Noob, terrified, first time buyer - 1975 Starcraft Capri 15 w/ 1969 Merc 1000

LucyJune

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
39
After searching thousands of ads, I've kept coming back to this same boat. Pretty much ready to buy it and will be taking it out on the water this week before hopefully sealing the deal. My quest for knowledge has been plentiful but tough. These forums have been ridiculously helpful so thank you all for that. I'm hoping someone out there will be able to help with a few more questions.

The boat is a 1975 Starcraft Capri 15 with a 1969 Mercury 1000 motor. The motor has been gone through extensively and the lower unit rebuilt. It appears to be running beautifully but again haven't been on the water yet. From what I understand these are quite fantastic motors. I have a few questions/worries...

HP rating for this boat is 85hp, this is a 100hp. I've read a lot about motor placement relative to the cavitation plate and transom but I'm putting my faith in the previous owner that it is mounted correctly. I'm not certain of the exact transom measurements on the boat or whether the motor is a short or long shaft; also not in a position to measure it right now.

Our intent is not to hotrod her out on the water but rather to leisurely fish, tie off and let the kids swim or maybe one day pull a small tube for the kiddos. Addtionally, we won't be nearly close to this boat's capacity with gear, people, fuel, etc. The last thing I want is for this to not plane properly and flood the bilge or at worst sink us.

We've done a walkthrough, I've tapped on the transom, squeezed, poked around, etc. It doesnt appear to be damaged but what do I know. I pulled and pushed on the motor fairly hard and didn't notice any extreme flexing or reason to run. I didn't feel any give or see rot in 99% of the wood in the boat that I could see/feel. The bow floor area has some minor "spidering" in the glass--I've seen loads worse. Everything else on her seems okay, minus minor cosmetic details. I feel confident the motor is solid. My worries are around if the boat is secretly taking on water, rotting away, structurally can't support motor, etc.

I'm probably being a psycho about it (I'm driving everyone crazy with questions) but I'm super analytical and hate not having all the facts. :)


On with the questions....

What would be a fair price for the boat, trailer, motor in fair but driveable condition?

Does anyone know the measurements of the boats transom?

Should I be concerned with this power of the motor on this boat?

When we take it out, aside from what might be the obvious, anything alarming we should be looking for?

Anything else I can do to give it a thorough walkthrough?

I can't be certain the trailer isn't the original as the serial # was painted over. I could make out two #s that are weight ratings of what I believe to be 1225 and 1585.

Anyone know what trailer might have been originally sold with these?

Regardless, any idea of approximately how much a trailer like this might weigh alone?

I'm probably forgetting 50 other questions but this is all I got for now. Sorry for the novel guys! Thanks in advance!
 

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alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
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Mar 8, 2009
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40,583
Howdy and :welcome: Lucy

I read thru your dissertation and find my self a bit overwhelmed with trying to answer your many questions/concerns. Your looking at 1975 boat with a 1969 motor. The boat is old and the original engine either gave out and was replaced by an even older motor, or was in better shape and was sold off or traded for the older one. A boat is indeed its acronym, Bring On Another Thousand. You can do all the research, make sure everything is perfect, and take it out the first time and find out it is the greatest thing or the worst thing.

By the look at the post there have been many which have looked at your post but no one has yet to respond. If this is your first boat I would recommend passing on it. Look at it as a 100 year old house, they look great but it takes a whole lot of work to keep them up. I wouldn't offer more then 500 for the whole think, and I wouldn't offer that because its not my kind of boat and I wouldn't want the trouble of keeping it going

