Might have found a boat

[chads]

Ok so would this be a good boat for the wife, daughter and I to use for fishing and just playing around? I'm new to boat buying. Is there anything I should be Leary about with the boat or motor? I would have to put an electric motor on it for the lake just over the hill from us. What size electric motor would be good? The owner is interested in trading the boat for and item I have. I'm very interested in the deal as long as the boat is in a decent condition. Any advice would be great.

https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/boa/5104163108.html

 

[oldjeep]

Looks like it needs more work than just a trolling motor. As rotten as those seats look, I have a hard time believing that the floors are not mushy too.

 

[chads]

Thanks, I see you're point. I'm kinda looking for a project but thought it would be nice to be able to use it this summer then tear it down over winter. The good thing is what I have to trade is an item I no longer have a use for. In my mind I'm getting rid of something I don't use and getting something I will use. Any thoughts on the motor(good or bad)?

 

[jbcurt00]

That boat is a good project boat. The carpet isnt laying flat and it didnt come w those seats originally. IMO, its a project boat, from the limited info and a few pix. Putting your hands on it will tell you how big a project...

Might be useable as is, might not be. I'd bet the 'good' floor is a newly laid plywood deck OVER a soft one.

Hard to be certain.

If you are up for a project, go see it. If you think the trade is fair for whatever you have to trade, it could be a good trade.

If the engine runs, its a running engine...

 

[Tnstratofam]

If it were a little closer to me I would be interested in her. It looks like it will need some resto work, but without a good shot of the transom or splashwell how much work is hard to determine. If themfloor is reasonably solid, and if the transom isn't mush, and if the power trim he's having trouble with is fixable for fairly cheap then the $1400 dollar asking price is fair. If one of the things above is bad or if the plwer trim is gonna be pricey to fix then I would probably offer him $1000 dollars and negotiate from there.

The 75hp motor may be a little small for that 18 footer. Our 16 has a 75hp on her and we can reach 34 mph with myself and the Admiral (both at 180 lbs) the first mate and his girlfriend ( one at 130 lbs and one at 110 lbs maybe) plus all our fishing gear, plus 2 6 gallon fuel tanks and two batteries. So a larger motor may be needed if you plan to do allot of water sports with her versus cruising around a lake or fishing.


The key is it is a rebuildable boat with the exception of a couple of things. Theese aluminum boats are prone to corosion if they are used in salt water and not taken care of. There have been a few attempts at restos on some of theese old Starcrafts that the hull was swiss cheese and beyond repair. The only other real draw back is if there is any cracking of the aluminum ribs that serve as the stringers for the deck. Still repairable just time consuming and can be costly if you don't want to learn how to work with metal and aluminum.

We have a 16SS and use it for fishing, and for everything else at the moment due to our Stratos Ski boat being in the garage in a state of disassembly. They are good boats, and I'm looking for another one a little bigger as our 16 is a little tight for 4 people. Good luck and remember to look for a weak transom and or cracks along the splashwell edges if you go check her out.

 

[chads]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to try to go take a look Monday evening after work. It's only about 15 miles from my house. I'm not against a project I just want to make sure it's worth the effort. any metal work does not bother me, wirking in aviation has gained me a lot of those types of skills.

 

[bonz_d]

Have to agree with jbcurt completely and your reasoning as to the even trade. Aluminum boats are much more forgiving than glass ones when it comes to age and neglect. Go look, it won't cost you anything.