Hello,

I'm new to the forums and new to large performance boats. I'm looking at purchasing a used rig and have a couple questions I'm hoping for help on. I've done some conisderable research and have looked at many used boats over the last few months (Donzis, Scarabs, big outboards, etc).

I've stumbled across a 1990 22 ft Scarab Excel that I like and fits the budget; I took a drive out and inspected it today. Its a 454 7.4L with a Bravo drive. I've got a couple questions about this particular model, as well as some things I noticed that concerned me and I'd like an expert opinion on:

1) I noticed considerable slop in the steering (i.e. the steering wheel is dead on center and has to be turned a bit before the drive actually moves). Is this common and can it be adjusted or fixed easily and inexpensively?

2) The boat looks to be in nice shape (only 260 hours), however the current owner mentioned that the previous owner had work done to the transom. I had a look and can see where new glass has been layed on the transom and down around the stringers. It looks to me like the transom has been repaired or completley replaced. The current owner has paperwork proving a $4000 repair job was performed on the transom. Should this concern me? I seem to remember reading that Scarabs had a problem with transom rot so is this actually a positive thing that its already been fixed? The job looks to be decent from what I can tell.

3) Are there any other problem areas on these hulls that I should be on the look out for? Other than a few spider-cracks in the gel around the bow cleat, the boat looks to be in nice shape.

4) Can anyone recommend a prop for this boat? It currently has a 23P Aluminum prop on it, the current owner says the boat revs about 300-500 RPM high of what it should and tops out around 63-65 MPH. The aluminum prop is a little rough so I'd like to get a decent stainless one for it.

Thanks very much for any help.

This is not an expert opinion. Yes, be very concerned about the fiberglass repairs. $4000 does not mean much and if it was done correctly you should not see where the work was done. It sounds like they possible glassed over weak stringers and weak transom. Possibly it was done right and just not painted.
Get a very good surveyor to look at this boat. Spend the money right now because there is too much at stake here.
Structural soundness is you primary concern. The slop in the steering is also a concern but that can be fixed easily by comparison.
Good luck.

its a 90' 22' foot boat, so I am thinking that a survey may b more than your willing to pay. true they have problems with wet transoms/stringers. you need to get a plastic hammer (yellow tip) and get in there and start tapping, (transom and stringers)it should sound solid, if it starts sounding like a dull thud instead of a bright tap, run. look at the motormounts..any saging into the stringer? i you can get away with it, pull one of the lag bolts on each side on the motormounts...is the whole dry? is the wood solid??pull the drain plug and stick a srew driver in there..if you can push the tip into soft wet wood, run. get a piece of skinny solid rod (like a car antenna bend it so you can stick it behind the inner transome plate and push sideways in the transom. you should not be able to poke into it. is the glass your seeing a fix or are you looking at the original tabbing? wen was that last time bellows/gimble bearing an impellor were changed? if there are any soft spots on the floor, theres probably soft spots on the stringers.

my personal advice is run as fast as you can