new member need advice
 

Hello,

I am going to be buying my first offshore boat in the next few weeks. I am looking at boats from the 1980's because that is what is in my price range. I am currently looking at a 1987 Scarab Panther, 1984 Scarab 38 Kaama, and a 1984 Cigarette Mistress. What are the main problem areas I should be concerned about when buying a powerboat from the 1980's? I have fiberglass/mechanical skills and the tools but I want to make sure I buy a solid boat. Normal maintenance and light restoration I can handle. I don't want to buy a boat with hidden problems.
Thanks
Jay

Survey Survey Survey!!!!

I did not do that and it bit my azz big time. I have learned a lot on my project but a lot of what I have learned I would rather not know. :D

x1 on the survey, I used a guy from over your way was real happy with, if you want his # PM me.

I agree with you guys on the survey 100% I have access to a moisture meter etc, but I want someone that knows offshore boats very well to do a survey. I will send you a PM for the #.
Thanks
Jay

what is ur price range?

Go smaller and newer.

I can spend up to 30k but I am looking in the 20-25k range. Allot of great boats are selling for cheap in the Detroit/Lake Saint Claire area due to the bad economy.

Survey as everyone has suggested and I personally would stay single not twins....(obviously this will probably limit your size to 28 or smaller)...this sport can get expensive real quick and the less to maintain the happier you will be and the more fun you will have.

AGREE, old boat will be very unreliable and cost will be triple what you think it will be.

I have heard that the older 1980's boat are built strong and if they have been kept in good condition and maintained they are great to buy (especially fresh water boats). I want a strong hull and later I will replace the engines, drives, electrical.

Older is fine as long as hull is solid but remember fuel will only go up...especially now. So again twins may not be the best choice but ultimately it depends on what you want.

Haha! Anybody with a offshore powerboat knows the fuel cost. I know what you are talking about!!! I like the people that drive hybrid cars because it will be more fuel for us haha! I have always wanted a offshore boat with twin 454's. My bank will easily approve me for a 60k boat but I know the cost and only want to spend around 30k so I have the money to maintain, upgrade and use it.

Older Wellcrafts have stringer and transom issues due to water seeping into the coring. They did not seal limber holes in many cases and that allowed water to wick up into the coring. It can also happen on the Cig, but I have heard of fewer examples. A good surveyor will know to check for this, possibly even drilling a few small check holes near the limber holes and other stringer cut outs .

Lets just say, the older the boat the more likely moisture could have gotten into it and rot stringers, coring, flooring, and anything wood. Older boat has older mechanical parts, and replacement parts may be very hard to find and very expensive.

Also on fuel, I hear you but I don't think you have fully understood, unless you are planning on dropping $800-$1000 on a weekend you may really want to consider a newer boat with newer motors and technology. new single with efi, for the same boating will get triple the milage and the exact same fun.

But hey, its all good, each to their own, I have just seem so many new to performance boating go buy a older big boat thinking its the schiznit, only to HATE boating a summer later:party-smiley-004:

Best of luck eather way and welcome to the board.

My hustler? right in your price range Its newer has bravos runs 80's on a trailer custome paint 32'
-Mike

With an older boat in that price range, don't expect to be a happy boater until you dissemble/inspect/replace all drivetrain steering controls instrumentation etc. Not trying to discourage you, but it will be impossible to do an "on the fly" restoration.

I've owned my boat for exactly a year, it's yet to see the water, but I love every minute of it.

The Cigarette has impeccable wiring and rigging originally. Most of the work I need to redo is work that was done AFTER it left the factory. Everything in the Cig is also very accessible and easy to work on.

Here is what I found:

http://www.yachtauctions.com/listing.php?vessel=5073

get that

for 60k

I also agree with the smaller newer idea. The older boats were built strong, but the materials have come a long way since then and are better and lighter. An older boat will take a lot more power and fuel to achieve the same speeds. The 330 Checkmate just listed in the classifieds looks like it could be a great deal.

I had a 1987 Scarab Panther, It was my first boat. It was a great all-around boat, but like some have said, it was not overly-fast (low-mid 60s) and needed a LOT of work. I spent a TON of money on that thing and every time I did something, something else would break. Rebuild the motors 2 years after I bought it, interior was re-done, new bolsters, repaint cockpit and dash. all new gauges. Had it for 7 years and finally gave up and sold it to buy newer, didn't go smaller though. I will never own anything smaller than a 29. Love the newer one! alot less headache and work! take it for what it's worth, I had plans to redo my scarab and make it what I wanted, just never happened. Never got all the money that I had in it out of it either (although I never thought I would).

Good luck with your decision:drink:

I would find one that someone already dumped a ton of money into, they are probably selling it for less than half what they have into it

Yea Pete sounds like me.....
-Mike

Thanks for the advice guys! Looks like I have more to think about.