Good luck and even though I haven't been much help, I hope maybe I got you thinking about a wider angle of the subject
 

mr 88

Commander
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
2,115
What is your budget ? This boat is going to be too small if your taking kids out tubing etc. You will have to check the condition of the wiring on the motor. The old Mercs usually have dry rotted wiring. Picture #6 or 7 shows the motor mounted to the transom with a sheet of metal between the hull and the motor mounts,that is a sign of a weak transom. I did see a hole next to the plate which tells me there are more under the plate and the wood core is probably shot,so they put the plate in there to stop the flexing. It probably has foam between the bottom and deck,I bet that is waterlogged as well.The motor is the correct height and will suck gas like crazy at WOT,not terrible when cruising but it is a 45 year old unit that may be on its last leg. If we knew your budget and where your located I am sure we could come up with another boat or plan. You dont want your first boat to be a nightmare and complete money pit that is to small for your needs right off the get go,You will hate it and be turned off to the whole water thing in no time IMHO.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
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13,747
Little things that are not done right or are done poorly are often a good indicator of sloppy and shoddy work by the owner trying to fix problems. The plate under the motor was probably an add on. Over powering a 15' boat with a 100 HP motor is not a good idea at all.

One little thing that troubles me is seeing the splashwell drain tube, minus the drain tube with a freshly applied tube of silicone in it's place. There's also another wad of poorly done silicone smeared around on the motor mounting hole meaning it leaks and smearing goop on the outside won't repair this leak

I would pass on this one seeing such a simple thing done so wrong.

fetch
 
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LucyJune

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
39
Thanks for the replies! Again, sorry for the novel. I wanted to give everything I knew up front to prevent 47 erroneous comments asking me that info later. :)

Mr. 88, we started looking for just a small bass boat or even an aluminum Jon boatish type. I'd like to ideally spend under 2k but have wiggle room. Not dead set on tubing or anything but that would be a wonderful perk. Really we just love to fish. We live in Louisville, KY. I'd travel up to 200 miles or so. Also, our tow capacity is limited to 1500. :)
 

TruckDrivingFool

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,818
There's so much wrong with that boat that I'll just echo to run from it.

It's hard to tell from the pics whether the holes in the transom are from being repowered or what, but even if the wood has been replaced in the transom (reason for the splashwell tube to be like that) the hack job of sealing it up by just smearing the wrong sealant on it would make me question the quality of work done to replace the wood.

I'm not sure where this pic is but if it's anywhere near the floor it screams rotted stringers



If it's higher than the floor I'd definitely be concerned about the stringers as rot tends to work bottom up rear to front.

Not sure of an exact # of people but there seems to be many boats on CL that would get you on the water fishing

Louisville CL Max price 2500

Might be small for the whole fam no trailer though

Bigger but I'd still watch the capacity and would leave room in budget for a gas motor

Room in the budget for add ons (seats, fish finder, ect)

Some classic tin if you wanted a project

Not as much of a project

I'd look hard at this one

Another kind of small but room in the budget to trim it out

And another

Perhaps good for a bigger family

Lotsa Jon boats to choose from

That's just the first page, Yes they're all tin boats as I'm partial to tin but barring how the motors run I'd recommend any of them over what you posted above. Almost can't go wrong with a tinny for a first boat and even if you do they're easy to fix.

There were a few glass boats I saw to but I'd scrutinize them with extreme prejudice

Sparkle boat

Maybe a bit of a project, maybe a full resto hard to tell from Iowa

Start small and work you're way up learning maintenance and what you want from a boat as you go.

Remember that the season is coming closer to closure every day which means you could wait, watch, and see what happens to prices.
 
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LucyJune

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
39
Wow thanks for replies. This was the kind of feedback I was hoping to get. We know what we are getting into staying in our budget and limiting to that tow capacity and doesn't help that we are both nostalgic--owning a classic car that he can tinker with. TruckDrivingFool thank you for the robust reply and looking up those listings! I haven't clicked them all yet but I'm willing to bet I've got most of those saved to look at. :)

I appreciate you all so very much.

Another boat type I love are the old Bombers. How do you all feel about those? I guess everyone is partial to certain boats and boats. Also, Is there an age limit of the boats we look at that you would recommend staying away from?
 
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TruckDrivingFool

Lieutenant Commander
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Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,818
Bored and love looking at boats on CL it was like a whole new candy store opened up for me. LOL

The last link is to a Bomber, if its not rotted out like the one you origionally posted it could be a good project but that's a big but with its age. I can also say that you're probably looking at rewiring the entire thing (except maybe the motor harness) just from the pics.
 

