PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

[blue_77]

So here is the story and Ill be posting pictures as soon as I download them from the camera. I'm looking into two boats that are for sale... 70 skipjack 24' Fb. With no engine or outdrive. it had a 305 with an OMC. Needs interior, new wiring and new engine and patch the transom for a new install of volvo or mercruiser.

And the second one is a 83 wellcraft 24 fisherman with frozen 350 fresh water and heat exchanger and a hydrolic VOLVO 280 or 290??. outdrive also needs rebuilt. Needs interior and spit and polish. and also new trim tabs motor. electrical should be ok. Both machines are basically same price. and both sit on a reasonable comparable trailer.

Ill post pictures soon but please vote. I'm going to buy one of the two boats on Monday. Please Please help decide.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Not to be offensive but you said buy? From your discription I would pass on both of them if they we being given to me. Know very little about I/Os and intend to keep it that way. Can comment that my friends 290DP is one expensive unit to maintain and is a constant source of problems and expense. FRED

 

[blue_77]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Not to be offensive but you said buy? From your discription I would pass on both of them if they we being given to me. Know very little about I/Os and intend to keep it that way. Can comment that my friends 290DP is one expensive unit to maintain and is a constant source of problems and expense. FRED

You are not being offensive. I'm asking for peoples feed back. I can get around engines ok. I own a body shop and have lots of resources for pretty much everything. From engineering to fiberglass. I have tons of room at the shop also, where to do the work. and the boats with trailer are 1500 either one. Trailer alone is good enough to cost around that here in California. I know I can do the full restore for about 2k parts are the main cost. Labor im already paying for it weekly. I plan to use the guys that work for me to each do a part of the hull. interior, glass, paint, etc.

I just need to decide which is the best hull of the both. I hear stories about both that are very good boats. PLEASE DONT HESITATE TO COMMENT.

 

[blue_77]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

OK 83 WELLCRAFT 24' FISHERMAN 350 AND VOLVO OUTDRIVE.

WELL YOU GET THE IDEA

 

[QC]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Trailers would have to be almost new. People pay to have boats like that hauled away . . . I agree, both are decent boats, especially the Skippy, but there are decent, in progress, restores with good power for not much more.

Where in CA are you?

 

[blue_77]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Tough croud... A half-*** restored skip 24 is going for not less than 9k around here. And the fisherman for about 7 or 8k. And still big chance of owner niglect or abuse. Don't want to buy someone elses problems. There is usually a reason why a boat is sold. And it's not a very good one 90% of the time. I rather know what I'm putting in and in what condition. And a decent trailer cannot be found for a 24 for less than 1500 to 3000

let's focus people. Skipjack or wellcraft. Looking for people that own one of the two models. What's a better hull.

And I live in southern Cali.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Thats an easy one. Buy the Wellcraft! Look at those classic lines!!

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Wellcraft--you too can become a member of the CGWOC
" Cool Guy Wellcraft Owners Club"

I would make sure there no rot in the transom ,bilge,floors or decks. I'm sure you have a good eye for those details

 

[pine island fred]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

Cant comment on the hull but that outdrive gives me shivers just looking at it. Looks very similar to a VOLVO 290. Can say that VOLVO is very expensive. Friend wound up buying a new one out of the box and still had problems. Reverse lock down is very sensitive to adjustment and will self distruct if it goes out. Tilt trim cylinders are hard to find if available at all and the off the shelf O rings part number at a hydraulic shop are kept top secret. Recommend you also post on the I/O site where more knowledgeable people can respond. Nice project boat if you have the facilities and time to work on it. FRED

 

[rebars1]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

I think I found the Skipjack you're looking at on Craigslist (inland Empire). If you are looking at both as basically starting with a "hull only" restore to repower, I'd go with the one that is in the best structural condition. I don't own either, but I see about the same number of each around here (Santa Barbara). The Wellcraft is 13 years newer and at least has guages and more windows in the cockpit. The Skip has nice lines. As has been said, really spend some time checking for transom and stringer rot.

Which one do you like better? Either way, you have your work cut out for you. Have fun!

 

[blue_77]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

I personally like the layout of the wellcraft. The only thing that's holding me back on it is that the Skippy seems to have a better resale value. The skipjack has a huge deck space but I'm really really skeptical about the pendulum effect on the fly bridge. There are no dual controls and only fb controls seems a little weird. But just because I have not been on a skipjack before.

There are a lot of them available as well and not too many wellcraft fisherman. Should I interpret that as good news for well craft or bad news because nobody wants to buy them.

As where it stands im about 51 / 49 wellcraft. Due to year and all components there even if need new ones but I don't think I need to retro fit anything. As oppose to the skipjack with new transom setup for something better than an OMC.

