thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

[rose_surfer]

I'm thinking of purchasing a 1990 sea ray bowrider from a dealer in Central Florida. it will end up being under $3,000 including the trailer. I grew up around boats, but this would be my first.

Question is - for a boat this age, am i pretty much guaranteed that there is stringer and/or transom (water) damage and/or rot or some other really significant problem?

I suppose I could invest in a thorough survey, but I also feel like for under $3k, if the engine cranks fine, the deck and transom feel solid, it shifts into gear with no grinding, and it runs well on the water, including the bilge, etc., and no water comes out when I pull the drain plug after taking it for a 10 minute run then I'm probably doing ok. Thoughts?

Am I better off spending a couple thousand more for a slightly newer boat? I'm not really in a position to spend more than $5k or so, but just want a fun family "starter" boat.

 

[KD4UPL]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

In my opinion a boat that old is getting to the point where you might spend more time working on it than using it. If you don't mind tinkering and have the time then go for it. If you hope to jump in it with the family on a free weekend and go I suspect it will be a frustrating experience.
Do you have any idea how the boat was cared for, winterized, maintained, stored, used, etc? A used boat is always a gamble, the older they are, the bigger the gamble. What engine does it have? Please don't say OMC.

 

[rose_surfer]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Its got a mercury 135 OB. definitely don't want to spend more time working on it than enjoying it, and don't mind if i have to put a little money into it at this price, i just don't want another payment right now. its tempting to grab something cheap that runs even if i only get a couple years out of it then upgrade.

 

[jestor68]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

I'm thinking of purchasing a 1990 sea ray bow rider from a dealer in Central Florida. it will end up being under $3,000 including the trailer. I grew up around boats, but this would be my first.

I feel like for under $3k, if the engine cranks fine, the deck and transom feel solid, it shifts into gear with no grinding, and it runs well on the water, including the bilge, etc., and no water comes out when I pull the drain plug after taking it for a 10 minute run then I'm probably doing ok. Thoughts?

Check the things you mention carefully and you should be good to go. The fact that it's a Mercury outboard powered boat makes it a better candidate for a first boat.

The fact that it's for sale by a marine dealer is a point in your favor also.

That boat's NADA average retail is $3300.

 

[NYBo]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Welcome to iboats!

I agree with jestor68.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Overall condition and the maintenance kept on a boat means everything. Get the history of the boat and see if you can get the previous owners name from the dealer. If not, they may be trying to hide something.

Whats been said is true, a 1990 boat is a risk but it also depends on the type/style of boat and how it was maintained throoughout its life. I myself have a 1990 boat but it was worth it to me. May not have been to someone else. But the style of the boat can play a big part and most bow riders take alot of abuse.

If your fine with throwing away a few thousand dollars, take the risk. If not, get a survey and a certified mechanic for that motor to give it a once over before you purchase. Waiting for the right boat to come along that fits you and your uses is half the battle. Patience, the right boat usually will find you.

Post up some pictures of its current condition and we can probably give you alot more help.

 

[jestor68]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Is this the 1990 Sea Ray 180 with 135 Mercury that's on E-Bay now(Orlando, Fl) with the bids at $2300?

If so, that dealer has a 100% feed back score. That should indicate that he's not trying to stick you with a rotted out piece of junk.

Dealers have a reputation to protect.

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Dealers have a reputation to protect.

You are joking right?

If not, I'm a "boat dealer", and I have a great deal for you!

 

[jestor68]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

You are joking right?

If not, I'm a "boat dealer", and I have a great deal for you!

No, I'm not joking. I don't have a sense of humor that I'm aware of.

By definition; a marine "dealer" is someone that buys and sells marine products. He does not need to be an authorized Mercury dealer(for example).

If you want to call yourself a "boat dealer"; fine. I would investigate your status before dealing with you.

 

[tazrig]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

I'm thinking of purchasing a 1990 sea ray bowrider from a dealer in Central Florida. it will end up being under $3,000 including the trailer. I grew up around boats, but this would be my first.

Question is - for a boat this age, am i pretty much guaranteed that there is stringer and/or transom (water) damage and/or rot or some other really significant problem?

