Holy transom rot Batman, where are all of the Scarab 1's hiding ?? I would have thought Wellcraft pumped a lot of these things out over a 4 year span. It was easier finding my Superboat (then again, I was lucky). Most all of them on the web are dead links.

Have a feeling that a sistership to this Minx is for sale. Believe they only made 20 Minx Testarossa and only 5 had this Italian stainless steel windshield by Besenzoni, a $5,000 option. The Minx is better riding boat than the Scarab and build quality in the late 80's was really good. Believe it's always been a freshwater boat and very well kept. Price a little over $10,000. Don't know the owner, but know that if I post more info here You probably loose out on it if You'd pursue it. These are very much in demand. Your message box is full, so if You want sellers info, clear it and send me a pm. Cheers, Lars.
Sister boat: https://youtu.be/0g5potqgt48

Your message box is full as well

Are you really sure you want a Scarab 1 ? I have one, and while I like it, there are way better built boats out there. I'm in the process of replacing stringers and repairing a partially delaminated bottom that left the factory that way. Overall build quality was production-boat at best, you'd be way better off getting a Suoerboat, Stepp-built Velocity, or Progression.

Matt

OMCFORME,

I'm getting the same impression regarding rot issues on the Wellcrafts. I really like the styling of the "1", but am reading multiple horror stories similar to yours on the web. A couple of the Scarab 1 owners I talked to avoided discussing the issue altogether or are oblivious to it.

In regards to Superboats, having had one myself for over a decade, I can tell you that the build quality was not fantastic. They screwed and riveted their decks on like the production guys and their gelcoat quality wasn't even up to mass production standard. Their mold maintenance was also poor. I had the sides of my boat re-gel'd and blocked to get the look I wanted in addition to a lot of bottom straightening. The Tuffs and Progressions are fine boats, but are mega $$$$ and almost all outboards. My budget is $5-$7K and stock power is fine.

Looking for a 30 year old boat that isn't rotted isn't a total exercise in futility, but it is close, having so few to pick from.

The west coast guys are really lucky, as there were some really dynamite smaller boats produced by builders like Eliminator, Cole, Shiada, Nordic, Hallett and several others. Unfortunately, not a lot of them make it to the east

Sorry about the mailbox issue. Cleared space now.

That Minx is really a cool boat. Unfortunately out of my price range. Times are a LOT different now vs. when I was working. At one time I had the $$$, but no time. Now I have the time, but little $. Life does indeed come full circle

Funny, I had a call today from a guy interested in my Superboat. It came off of a website I never posted to. I sold the boat 3 years ago.

Hey Rotor,
I'll tell ya whatever you want to know, I'm a straight shooter and neck deep into the boat. The stringers are **** (1x dimensional pine lumber). None of the limber holes were sealed at all. The roving wrapping over the stringers couldn't be rolled tight into the stringer corner (no fillet), leaving a void that functioned as a "water distribution tube" to soak the stringers. I would assume any Scarab 1 needs stringers. And it gets more fun - since these are liner boats, getting the cockpit floor out (and back in again) is a royal pain in the ass. I should have bought a Velocity. But I agree - the Scarabs do look cool and I like that it has a functional cuddly.

Matt

Matt,

I just commented on the Nordic forum on the same subject. You are 100% on the money. A good friend of mine, Kevin Brown, of Lakeway Boat Repair in Attica, Ohio restores and repairs many makes. He's had people bring in very nice boats for minor repairs only to find so much rot, he ends up doing a complete stringer, transom and bulkhead job. He has the same lament regarding sealing holes and cutouts, or the lack thereof. I asked him about the Scarabs only to hear the same assumptions you have suggested.

Back in the 70's when I knew EVERYTHING there was to know about anything, I bought a Formula F18. It turned out to be as heavy as a barge from osmosis and was full of rot for the same reasons. None of my boats (except the F18) have had rot, but then again, I NEVER leave them outside, in the water or uncovered. I'm just hoping to find that like minded owner. The problem is that most of the sellers think their boats are pristine because they "run good". They have little to no idea of state of the boat structure or how expensive it is to fix it since they see nothing wrong with it.

CL and the web is still a Scarab 1 wasteland. One 86 SS in IN asking $8K