Looking for a saltare in Decent condition.

[gixxere]

Hello everyone.

My name is Ernest and i am from Northern California Sacremento area and i am really looking for a decent condition saltare. I had my eye on one but lost it while trying to off my car project. Well it has finally moved and i am really on the hunt. I have looked at a few sunsports and they are awesome boats but i am in love with the room and power of the saltares. I am 6'3 and i have 4 kids one of which is 6'2 so the room of the saltare really appeals to me. Basically i just wanted to introduce myself and to put the word out there if anyone comes across a deal on a saltare. My budget is 5-7500 dollars or maybe more depending on the condition of the boat. Thanks guys and you guys have some quality rides. Hope to have one soon.....

[wotan2525]

Spend $8-10k and get one without wood stringers. You'll be FAR ahead in the long run.

[cadunkle]

I think $8k-$10k is really cheap for a composite Saltare. You're looking more like $12k-$16k for the ones I've seen. Maybe pricing is different out West though. I'd let my wood stringer Saltare go for the right price, but I did turn down $12k last year. A project boat though, sure under $10k for a composite project boat.

If I came across a composite, I'd probably spend the extra on it. When I got mine there were no composite Supras on the east coast for sale. Worth it if you don't mind the ugly windshield and dash.

[gixxere]

I hear you guys. The problem seems to be the choices are slim when looking for this particular boat on the west coast. i am going to look at a 87 sunsport for 7900 OBO tomorrow. The owner didnt even know what a stringer was when i asked him. looks clean from the pics and according to him he says that the floors are only soft in one area. Here is the link to it. Its nice but i would really prefer a saltare. Would you guys jump on this with a low offer since he doesnt know about the stringers or would you wait and keep saving your money while searching for a saltare? Appreciate the info guys.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/boa/3062199986.html

[cadunkle]

I got my Saltare for less than that. I'm cheap though, it took almost two years of waiting and watching before I found a boat I liked for a price I liked. Personally I like bigger boats. More room, more comfort, they get yanked around less. Also I prefer big blocks over small blocks, especially when doing something that requires a lot of torque (wake sports).

If you would prefer a Saltare then keep looking. Save a copy of the for sale listings for Saltare, SunSport, and any other boats you are considering. Call and/or go look at the ones that look promising. Make notes on condition, extra, how flexible the seller is on price, etc. You will arm yourself with a lot of information for when the right boat comes along, to negotiate a good price or know when you have found the right boat.

[Salty87]

the pics looks shiny but everyone takes pics of their boat when it's shiny. rarely do they look that way when it's time to sell. from your description, you'd be crowded in a sunsport from the get go. i too love the space in the saltares.

one soft spot is very similar to the doctor saying you've got a little bit of cancer. it may come true occasionally but not usually.

i agree with these guys. save up and pounce on a composite. will be worth a long drive too.

[gixxere]

Thanks for the replys. I have been searching for about a year now and have only come across one saltare anywhere close to where i can go take a look at it. During that time life has caused my boat budget to drop a little bit. I would love to find a composite saltare. My problem is that my budget and that I am a little concerned that the saltare may be too much boat for me. This will be my first boat. I generally take the stance that i get what i want the first time so i dont fall prey to the "ready to upgrade shortly after purchase syndrome". But this time i want to be reasonable with my purchase and make sure that this is something that my family and I will enjoy for a long while before i drop big dollars to get a newer boat.

I have browsed thiss whole board and others and for the money i have not seen a better boat that will suit my family needs like this one. Based upon the limited ad info i was able to use NADA and got a high value of 5350 plus 350 for the trailer. What would you guys feel would be a fair price if the boat is true as it sounds?

[Salty87]

the danger is getting stuck with one that needs new stringers...they all will eventually unless garage kept and meticulously cared for. those are very rare and priced accordingly.

if you need floor work, and this one does need some, would you do it yourself or want a shop to do it? the issue is re-sale if you want to get out. a shop could run $5k, DIY will be closer to $2500. if you pay $5k for the boat and $5k for a rebuild, might be tough to get your money back if you want to sell. $5k isn't a bad price if you want to keep it long term.

jump in the car and go see for yourself if it might work for your needs long term. see how soft the floor really is.

[cadunkle]

$5700 would be a good price if stringers and floor are solid. $5700 would be a very high price if it needs stringers and floor. You already know it at least needs a new floor. If Stringers and floor were solid, and everything else clean and in good condition, personally I wouldn't pay more than $6500 for that boat. I'm cheap though, so YMMV.

[wotan2525]

I might get some heat on here, but if you're a first time boat-owner.... buy something newer and reliable to see if you enjoy the "good" parts of boat ownership. Before you bite off something that is going to really give you a healthy dose of the "bad" part.