Chinewalker

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Aug 19, 2001
Messages
8,902
Let's just say I am VERY familiar with Starcrafts of that era. Unless it has been stored indoors and kept bone dry, it WILL have waterlogged foam, it WILL have rotted stringers, and it WILL have rotted transom. I've rebuilt three of the 1970s Starcrafts and every one had rot issues. Every one I've looked at from that era has had rot, or has had repairs done because of it. They simply didn't build them to last 40 years. With the visible condition of things like the USCG plate being faded, and the steering cable sheathing cracked, I'm guessing it was not babied in its care.

With that in mind, plus the fact it's overpowered and shows evidence of possible transom issues, I'd pass on it.

As for an age limit - it all depends on the condition. As I noted above, if the boat has been kept dry and under cover, it could be in great shape for 40 years old. Alternatively, a 10 year old boat that has been stored uncovered with leaves and pine needles in it could be complete junk. If you stand in the boat on a trailer and walk around a bit, you can usually feel if it's solid or not. If the floor flexes, or if the transom is bowed out, it's a good sign things are not good underneath.

Get a good, sharp ice pick and bring it with you when you look at a boat. Poke around at the transom from inside, looking for soft spots. With the motor tilted up, give he lower unit a good, hard shove up and down and watch for flex in the transom. While looking around you can usually tell if the boat has been taken care of or not. Has someone added a plate to beef up a weak transom? Is there a layer of plywood over the floor, it's likely the floor is rotted. Floors rot from the bottom up, meaning there's likely rot under the floor, too.

Good luck!
 

bonz_d

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
5,274
Boats can be great fun or a great disaster or somewhere in-between. I see many new boat owners go all in with their 1st purchase only to quickly lose interest for many reasons.

The subject of 1st boat and limited budget, because in my mind a $2000 to $3000 budget is limited, brings me to this conclusion. I've not seen a $2000.00 fiberglass boat that I would be willing to buy. No matter how pretty it is on the outside. There are always too many hidden questions on the over-all condition. And remember that I have been around boats and the water for the entire 61 yrs. of my life.

At the budget you are looking at I'm sure that you can find many boats that will be turn-key, for the 1st year, then the problem start to surface.You will find that with any boat, especially with older boats.

My recommendation at this point would be to find a 15-16' Aluminum hulled boat for your 1st go. Reasons being, generally lighter weight being easier to tow, Aluminum is a bit more durable and forgiving as it will withstand the bumps and knocks of a hard approach to the pier, there is much less chance of there being hidden wood rot which gets very expensive to repair. Lastly, it will hold it's resale value much better than an old glass boat if by chance in a year or 2 you decide to upgrade or just bail out.
 

64osby

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Jul 28, 2009
Messages
6,799
A little higher then your budget, but what it will sell for you never know if you don't ask or make an offer.

Should be right about your tow capacity, great layout for fishing or fun. Easy boat to work on, light weight, pictures look good (but you never know).

This may not be the one, but I would believe this type of layout for what you describe as uses would be excellent. a 16' Starcraft Super Sport

https://huntington.craigslist.org/boa/5177846383.html

Seller need to post better pics IMO
 

LucyJune

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
39
Loving these comments and suggestions. bonz_d and Chinewalker appreciate that feedback for sure. I've been on the water my whole 34 year life and all several kinds of boats just not owned it. :)

64osby thanks! I like it but how is that much different than this other one, ya know? 10 years older and without getting in there to scrutinize the floors, etc. I dunno.

TruckDrivingFool looked at the links and had a few of them already starred; however, this little gem I LOVE! Going to call about it now.

In all honestly I don't think we were going out looking for a first buy to give us more than 2 years before upgrading anyhow but I don't want that first but to sink. :)

They were asking 1500 for the Starcraft I posted, guess I thought at that price for a couple years it would be alright.
 

