16 foot gatron x16 deluxe

[wtg2320]

so I am looking into getting a gastron 1987 x16 deluxe. The motor has 135 hours on it as the owner didn't use it much. has 2.5 liter inboard and the interior is pretty good. He is asking 900 because he is a older gentlemen and his kids are gone. I am going to have him test the motor for me and take it in the water for a bit. is this a good deal and what else should I be looking for. this is my first boat and want to use it to take my kids out on the water. also I cant find the exact weight. iboats says 750lbs but other sites say around 1300lbs does the 1300 include the trailer?

 

[ziggy]

The motor has 135 hours on it as the owner didn't use it much

low hours can be just as bad as high hours. a no use boat may not have been cared for, neglected.

has 2.5 liter inboard and the interior is pretty good.

i don't know about the engine. a comperssion test will let ya know if it's sound mechanically. it that engine is connected to anything other than a mercruiser or volvo penta, like an omc. i steer clear.

He is asking 900 because he is a older gentlemen and his kids are gone.

don't believe the seller. he has motivation to lie. it may be $900 because the stringers, sole and transom may be rotton. these are expensive and time consuming repairs that must be done for the boat to be safe, if they're rotton. check it close, wood rot is a real bummer in a boat. condition of these items must be sound, if not, it may not even make any difference if it's connected to a omc, since if the boat aint sound it won't be seaworthy anyways.

I am going to have him test the motor for me and take it in the water for a bit.

great idea. prior to buying mine, i had compression test done on the engine and pressure test done on the drive. both before and after a water test. my boat had sat for 15 years prior to me getting it. everything was suspect on it.

what else should I be looking for.

wood rot at the very least.

iboats says 750lbs but other sites say around 1300lbs does the 1300 include the trailer?

i don't know which it is, but it won't include the trailer.

 

[Mel Taylor]

I'm 76 years old and have been boating for over half a century so in this case, at least, I know whereof I speak: The old man who is selling his boat because the kids are gone is often akin to the mythical old maid school teacher who "only drove her car once a week to church on Sunday" before she traded it in to the used car lot. I first heard that story in 1951 when my dad fell for it about a Nash Rambler he ended up buying. Since then I've heard both of those stories a number of times over the years.

I'm not saying the "older gentleman" in your case is lying but I can assure you that we old codgers be just as deceitful as anyone else when it comes to selling damaged goods. If he lied when he was young he will more than likely lie when he is old but will have had a lot of years to practice being convincing. So all I am saying is proceed with caution.

When I was looking for a boat last year, I was amazed at the number of twenty year old motors I found that "only had a few hours on them". Apparently most people buy a boat then park it in their garage or carport, never using it, until they decide to sell it twenty five or thirty years later.

As far as letting the seller test the motor for you, remember what Ziggy said: the seller has motivation to lie. If possible get some third party who knows boat motors to test it for you - even if you have to pay for it.

Actually you probably should have someone who knows the ins and outs of boat construction and maintenance check the boat for rotten wood, water soaked flotation foam, etc. before you even consider buying it.

 

[AgnotGt]

also I cant find the exact weight.

I also have an '87 X16 and the boat and trailer plus approx 3/4 tank of fuel weighs 2000Lbs; without gear.