Hurricaine deckboat...what to know?

[Drb007]

We just bought a lake home and want to get a boat that our parents can get on/off easily. Of course, we started looking at pontoons. We are trying to stay around $5000. For that money, we can get a 1995-2004 20-24 ft pontoon with a decent (no tears) interior, and usually a newer 25hp 4 stroke or an older 40-60 2 stroke. And usually without a trailer.

My wife is ok with the 25hp, as it will be used for the afternoon booze cruise and taking friends/family for relaxing rides around the lake. I, however, fear I will irritated with the slow speed.

I don't know much about them, but some of the older deck boats seem to fit the bill for easy on/off, as they are basically identical to the pontoons up top. With the ride set up, we should also be able to use it for tubing/skiing.

I found a 1994 Hurricane (the owner lists it as a 180 Executive, but I can't find that online) with the original fuel injected 150hp Evinrude. The interior is clean, though missing one cushion. It seems to run well (on muffs). Claims they had lots of work done to the engine. The hull is beat up. the front corners are gouged from hitting the dock (down to fiberglass strands). The bottom is filthy. There is some blistering on the transom, but I could stand on the lower unit and not seem to bow the transom. The deck seems solid, but with the ski storage, it looks like another layer of decking below?

Here's my question.
With all of the old runabouts I have gotten, only one had a good transom. However, the boats I have worked on are 20-40 years older than this one
I can't seem to find online details of the build of a Hurricaine. Am I still dealing with wood stringers and transom? It has a modified trihull design...is that any good? We are on a relatively small lake (290 acres) and a lot of it is shallow (2-5 feet). Would this be a decent boat for us?
They are asking $5900, with a decent trailer, decent bimini, but the storage cover is shot.

I appreciate your input.
Dave

 

[Scott Danforth]

I put Hurricane in the same category as bayliner. plenty of them down here, not much for rough water and they dont hold up to the florida sun. some people like them

that being said, owning a 'toon is not about speed unless you go big on the motor. some of my best memories are on my buddies 'toon with a 30hp either on a booze cruise, just a day swimming, or trolling for walleye (or all three). the jet skis and my boat covered the need for speed

I personally vote for the 'toon and make mama happy. then get a jet ski or a ski boat for your speed thrills

 

[Drb007]

Thank you for your advice. Depending on the hour of the day, I'm leaning that way too.
I do have "go fast" boats. Too many of them
I will be restoring my Century Cheetah next, so I'll have a good puller.
My daughter is just finishing her Larson All American.

The attraction to the deck boat is that we can do everything the pontoon will do, but can also pull tubes/skiers if we want, and can bring along a boat load of spectators. My parents and mom-in-law can't hardly get in my other boats, so they could never see the kids getting pulled.

 

[airdvr1227]

I don't think access for older folks will get any better than a toon. Still, the 25hp will be a real snoozer. Can't find anything with more giddyup?

 

[flyingscott]

If you are serious about the hurricane get the model # of the motor. I would be more leary of the motor as evinrude didn't fuel inject until 98 and that was a Ficht and if it's a Ficht leave it be.

 

[Pusher]

Sounds like you need to have the ski boat towed behind a party boat until it's time to ski, then do fly-bys while the grandparents watch from the comfort of their barge, sipping Moscato, and leisurely napping.

Maybe that doesn't fit the bill for your family though, I don't know.

 

[Drb007]

I did find a decent pontoon with a 60hp bigfoot, 2 cycle. And that one has a trailer. (the 25hp 4 stroke pontoon has no trailer)
Access on the Hurricane will be identical to the pontoon. It looks just like a pontoon from the deck rail up.

I'll check on the motor model number. Thanks for the heads up on that.

 

[SeaDooSam]

Did you say there is an outdrive? Outdrives are hairy if a lot of the lake is 2-5 ft

 

[Drb007]

Everything I'm looking at is outboard. Why would an outdrive be an issue?

