Help deciding on bowrider purchase from craigslist

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Help deciding on bowrider purchase from craigslist

One thing is for sure, if plywood or foam is involved anywhere in the hull then I'm staying away from that boat.

As part of your education you'll learn that essentially ALL boats have at least one of those 2 components, most have both.

Foam is almost universally used to provided floatation if the hull is completely swamped. It is typically under the sole/floor and many times if the stringers are not wood they are foam fill also.

Many boats used plywood for many of the structural components. It is a good material as long as it is sealed well with resin and not allowed to sit wet for years on end.

As a hint any boat that has a carpeted sole/floor and the carpet cannot be removed, the floor is almost certainly plywood.

As I've said, Larson is a good brand and they make a good boat. My experience was just a word of warning that you need to make sure it is in good shape.

The 2 newer boats you posted are good options also. They have fiberglass lined cockpits, which is nice, but I'm pretty sure that there is still wood in the construction of either of those. They used balsa to core the decks and I'm pretty sure they still used plywood in the transom. I know that my 2004 has a plywood transom. That is NOT inherently a bad thing.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Help deciding on bowrider purchase from craigslist

I don't like outboards because I find them loud,

Valid concern...especially on an older 2-stroke.

"crowding" the aft of the boat,

In fact a well designed outboard boat will give you sustantially MORE room inside the boat. What you lose is a continuous swim platform across the entire width of the boat...but the room inside the boat in my opinion more than makes up for it.

and most importantly I'm concerned that it'll get stolen as I'll be storing the boat outside and quite likely renting someones backyard or driveway space and my understanding is that an outboard is fairly easy to take off the boat whereas i/o is not.

Any motor on a boat this size is going to weigh at least 400 lbs. While it is not impossible for someone to steal it isn't an every day occurence...at least not in an area not otherwise riddled with crime. Motors can be stolen one of 2 ways. They unbolt four bolts, cut the cables and detach the steering and then somehow get the motor in the back of the truck and leave. Or they just take a sawsall and cut the transom right off the boat. Either way will take a "professional" that knows exactly what they are doing and has done it before. It isn't something that a typical hood rat would have the ability to do.

Honestly, that would be the last reason for me to not buy an outboard.

The outdrive on an I/O is easier to steal. 6 Bolts and its off.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Help deciding on bowrider purchase from craigslist

I'm going to see that old Larson on Thursday anyway since I'm going to that area and it'll be good to talk to the guy and get a bit of experience at shopping for a boat.
I'll get the HIN (do we have those here in Canada?) and call Larson and try to get info about the hull construction from them.
One thing is for sure, if plywood or foam is involved anywhere in the hull then I'm staying away from that boat.

Thanks for the help

You will find both wood and foam in that and most other boats. Foam is required per USCG and US regulations. Wood is how boats were made back then and still is today to a great extent.

check out some of the restoration threads and you will see how the various boats are made. You might even find a restoration thread on the particular models that you are considering.

Keep in mind that even the VEC hulls have wood in the transom and bulkheads.

 

[GalacticWaterman]

Re: Help deciding on bowrider purchase from craigslist

Valid concern...especially on an older 2-stroke.



In fact a well designed outboard boat will give you sustantially MORE room inside the boat. What you lose is a continuous swim platform across the entire width of the boat...but the room inside the boat in my opinion more than makes up for it.



Any motor on a boat this size is going to weigh at least 400 lbs. While it is not impossible for someone to steal it isn't an every day occurence...at least not in an area not otherwise riddled with crime. Motors can be stolen one of 2 ways. They unbolt four bolts, cut the cables and detach the steering and then somehow get the motor in the back of the truck and leave. Or they just take a sawsall and cut the transom right off the boat. Either way will take a "professional" that knows exactly what they are doing and has done it before. It isn't something that a typical hood rat would have the ability to do.

Honestly, that would be the last reason for me to not buy an outboard.

The outdrive on an I/O is easier to steal. 6 Bolts and its off.

Yeah, the swim platform will be one of the most important places for me as I'll spend great deal of time fishing and swimming.
That's why clean and spacious aft area is extremely important to me.

And the outboard is just more "out there" inviting theft, even if it's still not so easy to take off.