80's Scarabs without Rot?
 

I have seriously looked at 3 scarabs only to finally discover signs of transom and or stringer rot (paid survey). I would like to find a mid to late 80's 34 Scarab III or 38.

When did the construction by Wellcraft improve on the Scarab models?

Should I just expect all 80's Scarabs to have rot issues and plan on replacing transom or stringers?

What other issues are common problems to that era of Scarab? I am now looking at 35 Cigarettes and Formula 336 and 357's.

Glass Dave on the site may have a scarab III for sale. I bet his has no rot...
Jr.

I am going to put my 31' Scarab Thunder up for sale soon. I just replaced the whole transom and everything else under the hatch.

I highly doubt you will find ANYTHING from that era that does not have some kind of rot. It does not matter if it is a Cigarette, Scarab, Apache or other. Some of the boat builders were better at sealing the holes that were drilled in the stringers and transom, but you have to remember that these boats are almost 30 some years old. Unless they sat in a garage and were taken out of the water every day, I would assume that the stringers and transom are soft. Your best bet is to find a boat that was already redone (like Glass Daves) And remember that even if a surveyor says that there is no rot, He doesn't have X-ray vision and cant see everything.

wellcraft build quality back then.... When I redid the transom on the nova I found air pockets and even an old cigarette lighter glassed in.....

Like others have stated i doubt u will find one that old with no rot. Heck most of the middle to late 90's boats will have some also.

+1

Original owner kept in garage no rot. Everything else is highly suspect!

90% of any older boat is goung to have some, a few do not, my Baja was rotted to hell, looked at my Cig and its not rotted at all, everything was sealed well in the Cig, the baja nothing was sealed...

It helps when they have been taken care of properly, my buddy sold a Scarab III last year and it has not been redone and it is dry as can be, but it was kept properly... thats a rare occasion..

You mind me asking what $ range he sold it in? I have been toying with picking up a larger boat and I love the larger cockpit and additional sheeting that the 34' scarab offers.

Well, he was iun a situation that he GAVE it away at 14,000 with a small fortune in it, had 620 HP dyno proven engines, and many other upgrades as well, if it had a trailer I woulda bought it...

dude, are you talking about me?? actually she went for $19,000, and yeah I gave it away, and yeah professional survey shoewd no rot, but the move to Florida was worth it, new owner was trying to sell again for what 29,000?..

Opps... lol yea, wish I coulda bought it.... UGH

Yes, I remember that boat being sold, thought about that one for awhile, just more boat and motor than I was willing to consider at the time. I love that layout

Thanks all for the responses. To answer befu, the last boat I had surveyed was $9995 in bloomington MN. I also like the cabin layout of the 34. I looked at a 38 sacrab for 29k. It sold and It is now on craigslist inland empire California for 55k.. Also got into a clean 1988 34 in central California last year. It was 17k. According to broker it had minor transom water damage that was repaired for $200. Scarabs don't last long on the west coast.

There is a 1980 38 for sale by boulderboats.com in Henderson Nevada. Supposed to have been owned by casino developer Steve Wynn. There is a 35 formula on San Diego craigslist for about 27k. Good luck!