Newbie looking to buy first boat

[Swims with stick]

Hi everyone, i've been on the sidelines reading and boning up on important issues relating to boats and boating and i finally decided to jump in here and post and see how all this works. I'm looking to buy my first boat, a late 70's Sea Ray SRV 240 flybridge. Just wondering what advice i might find from the good and knowledgeable folks out there

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

Welcome to Iboats!

An older boat that size or any used boat should have a marine survey.
Well worth spending the money on a survey rather than finding out later you bought a money pit..
The transom and stringers REALLY need to be checked out good, all engine components,compression.electrical systems and the drive.

Better spending a couple hundred for a survey than spending thousands later on repairs..
Good luck!!

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

Thanks Gary,
sound advice. I think i'm going to be looking for quite some time. These boats don't seem to come up very often. When they do come along they are either too far away, or are big block powered. Not into the big block fuel gulper. I'd prefer twin 130's, and i know their fuel consumption would probably be comparable, i really like the safety net of having two motors.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

As long as you realize that your safety net means you will pretty much have to idle back to port. Cause one 130hp motor will not plane that boat. The "security" of twins is a bit a a fallacy in that regard. Sure, with one working engine, you might make it home, or to a repair facility, but it's gonna take a LONG time. Do you have that much time?

Absolutely get a full survey done. And of course, if those boats were ever offered with the 470, don't buy one with those motors in it. It'll be a headache.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

When I am 50 miles offshore I love the fact that the SeaCat has 2 motors and electrical systems. Limping home versus drifting out to sea. I take limping home. In fact we usually trim one up for trolling anyway so I will just throw some lines out the back and troll on the way home.

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

Well, thanks for the input, and i think that i will take 130hp pushing me home rather than no hp for sure. These boats weigh less than 5000lbs so they should still clip along. I wouldn't imagine being towed that i should get on plane either eh!?

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

you take that pontoon boat offshore 50 miles.... i thought those were for lakes.

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

My brother just bought a 28ft trend with twin 470's he has researched all the trouble spots of the motors and he's confident with running them. He's had some good support from others at the marina who've been running them and they stand behind those 470's. Go figure. I read all the horrors of the 470's here and was actually close to purchasing a 28' k&c with 485's but i decided not to find out the hard way. I'll watch my bro and see how it all goes before i ever get involved with the 470/485 etc curse.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

Good luck to your brother. He's gonna need it. Or at least he's gonna need a deep wallet when the known failures on those 2 engines happen and he has to fix them both.
Good luck to you, too.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

you take that pontoon boat offshore 50 miles.... i thought those were for lakes.

No.. We have a 26' SeaCat for Off Shore use. The toon is for lake fun

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

oh man, catamaran.... so awesome in the swells. Probably with with twin outboards too right? Stability, power and dependability. Must be nice!!

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

Sounds like you've owned a boat with 470's !? Once bitten twice shy? Or just worked on them?

 

[JH3]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

Another good source of info you may want to try is clubsearay.com for searay boat specific info. Like wise for all other brands. In most cases there are brand specific online forums that can be really helpful used in conjunction with iboats.com.

I visit lots of forums for different types of information. Good luck and happy boating!

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

I'm wondering about how long stringers will last ? Like ... would one just assume that after so many years they are going to need replacing or are some boats 'sea ray etc.' built to go the distance?

 

[rdj59]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

If the stringers are anything like on my 74 SRV220 then they are not even attached to the hull. mine were just set in there and foam was poured in around them.

Jeramie

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

That's awesome. Just what i was looking for. Super

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

foam was poured around them........ huh..... i don't get that. Sounds like a butcher job. I wonder if anyone else out there ever heard of that sort of thing coming from the manufacturer ?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

If the stringers are anything like on my 74 SRV220 then they are not even attached to the hull. mine were just set in there and foam was poured in around them.

Jeramie

Thats not a good thing.They should be sealed water tight in resin then fiberglass..if not rot is in the future.

 

[Swims with stick]

Re: Newbie looking to buy first boat

I did some research on this foam filled stringer you were talking about and apparently the stringer end at the motor mounts and make a dog leg. They built a platfor for the motor mount and then foam filled underneath. Not a good thing. Good to know however!!
http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17760