Should I buy this boat that was left uncovered?

[Joolz]

The obvious answer should be NO! However this Larson Flyer 166 does not have any wood stringers, floor or transom, as far as I'm aware, that would rot since no wood is present in its construction. But as seen in the pic, the upholstery is in poor condition, I imagine from spending a lot of time exposed to the elements. Overall condition is good, hull is sound other than some minor bangs to the gelcoat (not in the keel). Should I walk away?

All gauges work and it starts up just fine. Motor, a 115 Evinrude sounds beautiful, trim works and I can't find too many faults, other than the cracking in the seats. Seller is asking below market value and I'd insist that he'd knock some more of it off. But would this boat be a nightmare due to being left uncovered for gawd knows how long? Or since there's no wood present, am I safe?

Pic of boat below is the exact model/colour.

 

[MTboatguy]

It is a shame to see boats left to their own devices. I would have to know what he wants and what you are willing to pay before I could offer any advice or council.

 

[tpenfield]

Why do you say no wood that you know of . . .? Check the floor to see what it is made of . . . carpeted floor in the main cockpit section (right?). Often means wood floor. How about the seat backings?

 

[MTboatguy]

From everything I am reading that boat has and integrated stringer system on it that is bonded to the fiberglass floor, so it may very well be true that is has not wood in it. Who would have thought..What year is it?

https://books.google.com/books?id=bM...ingers&f=false

 

[ahicks]

The cost to repair (recover) the seats, and the time the boat would be tied up to have that done would be huge factors here. That cost in mind, the boat would have to be priced pretty reasonably to make it worth my time/effort.

Bottom line, I'd rather poke around to find one with upholstery in like new condition even if it cost me a few buck more.

 

[David Young]

Cool boat. Check on how much money it will cost to fix the seats. Maybe he'll come down a little bit more

 

[89retta]

If the price is right and the hull/motor are sound buy it. When I was looking for a newer boat , that's how I bought my current boat. The seats were worn and faded from exposure. Had the boat inspected , motor only had 120 hours and was in top shape along with the stern drive. Saved about $8000 buying it with the worn seats. As for down time to have the seats redone , I just redid them over the winter. The bucket seats I replaced with a used mint pair from another boat. So it cost me about 1800 to have a new interior. In other words go for it and save some money

 

[Blind Date]

I'd get a quote from an upholstery shop to re-do the interior so you understand the cost. The buckets seats on my CVX16 were $350 each, and the back seat was $750.That did not include new foam or new wood structures or the side panels. That was over 10 years ago, prices have probably gone up.

 

[southkogs]

I find this kinda' funny, but it's how I would have to consider it: not really that critical to the boat's safety, or how it performs; the seats are what I'm in contact with most on the boat. So, they're actually pretty important to me. That means the plan for making them comfortable again would have to factor into the pricing (as pretty well mentioned above).

So, I agree with the trend: the price would have to be right. And I really don't know what "right" is.

 

[GA_Boater]

Weigh the boat if you can.

No wood to rot doesn't mean no flotation foam to get soaked. That's why boats rot from the bottom up - First the foam gets wet and the rot begins. With no wood, wet foam still weighs a lot and it will never dry out, which turns a boat into performance dog.

 

[Joolz]

Thank you all for the feedback. And my apologies, forgot to list the year: it's a 98. Few things missing, like the ladder that was removed and someone slapped silicone to cover the holes. Ski pole missing but I could make one. One of the straps in the bow is missing, trailer needs new tires, few other minor things I could deal with. The reason why I didn't list the price is that every market is different and where we are - north of the border - prices can be stupid, due to demand. Seems that everyone is looking for a starter boat. For the year, these usually go for more than double what I'm about to offer, to give you some perspective. Offer I have in mind: around the $4000 mark. Unless I'm mistaken, you couldn't get a 98 Evinrude Intruder 115 V4 for that much, which is what the boat comes with.

Personally, I can live with the rough upholstery. It's not like it's fully ripped or pieces are missing. It's just cracked up badly, as seen in the pics. To me aesthetics take a back seat to safety. Which is where I am: is this boat safe, seeing how it likely was left outside without a cover for some time.

Oh and I also looked closely at the floor by lifting up the carpet around the ski locker. It's some sort of laminate material, an inch thick and it looks solid. This was a very encouraging sign. There are no soft spots on the floor (no surprise seeing how this isn't wood and therefore not prone to rotting).

My concern now turns to potential wet foam. Such as where the ladder holes are and the silicone patch job used to seal them. Or on the edge of the hull where it has a few gaps missing in the gelcoat. Didn't look like it was deep enough to penetrate the foam but I won't know till I dig it up further in order to patch up these nicks.

But there lies another question: seeing how these are compartments, even if an area has wet foam, it probably wouldn't spread all over. I saw a pic of a similar Flyer showing the fibreglass "stringers". They seem to be done in several sections. So my hope would be that if water has compromised the foam, it would be limited to that one compartment. Can someone confirm if this would be the case?

Not sure I can take the seller on his word but he did say he had the boat running at mid 40's (mph) and that seems to be the max this boat is capable of, with a 115 hp power plant. He also said the boat sits level in the water. A test drive would be ideal. I proposed it and it could happen, he didn't deny it, it just proves challenging due to proximity to the lake and well, we both have families with young tots and lack of time is a challenge. I would, however, do a compression test prior to finalizing things.

