1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

[jmekepley]

I have found a 1999 ski centurion sport bow rider. it has 125 hrs on in boat is in awesome condition. its a pretty blank slate for what ever modifications i want to do.

Can i get some opinions if i should buy it and what i should do to it

 

[Chillin The Most]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

I would find out as much history on the boat as I could from the owner. Take a look at the floor back around the stern to see if there are any soft spots. This would indicate a rotted floor. Check the transom to make sure its all solid. Check under the boat to make sure the hull isn't damaged.

I bought my first boat last summer and these were some of the things my friends told me to look at.

 

[wcsparky05]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

welcome! how about showing us a picture?

 

[flatbudget]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

Chillin the most is right! You may want to get someone that has a boat to take a look at it. You want to look at some visible signs of rot, inspect the v drive system to make sure there are no damage. If this is a v drive set up. Also, look at the motor. Pull the dipstick out and see if there are any signs of milky oil. Chances are if you see this the motor has a cracked head gasket or something even worse. Be patient, have a good thorough look at it before you jump on it. Heck it is an investment. Just looking out for you.

 

[on_ice]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

Older skiboats are nice because they offer the wakeboard boat look but they will not kick up a serious wake. The more HP the merrier with ski boats as you are going to have to weigh it down quite a bit for the right wake. Post pics this could be a great boat. The open bow on that boat will be nice. What kind of budget are you working with?

Also, to the person posted above....this boat should be direct drive.

 

[commandohorn]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

Isn't that a inboard boat? V8 Engine? Be prepared to buy a lot of gas!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

they are super boats, you can always adapt a bladder, for wakeboarding.

 

[Jetdoc789]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

xxx

ok mabey i don't know how to delete this message!!!

 

[Jetdoc789]

Re: 1st Boat:Is this a good boat to start out with

Offer to pay for a pre-buy inspection at your local shop, I'd ball park it at about $150. Well worth it, make sure they do a compression check on it. The owner should be glad to deliver and pick it up. If he refuses, you've instantly saved yourself thousands & a heck of a lot of headaches.

Don't forget to take it out and run it. Load up the owner and invite a few friends (w/ the promise of free beer after the demo) to serve as ballast, bigger the better, let the biggest check for soft spots. Tell the owner to remove the engine cover for the demo so you can hear it sing... If the water is to cold to ski where your at, don't spend too much time hauling hind end around the lake. Of coarse you'll make sure it can bury the needle w/ out meltdown, but concentrate on what the boat will do out of the hole. Do numerous deep shots and see how it pulls. Bribe one of your ballast, I mean buddies, into a wetsuit (preferably the fat one checking the floorboards) and see what the boat will actually do w/ a skier on back.

Make sure you find out what the seller does for a living and what his motivation for selling is. Has he done all the maintenance or does he have a shop winterize & do periodic scheduled maintenance? Has he personally spent any money on upgrades for the boat? Take a gander at his other vehicles and his house, does he let his stuff go to hell in a hand basket, or does he take good care of the goodies he has? You can probably tell where I'm going w/ this... 6 years ago I bought a 96 Stingray for $6,800. It was our first little toy and a great boat. We outgrew it quick and I just sold it for $7,200 and all I did over the years was drop a Pioneer system w/ an amp in it, and take care of it! Same deal, dude wants a pre-buy, I more than gladly delivered and picked up my boat, now his boat. Which brings us to the moral of the story... If you?re on a budget, DO NOT let my wife pick out your next boat!!! Here's what we ended up with!!!

http://www.mcandrewmotors.com/webtemplate.aspx?iid=171374

I can't fricken wait to pour the coals to this thing this weekend!!!

Enjoy your boat, be safe, and keep a good eye out for idiots on the water!!! Especially if they spent entirely too much money on a floating stereo!!!