Buying Advice

[bgreene]

Might you want to get a 23' for the extra abilities ?

As we know.....once in the water, the boat shrinks.

Best of success which ever way you go.......

[WofmansBrother]

Hah! Got to account for that shrinkage!

I'd be open (and love) to go for a 23, but am afraid that'll push the wallet too far.

[WofmansBrother]

I reached out about the boat down in California but never heard back (now I want a 23 even more).

As an update I've got a tentative deal in place for 12.5k pending an hours readout from the engines and a sea trial.

Excited and nervous...

[WofmansBrother]

As an update I went for a sea trial today.

Things didn't start off well as the engine wouldn't turn over and there was quickly water above the deck in the starboard stern (where the kicker sits).

After a jump the engine turned right over. It has between 135 (computer readout according to salesman) to 200 hours on it (gauge reading). It had a carburetor replaced this past summer and the 200 hour service done by a Yamaha dealer. Apparently the boat had sat unused for two years.

The engine ran great and the boat rode smooth. A lot of fun...

So the issues...

1) The engines sat for a few years to the point that the carb needed to be replaced ($2k price tag). Should that raise concern? After removing the cover everything looked brandy new.

2) Part of the reason the boat took on water was because the salesman didn't plug the livewell so it filled with water, adding 80+ lbs to the stern. The scuppers were also clogged with debris. The scuppers do sit below the water line and I've already read several threads on the issue.

3) Steering was stiff. Bilge pump wasn't working.

4) There were some stress fractures in the deck but no soft spots. Looks like the previous owner was set up to do some diving because of the tank brackets and I bet a tank or two slammed around. The transom looked rock solid with the exception of a teeny tiny chip at the corner of transom and bottom that exposed the glass.

Kicker fired right up. A Hook 5 is also included.

The salesman is going to see if the owner will replace the batteries, lube the steering, and replace the bilge pump.

Should these issues scare me? Should I run like crazy or am I good?

I appreciate your feedback.

[dginge]

I’d buy the boat for the engines BUT I wouldn’t buy it unless you want to do a lot of work to the boat itself. Needs ALOT of TLC and trust me that transom and floor are wet even if floor doesn’t feel soft

[erebus]

Originally Posted by WofmansBrother

As an update I went for a sea trial today.
It had a carburetor replaced this past summer and the 200 hour service done by a Yamaha dealer.

Wait... is that a carbureted 150 Yamaha?
Not fuel injected? I may have to recant my previous endorsement.

My recommendation is to stay away from the carbureted Yamahas (and Mercs of the same vintage with yamaha blocks).
In my experience (as a boatyard mechanic), they're nothing but trouble.

If you want a truly "no drama" turn-key boating experience when you use the boat, yamaha carbs are not the way to go.
Unless you literally use the boat everyday and buy Yamaha Ring-Free by the gallon those carbs will gum up and your performance and reliability will go down the tubes.

[dginge]

I 2nd that on the carb yami. I thought it was a FI engine. That’s what mine was and it was bullet proof.

[WofmansBrother]

My bad... The carb work was on the kicker. It's fuel injected.

I'm going to go for it... The SeaCraft adventure begins!

I'm off to go get lost in reading Fellowship postings about solving my below waterline scupper issue.

Thanks all!