Baja Islander 180
 

Hello,

I am new to the forum and i am thinking of purchasing a 1992 Baja Islander 180 with a 3.0L Mercruiser. Searching the board I haven't found much information about this boat or problems. Is this just too small and too weak of a boat for this forum?

Anyone have any advise I would love to hear it.

The only drawback that I see so far is that it will top out at about 35mph, which is probably ok for me at this point as I am just purchasing it for cruising around Seattle.

Thanks!!

We welcome anyone, especially Baja owners, including owners of the smaller boats. The smaller boats can be a blast too!
If you have any questions at all, there's probably someone here who has had that problem and knows the answer.
There's even some former employees of Baja here.

Well, i drove the boat yesterday and it was pretty slow getting up on plane, topped out at about 32MPH. Which is what I expected but I was wondering if a dorsel or something would help it get up on plane faster since there are no tabs. These hulls seem like they have more deadrise that makes it heavier in the water.

I'd recommend Smart Tabs for that size boat. Available at Naticus.com. Very inexpensive fix.

Might also want to add what size prop and all you have, what RPM's you're running at WOT. 32mph seems way slow even for the 3.0. Could also need plugs, possibly carb clean, check for water in the bildge, etc...

The 3.0 isn't bad, but the 4.3 will be a blast, especially at resale time.

Welcome to the forum. Any Baja is a great way to go!!

Welcome to the site

I don't have experience with the 180 but started out with a 212 Islander with 454 and it ran 64 MPH. The speed you are getting sounds low to me also and when you add the slow planning time I must agree with VtSteve that it has the wrong prop on it. Also the 4.3 would be a much better choice.

Hard to say how accurate the speedo is also.

Today I noticed some small blisters around the transom and below the waterline. There's probably about 15 of them less than 1/2" diameter. They don't look too bad but it made a little concerned. Is this a serious problem that will get much worse?

The boat was kept in the water for quite a while by the previous owner and there is also some corrosion on the outdrive, but it looks like I can get it all off with a pressure washer.

RUN, RUN LIKE THE WIND.

The blisters need to be fixed ASAP, and are probably indicative of water intrusion as well. Unless you're real good at fiberglass repair, or have a couple of grand extra (or more) that you'd love to part with, move on from that wreck.

Plenty more where that came from.

:eek: well, that's a bummer because I already bought the boat :(. Will they get worse? None of them are look like they are close to popping and you really have to be looking to find them.

Have a fiberglass guy look at them quickly. Did you buy the boat As Is?

Blisters can be a common problem with boats that are left in the water. Not just a Baja problem.

I would have someone familiar with marine fiberlass/gel look at them and if they are not too bad or not too numerous, just enjoy the boat and forget about them.

Blisters can form on any boat for sure. Some brands have resins that are more expensive, and much better to water resistance. The quality of the layup process itself can be important in preventing penetration. But since the gel coat is porous, some water will find it's way in.

Over time, water penetration can occur. It might not be too bad, so watch the blisters every so often to see if more form, or existing ones get larger. In the worst case, de-lamination can occur which is a major problem. I think it's quite rare that structural problems develop, but it's still best to have someone knowledgeable in these areas look at the hull, use a moisture meter, checks the hull's structural integrity.