to buy or not to buy???

[cyndiv]

We're considering purchasing a used (obviously) 1985 sunsport with just over 450 hours on it. Apparently, the original owner stored it at a marina for almost 10 years, racking up a huge bill and the marina sold it to the guy who is now selling it. So it sat for a long time. It appears to be, cosmetically anyway, in resonable shape for it's age with only one tear in the upholstery, very little damage to carpet etc and although weathered, the teak is still in good shape.

Two things concern us though. The present owner has owned and operated it for approx 5 years, and up until the end of last season had few mechanical problems. But, the tranny went out at the end of the year, allowing him to only reverse back to the dock. Now it appears it needs a new (or rebuilt) tranny.

We had an opportunity today to inspect the boat fully (we're rookies here...) and from reading prior posts, we did check the engine bolt mounts by attempting to tighten them but two of the bolts did 'turn' in place. The upper bolts seemed to be still gripping, but the lower engine mount bolts seemed to be spinning in place. The guy selling the boat told us that at the end of last season he had a mechanic look at it, who removed the tranny and perhaps the bolt holes were stripped at that time.

Using a pick we checked nearby wood (which was exposed due to the fiberglass starting to flake near the exhaust hoses) and the wood there appeared to still be solid.

Does anyone have any more insight???? We're not really looking for a project boat here. My hubby is VERY mechanically capable and we're considering doing the tranny rebuild ourselves but repairing/replacing stringers is a bit over our heads and beyond what we can resonably accomplish right now with a small child.

Are there other ways to check out the stringers? Are there other concerns you more experienced Supra owners would have? Do you have any other tips for checking out potential downfalls? Any advice on the stringer assessment? What would you consider a reasonable price for a boat of this age and with these issues?

thanks in advance,
Cyndi

[Ed Obermeier]

Just a couple of general comments.

I'm pretty sure that in 85 the floor and stringers were both wood. If there are places exposed (not glassed over) there is a very good chance that water MAY have gotten under it at some point. Just because it isn't soft there doesn't mean further in it isn't.

If you have any doubt at all pass it by. I bought my first boat under similar circumstances, knowing that I might have to do "a little floor work". Ended up redoing the entire floor and half the stringers, as well as all of the foam between the floor and hull. Sometimes a bargain really isn't much of a bargain. If you're not completely confident that it's OK pass it by. The Voice of Experience: Better safe than sorry.

Ed

[SupraNut]

Cyndi - As Ed said there may be other wood that is rotting that can not be seen. The floors and stringers can be replaced professionally for about $3500 (depending on where you live). With the low hours, and the fact that the hull and interior are in good shape, much rides on the engine, tranny, trailer, and final price of the boat. You can check out Discount Inboard Marine (www.skidim.com) for prices on a new transmission.

Good luck.

[cyndiv]

Hi there!

Thanks for the quick replies!

We think we can acquire the boat for about 1700-2000 dollars. NADA values it at approx 4500 but if we need new stringers and a new tranny, that doesn't sound like such a good deal.

On the other hand, (big other hand here...) my DH is VERY set on an IB motor. Most of the boat owners we know have IO boats. It seems unusual to see them up here (upstate NY) let alone one that is under $5000.

If we felt confident that the problems were only limited to the tranny, we would have a boat in our driveway today, but since we were unsure, we left to seek more advice.

He's considering returning today to remove one of the lower engine mount bolts to check a bit more carefully inside the hole for evidence of rot.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for other ways to confirm or investigate the extent or existence of wood rot in the stringers?

Tia,
Cyndi

[lowdrag]

If the person is serious about selling the boat, they should have no problem with letting you take it to a dealer or mechanic of your choice to have it looked over. If they balk at that suggestion I'd say it would pretty much answer the question in my mind of whether or not to buy it.

[Ed Obermeier]

Or if you could find a certified Marine Surveyor to look it over, that would be the ticket. They're trained to be able to look everything over and determine the overall condition of the boat, much like a Home Inspector does for a home you want to buy. Contact BoatUS, they should have a listing of certified surveyors.

Well,

The boat deal was dealt a final blow when we went back for another inspection and discovered that the trailer that the boat was being sold with is sorely undersized. The trailer is a 21' EZ Loader with a maximum capacity of 2800lbs and is (according to the information we found online) designed for boats between 15-18' in length.

We found the dry weight of the sunsport to be listed at 2450 (or so...DH has the specifics) so with gas, equipment etc, the trailer would be at or exceed max weight. We did some quick searching for a used trailer and could not find one that we could purchase by itself that was adequate, unless we were willing to buy new for a couple thousand dollars.

Assuming now that we have to buy (and can even find) a suitable trailer for $700-1000, assuming that the stringers are GOOD and assuming that we rebuild the tranny by ourselves we'd have to invest 3500-4000 on acquiring and fixing up this boat just to get it into the water with the known problems. The seller did start up the motor on drydock for us (using a hose) and although it had been winterized and it was the first start of the season it did start up quick and strong.

But we're leary of the stringer status and have taken to heart all your advice. I'm sad to say we won't be boat owners this season. I think we might have been willing to consider it (even with the potential problems of the stringers) if we didn't have the issue of the trailer. It was just one more nail in the coffin.

DH is pretty dissappointed as am I. We have lived lakeside now for three years and have lived within a quick distance for 10+. While we haven't been 'actively searching' that whole time, DH has always kept and eye out for a great IB boat. This is the ONLY one we've seen in this area that wasn't over 8k.

Oh well...I guess it wasn't meant to be. WAAAAA!

Thanks for all your advice on this one. I'll keep you posted if anything new arises.
Cyndi