After listening to some of the comments here I am now satisfied that this would be a good deal and a fun project, seeing how there doesn't appear to be anything major here (if one can call a good cleanup "minor" as it badly needs it). Going to call the seller this afternoon and make the offer. Again, thanks for the invaluable timely help.

Oh and as mentioned above: if the boat proves to be a keeper, we could always save up for a reupholstery job down the road.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I have a ‘97 Larson that also has engineered stringers and bulkheads, although my boat (an I/O) had a wood deck and transom core. It had water intrusion from the transom-mounted ladder bolts, which soaked the foam and rotted some deck and transom wood. Even if your boat isn’t made with wood, wet foam is a big problem, because there is only one way to remove it...

Any idea what material comprises the transom core?

 

[Old Ironmaker]

We bought a crate 98 Rude V4 150 HP from a used marine dealer near Windsor for $4500.00 a few years ago, and it was a good deal. If indeed there isn't any wood in the hull or transom that doesn't mean there isn't waterlogged foam in it. A great suggestion here was to weigh it. If you know the weight of the trailer that will tell you what you are getting. When you get into refurbishing interiors, buying ladders or missing anything on something that has the word Marine associated with it you can spend thousands here in Canada tout suite (fast in French). I know a couple that bought an old glass boat last year for 400 bucks and spent 500 on tires, gas tank, fuel line, fenders, PFD's, anchor, lines plus tax on the boat and trailer plus the stuff. Gas not included at $1.40 a liter.

 

[Joolz]

Owner said when he first got this boat that he drilled the transom expecting to find wood but instead only found foam, or whatever material he came across that wasn't organic. So hopefully these boats were built wood-free.

No chance of weighing it. But assuming the boat's foam is wet and assuming there's indeed no wood in its construction, would it be such a bad thing? I mean, will wet foam rot and weaken its fibreglass enclosures over time? Other than added weight, would this be a terminal issue, as is the case with most water logged wood-framed boats?

Buying a used boat is a always a gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. My current boat has signs of rot and I know for a fact that some of its wood is rotting, which is why I'm swapping boats. Thankfully I didn't pay much for it and I can sell the motor alone for the amount it'd break even. So yeah, question now is do I pull the trigger on this Larson? As I told wife, we better be prepared to kiss goodbye to that money should both the boat and motor end up being duds. Guess that's the risk you take when your finances only allow you to be a bottom feeder.

 

[Silver Eagle]

The best thing to do is take it for a spin. See if it run' s, check the pisser, hot or cold.

 

[Bayou Dave]

Any questions you may have about foam, etc can be answered by John at Larson. Email him with the HIN and he will be very helpful.

JSchmidtbauer@larsonboatgroup.com

 

[Joolz]

Thanks, it'd be good to have him clarify some of these concerns. However as far as this boat goes, just too many red flags. We were really hesitant to pull the trigger fearing this to be too much of a project. Decided to save up for a model that's been better cared for. Learned plenty from looking at this boat, now knowing that it does not have wood = lighter construction. This is important for us due to our underpowered tow vehicle.

Anyone knows of any other makers that build these woodless boats? Under 18' and preferably with an outboard. With our season approaching its end, the next month or two is good timing to land some decent finds. Atm there isn't a single Larson Flyer for sale anywhere within several hours drive. Would be great to know if there alternatives.

 

[briangcc]

Some modern boats tout being wood free - my Four Winns did although there was definitely wood in it! Really depends on the model year and manufacturer as to if/when they changed to wood free. Weight wise, the Stingray boats seem to be light compared to other models. But being light doesn't necessarily mean it'll be a comfy ride as there is a give and take with the weight of the boat and how it handles choppy conditions.

If weight is truly a concern you should switch gears and look at an aluminum boat as they'll be much lighter than a similarly sized fiberglass boat.

 

[Joolz]

Good point on the downside of a very light boat. My current deep V 15' with a 115hp Johnson handles chop nicely. Then again it probably weighs several kilos more due to water intrusion. Total weight with the older Calkins trailer and no added equipment is around 820kg, or some 1800 lbs (weighed at a truck scale, detached from the tow vehicle). That's nearing the max my 2 litre new Nissan can comfortably tow. Although it handled our trailer on a recent trip nicely and it was likely over 2,000 lbs. The 16' Larson Flyer is rated at 1080 lbs but it isn't clear to me if that includes the outboard, and for that matter, the weight of a typical trailer. Any idea how much a trailer weighs? This is another reason why I want to stay from I/O boats, don't need the added weight, or the fear that a faulty water seal could sink the boat (does this ever happen?)

Stingray huh? Good to know. Will add it to the list of potential finds. Btw my current boat still drives just fine and we plan to hit the lakes 4 days straight next week. So it's not like I'm without a boat and pulling my hairs. I have the luxury of time on my side. Nonetheless would like to land something by October, as come spring the prices and demand are silly high.

 

[bruceb58]

If the floor is fiberglass I would have no reservations at all buying that boat assuming the dash was still in good shape. Take the upholstery out and bringing it to a shop will save you a ton of money. If this boat was local and I could buy it at a good price, I would buy it just to flip it.