1985 wellcaft nova xl
 

I'm looking at buying a 1985 23 nova xl. It hasn't been in water for four years but the owner runs it every year he says. My question is what to look for? It has a 350 with thru hall exhaust and trim tabs. The only thing he told me that the down trim quit working but still goes up. So I think the trim solenoid is bad but dont know if its all one unit with the trim pump. Other then that the boats in good shape. Hes running a 19 pitch prop Im wondering what is a good pitch for that boat?

Stringers under the engine are known for rot..if not been repaired they probably will need to be....ck transome close as well...

I previously owned a 1983 23 Nova XL. Nice boat for it's size. Had the same problem with trim pump .... it was just a worn o-ring. Can't remember what I did to fix it though. I also had through hull exhaust. It sounded sweet. All of the framing for the bench seat was wood & it got wet frequently, so double check that for rot. Also check wiring behind the dash console. The access panel if I remember is in the cabin. It was a nice riding boat for a 23 footer. If you buy it, think about putting on some trim tabs. That was the only shortcoming ... trim tabs. It needed them to keep boat level with people in it & it naturally tilted from the single motor rotation. Nothing fancy ... bennett tabs should work fine. The Alpha 1 drive was perfect for that boat & quite strong enough.

Good luck with it. I enjoyed mine for 8 years. It was my first boat.

That Basically hits all of it right there above. As for your other question, 19 pitch is pretty much right on for all around good boating with the 23.