I suppose I could invest in a thorough survey, but I also feel like for under $3k, if the engine cranks fine, the deck and transom feel solid, it shifts into gear with no grinding, and it runs well on the water, including the bilge, etc., and no water comes out when I pull the drain plug after taking it for a 10 minute run then I'm probably doing ok. Thoughts?

Am I better off spending a couple thousand more for a slightly newer boat? I'm not really in a position to spend more than $5k or so, but just want a fun family "starter" boat.

I've owned the same 1976 Formula that is more solid and in better shape than most new boats today for the last 23 years so don't be afraid of the age by itself. What matters is how it was cared for. Check the inside of any access hole you can find with a flash light. Do you see any hint of de-lamination? (stringers or other fiberglass structure pulling away from itself or the bottom of the boat or other fiberglass damage such as deep cracks in the transom area) Put the side of your face up against the hull at the stern and look down each side. Is the side of the hull nice and straight as it should be or is it all wavy? Going down the side of the hull use the side of your fist to give light hits all the way down. You should hear solid thuds all the way down. If you hear hollow thuds that tells you the fiberglass is coming apart where you hear the hollow thuds. For a couple of hundred bucks tops you should be able to have a good mechanic give the engine a quick once over as well as the electrical and mechanical systems on a boat that size and give you a simple thumbs up or down. Its well worth the price as a boat of that vintage could give you a lot of fun for a little TLC here and there or it could turn into a total money pit real fast. Good luck!!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Merry Christmas everyone !!!

My 2 cents . . .

There is probably not a huge difference between a $3K boat and a $5K boat . . . they are both going to be fairly aged and subject to water retention and rot issues. Yor challenge will be the same . . to find a good, solid boat.

You are probably correct in assuming that a boat over 20 years old will have some issues with moisture in the structure. If the boat was kept in the water, then the odds are much higher. If it was trailered and kept dry, then you could be in luck.

You could do percussion testing on the hull and all the structural areas to get an idea. You will need a plastic headed hammer or something like it.

A sea trail and testing of all the equipment on the boat will go a long way in determining the condition of the engine, electronics, etc. Take a real good look at things close up, etc. Pretend that you are Sherlock Holmes.

Be ready to do a fair amount of maintenance regardless, it is just a way of life with boats.

 

[PS94]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

1) It's $3000. if it runs, and had a decent trailer, you can part it out for your total investment...
2) It's a Sea Ray. We're not dealing with the same vintage of Bayliner or something.
3) Did I mention it's only 3k?
4) can you take it for a water test? bonk it with a dead blow hammer? Even if you need to do some age related maintenance, (bellows, u joints, shift cable)....it's not a bad deal....that **** needs doing for peace of mind on ANY boat over about 5 years...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Take a look at this 1995 Sea Ray thread for a preview of what you may be getting yourself into:

http://forums.iboats.com/completed-...gnature-deck-stringer-restoration-510077.html

That boat should be purchased as a "project boat" and shouldn't be considered "water ready" until it has been checked thoroughly below deck.
If you buy that boat you should plan on putting the other $2K into the hull and at a very minimum remove the decking to have a look below. If everything is good below deck (which I doubt seriously) all you have to do is install a new deck and carpet... a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Marine dealers sell rotten boats just like boat sellers do. For $3K you shouldn't expect anything more than a fairly well fermented boat.

 

[rose_surfer]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Is this the 1990 Sea Ray 180 with 135 Mercury that's on E-Bay now(Orlando, Fl) with the bids at $2300?

Yes, that's the one, although I didn't realize he has it posted on ebay! But you can see the general condition of the boat - from the pics at least it looks like the vinyl is a little faded but not completely deteriorated (would something like an armor-all type product help restore/protect the vinyl?), and it's missing the stereo. The carpet is old and looks a little musty. All of these are things I'd expect on an "experienced" boat and don't bother me too much. I'll be running the boat in salt water so the vinyl will wear quickly no matter what.

Of course, no way to tell about the hull/deck/transom/stringers until I get a closer look at it.

BTW, now that everyone knows where to get this boat hopefully no one on here buys it out from under me

Thanks for all of the tips. Keep 'em coming if there's anything I haven't heard yet...

