Used cruiser advice appreciated

[Quit It]

Hey all, my kid and I are looking at a friend of a friend's Rinker. I like it but wanted to check in here first. It's seems very clean, only used in Lake Michigan but it's from 1987. With family & friends around we'll probably have 6-8 people on board for day trips, and plan on doing a few 1-2 day overnight trips per year. We would like to do some skiing and tubing (really that tow behind 2 person raft) and maybe get close to an "empty" beach.

Does anyone know where I can find the specs on it? Also the owners manual(s)? It's the Mercruiser 5.7

Thanks in advance!

 

[JoLin]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Two possibilities- e-mail Rinker and join the Rinker Owners Club. The link is on their site.

What size is the boat? If you want 1. a cruiser and 2. seatring for 6-8 people, you'll want a boat in the mid-upper 20's. My 1999 Chris*Craft 24' express cruiser could seat 6-7 comfortably. At that point, tho, the load was getting kinda heavy for my 5.7 (280 hp) Volvo duo-prop. She'd still cruise okay, but pulling a skier out of the water would have been tough. As for overnighting accommodations, cut the advertised number of people in half and you'll be reasonably comfortable. You can add in a person if it's a kid under the age of 12.

At 25 years old you want to make sure that the hull, transom and stringers are in good shape. If you don't know how to do that, hire somebody that does.

My .02

 

[Quit It]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Hi,
Thanks for the .02. Do you have a link for the manual on their owners group? I checked but didn't find it. So you think Rinker corporate has it still, that's pretty nice.

Sorry, I thought the length was in the boats name. It's a 25' boat, I think it's beam is 8'5" or 9'. Front & rear beds. It would just be the 5 of us on overnight trips, split over the two beds.

Thank you for the inspection points. Even though it's a friend of a friend's boat and it's pretty cheap I should probably get the engine checked out.

 

[JoLin]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Hi,
Thanks for the .02. Do you have a link for the manual on their owners group? I checked but didn't find it. So you think Rinker corporate has it still, that's pretty nice.

Sorry, I thought the length was in the boats name. It's a 25' boat, I think it's beam is 8'5" or 9'. Front & rear beds. It would just be the 5 of us on overnight trips, split over the two beds.

Thank you for the inspection points. Even though it's a friend of a friend's boat and it's pretty cheap I should probably get the engine checked out.

You didn't give the boat's name, other than Rinker Fiesta Vee, and those come in all sizes. I have no idea about the owners manual. I advised you to join the owners club because some owner somewhere might have one and can give you the specs. I also have no idea if Rinker corporate has the info you're looking for. You need to contact them and find out.

Good luck sleeping 5 people on that boat. You'll be packed in like sardines. I'll bet that boat was advertised to sleep 4, and I meant what I said above- cut that number in half and add one kid back in, unless you plan to sleep some in the cockpit (which is certainly possible if you have a full enclosure).

I wasn't kidding about the inspection, either. A mechanical inspection is fine, but if that hull is rotten you could be jeopardizing your family . And no, you can't tell by looking at it that it's sound. 'Old and cheap' in a fiberglass boat is, more often than not, a bad combination

What's your boating experience. Is this your first boat?

 

[Quit It]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Sorry about that, I thought the 250 was in the title. This would be my first boat, but I've driven powerboats in the past, and use to sail. It's been a while, but I've found some friendly folks to help and already taken the safety course.

Why do you think getting 5 would be tough when it has two separate beds - the one in the back is a queen I think.

 

[JoLin]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Good for you for taking the safety class. I wish everybody would.

Okay, speaking from personal experience, and a lot of boat shopping... a 25' express cruiser with a 8' 6" beam does not have a queen-sized mid-berth. It'll be a 'full' at best. Take a tape measure, take your family, and start confirming the things you 'think' that boat can do for you.

You have little kids. What kind of head facilities are on it? Chances are (in boats of that size and class) it's a porta-pottie type setup with 2.5 gallon capacity, maybe equipped with a deck pump-out. Where's everybody gonna poop, and how often do you want to cruise to a pumpout facility to empty it? What's the fresh water capacity? Can you cook on it (alcohol stove)?

You'll want a full cockpit enclosure ('camper canvas') in case the day turns on you, especially with the kids. A day with all of you cooped up in that little cabin will make you want to kill yourself (or them). Make sure all the canvas (bimini top and enclosure) is in good shape- it's a few thou to replace it all.