 

[ezmobee]

Rented a toon-like deckboat once on Lake Erie for a few hours. The ride was absolutely AWFUL. You've got V-hulls already, get the toon. The one with the 60 sounds good. Smaller motors running at high RPM are gonna be noisy and annoying.

 

[SeaDooSam]

Everything I'm looking at is outboard. Why would an outdrive be an issue?

Outboard is fine, but an inboard outboard takes up about 2-3 ft of water.

 

[jkust]

Hurricane is the original deck boat creator. When I see them as old as you are discussing, they are beat to heck. There is one mid 90's on the other side of the lake from me on a lift. I wouldn't be interested in an early deck boat with as many downsides as they have such as the lack of a steep deadrise. Are you on a large lake? My lake home is on a larger and deeper lake but pontoons have come to rule the roost there. Plenty of twin 150 hp models and some twin 300's as well which are tritoons. The issue I can attest to via many of my friends is they thought they could get away with the smaller engines who then sell in a year's time, is that it just takes forever to get anywhere. One of my friends who just went through this had a small engine like you are mentioning and of course the 11mph top speed pushing it as hard as possible just didn't work. He then upgraded to a 3 year old Premier with a 115. It is a gorgeous pontoon but again the 21mp top speed is still disappointing him. It just isn't practical to have a group of folks onboard and not be able to get up and go when something requires it. Of course all that said, there are some old pontoons on the lake doing just that and just dealing with it. The phenomenon of a fast pontoon being the norm around me is relatively new anyway as the old school versions are phased out of existence. Like how when I grew up a 100hp outboard on a bowrider was something to behold and of course now it would be considered very small.

 

[harleyman1975]

If you are serious about the hurricane get the model # of the motor. I would be more leary of the motor as evinrude didn't fuel inject until 98 and that was a Ficht and if it's a Ficht leave it be.

I had a 1999 175 FICHT for 16 years and it never skipped a beat. Always started right up and took me everyplace I wanted to go...we were on a 100,000 acre chain.

 

[flyingscott]

I had a 1999 175 FICHT for 16 years and it never skipped a beat. Always started right up and took me everyplace I wanted to go...we were on a 100,000 acre chain.

You had a good one and were lucky, not always the case with them . The v6 fichts were the ones that had most of the problems. Another problem with FICHT motors is BRP is really not supporting them for parts.

 

[Drb007]

The motor is an Evinrude Model E150GLER 03649717.
Thanks

 

[flyingscott]

The motor is an Evinrude Model E150GLER 03649717.
Thanks

Thats a pretty good motor to buy but does not have fuel injection. Has Oil injection Have the motor checked out by a mechanic.

 

[Drb007]

The seller won't budge on their price of $5900, and I think it's too much for what they have.

However, I did find a 2001 Princecraft Vacanza in much better shape for only $1500 more. Yamaha 150hp, all decked out, tandem axle trailer, etc.
Any worries about an aluminum boat?

 

[jkust]

The seller won't budge on their price of $5900, and I think it's too much for what they have.

However, I did find a 2001 Princecraft Vacanza in much better shape for only $1500 more. Yamaha 150hp, all decked out, tandem axle trailer, etc.
Any worries about an aluminum boat?

Other than that I don't like them except for a fishing specific boat, there are far less worries buying an old aluminum boat than anything with glass AND wood. I like the sound of 'Much Better Shape'.

 

[Drb007]

Well, heading out tomorrow morning to buy the Princecraft if it passes my inspection. I took it out last weekend for a test drive and was mostly impressed. The only issue I had was that the multifunction gauge doesn't consistently work, and the steering is stiff. He came way down on the price and I can get new cables put on for the steering and replace the gauge. The trailer has 4 new tires. It runs great and tops out around 40 mph. It handles the rough water really well. It's going to be way more fun than a pontoon. Tomorrow will be the first time I've seen it on the trailer. As long as the hull is in good shape I'll take it.

 

[Drb007]

Turns out the transom is shot. Really shot. Darn. Back to the shopping.