 

[rose_surfer]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Take a look at this 1995 Sea Ray thread for a preview of what you may be getting yourself into:

.

Thanks for that thread. I think. It kinda gave me a sick feeling to my stomach. :facepalm:

That being said, I'm assuming that could happen with just about any boat older than five years or so. I guess i'd rather only be into it for $3K than have something similar happen with a boat I'm into for $5K.

Good thing is getting tricked by frozen rotten wood isn't much of a factor in central FL. What I am taking away from this discussion is not to be "emotionally committed" to this boat before I get out there and get a good look at it. There are plenty of $3-5K boats out there and one of them is bound to be a reasonably good deal.

If there are any soft spots on the deck or transom I'll definitely walk.

This is a great forum - so much helpful advice! I'm sure I'll be a regular once I find a boat!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Good thing is getting tricked by frozen rotten wood isn't much of a factor in central FL.

Frozen wood no, but there is another trick called "double decking" where the seats are removed and the old carpet is pulled up and then new plywood decking is thrown down on top of the rotten decking and stringers below giving the deck a solid feeling. This only lasts a season or 2 until the new decking wicks enough moisture out of the rotten decking below to start rotting too.

When you look at the boat lift the ski locker hatch and look at the decking edge to see if it looks thick, do the same thing when you lift the motor cover too.

 

[Jake007]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

A few things to consider:
For only $3K, if you get one year out of it you made out OK considering normal older boat depreciation. Secondary problem, how do you sell it after the year if it is showing serious issues.

Consider looking into one of the boat clubs in Central Florida where you share a boat. This could fit you need to get back on the water and you could likely have access to multiple size boats that are in much better and safer condition.

I do know that no matter the cost, there is nothing like owning your own. If you like to tinker and repair, there is allot of satisfaction in owning a boat.

When I was younger, I bought a boat similar to what you are describing. The engine ran fine but would not shift and had several other issues. I bought the boat with the same one year depreciation logic. The first thing I did was to take care of a new battery, empellor, tune up, fluid change, shift cable, etc etc $1K. As it turned out that boat gave me another 4-5 years of use and great memories with minimal investment. I did end up having the deck and some stringer repair performed about year 3 of owning. In hind sight, it was still well worth it as I learned allot about boats and gained priceless memories of times on the water. However, be prepared with knowing that you will likely need to spend another $3K+ on some major repair along the way.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[rose_surfer]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Well...i went ahead and pulled the trigger. According to the mechanic, the 135 hp merc had been more or less completely rebuilt. Also new impeller.

The boat started on the first crank in the dealer parking lot, and then again when I put it in the lake. It was free of soft spots (nothing spongy, one spot between the windows in the center of the boat a little "bouncy"). Transom was solid.

So i took the plunge - paid $2750 including sales tax and registration for the trailer and boat. Trailered back from Orlando to Indian Harbour with no issues.

I do have a couple of questions though (I'm sure I'll have many more as I go). First - the boat will not start when the motor is trimmed all the way up. When the motor is trimmed down, it starts on the first crank. is this typical for a 2 stroke OB with carburetor?

Second - the boat will be stored on a lift at my house (no roof over the lift). Do i need to pull the drain plug if I'm going to cover it with a polyester or acrylic cover? Its hard enough to get the "ears" on to flush it (i'm running in salt water), but getting the drain plug in and out while its on the lift is damn near impossible. Thoughts?

 

[09zkrankin]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

im sorry but I feel like its crazy to pull the entire deck out of a boat if everything feels solid and you dont see anything that makes you think something is hiding. I guess it depends how ocd you are lol. congrats on the purchase and enjoy it. I have a 1993 baja islander and it is in better shape than most 2003's. its all about the maintnace

 

[tpenfield]

Re: thinking of purchasing 1990 sea ray bowrider - what am i getting into?

Second - the boat will be stored on a lift at my house (no roof over the lift). Do i need to pull the drain plug if I'm going to cover it with a polyester or acrylic cover? Its hard enough to get the "ears" on to flush it (i'm running in salt water), but getting the drain plug in and out while its on the lift is damn near impossible. Thoughts?

Pull the plug and put it in while the boat is on the trailer . . . .

You should have it pulled when the boat is in storage.