Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

C

Curtp

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Hello all I'm looking to purchase a 23 foot glass pro made here locally very good reputation for stable dive boat.boat has Been gutted stringers deck and transom removed. According to the owner it had 3.0 engine and sx leg I was originally thinking about closing the transom and installing bracket and two outboards but after reading many posts here i think it will be a lot less work and expensive to go back to io drive I would really appreciate any recommendations concerning new engine leg combinations I will want new not used if you have a company that you can recommend for purchase I would appreciate that info as well. I will be using this boat solely to take family to do light bottom fishing less than 3 miles offshore and I won't need to get there in a hurry. Thanks so much!
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

What year boat? How much does it weigh? Got any pictures? Can't imagine any 23 ft fiberglass boat running a 3.0L engine, unless it had twins.
 
C

Curtp

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Going to take some pics and try to post boat was aprox 3800 lbs
 
C

Curtp

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Sorry no pictures owner was unable to meet with me until Wednesday the boat is a 1994 model the for and transom have been removed due to termite damage I feel very comfortable in due the glass work. But still undecided on power choice thanks
 
Bondo

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Curtp said:
Hello all I'm looking to purchase a 23 foot glass pro made here locally very good reputation for stable dive boat.boat has Been gutted stringers deck and transom removed. According to the owner it had 3.0 engine and sx leg I was originally thinking about closing the transom and installing bracket and two outboards but after reading many posts here i think it will be a lot less work and expensive to go back to io drive I would really appreciate any recommendations concerning new engine leg combinations I will want new not used if you have a company that you can recommend for purchase I would appreciate that info as well. I will be using this boat solely to take family to do light bottom fishing less than 3 miles offshore and I won't need to get there in a hurry. Thanks so much!
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Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,... A New motor drive, to drop into a rotten '94 hull,..??

Yer choices are Mercruiser, or Volvo,.....

The cost will be determined by which motor, 'n which drive ya pick... figure 10 Grand, Plus...

Btw,.... Punctuation would make yer posts somewhat Readable....
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Curtp said:
Sorry no pictures owner was unable to meet with me until Wednesday the boat is a 1994 model the for and transom have been removed due to termite damage I feel very comfortable in due the glass work. But still undecided on power choice thanks
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I doubt it was termite damage, more likely wood rot. Transom, stringers, decks, anything that's wood. Very common in old boats.
I dount a boat that heavy (3800 lbs) would have moved with a 3.0L engine.
What cutout is in the transom? Volvo just started with the SX in 94 which is the same cutout as Merc, they also used a much larger cutout for the earlier style drive.

I think you are making a huge mistake buying and putting money into that hull.
 
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Curtp

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Hello and thanks for the information you both think I shouldn't repair a 1994 boat my question is then why not? Does the hull get weaker over time? My options are to buy a fixer upper cheap do the glass work myself and have a shop install new drive train I estimate that cost now at 20,000.00 dollars. And I will have a boat with new stringers deck and drive assembly only the hull will be 1994. My other option is spend 20,000.00 for a boat in the 2001 to 2006 range hope the stringers and deck are ok and the engine isn't 2 trips from blowing up.am I missing something?please advise am I better to get the newer boat. what I have read on this forums is that most boat decks aren't made to last but ten years so if I buy 2005 am I not going to be redoing the deck in a couple of years?thanks in advance sorry for any spelling or punctuation I will try my best.
 
Bondo

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Curtp said:
Hello and thanks for the information you both think I shouldn't repair a 1994 boat my question is then why not? Does the hull get weaker over time? My options are to buy a fixer upper cheap do the glass work myself and have a shop install new drive train I estimate that cost now at 20,000.00 dollars. And I will have a boat with new stringers deck and drive assembly only the hull will be 1994. My other option is spend 20,000.00 for a boat in the 2001 to 2006 range hope the stringers and deck are ok and the engine isn't 2 trips from blowing up.am I missing something?please advise am I better to get the newer boat. what I have read on this forums is that most boat decks aren't made to last but ten years so if I buy 2005 am I not going to be redoing the deck in a couple of years?thanks in advance sorry for any spelling or punctuation I will try my best.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,... The Issue you have to understand is,...

You'll have $20,000.00 Plus, invested in a boat worth $5,000. in the open market, at Best...

'n if yer paying somebody else to do these repairs, 'n installations,...
I think yer estimate is atad low...
 
