Originally posted in the Scarab owners forum; hoping I might get a reply here.
Hi guys, newbie here looking at making my first boat purchase. I live in St. Lucia and most of my boating activities will be coastal party runs with a bunch of friends, a little fishing and the odd island hops to Martinique and the Grenadines. Outboard powered center and dual console boats are the rage here and I am looking at some 34 Scarab Sports currently for sale ranging from 1988 to 1991 with power ranging from twin 225's to 300's and one with triple 200's. Any issues with these boats in that age range that I should be wary of? Do they use a lot of wood coring in stringers, decks, etc that are prone to rot? Prices range from about 39K to 55K. Any feedback will be very much appreciated.

Buzz

No one has any feedback??

Old Center Consoles (fishing boats) are not that well known on this performance boat type of forum. The best advice for you is to get the boat surveyed.
Check out thehulltruth.com for a forum more suited to this style of boat.

Thanks. Sorry. Bye.

My good friend owned one for years, sold it to a local guy and it is still running around the Bay up here in Maryland..... His had a set of 454 big blocks, it would run mid to upper 60's with that package. I could imagine with twin outboards and the weight of this boat it woulb be slow???? I would agree with Mike, get a survey, when he bought his boat some ten years ago he had a stringer issue that was detected during a survey, and the brokerage dealer had it fixed before delivery. Sorry dont remember the exact issue, but as in almost every opinion on this board, GET A SURVEY......

I've been scuba diving at St. Lucia. What a beautiful island! What's it like to live in paradise?

like warm apple pie

jr mike

Check for soft decks, the afore-mentioned stringers, as well as the fuel tank...great riding hull.
Hugh

Appreciate the feedback, guys! I am currently combing the online classifieds, boat trader, etc. in search of a 30'+ center console. Came across a few Scarabs that are big and attractively priced, but I am open to all brands that are solid, 50+ mph capable and suitable for island hops and party cruising. Since this will be my first boat purchase, I am looking for something pre-owned that I don't have to invest a whole pile of money in. No big rush, research is ongoing. Thanks again.

I saw the other day a 1999 Scarab 302 with twin 225 Opti's off I-4 on the west side of Orlando, FL for $45,999. Sorry I do not know the dealer but you might try a boattraderonline.com search.