Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

[rinkerdinker1]

Hello

I am currently investigating an 88 Sea Ray 21' CC SEville with 5.7L mercruiser; I am relatively new to buying boats(not the first boat I bought) so what is most important thing to look at; the price seems pretty good. any help/comments is appreciated; are there any tell tale signs of transom rot; boat looks pretty clean and has been stored in heated indoors last three years....
Thanks again
Sincerely
RD1

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

Rot is your biggest concern. ANY soft spots in the deck are usually indicative of major problems. Tough to really check out the transom as it's not likely the current owner is going to want you drilling core sample holes in his boat . Look at any fasteners going into or through the transom. Brown leaky looking stains could certainly indicate rot.

 

[rbh]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

Sea ray sevilles are a nice boat, but as was said you need to look out for "ROT"!!

Is this boat been used in fresh water, salt or a combo of both???
Has there ever been a survey done on it???

When you look at the engine in the bilge is it all rusty and is there any sighns of marine growth or water marks in the bilge (remember boats are supposed to be dry on the inside)

If you are not going to get a survey done you can test the transom and stringers your self
(YOU NEED TO READ UP ON THIS AS THIS IS JUST BASIC!!!)
first off get a "SMALL plastic tip hammer and you are going to do the tap test, this just tells you if the fiberglass has become delaminated from the wood only This "could" be an indication of rot.
You need to tap an area thats just straight fiber glass and listen THUD??, move to the transom area start to tap if the sound changes to a Thump+- (sort of hollow sound, you) have delamination.
This will sorta work on the stringers as if they are rotten or rotting you will not get a solid sound/tone out of them when you strike them (from one end to the other and sides).
(if you hold the little hammer between you thumb and forefinger and let it drop and the head does'nt bounce thats a soft spot!)

Hope this helps, but as was said this is just the basics you need to read up more on this.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

I had an '88 19' SeaRay Sorrento. I had several bouts with rot. Check the sides and bottom of the ski well if it has one. If the floor of the ski well is convex, that may be a sign of rot. Check the floor for soft spots. The seats may be mounted to the deck on stainless steel 1/4-20 screws, thru the plywood. Rot can form abound these. I never had any problem with the transom or bilge...

My boat had areas of high-quality construction and some areas of lousy construction. I always thought it was made on a Friday...

 

[gozierdt]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

As the previous replies have said, rot in the floors and stringers is the first question, engine condition is the second, outdrive the third. The stains on the side of the boat show it's spent a lot of time in a slip on the water. The faded condition of the blue paint is also an indicator that the boat has spent a lot of time out in the weather. So check out the floors, stringers (you can get to them in the bay under the engine, and in the ski locker), and transom as described above. Take the boat for a sea trial and see how the engine starts- cold and warm, and how the boat runs. Listen for an noises from the outdrive (if needed, you can get a completely new outdrive for under $1400). Look at the condition of the bellows between the outdrive and engine- should not show any cracking.

My 20' Seville Bowrider with 4.3L Merc was faded, but no hull staining at and below the waterline, and 320 hours on the engine. It looks like she spent most of her time on the trailer, and is completely sound from all the testing I've done. I really like the Sea Ray hull designs, and with a 5.7L that would be a really good performing boat.

 

[rinkerdinker1]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

Wow
you guys are great; I need to read more that is clear, what are stringers? the owner told me his over weight daughter jumped from the side of the boat and "cracked" the flooring slightly so evidently there is a soft spot; this owner is not the original; I am told 800 hrs total on the boat and the engine has never been rebuilt but ran just fine last time it was used 2.5 years ago; he also told me the steering felt a little tight last time and though it might need new "cables"; I thought I saw a standard GM power steering pump on this engine; I though the steering might be hydrolic; a sea test is not an option here; I do work with this person and they are not completely a stranger; the cuddy is mint I am told and the seats are above average....any other resoureces I can persue to study???
thanks again!!
Sincerely
RD1

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

Run unless you're looking for a project boat.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Sea Ray for Sale-'88-21' Seville CC

Floor should not crack from a person jumping.

The stainless steel steering rods corrode up in the aluminum steering tubes. That could be issue with steering, or it could be the cable. They use the oldfashioned P/S pump from GM.

If it were me, I would be a bit non-committal until you check out the boat. You do not want to ruin a relationship, no buy a lousy boat. "My wife/mother/girlfriend/mistress wouldn't let me" is pretty good of an excuse.