New to Boating: need advice

[Duece121]

i am new to boating and I am currently looking at a 1973 15' Galaxie with a 1975 70hp Evinrude outboard. Any advice on this set up is appreciated. Any prior knowledge of problems with boat or motor will as well be much abliged. I understand this isnt a large boat. I am looking for something that me, my wife and my 2 yr old son can fish from and play around on. i think this size would be good for us. just concerned with my lack of knowledge as far as what to look for/listen for or handy questions to ask. Thank you

 

[rolander]

Re: New to Boating: need advice

Well is this a tri hulll boat or a V hull, The OMC engine should be fine, run it first before buying it for a few minutes then do a compression test. Running it will get excess oil out of the cylinders which can make compression higher for a quick sale. Run it make sure it runs well and check that the compression should be within 10% of other cylinders. Other then that as long as the boat floats it should work fine.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: New to Boating: need advice

it's a good size play-around and starter boat. Should be cheap; boats like that are a dime a dozen. Just don't put a lot of money in it. Strip off any electronics except the bilge pump and keep it simple.
There are hundreds of posts here telling you how to check out a used boat--floor, transom, etc.
If your first boat is an old one, you want one that is as reliable as an old boat can be. So look around at the seller's place: is he squared away or a slob? You do not want to start your boating career with a project.
And whatever you do, don't take the family on the maiden voyage. Take an experienced boater. Trust me.

 

[cr2k]

Re: New to Boating: need advice

If the water you will boat in is usually a little rough, a Tri-Hull will beat you up.
But they have great for stability for fishing. You can all stand on the same side with out much listing.