24 sea ray cuddy

[craig stevens]

im looking at buying a 1976 24' searay cuddy. can anyone tell me if its a good boat. after the motor has run for a few minutes it smell burnt, any ides what that might be

 

[Manipulator]

Re: 24 sea ray cuddy

First, what kind of out drive does it have? (Volvo, Mercruiser or OMC)?

 

[firehog6305]

Re: 24 sea ray cuddy

I just sold my 1977 24ft searay, I had it for over 2yrs without any major problems, the only complaint I had about the boat, was that it leaked the all the windows, after replacing the seals it was fine, its a very heavy boat to tow around, but that was the way they made them back then, it was very sturdy

 

[craig stevens]

Re: 24 sea ray cuddy

the motor is a 351 mercruser as well as the leg. the top end was rebuilt 530 hrs ago and the leg assembled at the same time. the motor was rebuilt because of burnt valves. the boat is currently owned by a fishing charter but has been neglected to the point of 8 gauge wires corroding in two

 

[77 240 SR]

Re: 24 sea ray cuddy

As they say in Monty Pyhons Holy Grail movie ( RUN AWAY,RUN AWAY). I have a 1977 Weekender and have used it for 2 seasons. So far it's cost me a new outdrive and a tow bill last year. This year we have had no issues. I like the boat for what we use it for, fishing and joy rides. We have spent a couple of nights on it,not bad if it's me and the admerial, with my teen age kids it's tight but doable. But the one you describe I would RUN AWAY!!!!!

 

[erikgreen]

Re: 24 sea ray cuddy

Here's a short answer that may help a bit.

Sea Ray is a good brand of boat, but for a boat that old everything depends on what maintenance the owner(s) has done and what condition everything is in.


Things to check in order of cost/importance:

1) Test decks for rot (ice pick, don't check when frozen/cold out)
2) Test transom/stringers for rot (drill cores)
3) Check sterndrive condition (pumps water, gears sound ok, check drive oil, pressure test if possible)
4) Check engine compression
5) Check fuel tank condition - may be a steel tank.

If you're being offered the boat for less than book value, look very carefully at it, because the odds are that it's going to need some serious repairs. If you can get a warranty in writing, great, otherwise the best recommended course is to get a marine surveyor to look at it or make the deal conditional on that.

Of course, the price might be low enough that you are willing to take a risk on it... if that's the case, be aware that it will still cost to get rid of it if you decide not to keep it.

That all said, a Sea Ray in working shape for a good price is not a bad boat to have... I like mine a lot.

Erik

 

[magster65]

Re: 24 sea ray cuddy

I agree with that but you're not likely to find people that'll let you drill cores in their boat! Gently tap the areas with a plastic hammer (or a big screwdriver handle). Rotten wood and delamination make very distinct sounds as opposed to a solid wood core. As for the electrical... plan on rewiring the whole boat. Bad wiring and boating don't mix! I prefer the 5.7 chev over the 5.8 ford but it'll do the job. Sea Rays are good boats but after a certain point, maintenance is as much or more important than the brand. In my experiences, if you include your labor, it's less expensive to just buy a decent boat than it is to fix one up properly.
Good luck!