Opinions and expertise request

[mogfisher]

Hey there. I'm sure I'm one of the 10,000 folks to ask these questions, but I wasn't sure exactly how I'd search this. If there is a FAQ on this please point me there. Anyway, I'm looking at an 89 bass tracker fiberglass with a 150 mercury. I'm more comfortable with aluminum because I can pretty much tell if the hull is sound by looking. How do I tell with glass? I consider myself more than average as far as "handiness" goes but I just don't know about this. What do I need to look for to make sure I'm not buying junk.

He also said the motor wont pump water (impeller is OK) and power tilt only clicks, but that I figure I can search in the Merc forum for.

Thanks for any advice you can give. Seems like a good deal to me if it's in good shape.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Opinions and expertise request

On a fiberglass hull you would sight down the sides looking for excess deviation from "norm" and blisters. You can also "sound" the hull with a plastic hammer/mallet, just need to tap and listen for changes in sound like a thud instead of a hard sound and bounce of the mallet.

Especially on the transom.

 

[osborn159]

Re: Opinions and expertise request

you can thump it all day if you dont know what your listening for it doesnt matter, the best way, and i doubt any seller will allow it is to drill core samples from the transom if its wet, grey it will need fixin soon, if it looks wet and looks like wood you got awhile, and if its dry your golden, then fill test holes w/ 5200

 

[mogfisher]

Re: Opinions and expertise request

The seller just informed me on this particular boat that the floors are solid, and the boat was stored inside or undercover every year until this one. This winter it sat out uncovered in Maine. That doesn't make me very optomistic. Does that really matter that much? As long as water hasn't made its way into the core it should be fine, right? Fiberglass just makes me nervous with an old boat. I'm not afraid of doing fiberglass work, and I've done a ton of it in the past. I just dont want to deal with it. I want to go fishing. Thanks for the tips, and your right, I doubt someone will let me drill holes in the boat! I know I wouldn't!

 

[izoomie]

Re: Opinions and expertise request

Unless it's been modified you can tell a lot from walking around and bouncing a bit on the floor. If the floor is soft, you have a bit of work to do.

 

[mogfisher]

Re: Opinions and expertise request

That makes sense. Wouldn't the floors be the first to go soft? Maybe it's a tell tale that if the floors are solid chances are the hull is good? Seems logical to me.