I guess I'm going to have to look at it as money spent for my enjoyment and safety rather than something I can gain back when sold.

My dream boat is a Edgewater in the 22' range. But times are scary at best and don't want a monthly payment for the rest of my life. : 0

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

wow ragged out.... neat layout tho.... I dunno I gave $543.00 for the 28' wellcraft in my sig and $270 for the trailer with 27' boat on it which I hauled off to the dump.... I dunno which to choose and I know you don't wanna hear it but I too think you could do better

 

[767Captain]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

The Skipjacks have a somewhat elevated reputation. Personally, I think they're a bit overrated. That's why I bought a Wellcraft over a Skipjack.

Paid $9300 for our 1997 Wellcraft 23 walkaround last fall. I've got a boat that's far more current than either of the boats you're looking at, and spent less than either boat will cost you to "rebuild". Which of those two beat up tubs would I buy? Neither. I bought a boat to use, not rebuild. I've got plenty of vintage cars to wrench on. Reality is: you'll put more into your boat than I have in mine, and it will still be an old hull. Old wood, etc. If you're looking for a 'project", it really doesn't matter which boat you get, you'll make it what you want. Eventually... If you're looking for a boat to actually use, pass on the old turds and buy something decent. You'll still have plenty to do to get it up to snuff, I guarantee. You'll still be able to pour thousands into it, and yet it will undoubtedly be cheaper than the ancient "project boat" in the end.

Don't get me wrong. I love finding old pieces of trash that I see some kind of vision of restoring its splendor. I've rebuilt & restored plenty of hulks. To do it RIGHT, it will surely take longer and cost far more then you anticipate. On the other hand, if you're a "bargain" guy you'll put in an automotive engine, rewire it with generic wiring, and "rebuild" the hull with CDX plywood stringers.

If you want to go fishing: buy the newest, nicest, best boat you can.
If you want to spend your time working on an old boat: buy an old boat...

 

[slasmith1]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

I personally prefer the skipjack but either one will wind up costing you $10,000- $15,000 to restore and that is only if you do all the work yourself. I hope you realize that there is alot more to structural marine fiberglass work then repairing a fiberglass auto body.

 

[superpop]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

You are fooling yourself if you think you can make either of these boats seaworthy for 2K in parts. Motor and drive alone is going to cost around 3-4K if you can find a decent used setup. New will be 8K plus. Then you have the inevitable rot that they both probably have, show me a boat that has been treated like either one of those and I will find some rot. But assuming they both have dry solid hulls and floors, then you still have a lot of labor to restore to nice shape. Who knows about all the other little bits and pieces you will need to replace like gauges, controllers, cables ect... Personally, I would buy the Wellcraft if pressed to chose base on the age. Also, the trailer looks like it needs some work on the rollers as well. More money. And even if people are already working for you, putting them to work on this project is still costing you money. That is where this type of boat becomes a real money pit, For the money in parts and salary you are going to pay, you could by a much nicer boat and save yourself the hassle.

 

[blue_77]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

You know I guess I was trying to be optimistic about the whole thing. I think I have made my mind and I'm going to wait and put enough together to get a newer boat. I have a 03 BMW X5 that's just collecting dust in the driveway that I can get rid of and use that money towards the boat I actually do want.

There is also a whole lot of other toys that are just depreciating every season that I don't really use. I'm going to get rid of the quads and dirt bike that I have and continue putting enough together for a nice looking edgewater.

There is a 02 225 EX near where I'm at for a very reasonable price. That's going to be my focusing point for starters.

Thanks for the input. Probably saved me from the equivalent of a black hole of money.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

I think that you have made the right choice.
Restoring boats is definitely a hobby that you have to do for fun, as you will not usually get the money back that you put into it if you have to put in new stringers, transom, deck, interior and drive. You're still stuck with trying to sell a 27 year old hull. If you got the rare buyer that would look at a complete scrapbook of what you had done (and appreciate it), you might get a fraction of what it cost you in material and time. Otherwise you will be stuck with buyers that only see "1983 Wellcraft w/ trailer" and offer you $2000 for it, regardless of the new parts in it.

 

[QC]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

I think you made a good call too. Sorry if I came on strong, but there are a bunch of Skippy's on Craig's list which tells me they aren't moving for what people are asking.

Good luck!!

 

[blue_77]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

I never updated you guys but the outcome between a 24 skipjack and a 24 wellcraft was.... wait for it....



A 24 PURSUIT WA. TaDa!! I thought I was a great deal and could just not pass on it. Totally love the layout and would not regret it at all. needs maintenance and some repairs. follow new post and you all can see.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: PLEASE! Help me decide buying ither - 70skipjack24 fb or 83wellcraft 24fisherman

USEING a boat is always more fun than WORKING on one!!!

good for you-enjoy