After you've confirmed that a boat in that class is actually functional for the family, THEN start some serious shopping. I would NOT jump on this Rinker unless I already knew it was sound.

 

[Quit It]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

It's the alcohol/electric combo stove, there's a fridge and a porta pottie with pumpout. The local marinas charge $5 for a pump out. No idea on the freshwater capacity, but I'd carry drinking water because I don't know how to clean out the tanks.

No full cockpit enclosure so I'll keep that in mind, but the bimini is in great shape.

I contacted someone on a Rinker forum who's also looking for a manual. Does anyone here own one from a similar year Fiesta Vee 250 that has the manuals? Or, just advice on them?

 

[JoLin]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

The 'amenities' are what I figured. Bear in mind that the porta-pottie has almost zero capacity, and the fact that it needs to be pumped out instead of being carried off the boat to empty, is gonna make it a real PITA for you. I had this setup on my 24' and it sucked. Try it out, tho- but you might end up ripping the thing out and putting in a camping toilet.

The alcohol stove- if you plan to use it find out if it's the 'pressurized' type, which is common in boats of that vintage. If it is, DO NOT USE IT until you've replaced all the o-rings and seals. The reason nobody puts this type on boats anymore is because they can be dangerous if those parts are dried out and leaky.

I asked about the fresh water, not for drinking per se. My guess is that you carry mno more than 20 gallons. We carry drinking water, too, but we use the on-board supply for showering, washing dishes and (occasionally) making coffee if we're running low on carried-on water. The on-board supply is perfectly safe if you maintain it. Starting from scratch, I'd fill and empty the tank a few times. Fill it again and add a half cup of laundry bleach. Run the faucets until you smell bleach coming out of them. Close the faucets and let everything sit for 24 hours. Empty the tank again, refill it with fresh water and you're good to go. I do this exercise every 3-4 weeks. The water from the tank doesn't TASTE the greatest, but it's safe to use.

It seems as if you're set on buying this boat. All I can add (again) is that you have somebody really knowledgable go over it for you. Good luck!

 

[Quit It]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Not sure why you say that, definitely not true.

It doesn't use a pressurized stove. The head could be emptied "manually", but a pump out seems way more convenient than me carrying a bucket of yuck. Thanks for the tip about the bleach, I'd read something similar but didn't fully trust it. Pretty funny the things we'll do for morning coffee.

I'm not set on anything except boat ownership. I've checked the local rental clubs and $5K down & $2,400 - 5K per year isn't worth it to me. Knowing the previous owner is also worth something to me.

 

[JoLin]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Not sure why you say that, definitely not true. The head could be emptied "manually", but a pump out seems way more convenient than me carrying a bucket of yuck. .

You lost me- what did I say that isn't true? And, how would you empty that head manually? I'd like to know.

 

[JoLin]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Not sure why you say that, definitely not true. The head could be emptied "manually", but a pump out seems way more convenient than me carrying a bucket of yuck. .

You lost me- what did I say that isn't true? And, how would you empty that head manually? I'd like to know.

 

[Quit It]

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

Re: 87 Rinker Fiesta Vee questions

You lost me- what did I say that isn't true?

This.

It seems as if you're set on buying this boat.

I'm not set on it, but would like to do something before the season is over.

And, how would you empty that head manually? I'd like to know.

I have no idea how I'd empty the head manually. I was told that's possible, but I didn't actually attempt it. If it's possible, great, if not, then it's not. As I said, I'd prefer not to carry poop if I don't have to do so I'd use the pump out.

 

[Quit It]

Used cruiser advice appreciated

So I'm not buying the Rinker I think it will be the the one that got away, but the seller didn't want to do a motor inspection - and while I like the owners I need to check out that motor. It was tough, because I almost fell in love

The problem (IMHO) is buying a boat in Florida on the coast means that it's been used in salt water and used for a much larger portion of the season. I worry about the havoc that salt water (and of course fresh water) can do. I'm not sure how much an inspection will check and how much I can trust it.

So, I'm looking at other boats. The problem is they're not local. Some are 1,200 miles away So, I'm probably not able to consider the long distance ones (towing it back on my truck would run about $700-800) but they're a 95 Rinker FV 265 and a 87 Sea Ray 270 Sundancer. The closer boats are a 93 Carver 280 Express, a 89 SeaRay Sorrento and some Bayliners that I'm not very interested in.

