Fix/Restore a 1981 Hydrasports 2100CC or move on?

[ghostwave]

First off, this is my first post to iBoats - so forgive me for any common breaches of forum etiquette. I'd welcome some thoughts on a boat: restoration or throw in the towel?

My uncle brought his 1981 Hydra-sports 2100 CC with a kevlar hull down and a Johnson 235 (two thirsty five) Seahorse to me in Charleston from the Georgia shed it had been sitting in for literally ten years. He basically gave me the boat. It cleaned up real nice, but long story short - the motor has zero compression on the two lower starboard cylinders and the lower gear unit was full of oil and water. Meaning, of course, that the propellor shaft and all the stuff in there likely has to be replaced. I was pretty leery of the 235 anyway because I don't own a bank to keep it fueled. I had been figuring that if I keep the Hydra-sports, I would either take the solid, firespitting 1977 Evinrude 140 off my very well used, but still mostly functional 1977 Renken 1900CC (the boat I used to fish on with my late granddad) and put it on the Hydra-sports (if it has enough HP to push it), or find a decent, later model injected 2stroke for the Hydrasports and sell the Renken for the $500 I reckon it would fetch with the running 'Rude. I don't have the money for a four stroke, but I figure I could probably find a decent late 90's/early 2000's injected two stroke that would give better mileage and reliability than either the Rude or the SeaHorse.

Other big issue with the Hydra-sports is that the transom is pretty flexible/rotten and needs to be replaced/repaired. The rest of the boat though, seems solid - teak is very pretty. And I remember from fishing trips in it a decade ago - she's a smooth runner in rough seas.

So my options, it seems are:
1. Fix the Hydra-sports, and put on the 140 Rude. Put the Renken hull out to pasture.
2. Fix the Hydra-sports and put on a different engine. Sell the functional Renken complete.
3. Sell the Hydra-sports in current condition (split the money with my uncle), keep the Renken with the Rude and be happy that I have a running boat.
4. Sell the Hydra-sports in current condition (split the money with my uncle) and sell the Renken and get a cheap local, running fixer upper cuddy cabin - which is pretty much what I want anyway - particularly for camping with the family.

If anyone is still paying attention after all this, I would surely welcome thoughts on hull options and engines.

THX

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Fix/Restore a 1981 Hydrasports 2100CC or move on?

You're really after a cuddy, well, that was easy, option #4

Be upfront w/ your uncle about overall problems w/ Hydra, and if he's done w/ it, part out everything you can, or sell boat/motor/trailer & all as a project.

Since you have a functioning 140, I'd probably start looking for a cuddy.

Find a boat that needs a motor, you're covered. And as you rehab the cuddy, you can continue to use the Renken, when the time comes, scavenge the parts you need.

Find a boat, w/ operable motor & trailer, repeat Renken advise while you rehab, then sell Renken.

Depending on where you are & it's 1977 Renken &/or 1981 Hydra-sports boat's w/ needs market, the money earned selling either (both) will probably not fully fund a resto on a cuddy.

If you have the space, keep using the Renken while you look for a cuddy. But I'd avoid using the Hydra-sport, even w/ the 140. A 1981 boat w/ a very flexible transom may have stringer rot that isn't evident above the deck, even a deck that seems solid. And if it's not really the boat you're after, it makes a lengthy resto trying at best, doomed to go unfinished in the face of the amount of work ahead.

 

[ghostwave]

Re: Fix/Restore a 1981 Hydrasports 2100CC or move on?

JBCurt- You're right.
I think I'll drive the Renken the rest of the summer. Sell the Hydrasports and Renken this fall and then find a good used walkaround Cuddy hull to put the Evinrude on. Unless I find a sick deal on a complete one. Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to see the obvious solution....
THANKS

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Fix/Restore a 1981 Hydrasports 2100CC or move on?

Depending on where you are, buying now may be a challenge, but keep a look out, you may just stumble upon what you're looking for...

End of the season thru spring will be tougher to sell your's but as the days drag on, sellers get more neqoatiable. Esp true of project boats...

Don't rule out tin cuddy cabins. There have been quite a few of those posted lately. Some in great shape (the hull, not interiors & motors, they are often shot) & not too expensive....

 

[ghostwave]

Re: Fix/Restore a 1981 Hydrasports 2100CC or move on?

Depending on where you are, buying now may be a challenge, but keep a look out, you may just stumble upon what you're looking for...

End of the season thru spring will be tougher to sell your's but as the days drag on, sellers get more neqoatiable. Esp true of project boats...

Don't rule out tin cuddy cabins. There have been quite a few of those posted lately. Some in great shape (the hull, not interiors & motors, they are often shot) & not too expensive....

Would welcome feedback.
Based on the first post, here's what I decided to do:
1. A friend/fiberglass expert fixed the transom on my '81 Hydra-Sports 2100cc for a ridiculously low price. Hull was too pretty (and too free) to put out to pasture just yet. The original 235 Seahorse/Johnson was shot on the HydraSports, so took it off.
2. Took the 1977 Rude 140 off my 19 foot Renken. Compression on the 'Rude was 120 all the way around and it was in pretty darn good shape according to another buddy who is a boat mechanic. Runs really good with a now rebuilt carb. The propellor though, is a well dented/burred/banged up three blader that as far as know, might be the original from when my granddad bought the thing.
3. Took the HydraSports to said mechanic buddy to see about mounting the 'Rude. First thing we realized was that the shaft was too short on the 'rude. He had a serious deal on an HJacker "Jack Plate," so we put it on. As a result, the motor was lower, but maybe not low enough. But if it's any lower, it affects the trim. So f I want it lower than it is now, I'm gonna have to saw a notch in the fiberglass of my transom so it will turn/trim, which I don't wanna do, or put the motor even farther out off the transom.
4. Finally put the boat in the water today - with the ****ty prop, knowing it'll probably need to be replaced. The boat would not go fast enough to plane and the prop either cavitated/sucked on aerated water, or spun on the shaft due to its old bushing when the motor was brought up to serious RPM's. Came close to plane, but not fully. When it got close, the motor would spin out like a mother. I looked down when we were crusing at 13 or so knots, and you could almost see the prop in the water - which I reckon is telling me that I have an issue with the motor being too short.
So here's where I could use some advice.
I'm attaching a not too good rez pic of the boat at the dock today.
A. My mechanic buddy says he can get me a good deal on a new 4 blade prop - $120 or so. If I give that a try, any advice on pitch, etc? I've read that 4 blade props can work wonders on motors that have 'depth issues' and would be more likely to put the HSports on a plane w/the smaller motor. I don't care about top end, this thing's gonna be used on inland water around Charleston for fishing and wakesurfing.
B. Can/should I put a longer shaft/midsection on the 'Rude?
C. In addition to a new prop - if longer shaft is not feasible, should I also lower the motor some by sawing out a couple of inches of my newly repaired transom? We didn't replace the steel strip on top of the transom, it's pure glass and wood and could easily be cut w/a sawzall.
Stoked to finally have this boat back in the water - got some nice compliments on her at the Folly Beach ramp today. The wood looks even better in person. Just hope I can enjoy her for the rest of the summer. Click for photo below.
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