Re: Steiger or parker pilot house - opinions wanted
I wanted a pilot house so bad but didn't want to pay $20-99K. This boat was like buying a retired Sherman tank. Sure it's used, abused, and put away wet, but it's still a tank!
It was used off the south end of Florida, then the gulf of Mexico, then used commercially to retrieve live ordinance under government contract. It's probably never spent a day indoors in it's life until now. Was repowered in 2000, will probably need repowered again in a few years. It looks like some of the forward bulkhead tabbing has delaminated after years of ocean use(easily repairable) but the hull seems bullet proof.
I installed a B60 transducer in it this week and the hull is solid fiberglass about an inch thick. They started using fiberglass stringers in 1990 too, but the decks on the earlier models have a rep for getting soft quick, as is mine. Even so, I drilled a virgin compartment for the transducer and the foam was in really great shape.
The boat has been repainted which makes repairs easier for me since I can epoxy and paint. Are you looking to buy new? I think that Steiger started a lifetime hull warranty in 1996 with their fiberglass only grid system? You can call Alan Steiger over the phone and talk to him personally which is pretty darn cool in my opinion.
Below is a pic of my boat when it was used commercially a few of years ago...