The Carver 7.4 looks nice, just moved here from up north, so salt water exposure is less. The Bayliners are tough, so many folks say to stay away from them that it makes it hard to look at them. The SeaRay?

So, how do these "well boat" checks work? Are they dependable? Are they the same thing as the surveyor? Should I consider the northern boats? Any advice on that? Seems very risky to me.

Thanks

 

[JoLin]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

IMO, you were right to walk away from the Rinker. Owner refused a mechanical inspection? I hear alarm bells from here! I don't know what a 'well boat' check is. Not familiar with the term.

Suggest you go to the Carver and Searay sites and find their archives (they both have them), and look up the boats you're interested in. As for the boats themselves, it's all about current condition, and brand doesn't mean that much in boats that old. I can provide some specifics on the Rinker and Carver.

Friend owns a '94 FV 265. Nice boat, nothing to NOT recommend it. 8' 6" beam, and the usual amenities in a boat that class (including a pumpout head with a real holding tank- like 20 gallons). I looked at a '93 Carver 280 when I was shopping for the boat in my sig. Had the single 7.4 Merc and the boat moved out okay. I also discovered from Carver's archives that it's about 1000 lbs. lighter than similar boats in that class (like mine) which explains the decent performance. Most other 28' ers won't do that well with a single engine. I recall it had a 10' beam (Carver's archives can confirm this for you) and a pretty big 'head' area.

With the wider beam boats you get a separate dinette table that you don't need to break down to create the forward v-berth. It can, however, be broken down to form an additional sleeping berth. You might find that type of boat (27-28 feet with 9.5 to 10.5 foot beam) handier for sleeping all of your crew, but of course it's bigger all around than the 25' or 26' Rinkers.

Four Winns, Searay, Carver and Wellcraft all have links to past model archives on their sites. If you spend some time in them you'll start to get a feel for how they're all laid out. In any given class they're pretty similar.

 

[rbh]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

Nice job JOLIN!!
You gave the OP great advise

OP, what Jolin said, is what I would have said.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

Thanks, rbh. The OP's boat shopping experience is a perfect case of BTDT. I'm intimately familiar with a slew of express cruisers in the 24-28' class, and how much difference there is between a 25-26' with 8' beam, and a 27-29' with an additional foot or two of beam. As little as a couple feet in length might seem, the 2 'types' are entirely different.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

I don't think it's just the 2 extra feet in length, it's the 18" of width that really makes the difference. Still, I think I like the Rinker better. I like that it has the ski-watcher reclined bench, it just seems more comfortable to me. The Carver was nice, but I'm not totally sold on it.

So lets talk about boat surveyors. Is that the same thing as a "well boat inspection"? Around here a WBI would be about $250 done by the local marina. That includes a compression check, checking and aligning the gimball and a general look around. I don't know how thorough it is - or if it's the same as a survey.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

What you're describing is essentially a mechanical inspection, which a surveyor typically does not do. An accrediited surveyor checks the hull, transom and stringers for water inflitration, delamination, etc. He also checks every single system on the boat (plumbing, electrical, etc.) and provides a full report of the boat's condition in every category, as well as an appraisal of its value. A complete survey takes a couple of hours and will cost you about $10-15 per foot depending on the area of the country.

The thing is that many buying older boats forego these checks as too expensive given the cost of the boat (I can certainly understand that), when it's precisely the older boats that need them the most. The 'marina' check might be enough depending on how comprehensive it is- it's sure better than nothing.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

Glad that's clarified. I'll look into the survey.

I'm thinking of passing on everything I've found. None are fuel injected except the Rinker and it's only a single 5.7 Merc. I'm worried about the lack of power (tubing with guests) and really dislike carburetors after spending so much time on them with motorcycles and ATV's. The Carver has a 7.4 but top speed is 28 knots (does that seem right or a prop problem?).

Besides my EFI desire (laziness) I got some advice this weekend from a seller to buy twins if possible (and strangely enough he had twins for sale ). Still, if twins are more fuel efficient (and faster) I'd like that though price, costs and insurance go up.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Used cruiser advice appreciated

I really wouldn't worry about the carb vs efi stuff. Most boats are going to be carbed, especially in the pre-2000 years. You can get by with a single screw on a 26/27' boat, but 28+ is where the twins should really be considered necessary. Just be aware that twin engines on a boat with an 8'6" beam is going to be one cramped enginebayto shoehorn those blocks into. The extra foot or more of beam gives you more space between engines and obviously in the rest of the boat.