TruckDrivingFool

Lieutenant Commander
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Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,818
That 14'er is a nice looking little boat,

​The Difference is the one 64 posted is a tin not glass, as stated you never know how far want and take are. Walk around in it and you'll know if it needs a floor, give a good look/poke around under the splashwell and you'll see the condition of the transom wood as its there for inspection not hidden under glass. Those are the two wood rot worries on that boat, end of the line. More room and with that boat you could throw the tubing plans back in the mix.
 

Pony

Rear Admiral
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Jun 27, 2004
Messages
4,355
I am in the group that would suggest finding an aluminum boat. Not only will it be lighter and less expensive, but will also probably be set up better for fishing if that will serve as the main purpose.

A 16 ft with a 50hp will still pull a kid around in a tube just fine and will give you a taste of ownership and allow you to decide if you want to save up and go bigger.
 

64osby

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Jul 28, 2009
Messages
6,799
Don't know how old or how many of the kiddo's you have.

The Fisher is a nice looking boat and would be good for 2 - 3 people fishing and light cruising. Easy on gas expense

The Starcraft would be good for 4 - 5 people and could be used for fishing (3 - maybe 4 if kids), cruising, tubing and even skiing (no heavyweights though).

The Starcraft (or one like it) would have higher sides (better for little one's), a higher passenger capacity, More usable room and comfort. Bigger faster motor. Might not need an upgrade in 2 years depending on your uses and number of passengers.

We started with a 16' closed bow. It was a great starter boat and ended up lasting 8 years. As the kids got older (young teens) it was very crowded with just 4 of us. An open bow would not have that problem with 4 or 5 aboard.

We upgraded to a 21' center console (see sig below) Most we had had in it was 3 adults and 5 teens, it was crowded but we made it work. It is very comfortable with 6 or less aboard

Good luck with your search and hopeful purchase.
 
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bonz_d

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Apr 22, 2008
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5,274
Loving these comments and suggestions. bonz_d and I've been on the water my whole 34 year life and all several kinds of boats just not owned it. :)

In all honestly I don't think we were going out looking for a first buy to give us more than 2 years before upgrading anyhow but I don't want that first but to sink. :)

They were asking 1500 for the Starcraft I posted, guess I thought at that price for a couple years it would be alright.[/QUOTE]

Certainly didn't mean to offend or imply anything demeaning. Just a small background on myself. Though I will state in my opinion that there is a huge difference between being around and being the actual owner. Now before commenting on that statement I would also suggest waiting until after a couple years of ownership and you yourself will see that it is true.

That you have experience on the water is a big help over someone that has little or no experience. Still as a 1st time buyer/owner and seeing that you are looking for an inexpensive approach to get on the water I still think that an aluminum hull is the way to go and still for the same reasons I previously stated. Even small repairs can get costly and add up quickly.

Example, I picked up a second boat this summer so I could get back out on the water and fish while I rebuild my regular boat. Picked it up cheaply because it needed an engine and other work. Found an engine and did the other work not a problem. Problem is between the repairs that I planned on and the ones that I didn't this quick project has only seen water about 8 times and most of those were to check the repairs that were made.
 

LucyJune

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Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
39
Certainly didn't mean to offend or imply anything demeaning. Just a small background on myself. Though I will state in my opinion that there is a huge difference between being around and being the actual owner. Now before commenting on that statement I would also suggest waiting until after a couple years of ownership and you yourself will see that it is true.

That you have experience on the water is a big help over someone that has little or no experience. Still as a 1st time buyer/owner and seeing that you are looking for an inexpensive approach to get on the water I still think that an aluminum hull is the way to go and still for the same reasons I previously stated. Even small repairs can get costly and add up quickly.

Example, I picked up a second boat this summer so I could get back out on the water and fish while I rebuild my regular boat. Picked it up cheaply because it needed an engine and other work. Found an engine and did the other work not a problem. Problem is between the repairs that I planned on and the ones that I didn't this quick project has only seen water about 8 times and most of those were to check the repairs that were made.

No offense taken at all. I respect these forums and the people that take the time out of their lives to help others. Huge deal. :) totally get what you are saying about owner versus being on it and not driving, etc. I appreciate all the feedback.

These posts have really made me reconsider the purchase. Seems my fears/concerns were legit.
 
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