LoudBoatEnjoyer

Hi everyone this is my first post here, as well as my first time seriously considering purchasing a boat. I grew up around boats with my father being a performance enthusiast. He owned a Baja 275 Boss 496 H/O that he supercharged himself unfortunately I was too young to remember that boat, He then upgrading to a Baja 342 with twin 496 H/O. I've always loved the big V8 powerboats and have many fond memories going to poker runs with my parents as a kid. It saddens me that with the economy, gas prices, and the global warming propaganda that the hobby has largely ceased to exist anymore at least in my area. But at this point in my life I'd like to experience that again as an adult while it is still somewhat feasible for an normal middle class person like myself. So I came across a decent looking Scarab Panther 30' that I'm becoming obsessed with because I love the old school Cigarette style hull. He wants 16k so It's priced in my budget with money leftover to spare for something unexpected down the line.

Now I already know I'm making a terrible financial decision, I'm prepared to live with that, But what I'm trying to avoid is a catastrophic mistake that will leave me with an unusable hunk of crap. How much information will a surveyor be able to give me, and what can I to check on this boat to ensure I can use it right away and get at least a summer out of it without needing any major repairs? What I know from pictures and talking to the owner is it has a current 2024 registration sticker, it has twin 454 magnum/Alpha 1 Package, I know Alpha 1's are not ideal but I'm not going to WOT the boat from a standstill so they should be adequate for the stock engines HP, nor do i plan on doing any power upgrades. He claims one engine was rebuilt 200hrs ago and runs perfect and within spec according to a leak down test. He has a video of the boat running last summer. He is currently in the process of Re-installing one rebuilt engine that failed due to a burnt valve towards the end of the season. He said it was re-built by a shop called Ram Engines in Northern PA. He also says the hull is very solid and has no soft spots, and it had some wood repair work done in the past by the original owner. Aside from that the boat appears to be in good condition cosmetically and well cared for and the seller is the 4th owner. For reference I'm not afraid to do some DIY work if need be, I have a career background in construction as well as a good bit of experience doing auto repair and body work so I'm mechanically inclined. But what is a surveyor going to be able to tell me? How do they check under floors and bulkheads without drilling holes? And say I do end up purchasing a boat that needs stringer work, How difficult is it to access the framework? do the floors come out in panels, or are they molded to the hull and will require cutting and replacing just to access the stringers?? How would you rate the difficulty doing hull structural repair to welding automotive body panels?

Griff

If a boat worth 16k needs stringer or transom repair, you might as well just part it out. The chances of a 1987 Wellcraft not having some moisture issues is slim at best. Most likely the floor would need to be cut out and a new one installed. If you have to ask what to check, you really should get a good surveyor. A good surveyor can save you from a costly mistake.

LoudBoatEnjoyer

The boat could be 100% solid I havn't seen it yet. I'm just looking for some opinions and some folks who may have had experience purchasing an older boat like this or people that have owned this model who could offer some info.

SecondWind

I'm with Griff on this one. Buying a twin engine performance boat that's 37 years old for 16K is asking for trouble. I bought a used performance boat that looked great in pictures and had a bargain price years ago. I spent double the original price of the boat in the first few years of ownership just so I could use it. Keep in mind the cost of labor on a boat like that is easily $200 an hour if someone else is working on it.

LoudBoatEnjoyer

I would likely do any hull work myself if I needed to. Though I wouldn't purchase it if it had rot that would render it unusable. But when it comes to fixing rot under neath floors what are your options? is there panels that can be removed or does the floor need cut out, or the entire top half of the boat pulled off? I'm just curious if I find something that's priced right I wouldn't mind doing a little restoration work in the future, But i would like something I can use this summer.

Ryanw10

If the floor is rotten, then there is likely also rot in the stringers or transom. The soft floor is probably just the tip of the iceberg...

LoudBoatEnjoyer

It's not rotten, the floor is solid, I'm asking how to check underneath the floors without cutting it out?

zz28zz

A few boats boats have a large floor panel to access the fuel tank, but most just have a small cover to access just the fuel sender unit. Getting to the stringers will require cutting the floor out. If floor is super solid, stringers are probably ok.

That being said, I cut a round 6" hole in the floor on one boat to facilitate fuel fill hose replacement. Afterwards bought a 6" screw on cover and installed. That 6" hole provided a lot of access under the floor and with the cover installed, it looked factory'ish.

A good survey will include moisture readings and is well worth it. The bilge area is accessable and if you have stringer issues inder the floor, you will most likely have stringer issues in the bilge too.

Rookie

iTrader: (4)

I'll come at this a little differently. Who cares if it has some moisture? It's a $16,000 performance boat. My '86 Panther was dryer than my 2000 Active Thunder that was only on the water for 6yrs, 2006 last registry before me. (actually the AT was dryer because all the wood was rotted out of the transom and bilge stringers) I do not recommend it, but I ran that boat with the transom wood completely gone around the drives for 2yrs. until I overhauled it.
It's a 37 year old boat so I would assume there will be some moisture, but if it's not rotted and the drives, tabs and floor are solid I wouldn't be concerned. S#it, I just pulled my fuel tank out of my Panther and welding up holes on that as we speak. If it's up and running and performing as it should there really is not much to check to insure no break downs beside the normal engine and hull inspections. (leak down, compression, moisture meter, drive fluid eval and electrical works, lights, horn, blowers...)
Not everyone is fortunate enough to find the elusive 30+ year old hull in immaculate condition.

rak rua

Almost any boat that age will need stringers, floor, transom rebuilt, if it hasn’t been done recently.

You get what you pay for, so break down the 16K into 2 engines, 2 drives, 1 boat and 1 trailer (Did I miss trailer in your post?). What value have you put on the boat and how good would it be for that figure.

If the transom is wet, you have to pull engines, drives, tabs, rigging and everything you see in the engine bay. If the rot goes further forward, floor will have to come out. Get it thoroughly surveyed and maybe someone you know can give it a good inspection too. Tap it with a small hammer, everywhere there’s a core/plywood and listen for a sharp knock sound or a dull thud.

I wish you luck but having read so many stories about old classics, I’m not the only one who’s a bit negative**.

RR

**Accurate translation…..very negative.