McGary911

Pretty nice looking boats. Here's one on boattrader that looks pretty clean.

http://www.boattraderonline.com/adde....html?85513602

pm203

The Formula is better.

super termoli

The advantage of looking at a 97 Sunseeker is that you can see from a mile away whether it's been looked after or not. Sunseeker's gelcoat is not the best out there and is quite porous and prone to cracking. If on a 97 you find original gel which is still white and shiny and without cracks, you are almost certainly looking at a boat which has been dry-stored and never abused. Which in turn means that structurally and mechanically it should be OK.

I've seen rotten bulkheads on Sunseekers younger than 97 but rather than go into that stuff, I can only advise you to get a survey. Which may not be easy as you're looking to do a deal with your friend/associate and at a good price. So it's a tricky situation to behave like you're dealing with a stranger and insist on a full survey. You know what they say about doing business with friends and family...

Stormrider

40 MAGNUM...

Wild Card 09

About eight years ago my brother bought his first Sunseeker, a 1990 43 Thunderhawk fitted with two brand new 502 Mpiīs. It had been tied up in a legal battle for seven years after a friend of the first owner came off the plane too quickly and waterlocked both motors in its first season. It was like new and cost my brother 50 thousand (GB) pounds. It ran 55 mph when the bottom was clean and was a great experience. tons of nice details and looks that could kill. It was bright red. He ran it on the Med between St Tropez and Monaco. He looked after it and sold it for 67 thousand pounds, four years later! The bug had bitten him and he bought a one year old 48 Superhawk with three Yanmar 300 hp diesels directly from Sunseeker. It runs about the same speed but uses less fuel doing so!
A Sunseeker doesnīt drive anything like as sporty as it looks. The Toma- Thunder- Super- hawk and Apaches are however the nearest to being an offshore boat. The Don Shead designed hulls have alot of offshore character to them - if you look at most of them you will see that the chines are very narrow in relation to the width of the deck. They are deep V, and some are avaiable with Arnesons.
They are great boats, but are made for a different sort of boating than a Formula (for example, a well built offshore boat with a windshield) can offer you.
A friend had an Aronow for many years and traded it for a 56 Predator and loved it, too. But for different reasons.
Sunseeker is probably comparable with Aston Martin. Good looking, very british, fast enough but donīt hammer it for too long. Drive it like an english gentleman

super termoli

Very well said, Wild Card. Sunseekers are express cruisers at heart and even though their looks suggest more, one should stick to using them as express cruisers. If you go out to play with a Sunseeker like you would with a Formula, you will break it.

My experience with Sunseeker started with the 34 XPS which was the first generation of these hulls. It was 31 Portofino - 34 XPS - 39 Cobra in mid 80s, then it was 37 Tomahawk - 43 Thunderhawk in late 80s/beginning of 90s, then 41 Tomahawk - 45 Apache - 50 Superhawk in late 90s and finally XS2000 - 34/40 Superhawk - 48/50 Superhawk that we know today and which are available with Trimax surface drives.

These particular boats in Sunseeker's lineup age quite well in terms of design. The only thing that looks dated on a 43 Thunderhawk is the radar arch which is too square and oversized by today's standards. But I've seen a beautifully refitted and repowered 1990 Thunderhawk on which the arch was taken off and the boat looks better than many current designs.

PhantomChaos

Wild.....nicely said! I have been in just about every nook and crany of my Apache 45, and it sure seems well built and made with quality materials to me SuperT. Much better than average and different since it's European. I've got he triple gas 502MAG's and it is a 1994. I've had a great time working and updating this boat and like any other boat, there is always a list of things to do. It's both my project boaty and it's my condo in Newport Beach!

If you get a great deal on hte boat......your family will have a great time. It's cool to have a boat that isn't like everyone else's. I might just have the only Apache 45 in SoCal.....but not sure. I have never seen another one myself.

Here's my thread on updating......haven't updated it lately, but we love the boat!

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=68946

Audiofn

Let me guess since Jeffrey is at the wheel it is out of gas?

bford1

Great stuff guys. Thanks for all the opinions. I am supposed to go check it out next weekend. I hope I will still be able to do it. It is frozen in Texas right now.

BTW that link above is the Sunseeker I'm looking at. He kept is rack stored indoors.


B