black & blue. One hit a rock pretty hard and water leaked in between the inner and outer layers of fiberglass, soaking the foam core. I stood it up on the transom, drilled holes in the top of the transom and top of the front edge and it took three years to dry out.

18 ft. Pontoon

Since you're going to be in the shallows and marsh, have you considered a pontoon boat? Plentiful, not expensive. draws very little water, more room for the dog; however they are weight sensitive.

Dan

http://wilmington.craigslist.org/boa/5651276357.html Also not close to you, but this one is something I'd be interested in if I was looking for a smaller boat.

In reply to ultraclyde:

Not in GA, but when I searched my local CL for a similar boat I found this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/5652708805.html

Just posting for comparison shopping for you.

ultraclyde wrote: This just popped up in my browsing about 10 miles from my house: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-CAROLINA-SKIFF-JVX-16-SC-102776414 More than I was looking to spend. Wasn't looking to buy till later this year. Probably shouldn't go look at it....

I was just coming to post about the carolina skiff's being a solid value and that that model sounds like what you're looking for.

I'd be tempted to spend a little bit more for a new one if you're going to blow the initial budget anyway: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2016-CAROLINA-SKIFF-JVX-16-CC-102646670

bluej wrote:

ultraclyde wrote: This just popped up in my browsing about 10 miles from my house: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-CAROLINA-SKIFF-JVX-16-SC-102776414 More than I was looking to spend. Wasn't looking to buy till later this year. Probably shouldn't go look at it....

I was just coming to post about the carolina skiff's being a solid value and that that model sounds like what you're looking for. I'd be tempted to spend a little bit more for a new one if you're going to blow the initial budget anyway: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2016-CAROLINA-SKIFF-JVX-16-CC-102646670

I was suddenly all about that new skiff until I read the fine print. That's without motor. Figure adding another $7k-$9k for a motor and controls, so nearly double the price.

Damn.

Excellent candidate for a Toyman swap.

$400.

I'm just tossing the likes of this one up for a little thinking and conversation.

A basic small aluminum outboard boat like this is virtually indestructable and all but maintenance free. You can ignore it for several years, decide on a whim you want to go out on the water, and it'll be ready. For a casual person who just kinda wants a boat, they're a heck of a good boat to start with. And, many never outgrow them.

This hull will cut through chop much nicer than a tri or cathedral hull will. It's more tippy, and the boat is indeed smaller. It'll be a rougher ride, noisy, and hot as an oven when you're baking under the sun.

In reply to ultraclyde:

oh, crap. sorry, missed that.

1988RedT2 wrote: I picked up an old 17' Ouachita side console with an '83 Johnson 90HP crossflow V4 (carbed 2-stroke) for couch cushion money a couple years ago. I had to put a new floor in it and sort the engine, but it all works really well now. Based on what I've read, the old Johnson 2-strokes are pretty much indestructible, and fairly simple. New outboards are breathtakingly expensive, so I'll run this old pig as long as it cranks.

Is that a bass boat? I've only seen an Ouachita once in person and it was a bass boat. I think they were made in the south?

Be careful on your outboard choice. My 13' Whaler has a Nissan 40hp that runs great. (made by Daihatsu) The problem I recently found was when my trim pump failed----parts are not available. My only option was buying brand new trim unit ($2K including install), or a used unit. I bought a used one---but it still set me back a grand. Some trim units are rebuildable, and much cheaper to fix when the pump does go bad. Just something to consider.

I love my Whaler as it will float in just a couple inches of water, and is super easy to pole around in the shallows. It is a rough rider though--- and my passengers get a little miffed when I haul ass in chop. Back where the driver sits, the pounding isn't so bad--- up front though.....it can be punishing. I'll probably graduate to a 17' center console in a year or two--- mainly for the comfort.

BTW-- my 13' Whaler with the 40hp moves out just fine. Alone in the boat I can nearly hit 40mph--- which feels really fast in a little boat like that. It also springs up onto plane--- making it feel like a sportscar on the water. (in smooth water at least!)

drainoil wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: I picked up an old 17' Ouachita side console with an '83 Johnson 90HP crossflow V4 (carbed 2-stroke) for couch cushion money a couple years ago. I had to put a new floor in it and sort the engine, but it all works really well now. Based on what I've read, the old Johnson 2-strokes are pretty much indestructible, and fairly simple. New outboards are breathtakingly expensive, so I'll run this old pig as long as it cranks.

Is that a bass boat? I've only seen an Ouachita once in person and it was a bass boat. I think they were made in the south?

Yeah, I guess you'd call it a bass boat. It's fiberglass, though. I think aluminum when I think "bass boat." They were made in the 70's and into the early 80's by a company down in Arkansas.

Not my boat, but same model:

1988RedT2 wrote:

drainoil wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: I picked up an old 17' Ouachita side console with an '83 Johnson 90HP crossflow V4 (carbed 2-stroke) for couch cushion money a couple years ago. I had to put a new floor in it and sort the engine, but it all works really well now. Based on what I've read, the old Johnson 2-strokes are pretty much indestructible, and fairly simple. New outboards are breathtakingly expensive, so I'll run this old pig as long as it cranks.

Is that a bass boat? I've only seen an Ouachita once in person and it was a bass boat. I think they were made in the south?

Yeah, I guess you'd call it a bass boat. It's fiberglass, though. I think aluminum when I think "bass boat."

I think fiberglass when I think bass boat.

So apparently Panama City FL is the place to be for old powerboat parts

Boat recipe:

one hull with trailer: https://panamacity.craigslist.org/bod/5562614931.html

Plus one motor, with controls: http://panamacity.craigslist.org/bpo/5651067657.html

Add some simple woodwork for console and seats, and probably a steering wheel.

Fun boat for less than $2500

In reply to ultraclyde:

Careful with the Force outboards. Some of them were made by Mercury and weren't awful, but some of them were build on a old Chrysler design and horrible doesn't even come close to describing them. There is a reason they are cheap.

Toyman01 wrote: In reply to ultraclyde: Careful with the Force outboards. Some of them were made by Mercury and weren't awful, but some of them were build on a old Chrysler design and horrible doesn't even come close to describing them. There is a reason they are cheap.

The ones made by Merc were actually Mariners and often made in China IIRC. Build quality wasn't a Merc.