Tail_Gunner

Tail_Gunner

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Don S said:
He needs all of it TG, not just the drive. He has an empty hull with termites.
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Yes i know by shipping i meant buying a boat stateside and shipping it to Hawaii..the Drive would cost far less as the engine also..Ive shipped quite a lot of cars to the Island's over the year's. Things can be very expensive over there. They just load the boat in a container and off it goes..Port is in Seattle
 
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Curtp

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Thanks for the response to clarify the hull is fiberglass no wood came off a mold the company is repairing the mold as it is worn out they say 2 years till they make a new one est cost 40,000.00. The deck stringers and transome were termite eaten I saw the damaged wood next to the boat. This boat has and excellent reputation as a very stable boat with a lot of deck space exactly what I'm looking for. My budget is 20,000.00 you think I can find such a boat stateside? Would it be better for me to buy a used boat that I don't how we'll maintained or repair this boat and know how it was built and has a new drive system? If you have a recomended boat manufaturer and model let me know.Thanks again for the time.
 
Bondo

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Ayuh,.... Well good luck with it,...

I think because it's a unique hull, 'n yer on an island, general rules don't apply...
 
Nivekt

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

In this situation and with your budget and intended use I suggest you read up on how to survey a boat not only structurally, but also an engine and drive. With this knowledge in hand you can then go out and make an informed decision on a solid used boat that will cover your needs. Believe me, there will always be another boat and with the condition of the one you described, its not going anywhere should you eventually fall back on that boat as your final choice.

*Edit* Craigslist is your friend.

Center Console Offshore 24'

1999 Cris Craft 24 ft

22Ft Wellcraft with 200hp Johnson OceanPro

21' Fishing Boat (Repowered and REDUCED)

28 FT. GLASSPLY SERIOUS ONLY

Remember, you're the man with the cash. Time is on YOUR side.
 
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Curtp

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Nivekt thanks for the very good advise I have been looking for a boat now for 6 months I check Craigslist twice a day I check harbor bulletin boards weekly and have asked many friends to keep an eye open for me. The boats listed are mostly deep vee boats with very used engines I have actually looked at everyone of them except the wellcraft I will try to check on it today but I think the engine is 16 years old do you know from the pictures if this boat has what's called a euro transom? Also if the engine is very worn if say twin 90s could be mounted to the transom? Thanks again for the time all your input is appreciated! Curt
 
Nivekt

Nivekt

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Curtp said:
Nivekt thanks for the very good advise I have been looking for a boat now for 6 months I check Craigslist twice a day I check harbor bulletin boards weekly and have asked many friends to keep an eye open for me. The boats listed are mostly deep vee boats with very used engines I have actually looked at everyone of them except the wellcraft I will try to check on it today but I think the engine is 16 years old do you know from the pictures if this boat has what's called a euro transom? Also if the engine is very worn if say twin 90s could be mounted to the transom? Thanks again for the time all your input is appreciated! Curt
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I have no idea what a Euro transom is so I cant help you there. As for the current engine I would ask the current owner for a service history and/or have my own mechanic check it out. Engines can last many decades if they are serviced properly. It doesnt look to me like that transom is designed to accept two engines. Plus you would have to configure the steering correctly if you were to put two engines on vs. one.
 
C

Curtp

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Thanks Nivekt I think I will wait a little longer and see if something better comes along.
 
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Home Cookin'

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Curtp said:
Hello and thanks for the information you both think I shouldn't repair a 1994 boat my question is then why not? .... what I have read on this forums is that most boat decks aren't made to last but ten years so if I buy 2005 am I not going to be redoing the deck in a couple of years?....
Click to expand...

One of the problems with a forum like this is that you get opinions/experiences from boaters who are not in the same situation. The lake boaters who buy boats that apparently aren't suited for outdoor use are constantly talking about rotted parts; many assume that any used boat is rotted. That is not my experience in 50 years of salt water boating with hulls made to take it (including wooden hulls). And for that reason I'm not afraid of an older hull

But assumptions aside, you have a damaged hull. I think I know what you are trying to say about the fiberglass mold (been around that some, too) but obviously there is wood in the boat. Termites in the wood would be extremely rare, just as it is rare for any creature (borers, worms, etc.) to get in wood encapsulated in fiberglass. The fact that you lost a transom in a 1994 custom made boat is a sign of either defective workmanship or serious abuse and neglect-you'd almost have to try to make that happen.

Unless that hull was free and highly desirable for other reasons, I'd pass. Do some local research on used boat issues then start looking again. For your described use it shouldn't be hard to find.
 
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Home Cookin'

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Re: Engine drive recommendations 23 foot semi v fiberglass hull

Euro transom is the contemporary design where the transom is not at a 90* to the water at the stern and level with the gunwales, but is low at the very stern then slants up at about 40*to the gunwales; there is typically a vertical bulkhead in the "cockpit" where it meets the gunwales. To me, it costs you about 2' of boat, but you see them on many many boats made in the past 5 years or so--at least on outboards.
 
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