If I were you (or you were near me) I'd be telling you to buy a Bayliner or SeaRay between 18 and 20 feet. They are reliable, look good, get decent fuel economy and most importantly -- get you and your family on the water. I'd also consider a SeaDoo Challenger (or the Yamaha equivalent.) These boats have parts readily available and are easy to work on.

Look for something fuel injected with all composite construction (ie... 2000 or newer)

Use that boat for a year and you'll lose very little money and have no trouble selling it if you decide you need something larger or more purpose built.

The only caveat here is if you or your kids are already accomplished skiers/wakeboarders and need the utility of an inboard. In which case, you may be on the right track.

As I tell everyone -- the "cheap" part of boating is purchasing the boat. The expensive part is the fuel, maintenance, time off of work, accessories, fixing things, beer, batterys, beer, and a tow vehicle.

[gixxere]

Great comments guys. I am also considering a 99 Rienell 21 footer for 9500 OBO. I just dont think he is willing to come down as low as I want. I believe i can do the floors myself if the stringers are good. If the stringers are bad i am just gonna walk away or lowball him with a 2500 dollar offer. The worst he could do is say no and i dont lose anything. My kids have expressed an interest in learning to wakeboard but i think they will mostly be into tubing which i know can be done on an I/O boat. This boat just happens to be in my price range and from all the forums and experienced boaters seems to be a great used boat if taken care of.
I definately plan on keeping any boat i get in the family so i would like for it to be in the best shape possible. Thanks for all of your input. I feel that thanks to you guys I have more then enough knowledge to know what to look for when i check theese boats out.

[cadunkle]

I would say the opposite. If you may only be into boating for a year or two an inboard will hold value much better. Notice the price floor on inboards. They depreciate to a certain point and stay there. Inboards are easier, safer, cheaper and easier to maintain, and resale much better... And of course produce a better wake, plane faster, hold speed better, etc. I/Os are dime a dozen and depreciating fast.

Personally the only thing I've had to do over the past few years with my '89 is rewire the Pertronix ignitor (points replacement). Previous owner wired it through the ballast resistor which resulted in a misfire at idle and low RPM. The rest is routine maintenance, which after owning a few I/Os I can tell you is much cheaper and easier on an inboard.

If you want to try boating for a bit and see if the family likes it you could pick up an old SN2001. They're hit their bottom price already and can be had for $2500-$5000, sometimes less if you're mechanically inclined. Yeah it's a small boat but they're cheap, simple/reliable, good power/wake and you won't lose anything on it if you step up. I still say do it right first time. Saltare or SunSport is the cheapest inboard open bow you'll find. Composite open bow starts at $13k when I was shopping, except for the rare deal.

[CornRickey]

First rule- off the floor is soft, a/the stringers are also. This being said, you can still run the boat as is. I wouldn't do so if the motor mounts are soft though. I have had a SN 2001 (86) for 12 years. Love the boat so much I didn't sell it. I gave it to my parents when I bought my Launch. They are small and don't take rough water well. I've been on the river and had constant water curly back from my side spray into the back of the boat. They are narrow. 5 adult size people in the boat is to many with gear. Is stick with a Supra. The older ones are a lot bigger.

** running it "as is" means for a set, short amount of time with the expectations to fix or sell it.

[kreckley]

I have a 92 with 500+ hrs that is in great shape but I think some of these guys are low for me. I may sell
Just now realizing how rare this beast is and yes great power and room in it Nothing prettier in the water

[gixxere]

I have a 92 with 500+ hrs that is in great shape but I think some of these guys are low for me. I may sell
Just now realizing how rare this beast is and yes great power and room in it Nothing prettier in the water

You have PM.

[gixxere]

Well, I went and checked out the boat, But i left it there when i left. It was in immaculant condition. not a tear in the vinyl and the gelcoat had a total of maybe 3-4 scratches. It was a lake Tahoe boat for it whole life. the was a flaw with the flor raising up in two spots on the spotter side. other then that it showed hardly any ware. The bad part was the owner refused to come down to the high blue book value. The lowest he would go was to 7400. The high blue was 5900. I offered him 6000 but he said no.

After we left my fiance and I discussed that if we were going to pay 7400 for a 25 year old boat we will wait and save a little more for a newer ride. We also agreed that for us to test the waters of boating it would be best for our family if we got a newer I/O composit hull boat. Thanks for all your input wich helped us decide on our plan of action. Anyways here are some pics we took of the boat. I have been the only person to even look at it since he has been trying to sell it for 3 weeks.1036410365103661036710368

[Salty87]

you made the right decision. the floor rising is a dead giveaway for warpage due to moisture. RUN!

i hope they don't keep it parked under the overhang of the roof!